MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nils Knut Husberg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1879.
"IMPROVE
NILS KNUT HUSBERG, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden.
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF BICYCLES,
TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
This Invention relates to various novel improvements in and connected with the
construction and working of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes, and has
especial reference to the steering and brake mechanism, the spring support for the
saddle, the bearings, and to the propelling mechanism of such machines, with
the several objects which will be rendered apparent in the following description
thereof.
In carrying into effect that part of my Invention having reference to improved
steering and brake mechanism, in lieu of causing the handles to be supported by
the usual extension of the fork above its connection with the backbone of the
machine, I adapt them to the upper ends of connecting-rods supported by means
of a cross-bar connected to and supported by the saddle, in such a manner that
they are capable of independent motion, the connecting-rods passing through the
cross-bar (to which further reference will be hereinafter made) and the lower ends
thereof passing through, being connected to, or giving the desired motions to
steering or brake levers or pinions, the bosses or hubs of which are carried by side
extensions or bearings of the backbone, the levers or pinions being directly or
indirectly connected with the steering-wheel and brake.
By this method the steering-handles follow the motions of the saddle, among the
advantages derived from which are the following:-The distance between the
hands and legs is assured more constant than can be otherwise attained, allowing
of the handles being placed at a less elevation than is usual, and no jarring or
concussion can be transmitted to the hands or arms.
The cross-bar is preferably provided with side extensions or handles, which come
immediately under and may be grasped together with the steering and brake-
handles, so as to allow of the machine being guided or braked with ease and
steadiness.
The perforations in or bearings carried by the cross-bar, through which the
connecting-rods pass, are preferably made slightly larger than the section of the

page_text: rods to allow of a slight lateral play, which will lessen the resistance offered
to the rods in their passage through the bosses of the lower levers.
The steering and brake and the cross-bar handles are connected by springs or
elastic cords, so that the machine may be caused to travel straight onward when
the rider's hands are off the handles.
I prefer to construct the lower ends of the connecting-rods of a square or
rectangular section, and the said bosses or hubs of the levers or pinions I make
somewhat larger so as to reduce the friction between them; but I cause a proper
fitting of the parts by providing the end faces of each of the said bosses or hubs
with small rollers, a pair of which at each end bears against opposite sides of its
connecting-rod, or in lieu of the rollers I otherwise make the ends of the bosses
or hubs to fit the rods, the space intervening between their ends being made
slightly larger than the rods. With either of these arrangements the rods will
follow the motion of the saddle without interfering with the proper steering and
braking of the vehicle, but when turned by these said handles they will actuate
the lower levers or pinions, and a rod or rods, or rack or racks, or other means,
in gear therewith, and leading to the steering-wheel and brake, and thus guide or
brake the vehicle.
When it is desired that the steering and brake handles shall have a fixed height
relatively to the backbone or frame of the machine, the cross-bar or bars carrying
the said connecting-rods may be connected to the said frame instead of to the
saddle, and may then be either fixed or movable, and the said lower levers or
pinions may be mounted fast upon the lower ends of the connecting-rods.
"In order to support the saddle with as great a freedom from side-motion as
possible, I make the ends of its supporting spring swallow-tail-shaped; or I provide
them with small cross-bars, at the ends of which are holes for the belts which secure
it to the frame or to a movable carrier. I make the portion of the spring just
under the saddle thick in comparison to the other portions thereof so as not to yield
therewith, and so that the saddle can be firmly secured to it. When the spring is
made of an approximately elliptical form the one end may be constructed and fixed
as above described, and the other caused to rest on an elastic cushion or cushions,
preferably of rubber, placed near to or above the fixed end. When constructed
in this manner the spring need not have a very great play to render the riding
comfortable.
To diminish the side friction in the bearings of the axles, and also to prevent the
the wobbling of the wheels, especially when the bearings become somewhat worn,
I insert small balls on one or both sides of each bearing, between it and the hub,
axle, crank, steel-collar, or other adjoining parts, forming a ring or portion of a ring
round the axle close to or at some distance from it. These anti-side-friction balls
may be applied to any kind of bearings, and they are kept in position by means of
flanges or grooves formed concentric with the axle on or in the bearing or adjoining
parts, or both.
