Improvements in Cycles and other Similar Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles and other Similar Vehicles.
I, GEORGE GASKELL EXTON, of South Bank, Bromley, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
It is well known that the manufacture of the frames and steering gear of bicycles'
and other similar vehicles is rendered more or less difficult and complicated by
reason of the forked parts which carry the axles of the wheels. These forked parts
are also disadvantageous in that they interfere materially with the design of the
framework, and prevent the latter from being shaped as gracefully or neatly as it
might be were it not for the necessity under existing circumstances, of employing
the aforesaid forked parts for transmitting the weight of the frame and its load
to the axles of the wheels.
The chief objects of the present invention are to avoid the use of the aforesaid
f'orked parts, so as to facilitate the manufacture of the frame and steering gear, to'
enable the framework to be shaped more gracefully or neatly than has been
possible heretofore, to apply the weight of the frame and its load at or near the
centre of the wheel axles instead of at the ends thereof, and to enable, the vehicle
to be held with facility in a vertical position when stationary or while starting.
For these purposes I make the frame and steering gear without forks, and pre-
ferably so that the members thereof all stand in one plane coincident with the
centre line of the vehicle and instead of using two single wheels placed in line in
the central plane of the vehicle as heretofore, I employ two pairs of wheels, the
front pair being carried one on oach side of the lower end of the steering spindle
on a suitable axle or axles secured to or rotating in the said end of the steering
spindle, and the rear pair being carried one on each side of the rear end of the
frame of the vehicle on a suitable axle or axles secured to or rotating in the said
rear end of the frame.
By these means the weight of the frame and its load is supported centrally
between the wheels; and as the wheels comprising each pair need be only a few
inches apart the vehicle may still retain its bicycle character, so far as ease of
motion and facility of steering is concerned, whilst the width of base due to that
distance apart, small though it be, of wheels composing each pair, yet enables the
vehicle to be easily maintained in the vertical position when stationary without
the necessity of the rider dismounting, and to be started from a state of rest while
the rider is seated on the saddle.
:
The front or steering pair of wheels may be arranged so that each wheel rotates
on its own axle independently of the other, or both wheels may be fixed on an axle
adapted to rotate in a suitable bearing on the steering spindle. The rear or
driving pair of wheels may also be arranged so that each wheel rotates on its.
own axle independently of the other, or both wheels may be fixed on an axle
adapted to rotate in a suitable bearing in the rear end of the frame of the vehicle;
but in the former case each wheel is preferably provided with driving mechanism.
because when travelling in a curved path sometimes one, and sometimes the other

page_text: wheel bears on the ground, and becomes the driving wheel according as the curve
tends to the right or to the left.
In some cases it may be found convenient or desirable to employ my invention
in connection with the front end only, or the rear end only, of the cycle or other
vehicle leaving the usual forked arrangement for the opposite end. -
Sometimes also the rear end of the frame may be forked, cranked or otherwise
adapted so as to allow the chain wheel or other driving device to stand in the
central longitudinal plane corresponding to that of the frame itself, in order to
avoid the deviating tendency towards one side which sometimes occurs when the
driving gear is applied at one side only of the cycle or other vehicle.
In some cases the axles of the wheels may be arranged to project downwards at
an angle with the horizontal in order to allow the peripheries of the two wheels
composing a pair to come nearer together at the bottom, where they rest on the
ground, than at the top, in order to facilitate travelling in a curve; or the axles
may be arranged to project upwards at an angle with the horizontal in order to
allow the peripheries of the two wheels composing a pair to come nearer together
at the top than at the bottom, so that when the cycle or other vehicle leans to one
side, and the whole weight comes on one wheel, such wheel shall be nearer vertical
and therefore better adapted to support the weight than when both wheels bear
on the ground and the weight is divided between them.
The arrangement of the wheels side by side tolerably near together affords
great stability and safety, and a similar arrangement of the wheels may be used,.
if desired, in conjunction with the forked arrangement of frame and steering
gear, and in this case the two wheels may be united rigidly together, or be made
as a single wheel with two tyres placed a suitable distance apart.
By suitably constructing the axles with universal joints or bearings, or applying
thereto, or to the wheels suitable mechanism the said wheels may be caused to
change their positions automatically so that they both remain vertical when the
cycle or other vehicle is standing or running on the side of a cambered road, or
on or over irregular ground, or when going round curves.
