IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, AND SPANNERS TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Starley and John Marshall Starley, both of
Coventry, Warwickshire, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES, AND SPANNERS TO BE USED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Starley and John
Marshall Starley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th
May 1877.
JAMES STARLEY and JOHN MARSHALL STARLEY, both of Coventry, Warwickshire,
Machinists. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, AND SPANNERS TO BE USED
THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to various improvements in velocipedes, part of which
improvements are further developments of the Invention for which Letters Patent
were obtained by James Starley, Junior, and John Kemp Starley, bearing date
November 18th 1876. In the Specification of this Patent the velocipede is described
as having a driving wheel at one side of the seat and two steering wheels on the
other side of the seat. We now propose to increase the width of this vehicle so
that it may carry two riders; to fit the driving axle with two driving wheels,
providing the axle with a double set of cranks, and to place the steering wheels in
the centre, which wheels, from their forks being connected together by a diagonal
rod, will steer simultaneously.
The main frame we connect with the forks of the steering wheels by means of
springs for the purpose of keeping the wheels upon the ground and yet allowing of
their yielding to any irregularities presented to them.
In some cases a central steering wheel may be used instead of the pair.
Another improvement in velocipedes consists in fitting a central driving wheel
and a back and front wheel to a backbone, which carries the seat as usual in bicycles.
This backbone is arched, and extends over the central driving wheel, and is connected
by pivot joints (at its opposite ends) to the forks of the back and front wheels.
The forks of these back and front wheels are connected together through rods,
which are jointed to a central rock lever carried by a vertical steering spindle.
As an improvement in brakes for velocipedes we mount the brake roller on a

page_text: swinging frame which is pivotted to the fork of the hind wheel at a point between
the axle and the periphery of the wheel, so that the swinging motion of the brake
frame will be excentric to the wheel.
Attached to the frame is a cord which is led over guide rollers to near the hand
of the rider. By pulling this cord to tension the brake will be brought into action
and caused to bear tightly against the periphery of the wheel. If, however, the
cord should be snapped the brake will fall back by its own weight and act with
increased energy on the wheel. The intermediate position of the brake roller is
maintained by limiting the length of the brake cord.
In order to provide for the shifting forward of the steering handle, which is
desirable to ease the rider when ascending a hill, we mount the handle in a bracket
frame pivotted to the driving wheel fork. This frame is free to slide over a segment
bar projecting forward from the fork, and it is locked thereto by means of a bolt
carried by a rock lever which is mounted in the bracket frame, pin holes being
made in the segment bar to receive the bolt.
The bolt is put in action by means of a spring which connects its lever with the
handle, and it is thrown out of action by means of a cam mounted loosely on the
handle, and capable of being turned by a milled head, flange, or shoulder. This
cam bears against the tail of the rock lever, and when its increasing radius comes
into action it tips the lever, releases the bolt, and leaves the handle free to be
adjusted to any desired position in advance of the fork.
We also propose to provide an additional handle, or it may be a cross bar, in
front of the ordinary handle, supporting it by struts from the fork, and connecting
it by links to the ordinary handle, and to use such handle or bar for carrying
luggage in front of the rider.
As an improvement in the mode of fitting the pedal cranks to the driving axle,
we split the crank socket and provide it with lugs for coupling the parts together.
At the junction of the parts we notch the socket internally to receive one-half of a
key, the other half of which lies in a notch formed in the driving axle. By passing
a screw through tapped holes in the lugs, the pedal crank will be held securely to
its axle.
To provide for the shifting of the saddle backwards when descending a hill, the
spring which carries the saddle is connected at its front end by a shackle to the
backbone of the bicycle, the other end being free to slide as usual. By this
arrangement the rider, by rising on the pedals and nipping the saddle between his
legs, will be enabled to throw back the saddle, the shackle rising as it is lifted, and
falling into a back position.
As an improvement in the steering forks of velocipedes, we make them with two
cross heads, drilling holes through these cross heads to receive the rods which form
the prongs of the fork, and the cross heads we connect with the backbone by means
of pivot pins and sockets. By withdrawing a screwed pivot pin the disengagement
of the fork from the backbone may be instantly effected.
