IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Roland Harrington, of the Firm of Hinde, Harrington,
and Co., of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Bicycle Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, PARTLY APPLICABLE
ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 28th March 1879, and dated the 1st October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Roland Harrington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1878.
ROLAND HARRINGTON, of the Firm of Hinde, Harrington, and Co., of Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Bicycle Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates chiefly to tricycles and four-wheeled velocipedes, but in part
also to bicycle wheels and similar wheels.
I will first describe my Invention as it relates specially to a tricycle.
The tricycle is constructed with two driving wheels in front fixed upon an axle
having two cranks at opposite centres, and with a small steering wheel behind. The
framing consists of a back bone (similar to that for a bicycle rigidly connected to
a front fork. The front wheels are outside the bearings, and the cranks are prefer-
ably within the bearings. Each side of the fork is continued below the front axle
bearings and bent in advance thereof, and the two ends are connected together by a
cross bar. The cross bar acts as a fulcrum to two levers, which extend backwards
therefrom and terminate in treadles. From a point between the fulcrum and treadle
of each lever a connecting rod passes up to one of the cranks. The back bone is
connected at its back end to a socket on the hind fork. Steering handles (similar
to those of a bicycle) are carried in the top of the front fork, and are capable of
being turned freely thereon, and rods or chains or equivalent connections pass from
the steering bar to projections on the hind socket, the said rods or other connections
being preferably crossed, so that the handles are turned precisely as in a bicycle.
The saddle is mounted on a spring upon the back bonè exactly the same as in a
31

page_text: bicycle. This tricycle may be adapted for the use of ladies by making the back
bone double on plan, so as to leave room between the two sides for the dress, and
mounting the seat on a spring extending from side to side.
The application of the above-described improvements to four-wheeled velocipedes
will be obvious, the difference consisting in the use of a pair of steering wheels instead
of a single one.
I fix the spokes of wheels for bicycles, tricycles, and four-wheel velocipedes, and
of similar wheels, by passing the wire through holes drilled through the projecting
edge of the hub, and screwing them tight by means of nipples passed through the
rim from the concave side thereof. The nipples are kept in place by means of
countersunk heads, which prevent them from being drawn through the rim but allow
them to be turned round. The wire has a rivetted head at the hub to prevent it
from being drawn through the hole in the hub, and is screwed into the nipple in the
rim by turning round the nipple. In case of the fracture of a spoke it may be
removed and renewed without removing the rubber tyre by first drawing the one
part back through the hole in the hub and unscrewing the other part from the
nipple, and then putting in a new spoke as before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Roland Harrington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1879.
ROLAND HARRINGTON, of the Firm of Harrington and Company (formerly Hinde,
Harrington, and Company), of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Bicycle
Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO
OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates chiefly to tricycles and four-wheeled velocipedes, but in part
also to bicycle wheels and similar wheels.
I will first describe my Invention as it relates specially to a tricycle.
The tricycle is constructed with two wheels in front, one being fixed at one end.
of an axle having two cranks at opposite centres, and the other being placed to turn
freely on the other end of the axle, and with a small steering wheel behind. The
framing consists of a back bone (similar to the back bone of a bicycle) rigidly
connected to a front fork. The front wheels are outside the bearings, and the cranks
are preferably between the bearings. Each side of the fork aforesaid is continued
below the front axle bearings, the lower ends of the fork being preferably forward
of the centre of the axle. The two lower ends of the fork are connected together
by a cross bar. The cross bar acts as a fulcrum to two levers, which extend back-
wards therefrom and terminate in treadles. From a point between the fulcrum and
treadle of each lever a connecting rod passes up to one of the cranks. The back
bone is connected at its back end to a socket on the hind fork. Steering handles
(similar to those of a bicycle) are carried in the top of the front fork, and are capable
of being turned freely therein. A lever connected to the steering handles actuates
a lever connected to the hind fork (through the medium of a pin and slot), or rods
or chains or other equivalent connections pass from the steering bar to projections
on the hind socket, the said rods or chains (if used) being preferably crossed, so that
the handles are turned precisely as in a bicycle. The saddle is mounted on a spring
upon the back bone exactly as in a bicycle.
