Improvements in or relating to Steering Forks for Cycles and other like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Steering Forks for Cycles and
other like Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK CRUNDALL, of 598, Holloway Road, London, Cycle Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements which are more especially applicable
to that part of cycles and other like vehicles which carries the front or steering
wheel, and to which the steering bar and handles are attached. This part is
usually constructed with a fork between the branches of which the steering wheel
rotates and with a stem which passes up through the head of frame and has
applied to its upper end the steering bar and handles. The stem is generally
provided with an upper and a lower crown containing ball bearings by means
of which the stem and fork are enabled to rotate freely in the steering head.
The lower crown is, however, a weak part in this arrangement and the steering
fork is frequently broken there. The object of the present invention is to provide
an arrangement which is much stronger and stiffer than the present steering
stem and fork and therefore much less liable to break.
For the purpose of this invention I construct the steering fork of a pair of
trussed frames placed side by side at a distance apart suitable for receiving the
steering wheel between them at their lower ends, and connected together at
their upper ends by cross bars or distance pieces. These frames are hinged to
the main frame of the machine in any suitable way, for example they may be
connected to the steering head in the ordinary way and turns in ball bearings
thereon. The steering bar and handles may be attached to the upper cross-bar
or distance-piece of the aforesaid trussed frame.
By these means the steering fork is composed of strong and stiff framework
instead of single bars of metal forged in one with, or welded to the fork-stem
which constitutes an arrangement having comparatively little strength or stiffness
lengthwise of the machine as compared with the improved arrangement above
described.
1
00:1
A T
1000

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Steering Forks for Cycles and
other like Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK CRUNDALL, of 598, Holloway Road, London, Cycle Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements which are more specially applicable
to that part of cycles and other like vehicles which carries the front or steering
wheel, and to which the steering bar and handles are attached. This part is
usually constructed with a fork between the branches of which the steering wheel
rotates, and with a stem which passes up through the head of the frame, and has
applied to its upper end the steering bar and handles. The stem is generally
provided with an upper and a lower crown containing ball-bearings by means
of which the stem and fork are enabled to rotate freely in the steering-head.
The lower crown is, however, a weak part in this arrangement and the steering
fork is frequently broken there. The object of the present invention is to provide
an arrangement which shall be much stronger and stiffer than the present steering-
stem and fork and therefore much less liable to break.
According to this invention I construct the steering fork of a pair of trussed
frames placed side by side at a distance apart suitable for receiving the steering
wheel between them at their lower ends and connected together at suitable
points above the steering-wheel by crowns, cross-bars or distance-pieces. These
frames are hinged to the main-frame of the machine in any suitable way, for
example, they may be connected to the steering-head in the ordinary way and
turn in ball-bearings thereon. The steering-bar and handles may be attached
to the upper crown of the beforementioned trussed frames.
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively side eleva-
tion, plan, and front elevation of so much of a bicycle as is necessary to illustrate
my invention, and Figure 4 is a vertical section, to an enlarged scale, through the
steering-head of the machine. A is the front or steering-wheel running on an
axle B carried by the lower ends of the two trussed frames C, one of which latter
is disposed on each side of the wheel A. It will be seen that each of the frames C
is of a diamond or lozenge shape and is provided with a stiffener or strut D at a
convenient distance from its two ends. The frames C are connected together by
a crown, cross-bar, or distance-piece E which forms a support for the lower end
of the steering-head F (which runs on ball-bearings G in the usual way) and by
a crown, cross-bar, or distance-piece H which forms a support for the upper end
of the steering-head as shewn clearly in Figure 4. I is the upper part of the
ball-bearing, and its adjustment in relation to the balls J may be effected by
screwing its stem K up or down in the boss L of the cross-bar H. This part I
of the ball-bearing is provided with a nick M for the insertion of a screw-driver
for turning the same and with a lock-nut N for fixing it in position. The handle-
bar may be firmly attached to the boss L of the cross-bar H by the usual
clamp P, whereby the movements of the handle-bar are communicated to the
front or steering-wheel A through the trussed frames C.
By the above described arrangement the steering fork is composed of strong,
light, and stiff frame-work instead of single bars of metal forged in one with or
welded to the fork-stem which latter constitutes an arrangement having com-
paratively little strength or stiffness in a direction lengthwise of the machine as
compared with the improved arrangement above described.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :―
First. Constructing the steering forks of cycles and other like vehicles of a
pair of trussed frames placed side by side at a suitable distance apart, connected
together by cross-bars or distance pieces, and hinged to the main frame of the
vehicle by means of a steering head carried by the said cross-bars or distance
pieces, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Second. In steering forks for cycles and other like vehicles the combination
of a pair of trussed frames, connected together by cross-bars or distance pieces,
and a steering-head placed between the said trussed frames, and by means of
which the said trussed frames are hinged to the main frame of the vehicle, sub-
stantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 2010. DAY O
Horch
200
of orch 1900
F. CRUNDALL.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.