IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I CHARLES GITTENS of Globe Works Hornsey Rise London N Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the reduction and prevention of vibration and
jolting to which riders of Bicycles are at present subject and is more particularly
applicable to those machines called "safety " Bicycles where the cranks are not
applied directly on the axle of the driving wheel but are fixed on countershafts,
the motion being conveyed from the latter to the former by means of cbains,
cog-wheels, or bands.
In carrying my Invention into effect I arrange a bar-which I call the radial-bar-
on each side of the driving-wheel which carries the axle of the driving wheel at
one end and the countershafts with the cranks at the other, these shafts are then
geared with the axle of the driving wheel in either of the before mentioned
ways, by chains, cog-wheels, or bands. The radial bar I then pivot or joint to the
ends of the ordinary Bicycle forks at any suitable part of its length so that the
axle of the driving wheel is some distance in front of the Bicycle fork and above
the pivotted joint. Between each radial-bar and the Bicycle fork I fit a spring.
which tends to force the radial-bar away from the fork causing it to turn or
radiate on the joint or pivot. Thus the wheel when meeting with the varying
resistances on the road will move to and fro under the action of the spring thereby
mollifying or destroying the jolting. The back wheel I also fit with radial-bars
acting in a precisely similar way. By this method I greatly reduce if not entirely
destroy the vibration arising on ordinary roads but as some may possibly still
reach the rider under exceptional circumstances I still further apply my method to
the handle bars making each one a "radial-bar" turning on a pivot fixed or formed
on the Bicycle head and controlled by springs acting against the pressure the rider
puts upon them with his hands. All of these springs so fitted I make adjustable
so that they may be rendered more or less flexible according to desire.
When chains are used to transmit the driving power, the axle bearings are made
movable to take up whatever slackness may arise in the chains from wear, and as
this will alter the distance from the saddle to the cranks, to prevent the latter
becoming out of reach of the riders feet I make the saddle or seat adjustable by
placing it on a rod or support which rod is held in a socket or guide formed on the
backbone. The rod can be moved higher or lower in the socket and then fixed in
the desired position by a pinching screw or cottar pin.

page_text: Improvements in Bicycles.
I CHARLES GITTENS of Globe Works Hornsey Rise London N Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of iny invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object the reduction and prevention of vibration and
jolting to which riders of Bicycles are at present subject, and is more particularly
applicable to those machines called "Safety Bicycles" where a small driving wheel
is used and the cranks are not applied directly to the axle but are fixed on
countershafts below the centre of the wheel, chains cog wheels or bands being
used to convey the motion from the countershafts to the driving wheel.
In order that my Juvention may be. fully understood a sheet of drawings
accompanies this specification by means of which I shall indicate with reference
letters the different parts alluded to in the explanation, the same letters applying
to similar parts in each figure.
In arranging means whereby the jolting is to be prevented, the wheels must be
allowed to rise when passing over an obstacle without lifting the main framing of
the machine, but the difficulty with a driving wheel is that at the same time the
wheel rises the distance between the seat of the rider and the cranks must remain
the same. This difficulty I overcome by arranging a Bar called the Radial Bar A
(Fig. 1 and 2) to pivot on the ordinary Bicycle Fork at A¹) on each side of the
wheel having the wheel axle attached at the ends in front of the Fork and at the
other ends behind the Fork I carry guide Rollers or Pulleys (B), the Fork is
extended below the pivots (A') so as to carry the countershafts with cog wheels
and cranks (C). A cog wheel (D) being attached to the hub of the driving wheel on
each side a chain is passed around embracing the cog wheel (C) on the counter-
shaft, the cog wheel (D) on the hub and the guide roller (B) so that the centres of
the three axes form a triangle the upper side of which is formed by the pivotted
Radial Bar (A). It follows that the latter can oscillate on the pivot (A') like the
Beam of a Balance and that as it takes up chain on the rising end it slackens off a
corresponding amount at the falling end, thereby leaving the lower cog wheels and
cranks (C) uneffected by the oscillations. To control these oscillations and to keep
the wheel from canting sideways I fit close in front of the ordinary Fork another
or auxiliary Fork (E) which is jointed or pivotted at (E') its lower ends to the
Radial Bars (A) and at the top has a stem (F) (also scen in Fig. 3) with a coiled
spring upon it and passing through an eye (G) formed on the steering bead is kept
in position and only allowed to slide up and down through the eye as the spring
is compressed or relaxed by the rising and falling of the wheel or oscillating of the
Radial Bars Underneath the coiled spring I place a nut on a screwed part of the
stem (F) by which the flexibility of the spring can be adjusted-On the stem (F)
above the eye (G) on the steering head there is also a spring kept in place by a

