IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gow Smith, of Russel Street, Eccles, in the
County of Lancaster, Builder, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRICYCLES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gow Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1881.
JAMES GOW SMITH, of Russell Street, Eccles, in the County of Lancaster,
Builder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES."
My Invention relates to tricycles, and consists in mounting two wheels upon an
axle which I place in front of the person riding or propelling the machine. Upon
the before named axle I form cranks to be acted upon by the hands of the person
riding or propelling the machine. One of the previously named wheels I mount
fast upon the aforesaid axle, the other being capable of turning freely thereon to
facilitate passing round curves.
Upon framework supported by the above named wheels I mount a seat upon
which the rider sits whilst propelling the machine. The seat before named I
mount upon slides, so that it may be adjusted in position relative to the cranked
axle before named, and when adjusted I secure it in position by a bolt and nut.
To the previously mentioned frame work I attach a foot-board, against which the
rider places his feet while propelling the machine. I effect the steering or guiding
in the following manner :-The steering or guiding wheel I place at the rear of
the machine, and behind the rider, and mount it so as to revolve in a frame
capable of turning in a bearing formed in the framework above referred to. From
the frame, in which is mounted the steering wheel, extends a lever provided with
a slot, into which passes a stud or pin carried by one end of a lever turning upon
a stud secured to the frame-work of the machine.
The other end of such lever aforesaid extends under the seat previously men-
tioned, and projects between the knees of the rider, and by pressing one knee or
the other against the lever aforesaid the machine will be guided in the direction
desired.
Instead of mounting the above named steering lever so as to be acted upon by
the rider's knees, I carry the end of the lever downward near to the foot board
previously mentioned; the steering may then be effected by the feet of the
rider.

page_text: .
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Gow Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st January 1882.
•
JAMES GOW SMITH, of Russell Street, Eccles, in the County of Lancaster,
Builder. IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES."
"
My Invention relates to tricycles, and consists in mounting two wheels upon
an axle, which I place in front of the person riding or propelling the machine.
Upon the before named axle I form cranks to be acted upon by the hands of the
person riding or propelling the machine. One of the previously named wheels I
mount fast upon the aforesaid axle, the other being capable of turning freely
thereon to facilitate passing round curves.
Upon the frame work, supported by the above named wheels, I mount a seat,
upon which the rider sits whilst propelling the machine. The seat before named
mount upon slides, so that it may be adjusted in position relative to the cranked
axle before named, and when adjusted I secure it in position by a bolt and nut.
To the previously mentioned frame work I attach a foot board, against which the
rider places his feet while propelling the machine. I effect the steering or guiding
in the following manner:-The steering or guiding wheel I place at the rear of the
machine and behind the rider, and mount it so as to revolve in a frame capable of
turning in a bearing formed in the frame work above referred to. From the
frame, in which is mounted the steering wheel, extends a lever provided with
a slot, into which passes a stud or pin carried by one end of a lever turning
upon a stud secured to the framework of the machine. The other end of such
lever aforesaid extends under the seat previously mentioned, and projects between
the knees of the rider, and by pressing one knee or the other against the lever
aforesaid the machine will be guided in the direction desired.
Instead of mounting the above named steering lever so as to be acted upon by
the rider's knees, I carry the end of the lever downward near to the foot board
previously mentioned; the steering may then be effected by the feet of the rider.
In order that my Invention may bo more readily understood and carried into
practical effect, I will now proceed to describe the same, reference being made to
the accompanying Drawings. Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, show a tricycle.constructed
according to my Invention, Fig. 1 being a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of the
same, similar letters of reference being placed upon corresponding parts in each of
the Figures. At 5, 6, are the driving wheels mounted upon opposite ends of
an axle 7. The axle 7 is mounted so as to be capable of freely revolving in
bearings 8, 9, attached by screws or otherwise to frames 10, 11, such frames being
formed, by preference, of metal tubing. The two frames 10, 11, are screwed into a
T coupling 12. Into the T coupling 12 is also screwed a tube 13, forming a
continuation of the frames 10, 11. One end 13* of the tube or frame 13 is formed
with a socket 14, within which, and capable of revolving freely therein, is a stud 15
formed upon the upper part of a forked bracket 16, the lower ends of the fork of
which receive the ends of a stud 17, upon which is mounted the boss of the steering
wheel 18, so as to be capable of being rotated thereon. The upper end of the
stud 15 is provided with a nut 19 by which the stud 15 is retained within the
socket 14. To the frames 10, 11, is secured; by screwing or otherwise, a bracket
'or plate 20, such bracket or plate supports a seat 21 furnished with raised sides
aud back. To the underside of the seat 21 is fastened a plate 22 provided with
apertures which may be passed over the end of a bolt 23 attached to the frame 13,
such apertures permitting the seat 21 to be placed nearer to or farther from the
axle 7, the seat 21 being provided with projecting pegs 24, 25, passing into slots

