Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1392-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
We, HAMLET HEARN, FRANK RICHARD GUEST, and WILLIAM HENRY
GAMBLE of The Elms Bicycle Works, Marroway Street in the City of Birmingham.
Bicycle Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the manner in which we construct and arrange bicycles,
in order that the vibration caused when travelling over rough roads, and obstacles,
may be taken up in compressing pneumatic pads, cylinders, balls, or rings of
rubber or other like material instead of being communicated direct to the rider's
saddle.
Another part of our invention relates to the manner in which we construct the
frame of our machine for permitting of the complete adjustment of the chief bearings
for carrying the tail and front rods; and also for the manner in which we construct
the front triangular fork or frame.
"
In carrying our invention into effect we construct the wheels of our machine in
any usual or ordinary manner, but we mount the front wheel between our improved
triangular framed fork having its apex arranged to carry the spindle of the front
wheel, and the upper end or base curved to suit the diameter of the wheel, while in
the centre of this upper portion we arrange or place a vertical rod or guiding
spindle.
Around this guiding vertical fork spindle we place a hollow shock chamber
having its lower end enlarged for receiving a rubber or other elastic material ring,
cushion or buffer. This buffer, preferably in the form of a hollow ring of india-
rubber, we place upon a diaphragm plate or disc, which we attach to or carry upon
the fork spindle; or which we cause to rest loosely upon a flange or plate secured
or formed upon the spindle, in such a manner that any movement of the front wheel
and consequently the fork causes the diaphragın plate to compress the rubber
cushion or ring within its shock chamber. The upper end of the spindle projecting
beyond the chamber we screw and arrange a nut or nuts thereon for the purpose of
adjusting the tension normally to be carried by the cushion or ring, and beyond the
adjusting thread we mount preferably upon a square head which we arrange upon
the extreme end of the spindle a guide bar or crosshead extending on each side of
the centre of the spindle to receive the guide rods from the handle-spindle.
We carry a stay rod from the front shock chamber to meet a second or hind
wheel shock chamber, and upon, or through this stay rod we place the handle-
spindle and also the saddle, or adjustable seat of any usual or ordinary construction.
We arrange upon the handle stem or spindle a crosshead or side anchor bar, and
from each side of this crosshead, or bar we carry rods to meet the guide crosshead
arranged upon the spindle of the front fork frame; so that the front wheel can be
readily steered and controlled by these side connecting bars.
Over the hind wheel of our improved bicycle we place a second shock chamber
having within it a tube, cylinder, ring, series of rings, or a ball of india rubber, or
similar elastic material, against the under side of which a piston or thrust plate
bears. This thrust plate we cause to receive a roller or pin which we carry between
the upper ends of the hind wheel side fork or frame and to permit of this pin or
fork roller having correct movement in a forward as well as an upward direction
when thrust by the fork or frame on to the rubber or cushion plate, we cut side
radial slots or openings within the shock chamber to guide the pin or roller correctly.
The lower members of the hind wheel fork or frame we carry forward from the
central boss of the frame which receives the spindle of the wheel, to meet the end of

page_text: the backbone and also to meet the curved stay rod from the bottom of the shock
chamber. At the junction of these three members we form our pedal crank spindle;
and we mount a suitable ordinary chain driving wheel upon this spindle to give
motion to the ordinary chain wheel which we carry upon the hind wheel of our
machine. We cause the side slots or guides for the roller pin in the hind shock
chamber to be curved radially from the crank spindle as a centre; and we mount
upon the cranks any usual kind of pedals of ordinay construction.
