IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES FOR TRICYCLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM EDWARD HURRELL, of No 27 Ivy Lane Hoxton, in the County of
Middlesex, Warehouseman, & I WILLIAM SPENCE of Adelaide Road, Surbiton in the
county of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES FOR TRICYCLES," to be as
follows:-
The object of our invention is to construct the frames of Tricycles whether for
front or rear steerers so that the respective positions of the seat, handles, & pedal
axle, may be varied in order that the rider may always keep a vertical position,
notwithstanding the gradient of the road over which he may be travelling. We are
aware that various attempts have been made to attain this desideratum but none
of them will be found to be so perfect & simple as our invention. The swing frame
as applied to the "Devon" Tricycle is the nearest approach to perfection that we
are aware of, the objection to this arrangement is the extra weight that it entails,
& from the fact that while the saddle & pedals are moved to bring the rider in any
desired position, the handles remain fixed, & assuming that they are in a correct
position with a given position of the saddle, it will be obvious, that when that
position is altered the position of the handles must be wrong. We construct our
frame in two distinct parts, one part carries the axle or axles, for the driving
wheels, the sent, or saddle, the pedal-axle, & the handles, & the other usual parts
contingent thereon; the other part carries the steering wheel & its usual fittings.
Both these parts of the frame may be constructed in any suitable style to suit the
peculiar type of machine, which is being built. The two parts of the machine are
fastened together by an hinge or joint under the control of the rider, so that the
position of the steering wheel may be varied in respect to the other part of tl:0
frame, that is to say, it may be raised or lowered to enable the rider to keep a
vertical position on any gradient; thus, supposing the machine to be a front steerer,
if the gradient is a rising one the steering wheel would require to be raised, & if a
falling one to be lowered, in respect to the other part of the frame. In order that
we may be fully understood we will describe a convenient method of applying our
invention to front steering" Tricycles; we take an ordinary machine with a
loop frame and disjoint the small backbone from the frame; under the loop frame
E
ID 11

page_text: as near to the centre of the pedal axle as possible we fix a light shaft running across
the machine & mounted in suitable bearings. The backbone carrying the steering
wheel is fixed to this shaft; fixed on the end of the shaft, on the left hand side of
the machine is a lever, at the end of which is mounted in a suitable manner a nut,
into which a screw formed on the left hand handle takes, & so controls the position
of the shaft on the frame, & with it the position of the steering wheel; the
variations being effected by turning the handle to the right or left.
It is obvious that the details may be varied in many ways without departing
from the principle of our invention.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD HURRELL, of No 27, Ivy Lane, Hoxton, in the County of
Middlesex, Warehouseman, and I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of Adelaide Road, Surbiton, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES FOR TRICYCLES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of our invention is to construct the frames of Tricycles whether for
front or rear steerers, so that the respective positions of the seat, handles & pedal-
axle may be varied relatively to the groun I upon which the machine may bo
travelling in order that the rider may maintain a vertical position notwithstanding
the gradient of the road.
"
We are aware that various attempts have been made to attain this desideratum,
but none of them will be found so efficient & simple as our invention. The nearost
approach to perfection that we are aware of is the "Swing-Frame as applied to
the "Devon Tricyle; the objection to that arrangement being the extra weight
which it entails, and from the fact that the handles must necessarily follow the
gradient of the road notwithstanding that the scat and pedals may be moved into
any desired position.
Our invention is based upon the fact, that the degree of "verticality" in the
build of any machine depends mainly upon the angle which that part of the framo
carrying the sent, handles, pedals & driving wheels; makes with that part of the
frame which carries the steering wheel; which angle is, in any given machine of
ordinary construction, a constant; the connection between the two parts being
a rigid one.
According to our invention these two parts are made separately and connected
together by a Hinge-joint, having its axle paralel with the main axle of the machine,
which joint enables the respective angle of the two parts to be varied so that the
steering wheel may be raised or lowered without effecting the other part, or so
that the pedal-axle may be advanced or retracted without raising or lowering tho
steering wheel.
As implied above, the one part of our machine (which constitutes the main or
driving frame) carries the scat, handles, pedals and driving wheels; whilst tho
other part which is hinged to the main frame carries the steering wheel and its
usual connections.
Between the two parts in addition to the hinge there is a clutch or screw con-
nection, operated by a handle or footplate within easy reach of the rider, for locking
the two parts in position at any desired angle.
In order that we may be particularly understood, we have annexed 2 sheets of
drawings shewing convenient methods of applying our invention to several well
known types of machines, but it will be obvious that the details,-contour of fraine,
and the construction of the adjusting and locking apparatus may be varied
considerably without departing from the principle of our invention.
Figs 1 & 2 Sheet I represent in plan & elevation a loop framed front steering
tricycle with the Hinge joint formed upon the transverse bar of the loop. The small
•

