Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
Improvements in Bicycles.
I, NORMAN TAYLOR MILLS of East Hampton, County of Middlesex and State of
Connecticut, one of the United States of America, Inventor 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 has for its object the production of au easy running bicycle
without the use of the various seat or saddle springs now employed, whereby the
rider is enabled to properly retain his feet upon the pedals even when riding over
very rough roads.
In the "Safety" type of bicycle the frame is usually made rigid, and the saddle
is mounted upon a seat post adjusted to the desired height, a spring, or springs,
being interposed between the rigid post and the saddle.
When riding over rough roads the rider's weight compresses the spring,
decreasing the distance between the saddle and the pedals, and when a jolt acts
through the spring to lift the rider, so that the distance between the pedals and
saddle is increased.
Such constant variation in the rider's position relative to the pedals tends to
cause the feet to slip, and frequently lose the pedal, a serious matter when riding
at a good rate of speed, and to overcome this toe clips are used by many riders.
While the clips tend to maintain the feet on the pedals the variable position of
the saddle is not overcome, and moreover the jolting is communicated to the rider,
even while it is somewhat mitigated in its effect by the spring.
Many riders use a hard saddle, with little or no springiness in its support, and
obviously the jolting and danger of losing pedals is greatly increased.
By my invention I overcome these objectionable features in a simple and
effective manner, and without materially decreasing the stiffness of the frame, I
render it less rigid and so provide a much easier riding machine.
Fig. 1 in side elevation represents a sufficient portion of a "Safety" bicycle to
be understood, with my invention embodied therein;
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view partly in section and enlarged, of a portion of the
upper corner of the frame, the saddle and post being omitted;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one form of limiting guard or stop;
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the controlling spring holder or clip; and
Fig. 5 is a modification of the controlling spring and its mode of attachment
to be described.
The frame herein shown is of usunl construction for the most part, the essential
difference being that the rear fork A is not rigidly connected to the diagonal
brace B supporting the crank shaft hanger 13', the brace B being rigidly connected
in usual mauuer with the head, not shown, by the perch C, and the shaft hanger B¹
is connected with the head and the rear fork by the braces B2, B3 respectively.
A bifurcated lever a, preferably made of slieet metal struck up into shape and
united together as at 2, see dotted lines Fig. 2, is pivotally connected to the
brace B by a bolt 6 extended through the forked ends a¹ of said lover and ears b¹

page_text: on the usual forging b, a suitable nut n, Fig. 2, retaining the bolt in position, said
nut being shown as shouldered at n' to form a bearing for one of the lever ends.
A second bolt c is passed through the forked ends a of the lever and through the
upper ends of the rear fork tubes A, and retained in place by a nut m, similar in
construction to the nut n, and for convenience and to secure greater strength and
stiffness I bring the fork bars outside of the bifurcated ends of the lever a with
Said bifurcated ends embracing the cars of forging b.
The real fork A and the diagonal brace B are thus pivotally connected at thei
upper ends so that one may have a limitea longitudinal movement relatively to
the other, a controlling spring governing such movement and retaining the parte
in normal condition when the bicycle is moving over substantially level ground
In Fig. 1, I have shown the controlling spring S as spiral in form, and con-
tractile in its effect, the upper end of said spring being connected by a rod or
link 12 to the outer end of the lever a, two or more holes 5 being made therein for
the hooked end of the link to vary the leverage.
A clip shown separately in Fig. 4 connects the lower hooked end of the spring S
to a fixed part of the frame, herein the crank shaft hanger B, the clip being formed
of stout wire bent upon itself between its ends to form a ring d and then bent
upwardly at d to embrace the hanger, the free ends being oppositely and laterally
curved at to embrace the front brace 19.
The saddle D is mounted by a support D' directly on the upper end of the
diagonal brace B, or it may be by the usual seat post if desired, and it will be
obvious that the position of the saddle relatively to the crank-shaft hanger will
not vary, and the circular path of the pedals P will not vary its position as regards
the saddle.
If a rut or rough place is passed over the brace B and saddle will move together
in the direction of the length of the former relative to the rear fork A, up or down,
and the lever a will swing about the bolt c as a fulcrum, the spring S taking up
the shock.
