IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM JAMES SPURRIER, Manufacturer & Agent of 3 Queenswood Road,
Moseley, near Birmingham, in the County of Worcestershire, do hereby declare, the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, to be as follows:-
My improved velocipede is constructed in part substantially as described in the
specification and represented in Figures 1, 2, 11, 12 and 13, in the Letters Patent
granted to me and bearing date the 13th day of February A.D. 1883, No 796.
The spring supports being inserted in the frame near the driving wheel bearings,
and these springs allow of an adjustment or balance of the frame for hill climbing
&c, and also adjustment is provided to suit the weights of riders, and the handle
spring supports are inserted in or under the rigid bars. The convertable velocipede
for 1 or more riders is formed by the addition of a frame part projecting from the
main frame on one or both sides of the driving wheel. The steering is effected by
means of bicycle formed handles mounted upon similarly projecting frame parts;
or a bicycle is formed by placeing the saddle between the wheels & the handles over
the steering wheel To provide for double driving by the addition of another
driving wheel, I construct the double driving gear of 2 simelar recessed portions,
in each of which is a wedge & an arm with double inclined planes connected with
the chain wheel or wheels. In useing this gear with open fronted tricycles,
I preferably construct them having bowed frames with a trailing backbone in which
is the rear & supporting wheel.
This invention which relates to improvements in the construction and working
of bicycles and other velocipedes, is chiefly designed to prevent that excessive
vibration, and to facilitate the conversión, the driving and steering of these vehicles.
In carrying out my improvements in velocipedes having one central driving
wheel as shown in my patent number 796-February 13th 1883, at Figures 1, 2,
11, 12 & 13. I place the steering wheel in front & the spring supports in the
framing near the driving wheel bearings, and to secure the regidity of the frame
or a fixed position for the cranks I apply a rachet & pawl, or other suitable device
hereinafter described, which gives an adjustment or balance for hill climbing; the
fixed position of frame may be secured by a set screw or released by a lever: this
arrangement can be fitted to other forms of velocipedes. By adding at right angles
to the driving wheel an additional frame part either fixed or if convertable, by
means of sockets or other suitable device, with the necessary saddle and driving

page_text: gear and with supporting wheel, which latter is attached by a bow or other suitable
spring, a tricycle is formed. And by the addition of a second frame part &c. on
the other side of the driving wheel, a velocipede for two riders is formed; the
steering being effected by means of a bicycle handle bar connected with the
steering wheel by a rod or support & socket, which rod or support in case of
the tricycle is connected to the frame by a projection proceeding from the frame
for that purpose, and for a double velocipede a simelar handle bar is provided on the
other side of the frame. To ensure the easy running and balance of velocipedes
for more than one rider, I mount the seat or saddle support in a socket (having a
set screw or its equivalent,) sliding upon the necessary portions of the framing.
. I construct the anti-vibratory handles by mounting them direct onto the spring
supports and placeing the springs in or under the rigid portions of the handle bar,
still retaining the points by which I overcome the previously existing difficulty in
the construction of anti-vibratory handle-bars, and I dispence with the complicated
socket joint shown in my patent 796, 1883, previously refered to, figure 6 A, and
provide an anti-vibratory handle support which can be used upon any form of
velocipede. By the addition of a set screw mounted in a sliding socket, the spring
handle support can be regulated to suit riders of various weights, and to control
any unnecessary play of the springs, furrules may be added to the ends of the
regid portions, and elastic coverings to the springs to prevent any disagreeable
-concussion.
To convert my tricycle into a double driving machine I replace the small
supporting wheel by a second driving wheel, and construct the double driving gear
of two simelar recessed portions as shown at figures 50 and 51 in my patent 796,
1883 in or attached to the hubs, either direct or in part by means of the axle,
inside these recesses is a wedge which is forced against the inside of its respective
recess by a double inclined surface which is on or attached to the driving chain
wheel, this latter is situated between the two recesses or cases when a through
axle is used. Each wedge is held in position by a spring, and to obtain a secure
grip the meeting surfaces of the wedges and cases are serrated or treated in an
otherwise suitable manner. This double driving gear can be used on other forms
of velocipedes.
In useing this gear with tricycles having independent driving wheels with open
front, I arrange the back-bone or that portion carrying the rear wheel, so that it
will trail from a joint or steering head at its junction with the forward portion of
the frame, the saddle support being attached to a portion of the back-bone projecting
forward beyond the joint. The handle supports being fixed to that part of the
frame carrying the driving wheels.
The rachet which is preferably a segmental not a circular one, is fixed to that
portion of the frame carrying the crank, and the pawl to the forward portion of
the frame, having the spring support between and connecting these two parts; so
that an extra pressure upon the pedals when ascending a hill produces a movement
in the spring part and allows the vertical possition of the rider or riders to be
retained.

