An Improvement in or Connected with Velocipedes.
Year: 1888

page_text: 1888
Date of Application, 19th Dec.,
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or Connected with Velocipedes.
We GEORGE SINGER, Cycle Manufacturer, and RICHARD HENRY LEA, Machinist,
both of Alma Street Coventry in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improvement in or connected with velocipedes and is
especially applicable to that type known as the "safety" bicycle.
A rider of the latter form of machine has hitherto found it extremely difficult, if
not practically impossible, to leave his machine leaning with safety against a wall,
building or other place. This is owing to the fact of the handles being curved back,
and thus placing the point of contact with the wall for example, considerably behind
the centre on which the steering fork turns. The lateral pressure of the machine
against the wall for example is thus enabled to react upon, and turn, the steering
wheel, the natural result being that the machine runs away from the wall and falls
heavily.
To obviate the great inconvenience that has hitherto been experienced in this
respect, is the object of our present invention, and that object we attain by providing
a small clip, link, bolt, or equivalent, that is capable of temporarily locking the
steering wheel or fork relatively to the remaining part of the machine.
A convenient way of carrying our invention into effect is as follows:-
Round the upper part of steering socket tube we fix a split clip; to this clip a
metal loop or ring is attached by means of a hinged spring joint. When the machine
is in use this loop or ring is folded down and then lies at right angles to the socket
tube. If however it is desired to lock together the steering wheel and socket tube,
the loop or ring is turned upwards and then drops over the head of set screw used for
adjusting handle bar.
The machine may then be left at a safe angle of inclination, against wall,
building or other place, and without any risk of the deflection of steering wheel and
consequent fall of the velocipede.
We preferably make this clip, link, holt, or equivalent, detachable from the machine
and complete in itself, so that it can not only be fitted to velocipedes in course of
manufacture but can readily be attached to machines now in use.
It is obvious that the details of such arrangement as that above indicated may be
considerably varied without departing from the invention.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or Connected with Velocipedes.
We, GEORGE SINGER, Cycle Manufacturer, and RICHARD HENRY LEA, Machinist,
both of Alma Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick, 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 relates to an improvement in or connected with velocipedes, and is
especially applicable to that type known as the "Safety bicycle."
A rider especially of the latter form of machine has hitherto found it, extremely
difficult, if not practically impossible, to leave his machine leaning with safety against

page_text: a wall, building or other place. This is owing to the fact of the handles being
curved back, and thus placing the point of contact with the wall, for example,
considerably behind the centre on which the steering fork turns. The lateral pressure
of the machine against the wall for example is thus enabled to re-act upon, and turn
the steering wheel, the natural result being that the machine runs away from the wall
and falls heavily.
To obviate the great inconvenience that has hitherto been experienced in this
respect is the object of our present invention, and that object we attain by providing
a small clip, link bolt, or equivalent that is capable of temporarily locking the
steering wheel or fork relatively to the remaining part of the machine.
In order that our invention may be readily understood and conveniently carried
into practical effect we will describe same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Figure 1 shews in elevation the loop or ring for fixing the front
fork by means of the set screw usually employed for adjusting the handle bar.
Figure 2 shews an elevation of the head portion of a "centre" steering machine to
which is applied a modified form of the steering lock constructed according to our
invention. Figure 3 is a side elevation of a part of the steering lock similar to that
shewn in Figure 2 but detached and drawn to a larger scale than that figure. Figure 4
is a plan, Figure 5 a back elevation of same, and Figure 6 shews in plan and clevation
the recessed plate into which the bolt of the lock (shewn at Figures 3, 4 and 5)
takes.
Figure 7 is a side elevation shewing a portion of the fork, the socket tube, and the
handle-bar, of a socket steering "safety" velocipede fitted with our steering lock.
Figure 8 shews a part of same drawn to a larger scale than the previous figure, and
Figure 9 shews the locking device in section.
Referring to Figure 1 we fix around the upper part of the steering socket tube a
a split clip 6 from which proceeds a right angled or extension piece 6¹, and between
ears formed on the vertical portion of this extension there is pivotted a locking loop c
and this may be caused to turn somewhat stiffly by tightening the bearing, or it may
be provided with such a spring device as is hereafter described with reference to
Figures 2 to 5.
The clip 6 is fixed in such position on the steering socket tube a that when it is
turned vertically as is shewn at Figure 1, it takes over the nut d which normally
moves with the partial rotations of the handle rod e, and when the loop is in the
position as stated the said handle rod e and the socket tube are locked together and
therefore the axis of the steering wheel cannot be turned, and the loop c may be
readily moved to the dotted position when the steering will be unlocked.
centre
39
When our locking device is to be applied to "centre" steering machines, we may
arrange them as shewn at Figs. 2 to 6. The clip 6 is secured to the "
spindle a and there is a washer d Fig. 6 which is fixed and held by the lock-nut of
the upper centre to the part e. When the hinged arm c is raised it takes into the
slot of the washer d and the steering is locked. Near the pivot of the arm c there
are formed two flat parts, and there is a flat spring c¹ fixed to the bracket b¹ which
presses on the said flat parts and thereby holds the locking arm c in either the locked
or unlocked positions. Figure 2 shews the apparatus in the locked position, and
Figure 3 shews the locking bar in its unlocked position.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 shew another arrangement of the locking device constructed
according to our invention; the locking bolt c is caused to slide in a sleeve bearing b¹
which latter is in the example shewn formed in a piece with the ball bearing case of
the socket a, but it is obvious that the bearing 6' might be carried by such a clip bas
previously shewn, or it could be otherwise fixed to the socket tube a, or to the
equivalent part of a velocipede when "centre" steering is employed for same.
The locking bolt c is formed with a bayonet slot c³ into which a screw or pin takes,
the latter being fixed in the hearing 61; there is a spring c¹ on the bolt c which tends
to retain the bolt in its lowest or unlocked position. Fixed to the rotating part or
handle rode there is a socket d; when it is desired to lock the steering, the bolt c is
pushed upwards and is caused to enter this socket d, and when the said bolt c is given

page_text: a partial turn the screw or fixed pin enters the horizontal portion of the slot c²
thereby retaining the bolt c in the locked position. The machine may then be left
at a safe angle of inclination against a wall, building, or other place and without any
risk of the deflection of steering wheel and consequent fall of the velocipede.
By simply giving the bolt ca partial rotation the spring c¹ will act and the steering
will be unlocked.
The locking device constructed according to our invention can not only be fitted to
velocipedes in the course of manufacture but can readily be applied to machines in
present use, but the details of construction may of course be varied without departing
from our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In velocipedes, a steering-lock device composed of a bolt connected to one part
of the machine, said bolt taking onto or into a piece or socket on the other part of
machine whereby the two parts of machine namely, the fixed frame, and the steering
portion may be locked together or unlocked when desired and with great facility, as
set forth.
2. In velocipedes, the combination with the fixed frame a and the steering frame or
pillar e, of the clip or bracket or bearing 6, 61 and the locking bolt or its equivalent c
taking when locked onto or into the part d substantially as set forth.
3. In velocipedes the general arrangement and construction of locking device
whereby the steering parts may be readily locked or unlocked with the main frame
all substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
11
2000
GEORGE SINGER.
R. H. LEA.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.