provements in Cycles, Tricycles and such like Vehicles, Motor or otherwise.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 29th day of July 1898.
. Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Cycles, Tricycles and such like Vehicles, Motor or
otherwise.
I, CHARLES JAMES ELLIS, of 5, Upper Sackville Street, Dublin, Record Searching
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in various parts of cycles and suchlike
and appertain to cranks, bearings, heads, handlebars and brakes thereof such im-
provements being hereinafter more fully referred to.
My improvements in cranks are as follows. With the object of providing a
crank that may be turned or reversed so that the pedal may face inwardly when
not in use I have to the end of the axle short arms or have thereto short
cranks having T arms which may be formed in one with them or by having the
key bolt of requisite length on each side. These short arms may have the inner
side shaped as ball bearers and may be in one with the axle at either or both ends,
but when at both ends the axle will be split and hollowed so as to take a con-
necting adjusting bolt over which passes a bearing collar or they may be locked
together. The pedal crank will be U shaped at the upper end as to have two
arms with a hollow between these arms having holes therein through which the
ends of the Tarms are passed and tightened up with nuts the pedal crank being
thus pivotally hung. That the U arms may take on to the T arms they may be
slotted or I may reverse the arrangement and have the T arms or bolt to the
pedal crank and the U arms to the arm or axle. That the pedal crank may not
swing inwardly or outwardly when being used it may lie upon or against the short
crank and may be attached thereto by a short pin or bolt. I may also attain the
same object by having the crank in two parts one part being screwed onto or upto
the other either by one being partly hollow and having a short collar or hollow
tube attached thereto and screwed or bolted on to the other part and the lower
part prevented from turning by a nut with a reverse thread or by a bolt passing
through both.
My improvements in bearings consists of an improved ball bearing device easily
adjustable and practically dust proof applicable to cycles and ball bearing vehicles.
To attain such result I screw to each end of the spindle a cylindrical screw nut
or bolt shaped collar, the head being nut shaped or with holes or slots on the
outside, or otherwise adapted for adjusting. The shoulder end of this collar is
nearest the centre of the spindle and has to such end slots or projections forming
keyways or keys. I have an ordinary ball bearing cone which I do not secure to
the spindle as is usual, but I secure same to the collar shoulder by means of slots
or projections corresponding with those on the shoulder end and I may further

page_text: To
secure same by means of a lock nut on the extreme end of the shoulder.
more securely lock this collar on the spindle I may have a lock nut against same
and have the part of the spindle on which same is screwed with a thread running
in a reverse direction to that of the collar thereby necessitating a slight increase
in the thickness of that part of the spindle whereon the collar is screwed.
I secure the cup to the hub or equivalent part by means of a pin or projection
therein or thereto which takes into a slot or key way in the cup. Against the cup
to further secure same I have a dust cap or ring screwing into the hub or equiva-
lent part, or I may secure the cup by any well known means.
In a modification I may have the shoulder end of the collar exteriorly threaded
reversely to the interior thread and the cone screwed thereto. I may also have
keys or key ways in the cup, to the outside thereof, with corresponding key ways
or keys to the inner side of the dust cap, or there may be one or more small screw
holes in the cup with corresponding ones in the dust cap, and both connected
together by screw pins, or the cup may be screwed into the bearing in the usual
manner. The dust cap on the pinion end of the hub may be enlarged by having
an outer flange for the purpose of securing the pinion.
My improvements also relate to an improved apparatus for locking and regu-
lating the positions of handlebars and steeringheads whereby the handlebars and
front wheel together or irrespective of each other may be turned parallel with the
frame of the machine, or otherwise, and locked in such position, and whereby the
handlebar may be easely detached from the machine when not in use.
To attain these effects I have the steering tube or post of a machine to terminate
with a clamp or lugged clip (herein called the steering clamp) which I have
screwed thereon and clipped thereto by a crosspin passing through the lugs of such
clip. The upper or terminating end of this clip has a radially flanged collar or
circular plate, having around same slots, projections or equivalents.
handlebar stem is bolted, screwed or otherwise suitably attached (preferably by
means of a lugged clip) a clamp or clip, (herein called the stem clamp) for ad-
justing the position of such handlebar stem.
To the
The lower end of this clamp also terminates with a radially flanged collar or cir-
cular plate, having around same slots, projections or equivalents corresponding
with those in the steering clamp plate. When the handle bar stemu is passed into
the steering tube it is pushed down same until its passage is stopped by its clamp
plate pressing against the steering clamp plate, upon which it rests, and when in
the desired position, such as for steering, or in line with the machine, the plates
are locked against side movement by the slots or projections thereto being cn-
gaged by the projections or slots or equivalents which are to a plate or collar
which is loosely connected to the handlebar stem.
