IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hopwood of Heaton-Norris in the County of
Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hopwood at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1883.
JOHN HOPWOOD of Heaton Norris in the County of Lancaster
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDES
در
"IMPROVEMENTS
This invention relates principally to the construction of tricycles, but by slight
modifications it may also be adapted to quadricycles or other forms of velocipedes.
The principal objects of the invention are to improve the steering, and to enable
a tricycle of ordinary width to carry two passengers, both of whom can drive the
machine at the same time when required.
In constructing a tricycle according to my invention I take an ordinary tricycle
of the open fronted form, with a curved frame and adjustable seat, but without the
rigid backbone which is ordinarily carried by the hind or steering wheel. In place
thereof I construct a backbone provided with two lugs or bosses one of which fits
above and the other below the socket of the pillar which carries the seat, the said
pillar passes through the whole and acts as a hinge pin so that there can be no
vertical action but the backbone can swivel horizontally upon the said pillar as a
joint.
A tightening screw passes through the socket and binds the seat pillar in the
usual manner so that the seat follows the motion of the main wheels.
I may here remark that I do not confine myself to these details so long as there
is a secure joint between the backbone and the centre of the curved front portion
of the frame, which joint is rigid vertically but allows of a horizontal action.
The rear end of this backbone is supported on a wheel carried in a rigid fork,
In front of this
and is provided with an adjustable saddle for the second rider.
saddle is a frame projecting downwards from the back-bone and carrying a short
crank shaft with a pedal at each end.
On one side of the frame a pulley is keyed on the short crank shaft driving by
means of a cord or chain a smaller pulley keyed on the axis or hub of the hind

page_text: wheel so that the second rider drives the hind wheel, which may be somewhat
larger than usual. The bearings of the short crank shaft are adjustable so as to
tighten or slacken the cord or chain when required.
The proportion between the relative diameters of the pulleys is such that the
felloe of the bind wheel shall have the same surface speed as that of the main
driving wheels or thereabouts without the necessity for the second rider pedalling
any faster than the principal.
The arrangement for actuating the main driving wheels is by a crank-shaft and
endless chain or cord and stud or grooved pulleys (or one or both of them may be
driven by a crank shaft and gearing if preferred) or in any other convenient
manner.
The apparatus for steering is constructed as follows: The machine is provided
with two ordinary purchase handles the rods of which pass through sockets forming
part of the main frame.
These handle rods are so mounted that they can revolve in their sockets and
upon each of them is keyed a small stud wheel or grooved pulley round both of
which passes a chain or cord, and the two ends of this chain or cord are attached to
a prolongation of the hinged backbone projecting in front of the seat pillar or hinge
joint. By turning either one or both of the handles either to the right or left; the
chain or cord is pulled in the same direction, thus turning the front part of the
carriage in the direction required.
At the back of the main seat are two brackets supporting a cross handle (like
that of a tricycle) which the second rider grasps and if he should require at any
time to drive the machine by himself he can steer also by pulling this handle in
the direction required.
A brake is also provided which can be put in action by either the principal or
second rider, or by both at once if necessary.
I prefer to drive both the main wheels and the hind wheel, as well as to work
the steering, by an endless cotton rope passing round pulleys made with what is
known as a "
twitch-groove," the form of the groove and the thickness of the rope
being so proportioned that the latter does not touch the bottom of the groove.
This method of driving will be found to be less costly, lighter and less noisy
than the stud pulleys and chains ordinarily employed, and at the same time will be
more agreeable and less jarring to the feet of the driver.
This invention can also be constructed in the form of a quadricycle by sub-
stituting for the hinged back bone and single saddle a small bind wheel as above
described, a two wheeled frame, carrying two seats side by side and a double crank
shaft, like an ordinary double or "sociable" tricycle, or two seats facing each other,
as described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated
March 4th 1881. N° 929: the said frame being hinged to the front portion of the
machine in the manner hereinbefore described in reference to the tricycle, and the
machine being steered in the same way by turning the front portion by means of
the purchase handles as before mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Hopwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd July
1883.
JOHN HOPWOOD of Heaton Norris in the County of Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDES
This invention relates principally to the construction of tricycles but by slight
modifications it may also be adapted to quadricycles or other forms of velocipedes
The principal objects of the invention are to improve the steering and to enable
a tricycle of the ordinary width with an open front to carry two passengers both
of whom can drive the machine at the same time when required; the machine still
being a tricycle of about the ordinary weight and bulk only and being well within
the power of one rider without the necessity for altering or detaching any portion
when one rider only wishes to use the machine.
Such being the nature and objects of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be carried into
practical effect and in order that the same may be clearly understood I have
annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the
same with letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof.
Fig. 1. in the annexed drawing represents a side elevation partly in section and
Fig. 2. a plan view of a tricycle to carry either one or two persons.
In constructing a tricycle according to my invention I take an ordinary tricycle
of the open fronted form with a curved frame a, a and an adjustable seat b, b, but
without the rigid backbone which is ordinarily carried by or supported on the hind
or steering wheel.
In place of the ordinary rigid one I construct a backbone d, d with two lugs or
bosses e, e and f, f one of which e, e fits above and the other one f, ƒ below the
socket of the pillar g, g which carries the seat b, b. The said pillar g, g passes
through the whole and acts as a hinge pin so that there can be no vertical action,
but the backbone d, d can swivel horizontally upon the said pillar as a joint.
