Year: 1886

page_text: I, DAVID WIGGINS, of 677 Commercial Road East, in the County of Middlesex,
Manager for the Gospel Oak Iron Company, Limehouse Branch, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to velocipedes and comprises various improvements herein-
after set forth.
In the specification of my former Letters Patent, dated 24th March, A.D. 1885,
N° 3811, I have described the application of springs of peculiar form between the
frame of a bicycle or tricycle and the wheels thereof. According to one part of
my present invention, I provide, in the manner herein-after described, for supporting
the frame of a tricycle upon the axle of the driving wheels by means of springs
of this kind, that is to say I provide two posts or upright pieces through which
the axle is passed as described in the said former specification, but these posts are
not slotted as heretofore. Each post is provided at its upper end with a parallel
pin or stud, on which a socket or sleeve is fitted to slide. These sockets or sleeves
are connected by a cross-piece, to the centre of which the backbone of the tricycle
is firmly secured. In combination with each parallel pin and socket, I employ
two springs formed with C-shaped portions as described in the said former
specification, but these springs can be made considerably lighter than when single
springs are used. The lower end of each spring is placed over the parallel pin and
rests on the top of the post. The upper ends of the springs are secured to an arm
or cross-bar at the lower end of the socket.
I sometimes place between the springs and the post, or between the said cross-
bar and the socket, a ring or washer of india-rubber or other elastic material to
assist in diminishing the jars or shocks occasioned by inequalities of the roads over
which the vehicle has to travel. This part of my invention is applicable in all
cases where my springs are used.
I prefer to make each post with a socket or arun to receive a trailing rod for
preventing the tipping of the machine.
The lower ends of the posts are united by means of a cross-piece, which is
connected by one or more links or slings with the backbone of the machine.
By these means I provide for increasing the rigidity of the frame. The said cross-
piece is made in separate parts or sections united by a screw-bolt. I fit upon this
cross-piece, a lever for operating the brake.
I sometimes provide for the adjustment of the treadle-shaft to regulate the
tension of the driving-chain according to the weight of the rider. For this purpose
I support the said shaft in arms or bars pivotted to, or suspended from, the back-
bone of the machine, and provided with screws or other suitable means whereby
they can be readily moved towards, or away from, the axle of the driving-wheels.

page_text: In some instances, the said arms or bars are pivotted to, or suspended from, the
links which connect the posts with the back-bone.
:-
Or I provide for the support and adjustment of the treadle-shaft as follows, that
is to say I attach to the backbone of the machine a forked bracket formed in
two parts which, when placed on the backbone, fit closely together on each side
thereof, and are united by means of bolts and nuts, so that the said bracket can be
readily removed and replaced. A screw is coupled or connected to the bolt which
unites the upper parts of the bracket. This screw is provided with a nut, which is
fitted in a recess or cavity in the strut or tie-bar hereinafter described. By turning
this nut in one or the other direction, the driving-chain can be slackened or
tightened as required.
To provide for the adjustment of the seat or saddle without interfering with the
chain, I employ a bracket having two prongs one on each side of the said chain, so
that they cannot come in contact therewith, I am thus enabled to secure the seat in
a truly central position. The upper end of the said bracket is provided with a
plate or frame for the seat or saddle capable of sliding to and fro upon the said
bracket and arranged to be secured thereto in any desired position by means of
a screw or bolt. The seat or saddle is secured to the said plate or frame in any
suitable manner so that it can be readily removed therefrom.
In machines wherein the backbone is depressed between the axle of the driving-
wheels and the steering-wheel, I provide a strut or tie-bar at the bend of the said
backbone. This strut or tie-bar, moreover, serves as a step for use in mounting,
or alighting from, the seat or saddle of the machine.
In some cases, I arrange double springs in combination with slotted posts such
as are described in the said former specification. For this purpose I make the
frame so that it extends a short distance beyond the posts. The upper ends of the
springs are attached to the frame. The lower ends of the said springs rest upon
shoulders or projections on the post. The rod which extends downward from the
frame and works in a slot in the post is extended upward beyond the post and
firmly secured to the projecting part of the frame. I provide the two downwardly
extending rods with adjustable bearings for an intermediate shaft, which rotates
within a tube firmly united to the said rods, and which is connected by chains and
chain-wheels with the axle of the driving-wheels. I connect this shaft by means
of a chain and chain-wheels with the treadle-shaft, which is supported in bearings
attached to the frame of the machine. I thus provide for making a rear-steering
tricycle with central driving-gear. Moreover the treadle-shaft is free to move up
and down with the frame; therefore the distance between the seat or saddle and
the treadle-shaft is not altered by compression of the springs. A further advantage
is that the vibration of the treadle-shaft is diminished, as the said shaft is supported
with the frame upon the springs.