The crank spindle bearings formed at the junction of the members of the frame
before referred to, we construct in an improved manner for permitting of ready
adjustment. We form a pair of internal cones upon the bosses of the hind wheel
tail rods, and we make corresponding conical bearings upon the two inner surfaces
of the shoulders or flanges of the stretcher block between the rods; together with a
conical bearing surface upon a washer which we place outside each of the bars or
tail rods. We pass through the complete combination of rods thus placed together
a central tube or hollow spindle having a screw formed upon each end, so that a nut,
or nuts may be placed thereon for keeping the two conical washers and the two
conical seats in true and correct central position, thus affording ready means of
adjustment. We place the crank spindle and ordinary ball or other bearings
through or about this hollow joining adjustable spindle, securing the cranks and
pedals to the crank spindle thus carried in any usual or ordinary manner.
We employ any ordinary form of wheels and tyres for use upon our improved
bicycle and we construct our improved frame parts of steel, iron, or other suitable
metal.
Dated this 30th day of June 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
We, HAMLET HEARN, FRANK RICHARD GUEST, and WILLIAM HENRY
GAMBLE, of The Elms Bicycle Works, Marroway Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Bicycle Manufacturers, 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 stateinent :-
This invention relates to the manner in which we construct and arrange bicycles,
in order that the vibration caused when travelling over rough roads, and obstacles,
may be taken up in compressing pneumatic pads, cylinders, balls or rings of rubber
or other like material or ordinary metallic springs instead of being communicated
direct to the riders' saddle. Another part of our invention relates to the manner in
which we construct the frame of our machine for permitting of the complete
adjustment of the chief bearings for carrying the tail and front rods; and also for
the manner in which we construct the front triangular fork or frame.
I
In order that our invention may be readily understood we append hereunto two
sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved machine having our triangular
forked frame for carrying the front wheel.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation of our improved inachine with shock chambers arranged
thereupon but having an ordinary frame provided for the front wheel.
In carrying our invention into effect when constructing a machine as shown in
Figure 1 and Figure 2, we construct the wheels A, B in any usual or ordinary
imanner, but we mount the front wheel A between our improved triangular framed
fork C having its apex arranged to carry the spindle of the front wheel A, while
the upper end or base we curve to suit the diameter of the wheel; and in the
L

page_text: centre of this upper portion we arrange or place a vertical rod or guiding
spindle D.
Around this guiding vertical fork spindle D as shown in detailed sectional
elevation on Sheet 2 (Figure 4), we place a hollow shock chamber or spring box or
case E having its lower end enlarged for receiving a rubber or other elastic material
ring, cushion or buffer For a metallic spring or series of springs. This buffer as
shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 preferably in the form of a hollow ring of india
rubber, we place upon a diaphragm plate or disc G shown detached in a perspective
illustration at Figure 7, and this plate G we attach to or carry upon the fork
spindle D or we cause it to rest loosely upon a flange or plate D secured or formed
upon the spindle in such a manner that any movement of the front wheel A. and
consequently the fork C causes the diaphragm plate G to compress the rubber
cushion or ring F within its shock chamber E. The upper end of the spindle D
projecting beyond the chamber we screw, and arrange a nut or nuts d thereon for
the purpose of adjusting the tension normally to be carried by the cushion or ring F.
Beyond the adjusting thread we mount preferably upon a square head formed upon
the extreme end of the spindle, a guide bar or crosshead H extending on each side
of the centre of the spindle to receive the guide rods h, from the handle spindle K.
We carry a stay rod L from the front shock chamber or spring box E to meet a second
or hind wheel shock chamber or spring box M, and upon or through this stay rod L
we place the handle spindle K and also the saddle or adjustable seat bar N of any
usual or ordinary construction. We arrange upon the handle stem or spindle Ka
crosshead or side anchor bar K1, K2, and from each side of this crosshead or bar we
carry rods, to meet the guide crosshcad H arranged upon the spindle D of the
front fork frame, so that the front wheel A can be readily steered and controlled by
these side connecting bars.
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of my shock chamber or spring box, when fitted
to an ordinary machine of the type shown in Figure 3, and Figure 8 is a detail
showing in section the ordinary handle bar clip k for securing the lamp handle bar
and spiral spring k¹.