A tightening screw h passes through one side of the socket and binds the seat
pillar g g therein in the usual manner, so that the seat follows the motion of the
main wheels.
I may here remark that I do not confine myself to these details so long as there
is a secure hinge joint between the front end of the backbone, and the centre of the
front portion of the frame, which joint is rigid vertically, but allows of a horizontal
action.
The rear end of this backbone d, d is supported on a wheel i, il carried in a rigid
fork k, k and is provided with an adjustable saddle or seat l, l for the second rider.
In front of this saddle or seat 1, 7 is a frame m, m projecting downwards from the
backbone d, d and carrying a short crank shaft n, n with a pedal at each end.
Near one side of the frame m m a pulley o, o is keyed on the shaft n, n driving by
means of a cord or chain p, p a smaller pulley q, q keyed on the axis or hub of the
hind wheel i. i so that the second rider drives the hind wheel which may be rather
larger than usual.
The bearings of the short crank shaft n, n are adjustable so as to tighten or slacken
the cord or chain p, p when required, or the hind wheel i, i and frame m, m may
be made adjustable by being fitted at the top end in a groove or slot in the
backbone d, d thus enabling it to be moved backwards or forwards.
The proportion between the relative diameters of the pulleys o, o and q, q should
be such that the felloe of the hind wheel i, i shall have the same surface speed as

page_text: that of the main driving wheels r, or thereabouts, without the necessity for the
second rider pedalling any faster than the principal.
The arrangement for actuating the main driving wheels is by a crank shaft and
endless chain or cord, and stud or grooved pulleys (or one or both of them may be
driven by a crank shaft and gearing if preferred) or in any other convenient
manner.
The apparatus for steering is constructed as follows.
The machine is provided with two ordinary purchase handles 8, 8 the rods of
These handle
which pass through sockets forming part of the main frame a, a.
rods, are so mounted that they can revolve in their sockets, and upon each of them
is keyed a small stud wheel or grooved pulley t, t round both of which passes a
chain or cord u, u and the two ends of this chain or cord are connected to an
adjusting piece v, v which is formed with a transverse slot.
Tl.e piece v, v is provided with two screws, the one a right and the other a left
hand screw, and each of these works through a corresponding nipple or nut carried
by the end of the chain, so that by turning the piece v, v round, the chain can be
either tightened or slackened as required;
A pin or projection on the forward end of the prolongation f₁f of the hinged
backbone d, d fits in the transverse slot in the piece v, v and it will be evident
that by turning either one or both of the handles 8, s either to the right or to
the left, the chain or cord u, u is pulled in the same direction, and thus the
carriage will be steered to the right or to the left, not by turning either the front
wheels or the hind wheel round on their vertical axis (as usual) but by bending
as it were the frame of the carriage in the direction required at a point between
the vertical axes of the front and the hind wheels. This method of steering is
applicable to all velocipedes with three or more wheels whether driven by the foot
or hand, or both, or by electricity or other motive power, and forms an important
feature of my invention
I may here observe that the steering may be effected by means of a notched rod
(or a toothed rack) and pinions or by short levers and a transverse connecting rod
in place of the chain or cord as above described, the centre of the rod or rack being
connected by a slot with the forward end of the prolongation f, f of the hinged
backbone.
At the back of the main seat b, b are two brackets supporting a cross handle w, w
(like that of a bicycle) which the second rider grasps, and if he should require at
any time to drive the machine by himself he can steer also by pulling this handle
in the direction required.
A brake (not shown on the drawing) is also provided which can be put in action
by either the principal or second rider, or by both at once if necessary.
I prefer to drive both the main wheels and the hind wheel, as well as to work
the steering by an endless cotton rope passing round pulleys made with what is
known as a "twitch groove" the form of the groove and the thickness of the rope
being so proportioned that the latter does not touch the bottom of the groove, the
insides of the grooves being also corrugated in a radial direction
This method of driving will be found less costly, lighter, and less noisy than the
stud pulleys and chains ordinarily employed, and at the same time will be more
agreeable and less jarring to the feet of the driver.
This invention can also be constructed in the form of a quadricycle, by
substituting for the hinged backbone and single saddle and small hind wheel as
above described, a two wheeled frame carrying either two seats side by side and a
double crank shaft, like an ordinary double or "sociable" tricycle: or two seats
facing each other as described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted
to me, dated March 4th 1881. N° 929; the said frame being hinged to the front
portion of the machine in the manner herein before described in reference to the
tricycle, and the machine being steered in the same way by bending the frame, as
it were, at a point between the front and rear axles by means of the purchase
handles.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of my said invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention
First the general construction and arrangement of the velocipede as hereinbefore
described and represented by the drawings annexed whereby an open fronted
tricycle or velocipede of ordinary width is adapted to carry two passengers one or
both of whom can drive the machine when required.
Secondly I claim the apparatus for steering such or similar velocipedes by means
of an endless chain or cord or a rod or rack stretching across the machine and
connected to a projection or prolongation of a binged backbone, the steering being
effected not by turning either one or both of the wheels or axles on a central
vertical axis as is usually the case but by bending the backbone, as it were, at a
point between the front and hind wheels by means of the purchase handles
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof 1 the said John Hopwood have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
JOHN HOPWOOD (L.S.)