When adapting the ratchet-lever propelling mechanism, described in the Pro-
visional Specification of certain Letters Patent granted to me on the 4th day of
September last, No. 3564/7, to velocipedes, and the gearing forming part thereof,
and which is used to transmit the power from the ratchet pedal levers to the
driving wheel, is of a simple nature, as it will in most cases be, consisting of but
two spur wheels, or their equivalents (spiked wheels and chains or friction wheels)
as equivalents for the toothed segments and pinions therein referred to. I connect
one or other of the geared wheels to its adjoining pedal lever or driving wheel by
means of ratchet wheels and pawls, or their equivalents, preferring to connect each
pedal lever with its adjoining geared wheel, as well as the driving wheel with the
other geared wheel, by means of ratchets and pawls, or their equivalents, so that by
thus making use of double-ratchet connections, the power requisite for the propulsion
of the machine is reduced to a minimum, and the entire gearing, as well as the
pedals, will be at rest though the machine may be in forward motion.
In order to reduce the friction between the pedal-levers and their axle, as well as

page_text: between the driving-wheel axle and the geared wheel or wheels loosely mounted
thereon, I insert small balls or rollers between the bosses of the wheels or levers
and their respective axles somewhat in the manner of common ball or roller
bearings. The recesses in the bosses or hubs for these balls are made as near as
possible to the ends thereof, and the balls may even project beyond these end
planes and touch the flange and hub or other parts between which the bosses are
placed.
This arrangement of balls or rollers may also be applied to the geared wheels used
in velocipedes propelled by cranks or cranked axles, as usual.
And in order to enable a bicycle to stand when not in use, I attach to each arm
of the fork of one of the wheels, preferably of the steering wheel, a bar by hinging
or pivotting it thereto, near to and preferably above the axle of the wheel, in such a
manner that when the machine is not in use the bars can be turned down so as to
form with one of the wheels a tripod, and so that when the machine is required to
be used they can be turned up and remain close to the arms of the fork, being each
kept in these positions by means of a small movable bolt engaging with recessed
parts of its boss, or otherwise.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nils Knut Husberg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1879.
" IMPROVE-
NILS KNUT HUSBERG, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden.
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF BICYCLES,
TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
This Invention relates to various novel improvements in and connected with the
construction and working of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes, and has
especial reference to the steering and brake mechanism, the spring support for the
saddle, the bearings, and to the propelling mechanism of such machines, with
the several objects which will be rendered apparent in the following description
thereof.
In carrying into effect that part of my Invention having reference to improved
steering and brake mechanism, in lieu of causing the handles to be supported by
the usual extension of the fork above its connection with the backbone of the
machine, I adapt them to the upper ends of connecting-rods supported by means
of a cross-bar connected to and supported by the saddle, in such a manner that
they are capable of independent motion, the connecting-rods passing through the
cross-bar (to which further reference will be hereinafter made) and the lower ends
thereof passing through, being connected to, or giving the desired motions to
steering or brake levers or pinions, the bosses or hubs of which are carried by side
extensions or bearings of the backbone, the levers or pinions being directly or
indirectly connected with the steering-wheel and brake.
By this method the steering-handles follow the motions of the saddle, among the
advantages derived from which are the following:-The distance between the
hands and legs is assured more constant than can be otherwise attained, allowing
of the handles being placed at a less elevation than is usual, and no jarring or
concussion can be transmitted to the hands or arms.
The cross-bar is preferably provided with side extensions or handles, which come
immediately under and may be grasped together with the steering and brake-
handles, so as to allow of the machine being guided or braked with ease and
steadiness.
The perforations in or bearings carried by the cross-bar, through which the
connecting-rods pass, are preferably made slightly larger than the section of the

page_text: rods to allow of a slight lateral play, which will lessen the resistance offered
to the rods in their passage through the bosses of the lower levers.
The steering and brake and the cross-bar handles are connected by springs or
elastic cords, so that the machine may be caused to travel straight onward when
the rider's bands are off the handles.