To lock the steering, or handle bar, in any desired position I have to the front
frame tube (steering socket) an arm through which I pass a bolt or pin the upper
end of which is adapted to take into the slots in the clamp plates. Or I have to
such steering socket a lug having one or more slots to one side thereof into which
may lock a locking catch pivotally attached to the steering clamp.
In a modification of the foregoing or in combination therewith I may have the
terminating end plates with slots or lugs, the lugs on one plate engaging with the
slots or serrations in the other, and I may have to the steering clamp or tube a
flanged or hollow collar, to one side whereof I have an eccentrically slotted arm
or other known locking device for the purpose of retaining or locking the locking
catch of the steering clamp in proper position relative to the locking lug of the
steering socket. Preferably I screw this collar to the steering tube or cone.
I may also have on the stem clamp a sleeve or collar having an annular flange.
the interior of which is screw threaded. This sleeve is screwed to the clamp plates,
which are threaded on the outside, and they are thus further locked together
against lateral or vertical movement.
When a brake is used I may have the lever rod slotted at the top and the end

page_text: of the lever curved eccentrically downwards and inwardly, such curved end pass-
ing through and beyond the slot in the rod top.
I also provide an improved brake to the chain wheel on the bottom bracket
which is put into action by back-pedalling or the usual lever rod or both and to
do so I have such chain wheel with a broad flange, or flanges, circumferentially
alongside the teeth. Eccentrically on the bracket I have a disc or equivalent
having thereto a brake block adapted to press against the chain wheel flange. The
outer side of the disc has pawls or such like arrangement to engage with a notch ed
or toothed disc or equivalent on the spindle when the pedal is pressed backward.
The chain wheel runs loosely and has thereto pawls or such like arrangement
which engage with a notched or toothed disc or equivalent on the spindle when
the pedal is pressed forward. To the bracket disc I may have a lever rod worked
in the usual way from the handle bar. There may be springs and stop pins or
such like usual arrangements to the pawls and there may be a spring to the
spindle or disc so situated that when back pressure is taken off the pedals the disc
may again engage with the chain wheel. I may reverse the arrangement as to
the pawls and notches as may be found most suitable.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
'
Improvements in Cycles, Tricycles and such like Vehicles, Motor or
otherwise.
I, CITARLES JAMES ELLIS, of No. 5, Upper Sackville Street, Dublin, Record
Searching Agent, 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 improvements in various parts of cycles and such like
and appertains to reversable or turning cranks, bearings, heads, handle bars and
brakes thereof.
My first improvement relating to an improved method of reversing or turning
the pedals inwardly various methods of so doing being illustrated in Figures 1 to
12 of the annexed drawings. In some forms I have the upper end or head of the
pedal crank fork shaped as shown at B Figs. 1 to 6 with central slot "." To
each end of the spindle I have a small arm or crank, A. Figs. 1 to 5 bolted thereto,
each end of the bolt being abnormally long, so as to form arms on which the
pedal crank is pivotally hung as at C Figs. 1 to 5, the short arm A lying between
the slot "b." To prevent side movement or swinging of the pedal crank it may
be locked to the spindle arm A in various ways such as by a bolt as at D Fig. 1,
the end of which screws into one side of the crank, which may be reversed when
the bolt is withdrawn. Fig. 2 shows the arm A with a slot "a" having the
inner part of one end of the slot with a circular hole of larger diameter than
the slot. The bolt "d" has its head end enlarged so as to fit into this hole the
remaining part being narrow enough to pass through the slot "a" and the end
screwing into the crank at d¹. The unscrewing of the bolt from the part d'
withdraws the large end d from out of the slot "a" leaving the narrow end only
in it, as shown at and the crank can be now reversed without altogether with-
drawing the bolt, the narrow part of which passes out of the slot "a."
In Fig. 3
I show the crank forks with the 2 points b¹, lying on these I have the plate b
which I lock to the spindle crank A by the pin which passes through the plate

page_text: bole and screws into the spindle crank. To reverse the crank the pin is partly
unscrewed and the plate raised out of engagement with the parts & leaving the
crank free to reverse. Fig. 4 shows a variation of this arrangement the pin being
integral with the spindle arm and having the plate locked thereto by the nut
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement by which the pedal crank is reversed by turning
it sideways instead of up or down as with the before mentioned devices. The
crank is focked to the spindle arm A by the pin & screwing into both as shown.