In some cases, I support the treadle-shaft in bearings in the said downwardly
extending arms.
•
I sometimes dispense with springs between the seat or saddle and the backbone
or frame, when the machine is fitted with my springs between the frame and
the wheels.
The india-rubber tires commonly used on the wheels of velocipedes are liable to
slip off the same and thereby cause great inconvenience to the rider. To obviate
this defect I securely attach the tire to the felloe of the wheel by means of screws,
bolts or rivets, or by means of wire wound around the tire and passed through
holes in, or otherwise secured to, the felloe.
D
......
An 1.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: I, DAVID WIGGINS, of 677 Commercial Road East, in the County of Middlesex,
Manager for the Gospel Oak Iron Company, Limehouse Branch, 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:-
My invention relates to velocipedes, and comprises various improvements herein-
after set forth.
In the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated 24th March
A.D. 1885, N° 3811, I have described an invention which comprises the use of
springs of peculiar form between the backbone or frame of a velocipede and the
wheels thereof, and which is designed to decrease or diminish the jars or shocks
occasioned by inequalities of the roads upon which such vehicles are required to
travel.
One object of my present improvements is the adaptation of the invention
described in the said former specification to tricycles which have the steering
wheel in front of the driving wheels, and which are commonly known as " front-
steering" tricycles.
My present invention is, moreover, designed to further improve the construction
of velocipedes.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a "front-steering" tricycle with my present
improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section on the line x, x,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a "Cripper" tricycle, with my present improve-
ments applied thereto.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section on the line ¹, x',
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a rear elevation, and
Figure 6 a side elevation of a bicycle with my present improvements applied
thereto.
Figures 7 to 11 are different views hereinafter described showing details of
construction.
Figure 12 is a transverse section of part of a wheel with the tire secured to the
felloe as hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a is the backbone or frame; b, b are the driving-wheels, and c is the steering or
guiding wheel. d, d are two bars, posts or standards, in which are fitted the ball
or other bearings for the driving axle e. Each post d is provided, at its upper end,
with a parallel pin or rod d. A cross-piece al is firmly attached to the backbone
or frame a, or forms a part of the said frame. This cross-piece is provided at its
extremities with sockets or sleeves f which are fitted to slide up and down upon

page_text: the parallel pins or rods d. The bars or posts & are, moreover, united, at their
lower ends, by a cross-bar g, which is connected with the backbone or frame a by
means of links or slings g¹.
In combination with each parallel pin d¹ and socket f, I employ two springs h
having circular or C-shaped portions h¹, as described in the said former specifi-
cation, but, as two of these springs are employed, they can be made considerably
lighter than heretofore. The lower end of each spring is slotted and passed over
the parallel pin d¹, so that it rests on the shoulder d³ of the post d. The upper
end of each spring is secured to an arm or cross-bar f¹ fixed, or formed, on the
lower end of the corresponding socket f. Other springs may, if desired, be used in
place of those shown in the drawings, or a single spring may be used in combi-
nation with each of the posts d, for the purpose of my invention. The links or
alings gare pivotted upon the cross-bar g and upon a bolt gå passed through a
bracket a fixed on the backbone or frame a; they, therefore, firmly connect the
posts d with the backbone or frame a and strengthen the framework of the
velocipede, whilst permitting the vertical movement of the back bone or frame
independently of the axle, when the springs are compressed by the rider's weight
or otherwise, the links or slings g¹ turning upon, or about, the cross-bar g when
the springs are thus compressed.
In a tricycle with a "loop" frame, these links or slings are placed at, or near,
the ends of the cross-bar g, instead of near the centre thereof as shown.
By the means above described, I provide an elastic connection between the
backbone or frame and the wheels of the velocipede. Therefore, when the wheels
pass over any obstruction or uneven part of the road, very little jar or shock is
imparted to the rider.
I sometimes place cushions i of india-rubber or other elastic material between
the springs and the shoulders d² of the posts d, or between the said springs and
the cross-bar f¹, to further diminish the jars or shocks occasioned by inequalities
of the roads over which the vehicle has to travel. This part of my invention is
applicable in all cases where my springs are used.
