IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS. IS APPLICABLE TO WHEELS FOR OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harrington, of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS.
IS APPLICABLE TO WHEELS FOR OTHER VEHICLES."
Sealed the 30th July 1878, and dated the 31st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harrington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1878.
JOHN HARRINGTON, of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO WHEELS FOR OTHER VEHICLES.'
The Invention has for its object, firstly, improvements in the construction of
wheels for bicycles and other vehicles. For this purpose I screw into the rim or
tyre of the wheel, from the inner periphery thereof, a number of screws bored
longitudinally to allow the wire spokes to be passed through; the end of the wire
is rivetted so as to form a head thereto, to enable it to take a bearing on the end
of the screw, and I fix the end of each wire spoke in a similar manner to the boss
or nave of the wheel, except that I place a washer between the rivetted head of the
wire and the end of the screw, thus enabling the wire to be adjusted in tension
without putting undue torsional strain thereon.
Or I pass one end of each wire through a transverse hole in a screw which is
screwed into the boss or nave, and I turn such screw until the required strain is
obtained; then to prevent such screw running back, another screw at right angles
thereto is caused to bear tightly on such straining screw, or other suitable
arrangement may be employed to prevent such straining screw slipping or running
back.

page_text: Or I pass the end of each wire spoke through a hole formed in the boss of a
worm wheel mounted in a bearing piece fixed to the hub or nave of the wheel, and
in this bearing piece I mount a worm or screw, which gears with the worm wheel,
and, when desired, can be caused to give rotary motion thereto so as to enable the
required tension to be applied to the wire.
I also mount the axis of the worm wheel in a slot in the bearing piece so as to
cause the strain of the wire to keep the worm and worm wheel in gear with
each other.
I form the worm of hardened steel and the worm wheel of comparatively soft
metal, and I form the bearing piece so as to give support to the worm along its
entire length.
By the above-described means I am enabled to form the spokes of wire so small
that it would be practically impossible to attach them to the hub or nave and rim
or tyre by the means heretofore adopted, whilst I am also enabled to insert a new
wire spoke without the necessity for removing the rubber tyre.
Another part of my Invention relates to means for enabling a bicycle rider to
hold his bicycle in a position of rest without dismounting, when he may so desire.
This I effect by mounting on the fork at each side of the driving wheel a slide,
preferably carrying a wheel at its lower end, which slides can be pushed down-
wards by the feet so as to cause the extra supports to come on to the ground and
be there held by spring catches, which latter can be released, when desired, by
suitable connections therefrom to the steering handles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Harrington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st July
1878.
JOHN HARRINGTON, of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BI-
CYCLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO WHEELS FOR OTHER
VEHICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of wheels for
bicycles and other vehicles. For this purpose, according to one arrangement as
represented at Figure 1, I screw into the rim or tyre a of the wheel, from the inner
periphery thereof, a number of screws b, bored longitudinally to allow the wire
spokes c to be passed through; the end of the wire is rivetted so as to form a head
thereto to enable it to take a bearing on the end of the screw b, and I fix the other
end of each wire spoke in a similar manner by means of screws d to the boss or
nave e of the wheel, except that I place a washer d¹ between the rivetted head of
the wire c and the end of the screw d, thus enabling the wire e to be adjusted in
tension without putting undue torsional strain thereon.
Or according to another arrangement, as represented at Figure 2, I pass one end
of each wire c through a transverse hole in a screw f which is screwed into the boss
or nave e, and I turn such screw funtil the required strain is obtained, then to
prevent such screw running back, another screw g at right angles to the screw fis
caused to bear tightly on such straining screw f, or other suitable arrangement may
be employed to prevent such straining screw f slipping or running back.
Or according to another arrangement, as represented in section at Figure 3 and
in sectional side elevation at Figure 4, I pass the end of each wire spoke c through
a hole formed in the boss of a worm wheel h mounted in a bearing piece i fixed to
the hub or nave e of the wheel, and in this bearing piece I mount a worm or screw j
which gears with the worm wheel h, and, when desired, can be caused to give
rotary motion thereto so as to enable the required tension to be applied to the
wire c.
I also mount the axis of the worm wheel h in a slot in the bearing piece i, so
as to cause the strain of the wire c to keep the worm or screw j and worm wheel h
in gear with each other.
I form the worm j of hardened steel, and the worm wheel h of comparatively
soft metal, and I form the bearing piece i so as to give support to the worm or
screw j along its entire length.
In the plans described with respect to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the other ends of the
spokes may be secured to the tyre or rim by the means represented at Figure 1, or
in any other convenient manner.
By the above-described means I am enabled to form the spokes of wire so small
that it would be practically impossible to attach them to the hub or nave e and rim
or tyre a by screwing, as heretofore adopted, whilst I am also enabled to insert a
new wire spoke without the necessity for removing the rubber tyre.
Another part of my Invention relates to means for enabling a bicycle rider to
hold his bicycle in a position of rest without dismounting, when he may so desire.
This part of my Invention I have represented in side elevation at Figure 5, and in
cross section at Figure 6. In carrying this part of my Invention into effect, I
mount on the "fork" k at each side of the driving wheel a slide 1, preferably
carrying a wheel at its lower end, which slides can be pushed downwards by
the feet acting upon projections ² from such slides so as to cause the extra supports
to come on to the ground and be there held by spring catches m, which latter can
be released when desired by means of cords, wires, or chains n connected at one
end to the tail pieces m¹ of the spring catches m and at the other to the steering
handle o, by turning which the spring catches m can be liberated from the pro-

page_text: jections 13 on the slides 7, when the springs p will raise the extra supports from the
ground.
..
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. The various modes of mounting and straining the wire spokes of wheels
for bicycles and other vehicles, so that the wire may be adjusted in tension without
putting, undue torsional strain thereon, thereby enabling smaller spokes than usual
to be employed, substantially as herein shown and described.
And Secondly. I claim, providing bicycles with extra supports, in manner and for
the purpose substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrington, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TATTIT
TINптатNMATT
JOHN HARRINGTON. (L.S.)