I prefer to construct the lower ends of the connecting-rods of a square or
rectangular section, and the said bosses or hubs of the levers or pinions I make
somewhat larger so as to reduce the friction between them; but I cause a proper
fitting of the parts by providing the end faces of each of the said bosses or hubs
with small rollers, a pair of which at each end bears against opposite sides of its
connecting-rod, or in lieu of the rollers I otherwise make the ends of the bosses
or hubs to fit the rods, the space intervening between their ends being made
slightly larger than the rods. With either of these arrangements the rods will
follow the motion of the saddle without interfering with the proper steering and
braking of the vehicle, but when turned by these said handles they will actuate
the lower levers or pinions, and a rod or rods, or rack or racks, or other means,
in gear therewith, and leading to the steering-wheel and brake, and thus guide or
brake the vehicle.
When it is desired that the steering and brake handles shall have a fixed height
relatively to the backbone or frame of the machine, the cross-bar or bars carrying
the said connecting-rods may be connected to the said frame instead of to the
saddle, and may then be either fixed or movable, and the said lower levers or
pinions may be mounted fast upon the lower ends of the connecting-rods.
In order to support the saddle with as great a freedom from side-motion as
possible, I make the ends of its supporting spring swallow-tail-shaped; or I provide
them with small cross-bars, at the ends of which are holes for the bolts which secure
it to the frame or to a movable carrier. I make the portion of the spring just
under the saddle thick in comparison to the other portions thereof so as not to yield
therewith, and so that the saddle can be firmly secured to it. When the spring is
made of an approximately elliptical form the one end may be constructed and fixed
as above described, and the other caused to rest on an elastic cushion or cushions,
preferably of rubber, placed near to or above the fixed end. When constructed
in this manner the spring need not have a very great play to render the riding
comfortable.
To diminish the side friction in the bearings of the axles, and also to prevent the
the wobbling of the wheels, especially when the bearings become somewhat worn,
I insert small balls on one or both sides of each bearing, between it and the hub,
axle, crank, steel-collar, or other adjoining parts, forming a ring or portion of a ring
round the axle close to or at some distance from it. These anti-side-friction balls
may be applied to any kind of bearings, and they are kept in position by means of
flanges or grooves formed concentric with the axle on or in the bearing or adjoining
parts, or both.
When adapting the ratchet-lever propelling mechanism, described in the Pro-
visional Specification of certain Letters Patent granted to me on the 4th day of
September last, No. 3564/", to velocipedes, and the gearing forming part thereof,
and which is used to transmit the power from the ratchet pedal levers to the
driving wheel, is of a simple nature, as it will in most cases be, consisting of but
two spur wheels, or their equivalents (spiked wheels and chains or friction wheels)
as equivalents for the toothed segments and pinions therein referred to. I connect
one or other of the geared wheels to its adjoining pedal lever or driving wheel by
means of ratchet wheels and pawls, or their equivalents, preferring to connect each
pedal lever with its adjoining geared wheel, as well as the driving wheel with the
other geared wheel, by means of ratchets and pawls, or their equivalents, so that by
thus making use of double-ratchet connections, the power requisite for the propulsion
of the machine is reduced to a minimum, and the entire gearing, as well as the
pedals, will be at rest though the machine may be in forward motion.
In order to reduce the friction between the pedal-levers and their axle, as well as

page_text: between the driving-wheel axle and the geared wheel or wheels loosely mounted
thereon, I insert small balls or rollers between the bosses of the wheels or levers
and their respective axles somewhat in the manner of common ball or roller
bearings. The recesses in the bosses or hubs for these balls are made as near as
possible to the ends thereof, and the balls may even project beyond these end
planes and touch the flange and hub or other parts between which the bosses are
placed.
This arrangement of balls or rollers may also be applied to the geared wheels used
in velocipedes propelled by cranks or cranked axles, as usual.
And in order to enable a bicycle to stand when not in use, I attach to each arm
of the fork of one of the wheels, preferably of the steering wheel, a bar by hinging
or pivotting it thereto, near to and preferably above the axle of the wheel, in such a
manner that when the machine is not in use the bars can be turned down so as to
form with one of the wheels a tripod, and so that when the machine is required to
be used they can be turned up and remain close to the arms of the fork, being each
kept in these positions by means of a small movable bolt engaging with recessed
parts of its boss, or otherwise.