My invention is applicable, so far as I am aware to all classes of cycles or other
similar vehicles, whether driven by manual or pedal power through human agency,
or by electric, steam, gas or other motive-power engines and for whatever purpose
employed.
Dated this 15th day of December 1896.
G. G. EXTON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
Improvements in Cycles and other Similar Vehicles:
I, GEORGE GASKELL EXTON, of South Bank, Bromley, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, 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:
It is well known that the manufacture of the frames and steering gear of
bicycles, and other similar vehicles is rendered more or less difficult and compli-
cated by reason of the forked parts which carry the axles of the wheels. These
forked parts, in addition to being a frequent cause of weakness in ordinary
bicycle construction, are also disadvantageous in that they interfere materially
with the design of the framework, and prevent the latter from being shaped as

page_text: gracefully or neatly as it might be were it not for the necessity; under existing
circumstances, of employing the aforesaid forked parts for transmitting the weight,
of the frame and its load to the axles of the wheels.
The chief objects of the present invention are to avoid the use of the aforesaid
forked parts, so as to facilitate the manufacture of the frame and steering gear,
to enable the framework to be shaped more strongly, gracefully or neatly than
has been possible heretofore, to apply the weight of the frame and its load at or
near the centre of the wheel axles instead of at the ends thereof, and to enable the
vehicle to be held with facility in a vertical position when stationary and while
starting or coming to rest.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will proceed
to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carriage or vehicle forming a kind of double
bicycle constructed in accordance with my invention, Figure 2 a rear elevation,
Figure 3 a plan of same, and Figures 4 and 5 illustrate certain modifications to
be hereinafter described.
I make the frame A and steering spindle B without forks, and preferably so
that the members of the frame A all stand in one plane coincident with the centre
line of the vehicle, as shown in Figures 2 and 3; and instead of using two single
wheels placed in line in the central plane of the vehicle as heretofore practised
for bicycles, 1 employ two pairs of wheels, the front pair C C being carried one on
each side of the lower end of the steering spindle B on a suitable axle D secured
in the said end of the steering spindle, and the rear pair E E being carried one
on each side of the rear end of the frame A of the vehicle on an axle Frotating
in ball or other suitable bearings in the bracket G secured to the said rear end of
the frame A.
By these means the weight of the frame A and its load is supported centrally
between the wheels, and as the wheels comprising each pair need be only a few.
inches apart (say six inches for example) the vehicle still retains its bicycle
character, so far as ease of motion and facility of steering is concerned, whilst the
width of base due to that distance apart, small though it be, of the wheels com-
posing each pair, yet enables the vehicle to be easily maintained in the vertical
position when stationary without the necessity of the rider dismounting, and to be
started forward or backward from a state of rest while the rider is seated on the
saddle.
The front or steering pair of wheels CC may be arranged so that each wheel
rotates on the fixed axle D independently of the other wheel as above described,
or both wheels may be fixed on an axle adapted to rotate in ball or other suitable
bearings at the end of the steering spindle 1. The rear or driving pair of
wheels E E may either be fixed on an axle rotating in bearings as above described,
or each wheel may be arranged to rotate on a fixed axle independently of the
other; but in the latter case each wheel is preferably provided with driving
mechanism, because when travelling in a curved path sometimes one wheel bears
more firmly on the ground than the other and thus becomes the driving wheel
for the time being according as the curve trends to the right or to the left.
In the vehicle shown in the drawings the driving chain wheel H is fixed on the
axle F in the centre line of the vehicle so that the pull of the driving chain I is
central and there is consequently no tendency to draw the vehicle to one side, as
there would be if the driving chain-I were placed to one side or the other of the
centre line of the vehicle. The crank-axle J is mounted in ball or other suitable
bearings in the bracket K secured on the horizontal bar of the frame A, but pre-
ferably so that it can be set forward or backward thereon by the adjusting rod L
when it is required to tighten up or slacken the driving chain I. The adjusting
rod L is secured at one end to the bracket K, is screw threaded at its other end,
and passes through a lug M secured to the frame A, the adjustment being effected
by means of the nuts N or the adjustment of the bracket K may be effected by
any other suitable means.