In order to provide a light spanner which will fit all the nuts used in the veloci-
pede, and thereby rendering it unnecessary to carry the ordinary screw spanner, we
take a thin pieco of bar steel and punch in it (near one end thereof) a hole that
will fit the largest six-sided mut employed. This hole we contract at pleasure by
means of a four-sided tumbling piece pivotted to the side of the spanners, and
capable, when turned up, of covering a greater or less portion of the opening for
the nut, according to which side is brought uppermost. This arrangement of tool
effects a material saving in the weight which the rider has to carry in his pouch.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Starley and John Marshall Starley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th November 1877.
JAMES STARLEY and JOHN MARSHALL STARLEY, both of Coventry, Warwickshire,
Machinists. " IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, AND SPANNERS TO BE USED
THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to various improvements in velocipedes, part of which
improvements are further developments of the Invention for which Letters Patent
were obtained by James Starley, Junior, and John Kemp Starley, bearing date
November Eighteenth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six. In the
Specification of this Patent the velocipede is described as having a driving wheel at
one side of the seat and two steering wheels on the other side of the seat. We
now propose to increase the width of the vehicle so that it may carry two riders ;
to fit the vehicle with two driving wheels, and provide a double set of cranks and
treadles for driving those wheels. The steering wheels we now place in a central
position, and by connecting their forks together as before by a diagonal rod they
may be steered simultaneously.
In Sheet I. of the Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of this improved velocipede;
Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.
A, A, represent a pair of driving wheels, which may be of any approved construc-
tion. These wheels are mounted on independent crank axles B, B, which are
provided with double cranks and treadles C, C. D is the main frame, which we
connect with the forks E, E, of the steering wheels F by means of springs G, which
serve to keep the wheels upon the ground and yet allow of their yielding to any
irregularities of the same presented to them. His the seat for two persons,
supported on springs attached to the frame D; and I is the steering handle brought
up into a central position to enable it to be used by the occupant of either the right
or left-hand seat.
The treadles are sustained as in the former Patent, and their motion being
transmitted to the crank axle a speed will be imparted to the vehicle corresponding
to the energy with which the treadles are worked by the two riders.
The division of the crank axle into two, as described, facilitates the turning of
the vehicle, as one driving wheel will form a pivot for the other to run round.
If preferred, a single steering wheel may be used instead of the pair. In such
case, the main frame D will extend but a short way behind the crank axles, and the
diagonal rod will be dispensed with.
Another improvement in velocipedes relates to a novel construction of three-
wheeled vehicle, in which the wheels are set in line, the central wheel being the
driving wheel, and the front and back wheels the steering wheels.
In Sheet II. of the Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved vehicle,
and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. A being the driving wheel, and B, B¹, the
steering wheels. The improvement consists in fitting these wheels to the backbone C,
which carries the scat as usual in bicycles. This backbone is arched, and extends
over the central driving wheel, and is connected by pivot joints at its opposite ends
to the forks D, D¹, of the back and front wheels. The forks of these back and
front wheels are connected together through rods E, E, which are jointed to a central
rock lever F carried by a vertical steering spindle G rising up in front of the saddle.
This spindle is fitted with a handle H, which serves to steady the rider and enables
him to steer the vehicle.
The arched backbone C is supported on either side by radial arms I, I, connected
with collars, through which the axle of the driving wheel passes.
As an improvement in brakes for velocipedes we mount the brake roller on a
swinging frame, which is pivotted to the fork of the hind wheel at a point between
the axle and the periphery of the wheel, so that the swinging motion of the brake
frame will be excentric to the wheel, and thus throw the brake into action.

page_text: In Sheet II. Fig. 3 illustrates this improvement in side elevation as applied to
the fork of a hind wheel. In this Figure A is the fork formed with lugs projecting
from the front edge thereof to receive pivot pins, which connect the brake frame B
with the fork. In the upper end of this frame we mount the brake roller C, which
is by preference formed of iron, and fluted on its periphery so as to bed into the
elastic tyre of the wheel.