If the seat rises, as towards dotted line position Fig. 1, the outer or rear end of
lover a will be depressed, and when the seat is lowered, or the rear fork is raised,
the lever end will be elevated, acting against the contractile effect of the spring S
the said spring thus regulating the rising and falling of the rider in a yielding
manner and avoiding all shock, and acting more gradually prevents the quick and
sudden vibration found to occur with all saddle springs.
The rider is thus yieldingly supported in a comfortable and equable manner,
and no trouble is experienced from losing pedals, no matter what the speed, as
their path is never altered relatively to the saddle.
The rigid connection of the frame member or chain stays B3 to the crank shaft
bracket, or hanger B', combines the strength of a tubular member rigidly con-
nected at one end, with the exact degree of elasticity necessary for the purpose of
the invention, which is not to provide means. to allow the rider to rock up and
down through a very wide range or oscillation, but merely to provide for sufficient.
play to take up considerable shocks, which would otherwise rack the frame and the
rider alike.
I prefer to regulate or limit the movement of the lever a, and consequently the
movement of the saddle by a stop or guard, preferably having in itself some give
or yield, one convenient form of stop being shown separately in Fig. 3.
A metal band clip f, to embrace the brace B and held firmly thereon by a bolt f,
is provided with seats f' for the ends g of a piece of stout wire coiled to form
springs and thereafter bent laterally at and up at 9 to form an open loop g³
through which the free or outer end of the lever a is extended.
The top of the loop g limits the upward movement of the lever arm, and the
lateral bends 8 limit its movement in the opposite direction, the springs g¹ caus-
ing the stop to act yieldingly in either direction.
A modified form of controlling spring is shown in Fig. 5 a clip h being secured
by bolt to the brace B, said clip holding the ends of a strong piece of spring

page_text: wire k, coiled at k and looped at 4, the loop extending through one of the holes in
the lever a, the direction of the coils & being such that the spring hardens when
the lever arm is raised and vice versa.
It will be obvious that the controlling spring may be attached at one end to
the usual cross-piece connecting the rear fork bars near their upper ends, without
departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.
So, too, if desired the rear fork may be directly mounted at its lower end on the
rear wheel axle, the brace B3 thus having a jointed instead of a rigid connection
with the rear fork, and such variations I consider as within the spirit and scope
of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The use in a bicycle having a main supporting frame and a rear fork, of
a yielding connection between the upper end of the fork and the main frame
substantially as described.
2. The use in a bicycle having a main supporting frame, and a rear fork, of a
jointed connection between its upper end and the main frame, and a controlling
spring for such connection, substantially as described.
3. The use in a bicycle having a main supporting frame, and a rear fork, of a
lever pivotally connected to the upper end of the fork and to the frame, and a con-
trolling spring which is fixedly held at one end and connected at its other end to
the lever, substantially as described.
4. The use in a bicycle having a main frame upon which a seat and a crank
shaft hanger are mounted at a fixed distance apart, and the rear fork, of a yielding
connection between the upper end of the fork and the main frame, substantially
as described.
5. The use in a bicycle comprehending the main frame provided with a crank
shaft hanger brace, a saddle mounted on such brace, and the rear fork, of a
jointed connection between the upper end of the fork and the main frame, und a
controlling spring for said connection, the spring taking up the shock transmitted
thereto, substantially as described.
6. The use in a bicycle having a main supporting frame, and a rear fork, of a
lever pivotally connected to the upper end of the fork and to the frame, a con-
trolling spring for the lever, and a guard to limit the movement of said lever,
substantially as described.
7. The use in a bicycle having a main frame, of a bifurcated lever pivoted
thereon, the rear fork jointed at its upper end with said lever, a lever controlling
spring, and a loop-like stop surrounding and to limit the swing of the lever,
substantially as described.
8. The use in a bicycle having a main and a rear fork, of a spring controlled
lever connecting the upper end of the fork and the frame, a clip rigidly secured
to the latter and a spring acting loop-like stop mounted on the clip and through
which the free end of the lever is extended, to limit the movement thereof,
substantially as described.
9. The use in a bicycle having a main frame provided with the crank shaft
hanger, and the rear fork, of a lever pivotally connecting the upper end of the fork
and the frame, a spring connected at one end with the free end of the lever, and
a clip attached to the free end of the spring and curved to embrace the shaft
hauger, substantially as described.
the foun day or ovem
90.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
65 and 66 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.