page_text: The saddle is supported on a pair of curved springs P, (or if preferred a
single spring may be employed) securely fixed at one end to the rear end of the
horizontal bar or tube of the frame A, and so secured at its other end to the front
part of the said frame that it is free to slide to and fro on the bearing surface Q,
but is prevented from rising therefrom by a cover plate R or otherwise. The
saddle may be supported if preferred on what is known in the carriage trade
as a C spring or on any suitable arrangement of spiral or other springs.
The front end of the steering spindle B may be stayed to the upper end of the
steering spindle tube by means of a stay bar or tube A' the lower end of which is
fixed to the end of the steering spindle B, and the upper end terminates in a
ring A which is free to turn on the upper part of the steering spindle tube
between two collars A³.
The steering spindle B is mounted in the tube in the usual way on ball bearings
or otherwise and the steering handles S are secured to its upper end as usual.
The brake arrangements may be of any suitable kind; the drawings show a
band brake applied to the axle of the hind wheels. T T are brake sheaves or
pulleys fixed on the axle F one on each side of the driving chain wheel H. U is a
brake strap one end of which is secured at U to the bracket G and the other end
to a jointed rod or to a cord or chain V which passes over and under guide
rollers T, T³ preferably through the inside of the tubes forming the frame, up
through the tube W, and is finally connected adjustably in any well known and
suitable way to a brake lever X pivotted to the handle bar S.
In some cases it may be found convenient or desirable to employ my invention
in connection with the front end only, or the rear end only, of 'the cycle or other
vehicle, leaving the usual forked arrangement for the opposite end.
In some cases also the axles of the wheels may be arranged to project down-
wards at an angle with the horizontal in order to allow the peripheries of the two
wheels composing a pair to come nearer together at the bottom, where they rest
on the ground, that at the top, in order to facilitate travelling in a curve; or
the axles may be arranged to project upwards at an angle with the horizontal
in order to allow the peripheries of the two wheels composing a pair to come nearer
together at the top than at the bottom, so that when the cycle or other vehicle
leans to one side, and the whole or the greater part of the weight comes on one
wheel, such wheel shall be nearer vertical, and therefore better adapted to support
the weight, than if allowed to take the inclined position it would assume if both
wheels were normally parallel to one another.
The arrangement of the wheels side by side tolerably near together affords
great stability and safety, and a similar arrangement of the wheels may be used,
if desired, in conjunction with a forked arrangement of frame and steering gear,
the branches of the forks passing outside the wheels, and in this case the two
wheels composing a pair may be united rigidly together, or be made as a
single wheel with two tyres placed a suitable distance apart so as to form a dual
wheel as illustrated by the sectional view Figure 4. Instead of using a forked
arrangement of frame as above mentioned the frame may be made so that its
sides stand outside the wheels, whether such wheels are made separate or in the
dual, form above.described.
By suitably constructing the axles with universal joints or bearings, or applying
thereto, or to the wheels, suitable mechanism, tho said wheels may be caused to
change their positions automatically, so that they both remain vertical when the
cycle or other vehicle is standing or running on the side of a cambered road, or
on or over irregular ground, or when going round curves.
One method of effecting this object is illustrated in Figure 5, in which Y is a
bracket or frame fixed to the horizontal part of the frame A and having lateral
branches Y provided with vertical slots adapted to receive blocks Y which are
free to slide up and down in the said slots, but are prevented from moving
laterally therein by means of suitable flanges. These blocks Y carry the axles Ya
of the wheels Y the latter being free to revolve on their respective axles inde-

page_text: pendently of each other, each wheel being preferably provided with a driving
chain wheel Y³ which receives motion from an appropriate chain-wheel on the
crank-axle in the usual way. The weight of the frame and of its load is trans-
mitted to the blocks Y, and consequently to the wheels Y, by means of a kind
of balance bar Ye mounted on the frame A, but free to oscillate thereon. The
ends of this balance bar rest on the blocks Ys, and whenever the vehicle stands
on, or is passing over ground which gives a tendency to cant it to one side or
other, the counter tendency of the rider to remain in the vertical plane keeps the
slotted sides of the bracket Y vertical, and one wheel rises and the other falls so
that both rest on the road but both remain in vertical planes parallel to one
another. The equality of the up and down movements of the two wheels is pre-
served by the balance bar Ye which prevents one wheel rising without the other
being depressed to a like distance. In the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the
weight of the frame and its load is applied to the top of the sliding blocks Y
the frame A being above the axles of the wheels; but if preferred, especially
when the frame A is situated below the axles of the wheels, the said weight may
be suspended to the lower ends of the said blocks by means of links or other
flexible connections attached to the ends of the balanco bar Y and to the said
lower ends of the sliding blocks.
A vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention can be very easily
adapted to be taken to pieces for easy transit, for example the lower part of the
steering bar 13 may be arranged so that it can be connected to or disconnected from
the other part by means of a suitable screw or other coupling applied at the
point B for example, whereby the front wheels can be detached from the rest of
the vehicle; and the front part of the frame A may be arranged so that it can be
connected to or disconnected from the rear part by means of a suitable screw or
other coupling applied at the point A for example, so that the hind wheels can
be detached from the rest of the vehicle, the two connections enabling the
front part of the frame to be disconnected from both the front and hind wheels
if desired.
If preferred the frame and its load may be placed at the same level as the
axles of the wheels or below the same, in the latter case the brackets G and K
may be placed so as to project upwards above the horizontal part of the frame A
instead of downwards as shown in the drawings. In cases where it is desired to
employ a larger brake sheave on the hinder axle than is consistent with keeping
the horizontal part of the frame A straight such part may be bent or curved
upwards or downwards so as to pass over or under such brake sheave.
It will be understood that the front wheels or the two tyres of a dual wheel,
as the case may be, may be kept closer together than the rear ones or vice versa,
but in most cases I am of opinion that it will be found preferable to arrange both
pairs at the same distance apart.
My invention is applicable, so far as I am aware, to all classes of cycles or other
similar vehicles, whether driven by manual or pedal power through human agency,
or by electric, steam, gas, or other motive-power engines, and for whatever purpose
employed.
By the use of my invention pneumatic tyres may be dispensed with if desired
because the arrangements admit of the saddle being carried on springs which can
be so shaped and adapted as to furnish as much elasticity or resilience as may be
desirable without the well known disadvantages of pneumatic tyres. The inven-
tion also allows of the application of a band brake in a position coincident with
the central plane of the vehicle whereby any tendency to lateral deviation due to
the application of the brake to one side only of the vehicle is avoided. The inven-
tion also admits of back or side supports, or both, being applied to the seat
or saddle, because the vehicle will stand steady while the rider is mounting or
dismounting whilst in the ordinary bicycle such supports are not admissible on
account of the difficulty of getting into a seat provided with them on an unstable
vehicle. Vehicles constructed in accordance with my invention are especially suit-

page_text: able for military purposes as a soldier mounted on such a vehicle can use the
rifle without dismounting, and provision can be more easily made for carrying his
rifle or other arms than in an ordinary bicycle. They are also specially suitable
for postal and messenger services, for tandems, multiples, side by side sociables
and so forth. Sails may be employed in such vehicles to assist propulsion under
favourable circumstances of wind, and umbrellas may be fitted to them not only
to serve as protections from the rain or sun, but to assist as sails with favourable
winds. A vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention is less subject to
motion in a sinuous or wavy track than an ordinary bicycle.
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. The construction of a vehicle of the nature of a bicycle in such manner
as to apply the weight of the frame and its load at or near the middle of the wheel
axles instead of at the ends thereof, substantially as described.
Second. A cycle or vehicle of the nature of a bicycle composed of a frame with-
out forks, standing in a plane coincident with the centre line of the vehicle and
having two pairs of wheels, one pair mounted at the rear end of the said frame,
and the other pair on the end of the steering spindle, substantially as described.
Third. A cycle or vehicle of the nature of a bicycle composed of a frame with-
out forks, standing in a plane coincident with the centre line of the vehicle, and
naving a pair of wheels mounted at the rear of the said frame, the steering wheel
or wheels being mounted in a fork on the steering spindle as usual, substantially
as described.
Fourth. In a cycle or vehicle of the kind herein described devices for main-
taining the two wheels composing a pair vertical and parallel to one another not-
withstanding the sloping or irregular surface of the ground, substantially as
described.
Dated this 16th day of September 1807
G. G. EXTON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.