page_text: nut to take up the recoil when the lower spring has been compressed and is
suddenly released-It will be seen that by jointing the ends (E') of the auxiliary
Fork (E) to the Radial Bars (A) the amount of travel or lift of the Fork against
the spring can be arranged, being smaller according as the joints (E¹) are nearer
to, or greater if further from the points (A¹) where the Bars (A) are pivotted to
the main Fork. This is important for it enables a stiff spring with a small range
to be used, as springs will not act for long if used at a great range.
In some cases according to another arrangement (Figs 4 and 5) the counter-
shafts (C) may be fitted on the ends of the Radial Bars (A) where I have described
the rollers or pulleys placed thereby dispencing with the lower extension of the
main Fork. The cranks are not shewn in these views. The auxiliary Fork is
jointed to the Radial Bars and fitted at top with springs precisely as previously
described.
The small wheel may be fitted with Radial Bars and auxiliary Fork similar to
the large wheel; but I prefer as it is not a driving wheel to pivot the Fork (H)
itself (Figs
and 6) beyond the periphery of the wheel to the backbone of the
machine (at H¹) Beyond the pivot or joint (H) the Fork has an extending
arm (1) laying along and close to the backbone with an eye formed at the end
through which passes a curved Bar (J) fixed to the backbone and having a coiled
spring on it on each side of the eye of the Fork arm. A nut at the end of the
Bar (J) keeps the springs in place and enables them to be adjusted.
A curved Bar like J fixed to the main Fork and passing through an eye in the
Radial Bars (A) Figs 1, 2, 4, and 5, with springs as just described may be used in
combination or in lieu of the spring at the top of the auxiliary Fork-All the
springs as described of the coiled pattern may be of any other kind, India Rubber,
plate steel, or an air spring constructed as a piston moving in a cylinder against
compressed air.
The Handle Bars I also construct as Radial Bars, pivotting them at about one
third of their length on horns (K Fig. 3) extending on each side of the steering
head. The inner ends of the Bars (at L) have eyes which pass over the stem of
the auxiliary Fork previously described and have the recoil spring above them
so that when the rider bears his weight on the outer ends both springs are
compressed the recoil spring above by the upward tendency of the inner ends
and the lower spring by the downward pressure on the pivot horns (K).
The saddle or seat I place on a rod (M) which is held in a socket or guide (N)
formed on the backbone. The said rod being capable of being raised or lowered
in the socket and fixed by a set-bolt to the proper distance for the rider to reach
the pedals.
The Brake is of the ordinary kind having a spoon lever (0) to act on the
periphery of the wheel and being attached to the auxiliary Fork rises and fal's
with it which keeps it the proper distance from the wheel. The upper end of the
lever (0) passes through an eye at the end of the handle lever the said eye being
kept from being forced up or down by working in a horizontal slot (P) cut in
front of a projection on the steering head. There is also a vertical slot across the
other for the end of the spoon lever (0) to work backwards and forwards in. The
two slots at right angles to each other are seen in Fig. 3.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
1st The arrangement of Radial Bars A carrying the rollers B fitted to a geared
driving wheel of a Bicycle whereby the wheel can rise when passing over an
obstacle without effecting the stretch of the chain or distance between the seat
and the pedals, the chain being slackened off at one end of the arm while it is
taken up a corresponding amount at the other substantially as described and
shewn in Figs 1 and 2.

page_text: 2nd The combination of the auxiliary Fork E with the Radial Bars A and the
pivotting of the said Fork at the lower ends substantially as described and shewn
in Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.
3rd The pivotting at H¹ of the Forks of small wheels beyond the periphery and
the extending arm I fitted to work along the curved arm J carrying the springs
substantially as described and shewn in Figs 1 and 6.
4th The pivotting of Handle Bars held in position by springs acting upon them
substantially as described and shewn in Fig. 3.