page_text: backbone A of the steering wheel is fixed to a sleeve or tube B which is fitted
loosely over the bar of the loop, thus forming the hinge; to the left of the sleeve is
fixed the lever C, with a nut D sliding in its forked end into which the screw E
formed upon the left handle rod takes, & by turning in one direction raises the
end of the lever & depresses the steering wheel and by turning in an opposite
direction depresses the lover & raises the steering wheel. Three gradients
Ascending Level & Descending are shewn in elevation in dotted lines with the
steering wheel adapted thereto; the main portion of frame remaining in its normal
position.
Figs 3 & 4 Sheet II represent in plan & elevation a loop framed front steerer
with the binge formed in the loop close to the pedal-axle. The small backbone A
of the steering wheel together with a portion of the loop (also marked A) is con-
nected on either side to the upright tubes V of the main part of frame just abovo
the pedal-axle by the Hinge joints B & B1, of any suitable construction. Pro-
longations of the loop on either side behind the hinge form adjusting levers C (also
utilized as backstays) which are connected by light tie rode T to a screw S working
in a revolving nut R mounted in bearings at back of seat rod socket; this nut R is
in connection with the left handle by a light endless chain so that turning the
handle & with it the nut in one direction raises the screw & adjusting levers &
thereby depresses the steering wheel, & turning in opposite direction depresses the
levers & thereby raises the steering wheel. As in Figs 1 & 2 gradients are shewn
in dotted lines with steering wheel adapted.
Fig 5. Sheet II shews a convenient form of Hinge applicable to a centrally geared
or two track front steorer. The steering wheel backbone A ends in a forked piece F
which is pivoted to the socket of the lower chain axle fork P & thus forms the
hinge. It also shows another convenient form of locking apparatus a modification
of which, as will be seen, is also applicable to the loopframed machines. It consists
of a Quadrant rack Q struck from the binge as a centre & supported by upright"
central tube V; upon tho tube A is a sliding clutch in connection by light rods
with the left handle or operated by a foot-plate; this clutch is released when
adjustment is necessary & dropped into the notched rack when desired position is
attained by the rider leaning forward or backward as required; a strong spiral
spring S S. acting through the block Z upon the inclined plane I in combination
with the rack Q prevents the frame suddenly doubling up when clutch is released.
It will be obvious that in cases where the bingo is placed close to the pedal axle,
the pedal axle bearings might conveniently be fixed upon the steering wheel portion
of frame or the hinge might be formed upon the pedal axle itself.
In all cases the steering rod is hingo jointed-or connected by a link motion to
correspond & work in unison with the joint in the frame.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said invention
& in what manner the same is to be performed, what we claim is
1 In the construction of frames for tricycles (whether for Front or Rear steerers,
Singles Tandems or Sociables); the uso of a Hinge-joint for connecting that
portion of the frame which carries the steering wheel to the main or driving
portion of frame; in combination with a suitable clutch or screw connection within
easy reach of rider for adjusting fixing the two portions of the frame at any
desired relative angle, as & for the purposes herein described.
and
or
2 The construction of frames for tricycles with a hinge joint for connecting the
small backbone with the loop or main portion of frame in combination with a suit-
able clutch or screw connection for adjusting fixing the small backbone at tho
required angle relatively to the main portion of frame substantially as shewn in
Figs 1 & 2.
and
or
3 The construction of loop frames for tricycles with a pair of hinge joints of any
suitable construction at or near the pedal axle for enabling the steering wheel to

page_text: and
ог
be raised or lowered upon the hinge as a centre; in combination with a suitable
clutch or screw connection for adjusting fixing the two parts of the frame at
any desired relative angle, substantially as shewn in Figs 3 & 4.
4 The construction f frames for centrally geared or two-track tricycles with
a hinge-joint at or near the pedal axle for enabling the steering wheel to be raised
or lowered upon the hinge as a centre in combination with a suitable clutch or
screw connection for adjusting and fixing the two parts of the frame at the desired
relative angle.
and
5 The use of a divided steering rod, connected by a hinge-joint or link motion
situated & arranged to work in unison with the hinge in the framework of the
machine.