By Fig. 6 is shown a modification in which the exterior of the crank A is
screw threaded and the head of the pedal crank partly hollowed and threaded to
screw on to the crank A as shown at 66 both are locked together by screw pin b³.
A further modification is shown by Fig. 7 the head of the pedal crank being
exteriorally threaded and screwed into a threaded hole in the spindle crank A
both being locked together by the screw pin & in Fig. 8 I vary the means of
locking by having to the crank A the projection a² and to the pedal crank head
the projection & both being hollowed and threaded to receive the locking pin b
Another variation of my modification is shown at Fig. 9 the crank A being
hollowed and threaded as at 3 and the pedal crank with the threaded projection
which screws into the hollow we both cranks are further secured together by a
connecting screw threaded collar a. Figures 10 and 11 show adaptations in which
the pivotal arms or spindle arm A above mentioned is in one with the spindle.
In Fig. 10 the spindle is shown as split in two radial halves EE and hollowed to
take the locking pin F, passing over all I have the bearing collar G. Into this collar
I pass the axle one half from each end until the collar abutts against the arms a a.
I then pase the pin F into the central collar e screwing on the nut f and the axle
and bearing are thus locked together. Fig. 11 shows a variation of this arrange-
ment but the axle lis centrally instead of radially split but with overlapping
centres as shown at e', the pin F screwing into one of the axle ends as at f¹ dis-
pensing with the nut f. Fig. 12 shows the spindle arm or crank shaped to carry.
balls at a5.
I may further vary or reverse these devices as for instance by having the
spindle arm or crank fork shaped, and the head of the pedal crank secured
between the forks, or by having one or more pins or equivalents integral with
either crank and slots to the other of them and make such variations in construc-
tion or locking or otherwise as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.
Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate my second improvement being my improved ball bear-
ing. H indicates an interiorally screw threaded bearing collar having the head h
nut shaped for adjusting and the shoulder with the slota A. I indicates an
ordinary ball bearing cone with the interior keys or projection I. The slotted
end of the shoulder is externally screw threaded, I pass the shoulder through the
cone, the slots engaging with the projections and then screw on to the shoulder
end, against the cone back the nut I then screw the collar on the axile the
heul "being to the outside and finally screw on the locknut A against the
head preferably having the thread on the axile for this nut reverse to the thread
thereon for the collar.
This device may be used in connection with, any means of retaining the ball
cups but for illustration sake I show on Fig. 14 one means of so doing. K is a
hub or bottom bracket having the internal key or projection k which takes into a
slot in the cup which is kept locked against such projection K by the lock-
ing ring which screws into the mouth of the hub or bracket. In practice the
cup is passed along the collar shoulder till stopped by the head h, the balls are
then placed in the cup, and the shoulder passed into the cone until the latter
abutts against the balls, the nut h³ then locks the cone to the shoulder, the cone,
balls and cup being thus retained together, the shoulder is then screwed on to the
axile, and the cup passed into the position and locked by the ring .
I may vary the method of securing the cone to the shoulder & by screwing it.
thereon and dispensing with the projection and slots ³ & I¹.
My last improvement relating to the handle bars and heads I illustrate by

page_text: Figs. 15 to 27. Fig. 15 shows a short tubular collar L terminating with a circular
plate having at intervals therein the slots or holes 3, the upper end of this
collar has a slot . Into this collar I pass the handle bar stem and bolt same
thereto by the clip Fig. 18.
Fig. 16 shows a clip lug M the upper part of which has the circular plate m
having at intervals therein the slots or holes ml. The interior of this lug is
screw threaded to screw on to the top of the steering socket tube and it is further
secured thereto by a bolt passed through the hole m².
The wing m 5 Figs. 16 & 20 hus a hole m 6 therein through which is passed a a
screwpin for the purpose of locking the arm n³ Fig. 17 & 20.
N Fig. 17 representa a plate or collar having at intervals around and underneath
same pins or projections and having to one side thereof the longitudinal arm w
which has therein the slot 3 and the pinhole n'. This plate lies loosely upon the
circular plate the tube L passing through the center of and is placed in this
position before the clip has been attached to such tube L. When the plate m
as been secured to the steering tube and the plates & N secured to the handle
bar stem the protruding end of the stem is pushed downwards into the steering
socket tube until stopped by the plates meeting and the pinholes & m oppo-
site cach other, the pins in the plate N are then pressed into these holes locking
both plates so that the side movement of one moves the other. The plate N being
loose on the collar L can be moved so that the arm n³ comes opposite to the
pin hole m Fig. 16 and 18 and it is locked thereto by a screwpin thus locking
all the plates together. The slot 3 is made of larger diameter at each end so
that the screwpin n Fig. 17 need not be entirely withdrawn when it is necessary
to slide up the plate N for the purpose of turning the handles.
