Improvements in Cycles."
Year: 1897

page_text: "Improvements in Cycles."
I, JOHN BERNARD EDMUND FIELD, of The Old Cottage, Weybridge, Surrey,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bicycles and tricycles and has for its object to provide
a simple compact and novel form of machine both light and graceful in appear-
ance, more convenient to mount and diamount, (especially for ladies) and better
adapted to quick turning than machines as hitherto made.
According to my invention I dispense with the usual steering post, and its stay-
ing, also the front handle bars and all obstructions in front of the rider, and I
use a leading or steering wheel of small diameter in comparison with that of the
driving wheel or wheels: these latter as well as the rear triangular framing (com-
posed of the seat pillar and back and bottom stays) the crank axle bracket and
driving gear may remain substantially as now and according to my invention I
provide a forward extension of the frame from the crank axle bracket, of straight,
curved or other convenient shape and in or about the forward end of this is
mounted the rotary spindle of the steering wheel fork and upon this is fixed a
chain wheel quadrant or equivalent. The handle bar is placed upon the seut
pillar with its handles extended forward at either side, and it may be rigidly fixed
or capable of turning motion. For steering, I may fix the handle bar and employ
an endless chain or equivalent combined or not with flexible connections or rigid
rods and passing around the front fork chain wheel or equivalent above referred to,
over suitable guide pulleys or devices to the fixed handle bar and along one horn
thereof to and around a chain wheel or equivalent mounted thereon and operated
by a hand wheel or rotary handle couveniently disposed for the rider's hand; or I
may employ a rod passing down within or beside the seat pillar and geared at its
foot to the front fork chain wheel or equivalent and at its top either to a turning
handle bar or connected by chain gear (with a fixed handle bar) to a hand operat-
ing device thereon, such as above referred to: or I may employ rack and pinion or
other suitable gear and connections adapted to enable the rider to easily turn the
steering wheel fork spindle as required.
Thus as will be seen there is no obstacle whatever in front of the rider whose
seat is disposed between the horns of the handle bar and who can mount or dis
mount with great freedom. The steering connections are snugly arranged and
may be encased if desired, and foot-rests may be placed on the said front extension.
Dated this 3rd day of February, 1897.

page_text: I, JOHN BERNARD EDMUND FIELD, of The Old Cottage, Weybridge, Surrey,
Merchant, 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:-
My invention relates to bicycles and tricycles and has for its object to provide
a simple compact and novel form of machine both light and graceful in appear-
ance, more convenient to mount and dismount, (especially for ladies) and better
adapted to quick turning than machines as hitherto made.
According to my invention I dispense with the usual steering post, and its stay-
ing, also the front handle bars and all obstructions in front of the rider, and I
use a leading or steering wheel of small diameter in comparison with that of the
driving wheel or wheels: these latter as well as the rear triangular framing (com-
posed of the seat pillar and back and bottom stays) the crank axle bracket and
driving gear may remain substantially as now, and according to my invention I
provide a forward extension of the frame from the crank axle bracket, of straight,
curved or other convenient shapo and in or about the forward end of this is
mounted the rotary spindle of the steering wheel fork and upon this is fixed a
chain wheel quadrant or equivalent, which may be connected in various efficient
and mechanical ways such as hereinafter appear, to the handle bar and whereby
the steering is very easily and accurately effected.
I will now fully describe my invention in reference to the accompanying draw-
ings which illustrate two adaptations of my invention to a bicycle, the arrange
iment thereof for a tricycle being practically the same. Fig. 1 is an elevation of
a bicycle constructed according to iny improvement and having a fixed handle bar,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the handles and steering gear, Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan show-
ing detail of steering gear for same. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a bicycle having
turning handle and showing a modified arrangement of the steering gear therefor.
Fig. 5 a part plan of same, and Fig. 6 an enlarged plan showing detail of the
steering gear. Fig. 7 shows an alternative arrangement for connecting the steer-
ing rod to the front fork. Similar letters refer to similar parts in all of tho
figures.
S is the steering wheel which as will be seen is of small diameter compared with
the driving wheel 1) in the proportion of about 2/3rds. to about 3/4ths. S' is its
spindle and fork. P is the seat pillar carrying seat P and F the above mentioned
forward extension of the frame trom the crank axle bracket B; the extension is
shown as curved though it may be straight or fashioned in any convenient way.
Qis a wheel, segment or quadrant fixed upon the steoring spindle S' of wheel S.
I is the handle bar fixed upon the seat pillar P with its handles h h extended in
forward direction at each side of the rider's seat.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown as stated the handle bar H fixed to pillar l' and
in this case I employ an endless chain or equivalent flexible connection combined
or not as will be described with rigid rods or parts; a short piece of chain C is
shown passing around the chain-wheel or quadrant Q; catgut, steel wire or other
flexible connections C, C', pass back from the ends of the chain around a pair of
guido pulleys D, D₁ then up behind the pillar l' and around a second pair of
pulleys D, thence along the right horn of the handle bar H and around a third
pair of pulleys D3, D3, they are then connected to a short length of chain C³ work-
ing around a chain wheel Q' on the under side of the outer end of the said bar H.
This wheel Q is mounted on the foot of a spindle carried in a long bearing (1

page_text: and surmounted by a haud wheel or a rotary handle T as illustrated. From this
it will be seen that the turning of the handle T will correspondingly move thu
steering wheel S and so steer the machine.
I may in some cases carry up the connection between D D inside the pillar P
or enclose them in a light cover, but I do not anticipate that this will be necessary
or desirable so long as they are snugly arranged.
Instead of the above described arrangement for directing the steering wheel I
may employ an arrangement such as is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in which the
strering is effected by a turning handle bar H of usual kind mounted on top of a
steering rod E disposed behind the seat pillar P and suitably supported thereby.
I connect a chain wheel Q by a short chain C and rigid side rods C³ to a second
short chain C3 working around a chain wheel or segment Q. This is fixed to the baso
of the said rod E, or by another method I may connect together by one simple side
rod suitably bent into the most convenient position, a crank at the base of the
rod E and a crank on the head of the steering wheel fork as indicated in Fig. 7,
or I may employ a rack and pinion device or any other suitable mechanical gear
and connections adapted to enable the rider to easily turn the steering wheel
fork S₁ as required.
Thus as will be seen there is no obstacle whatever in front of the rider whose
seat is disposed between the horns of the handle bar and who can mount or dis-
mount with great freedom. The steering conuections are snugly arranged and
may be encased if desired, and foot rests may be placed on the said front
extension.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a cycle, the arrangement of a steering wheel of small diameter in com-
parison with that of the driving wheel, the rotary fork-spindle of said steering
wheel being mounted in a forward extension of the frame and connected to the
handle bar or to a rotary handle upon said handle bar substantially as and for the
purposes hereinabove set forth.
2. The improved arrangement of cycle combined with means for steering same
such as set forth, substantially as above described and illustrated in the drawings
hereto annexed.
Dated the 3rd day of November 1897.