page_text: WILLIAM JAMES SPURRIER, Manufacturer & Agent, 3 Queenswood Road,
Moseley, Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention which relates to improvements in the construction and working
of bicycles and other velocipedes, is chiefly designed to prevent that excessive
vibration, and to facilitate the conversion, the driving and steering of these
vehicles.
I will now proceede to describe the nature of my said invention as set forth in
my provisional specification and with reference to the accompanying drawings, and
the manner in which my invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents the side elevation of a velocipede containing the principal
parts of the machine constructed according to my invention-Figures 2 & 3
represent a side elevation and plan of a modification of the spring arrangement
and adjustment or balance for facilitating hill climbing as applied particularly to
bicycles, and Figures 4, 5 & 6, show the parts to be used for the conversion of the
machine into a tricycle or velocipede for two riders.
a. a. is the spring support connecting the forward b and the rear c. c. portions of
the machine. I construct the arrangement for securing a vertical possition for the
rider, which vertical possition is found to be such a great aid for mounting hills, of
a modified rachet and pawl, consisting of a plug d. attached to a spring lever e.
the said plug being taper and working in a taper hole in that part of the frame b
marked f. and fitting as desired into one of a series of holes prepaired on the
segmental portion of the frame c. c. marked g. g. or other suitable locking or
gripping device can be used. This arrangement is put in action by pressing the
lever handle to withdraw the plug sufficient to free the frame so that by pressing
upon the pedals the spring support bends and allows the rider to assume the
vertical possition as desired. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in each of the figures named. It is essential that the spring or springs a. a. should
be curved as shown in Figure 1 to compensate for any contraction, when moved, of
the forward and rear portions of the machine b. c. &c, or that the segment g. be set
so as to allow of said movement.
Figures 4. & 5. show the parts for converting a tricycle as represented in figure 1
into a velocipede for two riders, or a bicycle as represented in figure 2, into a
bicycle or velocipede for two riders. A part as shown in figure 4. is constructed
for which ever side it is desired to be added to; and fitted into the socket h, and
further secured by, a stay i. the pedal crank being fitted up as shown in my
patent 796 Feb 13th 1883, at figures 13 & 56. The additional wheel shown at
figure 6. being added as represented by the dotted lines in the rear of figure 5, in
the accompanying drawings, which shows a general plan of my improved con-
vertable velocipede for 2 riders. Figure 5. represents the parts with double grip
handle bar k. k. for converting a bicycle as shown in figure 2, for two riders, the
whole part being secured by the socket &c j. and the tie rods i. i 1. the handle

page_text: bar k. k. being secured by a nut and socket in the usual manner, the balance of
two riders of different weights being insured by the saddle rod sockets being
mounted so that they slide along the horizontal frame part m. m. The sliding
sockets m 1. m 1. being secured by set screws.
Figure 6 shows the small additional wheel with bow spring or springs 7.
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 show the details of my non-vibratory handles, I
construct the handle bar in two portions, n being rigidly attached as is usually
done to the steering head or post, and o. is a flat spring. There may be a furrule P.
to control the play of the spring o. which latter is covered at q near the handle
with any suitable material, such as twine or leather, to prevent rattle or concussion.
Figure 10, is the non-vibratory handle adapted for tricycles, and figures 11, & 12,
show the spring with attachments for applying my non-vibratory handles to
existing machines or to solid bandle bars, by two sockets or furrules R. R 1. The
socket R may be moveable so adjusting the amount or degree of spring for riders
of different weights, figure 12 shows the covering q. inside the furrule instead of
round the spring. In these last named figures the same letters refer to the same
parts in each figure.
Figures 13, 14, 15, & 16, show my double driving gear which is readily added
to my velocipedes when two equal sized wheels are used or can be applied to other
double driving velocipedes. It consists of two recessed portions 8. 8 1. each with
a wedge t. t1., these wedges being driven against the cases 8. 81. by the action of
the double inclined planes u. u 1., which are either part of or connected with the
chain wheel, and all act whether driven backwards or forwards, and for turning or
steering for as one wheel travels faster than the other the respective wedge being
releived from pressure, the springs v. force the wedges into their shaped hollow
in u. u 1., and so allow, while the whole gear is revolving, the wheel traveling the
quicker to be free to turn corners and the velocipede to be properly steered. The
advantage in my gear being that the wheel to which an obsticle is presented.
receives all the power, whereas with a balance gear the other wheel receives the
power and runs round. The meeting surfaces of the recesses 8. & wedges t may be
either plain or serrated as at w.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my invention; I declare that
what I claim is :
1. The general arrangement or combination of the parts herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 & 3, that is to say; the adjustment of velocipedes
for obtaining vertical position for mounting hills.
2. The general arrangement or combination of the parts for converting veio-
cipedes, as represented in figures 4, 5 & 6.
3. The general arrangement and construction of handle bars for reducing
vibration which is so excessive on small wheeled velocipedes, and set forth in
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, & 12,
4. The construction & arrangement of double, driving gear as described & repre-
sented in figures 13, 14, 15, 16.