This pin has its lower end narrower than its upper part n so
that when fully screwed up the wide end engages into the wider part of the
slot when all the plates are locked together as above mentioned the turning of
the handles turns the steering wheel. To turn the handles in line with the frame
the screw pin is partly unscrewed and the plate N lifted up till its pins n¹ aro
clear of the holes 13 and m³ the handles may then be turned in the required posi-
tion and the plate N let down and relocked by the srew pin. To lock the steer-
ing I have to the steering socket Q Fig. 21 an arm or projection Q³ having a
threaded hole Q3 therein into which I screw a pin when it is necessary to lock
the steering the plate N is unlocked from slot 3 and arm a brought around till
opposite the steering socket arm Q3, the bolt n is then passed into the holes n
and secured into the socket hole . thus locking the steering.
the
Figs. 22, 23, and 24 illustrate a modification or alternative form. of the above
device.
Instead of having slots or holes in the plates and I have them formed with
the alternative projections or gaps m' and, the projections or teeth on plate m
engaging with the gaps or equivalents to plate Fig. 22. I lock the plates together
by having them circumferentially screw threaded and screwing on to them the
hollow screw threaded collar O which lies loosely upon the stem plate. When
this collar is screwed down as at 0¹ it may be further secured by the pin 0³ screw-
ing into the pin hole 03 on the side of the plate m. I also dispense with the
wing m on the steering clamp but pivot the locking catch m7 to the lug pin m
I have the base m³ of this clamp screw threaded exterorly and on to this I screw
the locking ring P Figs. 22 & 24. This ring has to one side the eccentrically
shaped projection p' in which is cut the slot . I also dispense with the arm or
projection Q on the socket head Q and instead thereof have a series of locking
gaps Q as shewn in Fig. 23.
When the machine is being ridden the locking ring P is so turned that its wider
part permits the locking catch m' from falling into the socket locking gaps.
To lock the steering the locking ring P is turned around till its narrow part is
opposite the locking catch, the end me of which falls into a socket gap and is

page_text: kept therein by turning the locking ring around till the slot in its broad part
engages with the catch.
Figs. 25, 26, 27 illustrates parts of brake lever and brake stem respectively
R being part of lever, being the point of its attachment to the handle bar clip
and S being the upper portion of the brake stem.
When a brake is used I have part of the lever rod R Figs. 25 and 26 to pass
through and beyond the slot S' in the brake stem S Figs. 26 and 27.
The rod passes loosely through the slot and the end so protruding is slightly
curved backwardly as at and also slopes downwardly towards the wheel as at ri.
I do not limit myself to the precise methods of construction detailed in the
foregoing writings, reserving the right to make such variations as to each of my
improvements as would fairly fall within the scope of my invention.
The fourth and last improvement referred to in my Provisional Specification
being a chain wheel brake I hereby abandon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improvements in cranks, bearings, heads, handlebars and brakes, or any
of them, in the annexed drawings illustrated, or as more fully mentioned and
described in the foregoing descriptive writings, or the like substantially.
2. The particular forms, shapes and construction of pedal cranks and modes of
attaching and securing them directly or indirectly to the spindle as illustrated in
the drawings, and referred to in the foregoing writings, for the purposes specified.
3. In pedal cranks the varied reversed or modified methods referred to of so
attaching and securing them directly or by means of an intermediary crank or
equivalent to the spindle that they may be reversed or turned so that the pedal
is turned inwardly towards the frame.
4. The particular form and construction of bearing illustrated in Figures 13
and 14 of the drawings, or described by me, or the like substantially.
5. The methods hereinbefore described or illustrated, of securing a ball bearing
cone on the spindle or the like substantially.
6. In cycles the means and methods, or the like substantially, of locking the
handle bar stem to the steering tube, of locking the handle in any angular posi-
tion, of locking the steering, and of locking the steering wheel against rotation, in
the drawings illustrated, or as referred to by me in the descriptive writings
relating thereto.
7. The particular forms, shapes and construction of the parts illustrated and
set forth in Figures 15 to 27 of the drawings, or any of them, or referred to by
me, either together or in part, or the like substantially, for the purposes specified.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1897.
OHARLES JAMIES ELLIS
Applicant.