page_text: formed in the plate 20, for retaining the seat in position relative to the axle 7;
the bolt 23 is provided with a thumb screw 23*, by which the seat 21 may be
secured in any desired position.
Upon the axle 7 I form cranks or handles 26, 27, such cranks or handles being
provided with loose tubular shells or thimbles 28, 28*, within which the cranks or
handles 26, 27, are free to revolve. The axle 7 is prevented from moving in a
longitudinal direction by the bosses of the driving wheels 5, 6, being in contact
with the brackets 8, 9, within which the axle 7 revolves. The person propelling
the said tricycle sits upon the seat 21, and by means of his hands and the cranks
or handles 26, 27, imparts rotatory motion to the driving wheels 5, 6, thereby
propelling the tricycle. For the purpose of permitting the tricycle to be steered
in any desired direction by apparatus to be hereafter described, I mount one of the
wheels 5, 6, fast upon the axle 7, the other wheel being capable of being revolved
freely upon the axle 7, the loose wheel being retained longitudinally upon the
axle 7 by a nut. Extended parts 10*, 11*, of the frames 10, 11, are carried in a
downward direction, their extremities passing through apertures formed in a bar 29,
such bar being retained upon the frames 10*, 11*, by nuts 30 screwed upon the
extremities of the frames 10*, 11*. The bar 29 serves as a footrest for the person
riding upon the tricycle, and also as a stay to the framework 10*, 10, 11, 11*.
For steering the tricycle I make use of the following arrangement :-Upon the
upper part of the forked frame 6 and fast therewith I mount a lever 31 provided
with a projecting pin 32, which passes freely into a slot formed in one end of a
lever 33, the other end of the lever 33 being attached to a boss 34 mounted so as
to be capable of being rotated upon a stud 35 carried by the frame 13; to the
boss 34 is secured one end af a lever 36, the other end thereof being formed with a
flattened part 37. The person riding upon the tricycle sits upon the seat 21, so
that the flattened end 37 of the lever 36 may be pressed to one side or the other
by the knees of the rider aforesaid; such movement will cause the lever 36 to be
turned upon its fulcrum 35 carrying with it the lever 33, which by means of the
slot and pin 32 in the lever 31 will cause the forked frame 16 carrying the steering
wheel 18 to be turned within the socket 14, the tricycle being directed to one side
or the other according to the direction in which the flattened end 37 of the
lever 36 may be pressed by the knees of the rider. I have previously remarked
that one of the wheels 5, 6, is fast, and the other is mounted loose upon the axle 7 to
facilitate the passage of the tricycle around curves, but, if desired, the wheels 5, 6,
may be mounted loosely so as to be capable of being rotated upon the axle 7 and
receive motion from the axle 7 through media of click wheels and pawls or catches
or other similar arrangements ordinarily used for such purpose, in which case both
the wheels 5, 6, will receive rotatory motion from the axle 7 when the tricycle is
going in a straight line, but upon being turned or guided to one side or the other,
one only of the wheels 5, 6, will be driven by the cranked axle 7.
Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, shew a modification of my
Invention.
At 40, 41, are two side frames, formed by preference of metal tubes; these
tubes 40, 41, are screwed into a T coupling 42, into which is also screwed a
tube 43 so as to form a continuation of the side frames 40, 41; the opposite
end 43* if the tube 43 to that screwed into the coupling 42 is formed with a
socket 44. At 45 is the steering or guiding wheel, the axle 40 of which supports
a forked frame 47 within which the steering or guiding wheel 45 may revolve;
upon the fork 47 is formed a stud 48 passing into the socket 44 so as to be capable
of being rotated therein, the upper end of the stud 48 having a nut 49 thereon by
which it is retained within the socket 44. To the frames 40, 41, are secured
brackets 50, 51, passing through which and capable of being rotated therein is an
axle 52. Upon the axle 52 are mounted driving wheels 53, 54, such wheels being
free to revolve upon the axle 52, but being capable of receiving motion therefrom by
means of pawls and ratchet wheels or other equivalent apparatus, as will be well
understood. An upward extension 40*, 41*, of the frame 40, 41, I form with

page_text: bosses or sockets 55, 56, through which short shafts 57, 58, pass so as to be
capable of being rotated therein, upon one of which shafts and formed fast therewith
are handles or cranks 59, 60, respectively; fast upon the ends of the short
shafts 57, 58, opposite to those upon which are the handles or cranks 59, 60, are
mounted wheels 61, 62, the peripheries of which are furnished with teeth
capable of taking into endless chains 63, 64, passing partly around the wheels 61, 62,
and partly around wheels 65, 66, mounted fast upon the axle 52, also furnished
with teeth capable of taking into the chains 63, 64. Or toothed wheels may be
employed for transmitting rotatory motion from the short shafts 57, 58, to the
axle 52 in place of the chains 63, 64, previously described. Secured to and
supported by the side frames 40, 41, is a seat 67, upon which the person propelling
the tricycle sits. When it is desired to propel the tricycle the person seated upon
the seat 67 imparts rotatory motion to the cranks or handles 59, 60, such motion
being transmitted to the axle 52, by means of the shafts 57, 58, wheels 61, 62,
chains 63, 64, wheels 65, 66, and through media of the pawls and ratchet wheels
or other equivalent means before referred to rotatory motion will be imparted to
the driving wheels 53, 54, and the tricycle will be propelled. The tricycle is
steered or guided as follows:-To the frame 43 is attached a stud 68, upon which
a lever 69 is mounted so as to be capable of being rotated thereon. One end 69*
of such lever being provided with a slot, taking into which is a projecting pin 70
fast upon the lever 71 attached to the forked frame 47, within which is the steering
or guiding wheel 45; the end 69** of the lever 69 is carried upward and formed
with a flat part to be acted upon by the knees of the person propelling the tricycle,
as by moving the lever in one direction or the other the tricycle may be guided in
any direction desired. The part 40**, 41**, of the side frames 40, 41, serves as a
foot rest for the person propelling the tricycle.
If it be thought desirable brakes may be attached to the above described
tricycles, but as their application thereto will be readily understood, I do not think
it requisite to illustrate them.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that
I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent.
Firstly. Propelling tricycles, substantially in the manner herein before shown and
described.
Secondly. Steering or guiding tricycles by means of levers acting, substantially
in the manner hereinhefore described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gow Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.