Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Cycles.
We, JOSEPH PARKIN HOWE of No. 118 Hollybush Street, Barking Road,
Plaistow, Essex, Stevedore, and THOMAS FREDERICK EPSLY of No. 6 Dongola
Road, Plaistow, Essex, Stevedore, and JOSEPH FOSTER of No. 42 Manby
Grove, Stratford, Essex, Mechanical Engineer, and JAMES OSMOND COLE of
No. 3 Fenchurch Avenue, London E.C. Master Stevedore, 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 :-
Our invention consists first of an improved method of constructing the machines
called bicycles, in so far as regards the design and construction of the upper ends
of the front wheel forks, and the fork crowns to which they are attached, by so
fitting the ends of the forks.that they can be removed from the crown without the
necessity of unbrazing, as bas hitherto been the case. The crown being provided
and fitted with suitably shaped sockets co-inciding with the shape of the fork end,
so that the latter exactly fit up into the former, the sockets only being brazed into
the "crown," the fork ends after insertion being securely held in position within
the sockets, by suitable shaped bolts, pins, screws, cotters, clips or wedges as
desired, the said sockets being made long enough to give sufficient support to the
fork ends as required.
We have further in this invention made improvements in cycles for military or
other similar purposes as follows:-
To the top and centre of the handle bars of military and similar cycles we affix.
by a suitably shaped book which holds the front part, an ambulance cloth.
Within the front part of the said ambulance cloth, and securely fastened thereto
by folding and stitching the cloth over it, is a steel tube, rod, or its equivalent,
which said rod or tube carries the weight of the front of the ambulance which rests
above the handle bars of the machine in. such a way, that the handle bars can be
moved to steer the cycle, moreover the handle bars at that point are made at right
angles to the ball head.
From the rear part of the machine, preferably from the "pin" or saddle pin,
is made to elide a steel tube or its equivalent, sufficiently long to allow of
the length of an ambulance cloth to be stretched from the handle bars to a
cross tube or tubes or their equivalent, so fastened to the main projecting tube-
from the " L pin," that the back end of the ambulance cloth can be laced, hooked,.
or otherwise attached thereto.
And we have further invented means whereby the above described rear tubes.
with their attached cross tubes can be folded up and carried alongside the main
frame of the machine, while the ambulance cloth can be rolled up to the front of
the machine, and securely lashed to the handle bars until again required. We also
apply this invention to tandems and tricycles.
For the purpose of more fully explaining the nature of our said invention,.
reference is made to the accompanying drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ambulance gear just described, A being the
'L pin" or saddle pin referred to.
Bis the projecting rear stay fitted into A, C being a clip to secure same when im
place.
D is the hook, and E, Figure 2 the eye through which the hook passes.
F is the steel tube over which the front of the cloth is stretched. G is the
alath masked in dotted lines unon Kiœures 1 & 2.

page_text: H shews the said cloth rolled up upon the handle bars as described.
I. I. are the two cross arms extended shewing the cloth lashed thereto.
J.J. are the same arms folded, up and secured by the clips K. K., the whole of
the stay B with its arms J being taken out & secured to the cycle frame by
Ps the foregoing description similar letters refer to similar parts upon both
Figure 1 and Figure 2 on the accompanying drawings.
Figure 3 is a sectional front elevation of a bicycle in which M. M. are the front
fork ends as described, fitting into sockets marked N. N.
These sockets are brazed into or otherwise secured to the crown plates 0.0.
P. P. are the fastenings by which the said forks are securely fixed' into the
Bockets.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the above invention and
Figure 5 is a plan of the crown plate O, the sockets N. N. with their bolts
passing through, marked P. P. All letters in the above description relating to the
same parts are marked upon both Figures 3, 4 and 5.
We do not claim any particular section of fork end or any particular proportion
of parts, these being modified by the particular purpose to which we are adapting
our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st. The method of applying to military and such like machines the described
hooks, fitted to the handle bars especially constructed at right angles to the ball
head tube, together with the front tube affixed to the front end of the ambulance,
and the said cloth stretched backwards and fastened to the rear end of the cycle
by means of the described support from the "L" pin of the machine. The
said support with its folding arins, articulated thereon and the whole fitted with
spring clips to carry the same (when not stretched out) securely to the frame
of the machine all for the purpose substantially as set forth & described and
drawn.
"'
2nd. The method of constructing two wheeled cycles with the upper ends of
their front wheel forks and their "
crowns fitted with the described sockets for
the fork ends to fit into for the purpose of detachability and facility of repair as
described and drawn.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.
JOSEPH PARKIN HOWE.
THOMAS FREDERICK EPSLY.
JOSEPH FOSTER.
JAMES OSMOND COLE.