I prefer to attach the trailing rod j, for preventing the tipping of the vehicle, to
a socket or arm a² on the cross-piece u¹, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The cross-bar g is preferably made in separate parts or sections united at g³ by
means of a bolt, as in Figures 1 and 2, or in any other suitable manner, for con-
venience in taking the velocipede to pieces. The said cross-bar may, however, if
desired, be made in a single piece, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. A lever k is
pivotted upon this cross-bar, which lever has two short arms coupled one to each
end of the strap ' which surrounds the brake-drum k² on the axle e. Any suitable
means are provided for operating the brake through the medium of the lever k.
In the tricycle shown in Figures 1 and 2, I use a rod passing through a tube k
and connected with the lever k by means of a link k*. This rod is provided with
a handle for pulling it upward to put on the brake.
In the tricycle shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lever k is connected, by a link ko,
with a system of levers operated by a hand-lever pivotted to the steering-handle,
in a well-known manner.
In Figures 1 and 2, 7 is a strut or bar which is secured to the backbone a at 11, 1³.
This strut is preferably made of channel-iron. It greatly strengthens the fraine of
the tricycle, and serves as a step for use in mounting, or alighting from, the
tricycle.
m is the treadle-shaft, which is supported in a forked arm m³ pivotted to, or
suspended from, a bracket m* fixed on the backbone a. To this arm is coupled a
screw-threaded bar or rod m2, the screw-threaded end of which is passed through a
bar m³ connecting the strut with the backbone a at 13. Two thumb-nuts mare
screwed upon the rod m² one on each side of the bar m³. By means of these nuts,
the treadle-shaft m can be readily adjusted relatively to the axle e to regulate the
tension of the driving chain according to the weight of the rider. The strut
covers these nuts and thus prevents the engagement thereof with the rider's dress.

page_text: The bar m³, in addition to forming a support for the rod m³, further strengthens
the backbone or frame and stiffens and supports the strut l.
I sometimes provide other suitable means whereby the treadle-shaft can be
readily moved towards, or away from, the driving axle to regulate the tension of
the chain. In some instances, the said forked arm m¹ is pivotted to, or suspended
from, the slings y¹ which connect the posts d with the backbone a.
When my springs are fitted between the frame and the axle, as above described,
the spring or springs usually employed between the seat or saddle and the back-
bone or frame, inay, if desired, be dispensed with.
The steering of the tricycle shown in Figures 1 and 2 is effected by means of
suitable mechanism operated by a bandle at one side of the saddle, as in ordinary
velocipedes of this kind.
To permit the adjustment of the seat or saddle, and, at the same time, provide a
rigid saddle-support, I employ a bent rod or bar n, which is passed through, and
secured in any convenient manner in, the backbone a. Figure 7 is a side elevation
and Figure 8 a plan of this rod or bar. Figure 9 is a side elevation, Figure 10 an
end elevation, and Figure 11 a plan of a grooved plate or frame to which the
saddle is secured, and which is fitted upon the bar n as hereinafter described.
The upper or horizontal part of the rod or bar n is formed with a longitudinal
slot n, and the plate or frame n² is formed with a dovetail groove or channel n*
and is fitted to slide longitudinally to and fro upon the slotted part of the said rod
or bar.
A screw-bolt n³ (Figures 1 and 2) is passed through the plate n² and
through the slot n¹ in the bar n, and is provided with a nut n' whereby the said
plate may be secured in any desired position upon the said bar.
My improved saddle-support has the advantage over those heretofore generally
employed, that if the nut n should become slack, the saddle cannot turn on its
support.
The steering-wheel c is provided with a forked piece o fitted upon the axle of
the said wheel and having a parallel pin or rod o¹ at its upper end. A socket a³
fixed or formed on the backbone a is fitted to slide up and down upon the pin o¹,
and a spring his arranged between the said back-bone and the forked piece o,
substantially as described with reference to the "rear-steering" tricycle shown in
the drawings accompanying my said former specification.
I sometimes insert washers of india-rubber or other elastic material between
the spring and the back-bone a or between the said spring and the shoulder o³
of the forked piece o, or in both of these places.
In the tricycle shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the forked roi pl of the steering-
handle p is fitted to turn in a socket a³ on the backbone or frame a in the ordinary
manner. It is also fitted to turn in one end of an arm a', which, at its other end,
is fitted to slide up and down upon a parallel pin o' at the top of an additional or
supplementary forked piece o carried by the axle c¹ of the steering-wheel c.
