Year: 1896

page_text: I, ROBERT ALFRED MARPLES, of Merridale, Oakfield Road, Selly Park, near the
City of Birmingham, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to parts of the framings of cycles, such as the back forks
or chain stays, and consists in an improved construction of that portion of the said
forks coming nearest to the bottom bracket with the object of securing enhanced
strength combined with lightness of frame.
The said part or inner end of the forks comprises a diagonal tie member forming
the termination of the member of one side and being connected to the member
of the other side at a point approaching the socket of the bottom bracket wherein
it takes.
Thus in making the chain stay part of a cycle frame according to my improve-
ments, I take two tubular stays, slightly inclined towards each other at their
inner ends as usual, and with the inner end of one stay taking into a socket in the
bottom bracket, whilst the end of the other stay takes into one of the sockets of a
three way junction lug coming about three or four inches from the bottom bracket,
the distance between them being bridged by a short tubular member taking into a
second socket of the bottom bracket at one end, and at the other end into the
second socket of the three way socket, which comes inwards or a little out of line
with the chain stay or first-named socket. The third socket of the three-way
junction lug is directed inwardly and in a direction corresponding to that which
the diagonal tie member is to take and which tie takes into and is brazed within
the said socket of one end and terminates in the other end at a rearward part
of the first named chain stay. It will be understood that the oblique supplementary
tie is directed from one chain stay to the other in a rearward direction and that
the crushing strain is equally distributed between the oblique tie and the supple-.
mentary bridging member.
My invention is applicable to other parts of cycle framings, such as the double
base and other members of tandems and multi-cycles, and differs in no essential
respect from its application to back forks or chain stays as described.
Dated this 10th day of November 1896.

page_text: I, ROBERT ALFRED MARPLES, of Merridale, Oakfield Road, Selly Park, near the
City of Birmingham, Electrical 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:
This invention relates to parts of the framings of cycles, such as the back forks
or chain stays, and consists in an improved construction of bridge piece which
laterally crosses that portion of the said forks coming nearest to the bottom
bracket with the object of securing enhanced strength combined with lightness of
frame.
The said bridge or lateral bracing member of the forks comprises a diagonal
tie forming the termination of the fork-member of one side and being connected
to the fork member of the other side at a point approaching the socket of the
bottom bracket wherein it takes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a plan of the bottom bracket
end of the back forks or chain stays of a cycle, fitted with a bridge piece or
bracing member according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a like view as Figure 1, but with the said bridge piece and a part
of the forks in section.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the right hand side (looking towards the bottom
bracket) of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan of the bridge.piece separately, and Figure 5 is a transverse
section of same, taken upon the dotted line a, Figure 6, which represents an end
elevation of the said bridge, whilst Figure 7 is an elevation of the right hand side
thereof.
In carrying out my invention, according to my improvements, I take two
tubular stays a, b, which constitute the back forks and slightly incline towards
each other at their inner ends a, b, as usual, and with the inner end a¹, of said
stay a, taking into a socket c¹ in the bottom bracket c, whilst the end b', of the
other stay b, takes over the lug d (or into a similarly disposed socket) of a bridge
piece or diagonal junction d, coming about three inches from the bottom bracket
the distance between them being bridged by a short tubular member e, taking into
a second socket 2 of the bottom bracket at one end el, and at the other end e
into the second socket d², of the bridge, which comes inwards or a little out of
line with the chain stay or first named socket . The other part 3, of the bridge
piece is a continuation of the diagonal stay, and has a seat d, at its end on to
which the stay a, is brazed.
It will be understood that the oblique tie or diagonal bridge piece is directed
from one chain stay to the other in a rearward direction and that an equal distri-
bution of the crushing strain is thereby obtained.
My invention is applicable to other parts of cycle framings, such as the double
base and other members of tandems and multi-cycles, and differs in no essential
respect from its application to back forks or chain stays as described.
Figure 8 represents its application to the back forks of a tandem or multi-cycle
in which two or more gear wheels are employed. In this arrangement two
diagonal bracing ties d', d, are employed, with suitable sockets for the reception
of the inner ends of the forks and the ends of the connection members between the
bottom bracket and double bridge piece.

page_text: 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 improved construction of bridge piece for the back forks and other
framing parts of cycles, comprising a diagonal stay member provided with or
having the sockets or junctions for the reception of the members of the back forks
or the like, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. The improved bridge piece or diagonal stay for the back forks of
cycles as described and represented in Figures I to 7.
Thirdly. The double bridge piece or double diagonal or crossing stay for the
back forks and other framing parts of cycles, substantially as described and
represented in Figure 8.
Dated this 6th day of August 1897
ROBERT ALFRED MARPLES,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.