Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
Improvements in Cycles.
I, ANTON PANEK, Junior, of 38, Mariahilferstrasse, Vienna VII., in the Empire
of Austria, Merchant, 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 in cycles, and has for its object to provide
an elastic or spring bearing for the rear-wheel of the cycle and also to provide
for constructing the crank-axle and the two cranks and pedal-axles in one piece.
The elastic or spring bearing for the rear wheel renders riding more easy and
considerably freer from jolting on rough or uneven ground than is ordinarily the
case whereby the wear of the cycle is considerably lessened and the rider does not
so soon become tired, whilst by forming the cranks and the pedal-axles in one
piece, I considerably simplify the manufacture of cycles.
To enable my invention to be clearly understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle the rear wheel of which is provided
with my improved elastic or spring bearing:
Figure 2 is a view showing the manner in which the spring bearing is attached
at its upper part to the frame of the bicycle:
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view shewing the movable connection between the
rear wheel axle and the crank-axle:
Figure 4 shews a vertical section of the same :
Figure 5 is a section shewing the construction of the crank-axle and of the two
cranks:
Figures 5 and 6 are views of details.
Hitherto the rear wheels of bicycles have been mounted in a rigid frame without
springs, so that the rider, whose weight is mainly supported by the rear wheel,
experiences all the jolts, shocks or vibrations of the said wheel which are com-
municated without being appreciably diminished by the pneumatic tyres and
saddle springs ordinarily used.
In order to lessen the jolting experienced when riding on a rough or uneven
road, the rear wheel is, according to my invention, mounted in a spring bearing
in the following manner.–
To the bearing or bottom bracket of the rotatable crank-axle a, I secure one
end of two bars or rods e, e each of which is formed at its other end with a slot din
which the axle of the rear wheel is mounted in a known manner. These bars are
connected to the upper part of the frame A of the bicycle by means of tubes or
stays e, e which extend together upwards and are pivoted at their upper ends to a
bolt f. Each of these tubes consists of two parts one of which is adapted to slide
in the other and each tube is provided inside with a powerful spiral spring g, which is
only slightly compressed by the weight of the rider. The sliding tubes can be
guided and their movement limited by any suitable known means, for instance by
bolt h provided at one end with a head for preventing it leaving a guide i in
which it slides or by means of a pin on one of the parts of the tube which engages
in a slot in the other part of the tube. The two tubes e, e are pivoted on the rear
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page_text: axle, or on the lugs ; of the bars c, c so that by this arrangement the rear wheel
is mounted in a bearing movable with respect to the fixed frame of the machine
and all vibrations caused by the jolting to which it is subjected when the bicycle
is being used are absorbed by the spring g, so that the rider can propel the cycle
very quickly and easily without experiencing the customary jolts and vibrations.
The wear of the bicycle is also by this means considerably lessened as the jolting
always has an injurious effect on the frame and is the cause of so many breakages.
The frame of a bicycle having my improvements can be constructed in several
ways all of which, however, are very similar to one another. For instance the two
bottom bars c, c which are pivoted to the crank-axle and carry between them the
rear wheel, can be formed of a single fork-shaped split piece, which in this case
would not be pivoted to the bottom bracket or crank-axle bearing but would be
connected to the same, whilst the rest of the frame A would only carry the tubes
to which the said bottom bracket is fitted.
As shewn in Figures 3 and 5 I also form the cranks and the pedal-axles in
one piece with the crank-axle. Hitherto the two cranks have always been made
of two separate parts keyed, in the usual manner, to an axle rotatably mounted
in ball bearings. To enable, however, the two cranks and the pedal-axles k¹ to
be made in one piece with the crank-axle a a novel construction of ball bearing is
necessary that shewn in Figures 5, 5 and 6 being, suitable although I do not
limit myself to this construction as it will be obvious it can be modified if desired.
The bearing illustrated in the said figures consists of two parts b, b forming the
bottom bracket, the said parts b, b being rigidly secured to one another by screws
passing through the lateral flanges 7. The ball races in which the balls o, o roll
are also made in two parts and are fitted to the ends of the bracket b. The bars c
through which the bracket & passes can be made in one piece in which case the
bracket is simply inserted therein or they can be made in two parts, as shewn in
the accompanying drawing wherein the part c¹ is pivoted at m to the bar. The
lags n formed on the bar and the pivoted part c¹ serve to secure the bar in
position on the bracket. With this construction the balls o are enclosed so as to
prevent the e-cape of the oil used for lubricating the bearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
--
1. The described improvements in cycles, such improvements consisting in
providing the rear wheel with spring bearings by pivoting the bottom bars c, c
to the bottom bracket and by ivot.ng the back-stays or tubes e at both ends to
the frame, the said stays being each formed of two tubes one of which slides,
and is suitably guided, in the other and within which is arranged a powerful
spiral spring g de igned to absorb or take up the jolting caused by riding on a
rough road, the said improvements further consisting in forming the crank-axle
in one piece with the cranks and the pedal-axles ₁, the crank-axle and its ball
bearings being arranged in the bottom bracket which is made in two parts pro-
vided with flanges by means of which they can be secured together substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved bicycle
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Doted the 21st day of Va 1907
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.