A spring his fitted between the arm at and the shoulder o of the said forked
piece o. The forked piece p² of the rod p is provided with two sockets p³, each of
which is fitted to slide up and down upon a parallel pin or rod o³ forming part of
the forked piece o. A spring his arranged between each of these sockets and a
shoulder o on the forked piece o. By these means, the vibration of the steering-
handle is considerably diminished, and the stiffness which riders of such velocipedes
frequently experience in their arms and bands, by reason of such vibration, is
avoided.
In the bicycle shewn in Figures 5 and 6, I employ a forked piece o in addition
to the ordinary forked piece q. The back-bone a is provided with an arm a
which, at its extremity, is fitted to slide up and down upon a parallel pin or rod o¹
at the top of the forked piece o, which is carried by the axle 6 of the driving
wheel b. A spring his fitted between the arm a' and the shoulder o² of the said
forked piece o. The ordinary forked piece q of the bicycle is provided, on each
side, with two arms q', q' furnished at their ends with sockets q³, q', which are
fitted to slide up and down upon parallel pins or parallel portions of the forked

page_text: piece o. Springs h are fitted between these arms and sockets and the shoulders o', o
of the said forked piece o. I thus provide for diminishing the vibration of the
steering-handle of a bicycle, and also for diminishing the shocks or jars imparted
to the rider when travelling over rough or uneven roads.
The trailing-wheel of this bicycle is provided with parallel pins, sliding sockets
and springs substantially in the manner described in my said former specification.
The india-rubber tires commonly used on the wheels of velocipedes are liable to
slip off the same and thereby cause great inconvenience to the rider. To obviate
this defect, I securely attach the tire to the felloe of the wheel by means of screws,
bolts, or rivets passed through holes in the felloe and in the tire. In Figure 12,
62 is the felloe and r is the tire; & is one of the rivets which are passed through
the tire and felloe for securing the said tire in place.
By attaching the tire to the felloe in this manner, at say four points, I limit the
extent to which the said tire can be slackened, that is to say, when the tire is
slackened, by reason of the high speed at which the wheel is running, or by reason
of the sudden application of the brake, when the wheel is running at a high speed,
the slackness thus occasioned can only extend around one-fourth of the periphery
of the wheel. Therefore the tire cannot be slackened sufficiently to permit its
displacement at any part of the felloe.
I sometimes connect the driving axle of a tricycle with the backbone or frame
by means of links or slings such as those above described, in order to increase the
strength and rigidity of the vehicle. This part of my invention is applicable to
velocipedes which have no springs between the backbone or frame and the axles.
It is obvious that some of my present improvements are applicable to "rear-
steering" as well as to "front-steering" velocipedes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The employment, in a "front-steering" velocipede, of bars, posts or
standards in which are fitted the bearings for the driving axle and which are
suitably connected with the backbone or frame, in combination with springs for
supporting the said backbone or frame upon the said bars, posts or standards, for
the purpose above specified.
Second. The combination, with a parallel pin or rod and a socket fitted to slide
up and down thereon, of two springs formed substantially as above set forth, for
the purpose specified.
Third. The combination, with the backbone or frame and the driving-axle, of
the sockets f, the posts or bars & provided with the parallel pins or rods d', the
cross-bar g, the links or slings g₁ and the springs, substantially as, and for the
purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The employment of links or slings connecting the driving-axle with the
backbone or frame, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth. The employment, in combination with the spring or springs, of one or
more cushions of india-rubber or other elastic material, as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Sixth. The combination, with the brake-drum and strap, of the lever pivotted
upon the cross-bar g and connected with the said strap and with means for
operating it, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
"
Seventh. The combination, with the backbone or frame of a "front-steering
velocipede, of the strut or bar for strengthening the said backbone or frame and
serving as a step, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The improved saddle-support comprising the slotted bar and the grooved
plate secured thereto and capable of adjustment thereon, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. The improvements, substantially as described with reference to Figures 3
and 4 of the drawings, whereby I provide for diminishing the vibration of the
steering-handle.

page_text: Tenth. The improvements in bicycles substantially as described with reference
to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, for the purpose specified.
Eleventh. The improvements, substantially as described with reference to
Figure 12 of the drawings, whereby I provide for preventing the displacement of
india-rubber tires.
Twelfth. The improved tricycle consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or to Figures 3 and 4
of the drawings.