Improvements relating to the Front Forks of Velocipedes, chiefly designed to Prevent Injury by Collisions and other Shocks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1896-Accepteri, 31st Oct., 1895
Improvements relating to the Front Forks of Velocipedes, chiefly
designed to Prevent Injury by Collisions and other Shocks.
1, JOSEPH GOLDSCHMIDT, Junior, of Neumarkt, Oberpfalz, in the Kingdom
of Bavaria, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The front forks of cycles are very frequently bent or broken in collisions or the
like, and their repair then causes by no means inconsiderable expense.
To obviate this disadvantage according to this invention, the prongs or limbs of
the fork are secured to the fork-head by means of spring-joints which yield in the
event of a collision and automatically straighten the fork again afterwards.
The fork-head mounted on the fork-tube or other support is provided, if desired,
with a guide-eye for the brake-rod and with a lug or projection for securing
the mud-guard, and comprises, according to one form or modification of my
invention, two cylindrical or other casings which are arranged parallel to the
plane of the wheel and are each provided with two downwardly extending pieces
or lugs. Between the said lugs are mounted the heads of the fork-limbs so as to
be capable of turning about a pivot bolt therein, the tubes or fork-limbs being
secured to the said heads in any suitable manner. These fork-limb heads are each
provided at their upper part with an arm, which enters into the corresponding
casing and is subjected to the pressure of a spring in the said casing. These
springs rest at one end against the bottom of the casing, and at the opposite end of.
each casing is inserted a screw plug which serves as a stop for the said arm, and
thus holds the tubes or fork-limbs in the same direction as or at any desired
inclination to the fork-tube or other support.
Should a collision or shock take place against the wheel or the forks, the latter
yield by the compression of the buffer-springs above mentioned and rapidly return
afterwards to their normal position.
According to another form or modification of my invention, the casings containing
the springs lie parallel to the axis of the wheel, and in each of the said casings is
arranged a torsion spring which surrounds a pivot-bolt passing through the said
casings. One of the outwardly bent ends of these springs lies in a recess in the
fork-tube or other support so that this end of the springs is prevented from turning
round the pivot-bolt. The outer ends of the springs, on the other hand, enter into
a corresponding seat in the end-pieces or heads of the fork-limbs, which end pieces
turn on and close the outer ends of the said casings.
In the event of a shock or blow against the wheel or the forks, the latter yield
whilst exerting a torsional force on the springs and afterwards quickly return to
their normal positious.
It is obvious that when using a front cycle-fork of this kind, liability to bending
or fracture from shock or collision is entirely obviated.
Dated this 24th day of January 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Front Forks of Velocipedes, chiefly
designed to Prevent Injury by Collisions and other Shocks.
1, JOSEPH GOLDSCHMIDT, Junior, of Neumarkt, Oberpfalz, in the Kingdom
of Bavaria, Manufacturer, 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:-
The front forks of cycles are very frequently bent or broken in collisions or the
like, and their repair then causes by no means inconsiderable expense.
To obviate this disadvantage according to this invention, the prongs or limbs of the
fork are secured to the fork-head by means of spring-joints which yield in the
event of a collision and automatically straighten the fork again afterwards.
Figure 1 shows one form of my device in front elevation.
Figure 2 in side elevation.
Figure 3 from above, and
Figure 4 from below;
Figure 5 shows another form or modification of the same, half in front élévation
and half in section, and
Figure 6 is a part section, and part side elevation of the spring-joint hereinafter
described..
The fork-head mounted on the fork-:ube H is provided; if desired, with a guide-
eye I for the brake-rod and with a lug or projection K for securing the mud-guard,
and comprises, in the example of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, two
cylindrical or other casings A which are arranged parallel to the plane of the
wheel and are each provided with two downwardly extending pieces or lugs B.
Between the said lugs are mounted the heads C of the fork-limbs, so as to be
capable of turning about a pivot-bolt D therein, the tubes or fork-limbs G being
secured to the said heads in any suitable manner. These fork-limb heads are each
provided at their upper part with an arm C, which enters into the corresponding
casing A and is subjected to the pressure of a spring F in the said casing. These
springs F rest at one end against the bottom of the casing, and at the opposite end
of each casing A is inserted a screw-plug E which serves as a stop for the said
arm C, and thus holds the tubes or fork-limbs G in line with or at any desired
inclination to the fork-tube H.
Should a collision or shock take place against the wheel or the forks G, the
latter yield by the compression of the buffer-springs F above mentioned, and
rapidly return afterwards to their normal position.
In the form or modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the casings A containing the
springs lie parallel to the axis of the wheel, and in each of the said casings is
arranged a torsion spring F which surrounds a pivot-bolt D passing through the
said casings. One of the outwardly bent ends of these springs lies in a recess in
the fork-tube H so that this end of the springs is prevented from turning round the
pivot-bolt D. The outer ends of the springs, on the other hand, enter into
corresponding seats in the end-pieces C, which fit upon and close the outer ends of
the said casings A.
In the event of a shock or 'Blow against the wheel or the fork, the latter yields
whilst exerting a torsional force on the springs and afterwards quickly returns
to its normal positions.
It is obvious that when using a front cycle-fork of this kind, liability to bending
or fracture from shock or collision is entirely obviated.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A spring joint or connection formed between the fork-head of the front-wheel.
of a velocipede and the fork-limbs by mounting the said fork limbs s> that they are
capable of turning about suitable bolts or pivots, and providing the said fork-limbs
with arms bearing against springs enclosed in casings on the fork-head, for the
purpose of resiliently taking up shocks and preventing breakage in the case of
impact against obstacles, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4
of the accompanying drawing.
2. The modification of my invention in which I employ torsion springs arranged
around the bolt or pivot of the fork-limbs in the fork-head, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 21st of September 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.