Improvements in the Construction of Bicycle and other Cycle Frames.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Bicycle and other Cycle Frames.
We, JAMES KENYON, of 74 Bank Villas, Preston Road, Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and GEORGE WHEWELL, of 11 Exchange Street,
Blackburn aforesaid, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of bicycle and other
cycle frames our object being to reduce the vibration of a bicycle or other cycle
and at the same time to increase its strength.
To reduce the vibration on a bicycle frame and increase its strength we connect
the front and back pillars of the machine by a tube bent into the form of a ring
or loop; one end of this tube is enlarged or has a sleeve attached to and pro-
jecting from it so as to receive and support the other end of the ring or loop, and
a spiral or other spring may or may not be placed between the ends of the tube
forming the ring.
When the bicycle is being ridden the movements of the machine will cause the
ends of the tube forming the ring to approach toward or recede from one another
and thereby take up or absorb some of the vibration which would otherwise be
felt by the rider.
The bracket for carrying the crank shaft; pedals and chain wheel may be con-
veniently secured to the lower portions of the ring or loop and made adjustable
for taking up the chain.
Our improved frame could be applied to tandem and some other cycles.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Bicycle and other Cycle Frames.
We, JAMES KENYON, of 74 Bank Villas, Preston Road, Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and GEORGE WHEWELL, of 11 Exchange Street,
Blackburn, aforesaid, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particula.lv
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of bicycle and other
cycle franes and the chief object of our improvements is to absorb shocks and
CD 017

page_text: diminish vibration without reducing the strength of the frame or adding to its
weight.
We attain this object by the construction illustrated on the accompanying
two Sheets of Drawings in which
Figures and 2 are elevations of a bicycle with a frame constructed according
to our Invention...
Figures 3 4 and 5 are sectional views on a larger scale of three alternative forms
of buffer joint.
In Figures 1 and 2,- designates the front wheel, 6 the back wheel, e the front
and d the back pillar, e the back stay, f the crank shaft, g the pedal levers and h
the chain driving gear.
All the foregoing parts are of the ordinary or any suitable construction and in
themselves form no part of our present Invention which consists essentially in
connecting the front and back pillars e d and the bracket which carries the crank
shaft by stays j to a divided tube i. The divided ends of the tube i are con-
neeted by a buffer joint and the tube is preferably bent into the form of a ring
which we consider the best form although we do not wish to limit ourselves to the
exact ring shape as the tube i might be elliptical.
In Fig. 1 the buffer joint illustrated by the detail views, Figs. 3 and 4, is shown
placed in the upper portion of the ring shaped tube i one end of which is enlarged
or has a sleeve & secured to it as shown to receive the other end of the tube i
which has a plug brazed or otherwise secured to it, see Figs. 3 and 4. The
plug is slotted at and also has a pin hole i formed in it, and on the sleeve k
is fixed a ring m through a pin hole m in which and the slot is passed a pin 'n
to connect the parts i and I together whilst reserving for them a certain freedomý
of movement limited by the length of the slot . The pin is preferably
attached to the sleeve by a light chain p to provent any possibility of its getting
lost. The end of the tube i is closed by the plug fixed therein and between it
and a disc fixed in the sleeve k is placed a coiled buffer spring 7 (Fig. 3) or
a piece of india rubber g (Fig. 4) to act as a buffer spring.
When the bicycle is being ridden the movements of the machine due to in-
equalities or obstructions on the surface of the road will cause the ends of the
tube i and the sleeve to slide the one within the other and thereby take up or
absorb some of the shocks and vibrations which would otherwise be felt by the
rider particularly in his hands and arms.
In cases where a buffer spring is used as illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 the tension
of the spring can be adjusted by prossing the end of the tube i further into the
sleeve and passing the pin through the hole m³ in the ring m and sleeve k
and through the slot in the plug thereby increasing the stiffness or resistance.
of the buffer.
Again when required say for example through failure of the spring or other-
wise the tube i and sleeve k can be locked together by passing the pin n through
the hole m in the ring m and sleeve & and the hole in the plug
In Fig. 2 the buffer joint illustrated by the detail view, Fig. 5, is shown
placed in the lower portion of the divided ring shaped tube i on one end of which
the loose sleeve is secured by a screw which passes through the tube i and the
plug brazed or otherwise fixed therein. Inside the other end of the tube i is
fixed by a rivet pl the plug p through the centre of which passes freely a screwed
stems which is screwed into the central loss of the plug and secured thereto by
anut or otherwise rigidly attached. On the stem s is also mounted a plug v
between which and the plug p is compressed a coiled spring g. The position of
the plug is controlled by a nut w chi the screwed stems and by adjusting the
nut and plug the tension of the spring y can be regulated. It will be obvious
that to adjust the nut and plug it is first necessary to release the sleeve k
and slide it along the tube i so as to uncover the joint. To prevent noise, or
jarring a washer or washers of india rubber or other suitable material are
preferably placed between the head of the stem and the 'plug p

page_text: The action of this buffer joint is substantially the same as that of those already
described the frame yielding to obstructions and the shock and vibration being
taken up wholly or partially by the spring q.
In some cases the means for adjusting the tension of the coiled buffer spring q
might be dispensed with and a suitable buffer spring might be sprung into place
and be confined between two plugs brazed or otherwise secured in the ends of the
divided ring i the joint being covered by a sleeve k as in the other arrangements.
We have only illustrated our improvements as applied to a bicycle but it is
obvious that they may be applied to other forms of cycles.
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:-
1. The combination with the front and back pillars of a cycle frame, of a ring
or other suitably shaped connecting part divided and connected by a buffer joint
for absorbing shocks and vibration substantially as herein set forth.
2. In combination in a cycle frame, the divided ring i, sleeve or enlarged
tube k, pin n and buffer spring q all substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
3. In combination in a cycle frame, the divided ring, sleeve k, and buffer
spring substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth with special
reference to Figs. 2 and 5.
Dated this 21st day of June 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.