Attached to the swinging frame B is a cord D which is led over guide rollers to
near the hand of the rider. By limiting the length of the cord or adjusting it to
the required length, it will retain the brake roller in the drawn position of Fig. 3
against the action of a spring E connected at one end to a pin on the fork, and at
the other to a short crank arm on the frame B. By the rider pulling this cord to
tension the brake will be brought into action, as shown by the dotted position 1,
and caused to bear tightly against the periphery of the wheel. If, however, the
cord should be snapped the brake will pull back by its own weight, assisted by the
drag of the spring E, to the dotted position 2, and act with increased energy on the
wheel.
In order to provide for the shifting forward of the steering handle, which is
desirable to ease the rider when ascending a hill, we employ the arrangement shown
in side elevation at Fig. 1, Sheet III., in front elevation at Fig. 2, and in plan view
at Fig. 3. By reference to these Figures it will be seen that the handle A is
mounted in a bracket frame B pivotted to the sides of the driving wheel fork C at
the points c.
This frame is free to slide over a segment bar D projecting forward
from the fork, and it is locked thoreto by means of a bolt c carried by a rock lever E
which is mounted in the bracket frame, pin holes & being made in the segment bar
to receive the bolt.
The bolt is put in action by means of a spring F which connects its lever with
the steering handle, and it is thrown out of action by means of a cam G projecting
from a sleeve G¹, which is mounted loosely on the handle, and is capable of beng
turned by a milled head, flange, or shoulder fitted to the sleeve. This cam bears
against the tail of the rock lever, and when its increasing radius comes into action
it tips the lever, releases the bolt, and leaves the handle free to be adjusted to any
desired position in advance of the fork.
We also propose to provide an additional handle, or it may be a cross bar, in
front of the ordinary handle, supporting it by struts from the fork, and connecting
it by links to the ordinary handle, and to use such handle or bar for carrying
luggage in front of the rider. This arrangement is shown in dots at Fig. 1.
As an improvement in the mode of fitting the pedal cranks to the driving axle,
we adopt the contrivance shown in Sheet III. at Figures 4 and 5, which admits of
the ready detachment of the pedal cranks from their axle when bent or broken, and
of the ready attachment of a new or of a straightened pedal crank to the driving
axle. Our improvement consists in splitting the crank socket A as at a, and
providing it with lugs for coupling the parts together (by means of a bolt and nut)
when a key has been inserted. At the junction of the parts we notch the socket
internally to receive one-half of a key b, the other half of which lies in a notch
formed in the driving axle B. When the key is in place the bolt and nut are
tightened up, and the pedal crank will be held securely to its axle.
In order to provide a light spanner which will fit all the nuts used in the veloci-
pede, and thereby render it unnecessary to carry the ordinary screw spanner, we
adopt the contrivance illustrated at Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, Sheet III. This spanner
is made in the following manner :- We take a thin piece of bar steel, and having
brought it to the profile form shown at A, Fig. 6, we punch in it (near one end
thereof) a hole B that will fit the largest six-sided nut employed. This hole we
contract at pleasure by means of a tumbling piece C formed with flat sides, and
pivotted to the side of the spanner opposite a square shoulder d, which coincides
with one side of the hexagonal hole. This tumbler, by reason of its form, is capable,
when turned up, of covering a greater or less portion of the opening for the nut
according to which side is brought uppermost, and thereby of enabling the spanner

page_text: to grip several sizes of nut. In this instance the head of the spanner is fitted to
operate upon three sizes of nuts, as shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, and the tail of the
spanner is forked to act upon a fourth size, but if thought desirable the form of the
tumbler C may be modified so as to suit three or more sizes of nut. This arrange-
ment of tool effects a material saving in the weight which the rider has to carry in
his pouch.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in Veloci-
pedes, and Spanners to be Used therewith," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent we claim,―
First. Constructing velocipedes with two driving wheels arranged in connection
with the steering wheel or wheels, as above described, with reference to Sheet I. of
the Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement of three-wheeled vclocipede with arched backbone, as
described with reference to Sheet II. of the Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement of brake described with reference to Fig. 3, Sheet II.
of the Drawings.
Fourthly. The means above described for adjusting the position of the steering
handle to suit the varying requirements of the rider.
Fifthly. The means above described for fitting the pedal cranks to the driving
axle.
Lastly. Constructing spanners with a tumbling piece which will contract the
opening for the nut, as and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Starley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ADIDte
JAMES STARLEY. (L.S.)