The ordinary socket H2 we provide with an enlarged end H³ to form a shock
chamber as before described, and we pass the fork spindle or steering tube D¹
through the socket in order that the handle bar K³ may enter it. The end of the
tube we cut or slit to permit of its being clamped by the clip on to the bar K³,
and we sometimes place a spiral spring between the clip and the socket in the
ordinary manner to further increase the elasticity of the machine.
Over the hind wheel of our improved bicycle we place a second shock chamber
or spring box M shown in detail in Figures 9, 10 and 11, having within it a tube,
cylinder, ring, series of rings or a ball of india rubber or similar elastic material
against the underside of which a piston or thrust plate P provided preferably with
an elastic or leather cup packing ring or disc p bears, as shown in sectional elevation
at Figure 10. The spring box M we cause to receive a roller or pin P which we
carry between the upper ends of the hind wheel side fork or frame P; and to
permit of this pin or fork roller having correct movement in a forward as well as an
upward direction when thrust by the fork or frame on to the rubbber or cushion
plate, we cut side radial slots or openings m within the shock chamber M to guide
the pin or roller correctly. The lower members of the hind wheel fork or frame
we carry forward from the centre boss of the frame which receives the spindle of
the wheel, to meet the forked end of the back bone R and also to meet the curved
stay rod M' from the bottom of the shock chamber M. At the junction of these
three members we arrange our pedal crank spindle S; and we mount a suitable
ordinary chain driving wheel S' upon this spindle S to give motion to the ordinary
chain wheel S which we carry upon the hind wheel spindle of our machine.
cause the side slots m or guides for the roller pin in the hind shock chamber M to
be curved radially from the crank spindle as a centre; and we mount upon the
cranks any usual kind of pedals of ordinary construction.
We
The crank spindle bearings formed at the junction of the menibers of the frame

page_text: above referred to, we construct in an improved manner for permitting of ready
adjustment, as set forth in detail at Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 of Sheet 2.
We form a pair of internal cones T, T¹ upon the bosses of the hind wheel tail
rods P2, P3, shown in Figure 12, and we make corresponding conical bearings upon
the two inner surfaces of the shoulders or flanges of the stretcher block U between
the rods; together with a conical bearing surface upon a washer V which we place
inside each of the bars or tail rods. We pass through the complete combination of
rods thus placed together a central tube or hollow spindle W having a screw formed
upon cach side, so that a nut or nuts W, W³, may be placed thereon for keeping
the two conical washers and the two conical seats in true and correct central
position, thus affording ready means of adjustment. We place the crank spindle S
and ordinary ball and other bearings through or about this hollow joining adjustable
spindle, securing the cranks and pedals to the crank spindle thus carried, in any
usual or ordinary manner.
To prevent the ball cones W from turning or working loose and to provide for
adjustment, we fit lock washers W' with a flat cut upon the inner hole to fit on to
a like flat surface cut upon the spindle S, the lock washers having a pin or peg
projecting on one side as shown in Figures 13, 14, 16 and 17 for entering the holes
arranged around the outer face of W as shown in Figure 15.
We employ any ordinary form of wheels and tyres for use upon our improved
bicycle, and we construct our improved frame parts of steel, iron or other suitable
metal.
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. The construction and arrangement of bicycles substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of bicycles having shock cushion boxes, cases or spring
chambers provided and arranged over one or both wheels substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described and as set forth in the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of shock chambers, spring boxes or cases provided with an
india rubber or other clastic hollow or solid ball, ring or series of rings or ordinary
metallic springs, discs or cups for application to bicycles and tricycles, substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The construction of bicycle frames for permitting a yielding movement to be
obtained, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The construction and arrangement of adjustable cone bearings for bicycles and
tricycles such as T, T, U and V, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as illustrated in Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of adjustable ball cone locking fittings for
bicycle and tricycle pedal spindles having cone bearings T T U and constructed
as shown in Fig. 12, substantially as and for the puposes hereinbefore described and
as illustrated in Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of March 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.