This tricycle may be adapted for the use of ladies by making the back bone double
on plan, so as to leave room between the two sides for the dress, and mounting the
seat on a spring extending from side to side.
The application of the above-described improvements to four-wheeled velocipedes
will be obvious, the difference consisting in the use of a pair of steering wheels
(preferably outside the hind fork) instead of a single one.
I fix the spokes of wheels for bicycles, tricycles, and four-wheeled velocipedes, aud
of similar wheels, by passing the wire forming the spokes through holes drilled or
slotted out of the projecting edge of the hub, and screwing each spoke tight by
means of a nipple passed through the rim from the concave side thereof. The
nipples are kept in place by means of countersunk heads, which prevent them from
being drawn through the rim but allow them to be turned round. Each spoke has
a riveted head at the hub to prevent it from being drawn through the hole in the
hub, and is screwed into the nipple in the rim by turning round the nipple. In case
of the fracture of a spoke it may be removed and replaced without removing the
rubber tyre.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will now proceed par-
ticularly to describe the manner of performing the same with reference to the
accompanying Drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of my improved tricycle. A is
the driving wheel fixed upon the front axle C, and A' is a corresponding wheel
turning loosely upon the said axle C to allow for going round a curve. The axle C
has two cranks formed therein, as shewn, and set opposite to one another. B is the
steering wheel. The framing consists of a back bone K rigidly connected to the
front fork F. The cranks are preferably inside the bearings D, D, as shewn. The

page_text: fork F is continued below the front axle bearings, and is bent slightly in advance
thereof, as shewn at E, E, and the two ends are connected together by a cross bar G.
The cross bar G acts as a fulcrum to two levers H, H, which terminate in treadles,
as shewn. J, J, are connecting rods passing from the levers H, H, to the cranks.
The back bone K is connected at its back end to a socket L on the hind fork. Mis
a steering bar, which is carried in a socket at the top of the front fork and is capable
of being turned freely therein. The pin upon which the bar M turns passes through
the socket (as shewn by dotted lines, Figure 1), and is rigidly connected at its lower
end to a lever N. Motion is thus given to the lever N by means of the steering
handles. O is a lever fixed rigidly to the hind fork. The lever O is moved by the
lever N through the medium of a pin a fixed in the lever O and sliding in the
slot b in the lever N (see dotted lines on plan). The saddle P is mounted on a spring
upon the back bone, as shewn. The adaptation before referred to for a ladies'
tricycle will now be obvious without need for special illustration, as will also the
application of the improvements illustrated to a four-wheeled velocipede.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 a sectional plan through one end of a
wheel hub, shewing my improved method of fixing a spoke to a velocipede wheel
or similar wheel. Q is one end of the wheel hub, sufficient only being shewn to
illustrate the Invention. R is the rim, and S the spoke., A rivet head 'T' is formed
on the inner end of the spoke. U is a nipple pushed through the rim as shewn,
excepting for the countersunk headed part. The outer end of the spoke is screwed
to screw into the nipple U. In fixing the spoke without removing the rubber tyre
the inner end of the spoke is pushed sideways into one of the openings slotted out
of the projecting part 6 of the hub Q. The outer end is then screwed up by turning
round the nipple. As the spoke is screwed up the riveted end is drawn into the
recess W turned in the hub. Instead of the openings being slotted out of the rim v,
they may be simply drilled through, the spoke being threaded through a hole instead
of being pushed in sideways. In this case however the hub would require to be
modified in shape to give room for threading the wire. Instead of the nipple being
loose in the rim it may be fixed thereto and the spoke turned round to screw up
into the nipple, but the former method is preferred.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, and particularly described
the manner of carrying out the same, I declare that I do not limit myself to the
exact details as shewn, but what I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved tricycle, substantially as herein described and illustrated, and
also with the adaptation for a ladies' tricycle, substantially as described.
2nd. The improved four-wheeled velocipede, substantially as described.
3rd. The improved arrangement of steering a tricycle or four-wheeled velocipede
by means of the levers, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
4th. The improved method of fixing the spokes of wheels for velocipedes and of
similar wheels, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Roland Harrington, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Assoc. Inst. C.E.,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
ROLAND HARRINGTON. (L.S.)