Improvements in and relating to Steering Heads and Forks for Velocipedes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1899
;
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steering Heads and Forks for
Velocipedes.
I, GEORGE LEONARD MORRIS, of 16, Granville Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to steering heads and forks for velocipedes, motor
cycles and the like, and it consists in forming the said heads or forks of two or
more tubes of different diameters arranged concentrically one with the other
and kept apart by suitable distance pieces, the object being to strengthen
these parts and render them more reliable.
In carrying out my invention as applied to a steering head, I employ the
usual tube mounted on the crown of the fork and adapted to carry at its upper
end the adjustable cone of the ball bearing. Within this tube is placed a
second tube of a smaller diameter which is kept apart and made concentric
with the outer tube by means of a suitable distance piece preferably taking
the form of a serrated ferrule. The respective sizes of these two tubes is such
that the tubular stem of the handle bar fits over the inner and within the
outer tube.
The top of the inner tube is split in two or more places to enable it to be
expanded to grip the inside of the tubular stem of the handle bar so that the
said stem can be locked internally, as well as externally by the well-known
clip cone arrangement.
The upper end of the inner tube is expanded by means of a cone threaded
on the upper end of a rod preferably of tubular form lying within the inner
tube. The said cone carries one or more dowel pins adapted to engage with
one of the slots in the tube so that although the said cone has a vertical move-
ment with respect to the tube it has no independent radial movement. Conse-
quently by turning the rod on which the cone is mounted the said cone is
either drawn down into the tube thereby expanding its upper end, or forced out
of it, thereby allowing it to contract. To prevent any longitudinal movement
of the adjusting rod, its lower end is enlarged to engage the underside of the
crown of the fork or a recess formed therein, and is covered by a plate fixed
to the underside of the crown of the fork, which said plate also provides a
convenient attachment for the upper end of the mudguard of the steering wheel.
As an alternative arrangement the enlarged end of the adjusting rod may have
a circumferential groove with which a dowel pin or its equivalent carried by
the crown of the fork engages.
In the back of the crown of the fork or in the plate fixed thereto is an
opening which exposes the enlarged end of the adjusting rod, the said enlarged
end being pierced with holes so that the rod can be rotated by means of a
tommy through the said slot.
To prevent the cone being unscrewed completely from the adjusting rod a

page_text: pin or its equivalent is passed through the upper end of the rod beyond the
cone.
As an alternative construction the stem of the handle bar may be mounted
inside the inner tube in which case the two tubes forming the socket of the
head are kept apart at their upper end by means of a suitable distance piece.
With this construction the handle bar stem is gripped to the interior of the
inner tube by a similar device to that already described the only difference
being that the position of the cone is reversed so that it acts on the lower end
of the handle bar stem instead of on the upper end of the inner tube of the head,
the end of the adjusting rod projecting through the upper end of the handle
bar stem.
As a further modification the stem of the handle bar may consist of two con-
centrically arranged tubes the exterior one adapted to fit in the outer tube
of the head or socket and the interior one in the inner tube or socket.
It will be obvious that this construction is applicable to that type of head
having two independent tubes not concentrically arranged and which support
the handle bar by means of two stems. In applying this invention to such
a construction of head the double tubes may be carried down through the
crown of the fork and throughout the lengths of the members of the forks to
make them of double construction.
I may also use this double construction of tubular fork sides with the con-
centrically arranged multiple tube head or with all ordinary forms of steering
heads as at present used, making the double fork sides of any desired or
convenient section.
.1.
Although I have hereinbefore referred to the use of independent lining or
distance pieces to keep the two tubes apart from one another, the same end
may be obtained by using butt ended tubes either wholly or in conjunction with
distance pieces.
Further, although I have herein before described my invention as consisting
of the use of one auxiliary tube, two or more of such tubes may be used if
desired.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS. Assoc.M. Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech. E.
Chartered Patent Agent,
70. Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Steering Heads. and Forks for
Velocipedes.
I. GEORGE LEONARD MORRIS, of 16. Granville Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to steering heads and forks for velocipedes, motor
cycles and the like, and it consists in forming the tubular extension of the
fork commonly known as the steering tube of two or more tubes of different
diameters arranged concentrically one with the other and kept apart by suit
able distance pieces, the object being to strengthen those parts and render
them more reliable.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention:-
Figure 1 Sheet No. 1 is a view in vertical section of the steering head of
a bicycle in which the steering tube is composed of two tubes.

page_text: Figure 2 Sheet No. 1 is a view in transverse section on lines, r, Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 Sheet No. 2 are broken views showing modifications
and alternative constructions.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the usual steering tube A is mounted on the
crown B of the fork and carries at its upper end the usual adjustable cone
clip C. Within this tube is placed a second tube A¹ of a smaller diameter
which is kept apart and made concentric with the tube A by means of a
suitable distance piece D which preferably takes the form of a serrated ferrule.
The respective sizes of these two tubes A and A' is such that the tubular
stem E of the handle bar fits over the inner one A' and within the outer
one A.
The upper end of the inner tube A' is split in two or more places to enable
it to be expanded to grip the inside of the handle bar stem E so that the said
stem can be locked internally as well as externally by the usual adjustable clip
cone C. This is effected by means of a cone F threaded on the upper end of
a rod G which is preferably of tubular form and has at its lower end an
enlargement g fitting the inner tube A¹. This cone F carries a projection f
which engages with one of the slots in the tube A to prevent it rotating
therein, so that by turning the rod G on which the cone is mounted the said
cone is either drawn down into the tube A thereby expanding its
upper end, or forced out of it, thereby allowing it to contract, the
rod G being prevented from moving longitudinally in the steering tube by
a head engaging the end of the said tube in a recess in the crown 13 of the
fork and by a plate H fixed in the recess in the underside of the crown of
the fork over the head g of the rod. This plate H provides a convenient
attachment for the upper end of the mudguard of the steering wheel. As an
alternative arrangement the rod G may be prevented from moving longitudinally
in the steering stem by forming a circumferential groove in its enlargement g
with which a dowel pin or its equivalent transversely mounted in the crown
of the fork engages.
In the back of the crown B of the fork is an opening b
which exposes the enlargement g of the adjusting rod G and permits of it
being rotated by means of a tommy engaging radially arranged holes in the
said enlargement. To prevent the cone I being unscrewed completely from the
adjusting rod G a washer g² is fixed to the upper end of the rod by a screw
bolt g³.
Instead of threading the rod G into the cone F it may be fixed thereto and
the necessary longitudinal movement imparted to the cone F by threading a
sleeve nut on the lower end of the rod and preventing the longitudinal
movement of the said nut in the steering tube by a dowel pin engaging a
circumferential slot in the sleeve nut as shown by Figure 3.
As an alternative construction the stem E of the handle bar may be mounted
inside the inner tube A¹ as shown by Figure 4 in which case the two tubes A
and A forming the steering tube are kept apart at their upper end's either
by means of a distance piece or by using tubes having butted ends as shown.
With this construction the handle bar stem E is gripped to the interior of the
inner tube A' by a similar device to that already described the only difference
being that the position of the cone F is reversed so that it acts on the lower
end of the handle bar stem E instead of on the upper end of the inner tube A¹
of the steering tube while the other end of the rod G projects through the
upper end of the handle bar stem E and is provided with an external nut G¹.
As a further modification the stem of the handle bar may consist of two
concentrically arranged tubes and E as shown by Figure 5 the exterior
one E adapted to fit between the two tubes A and A¹ of the steering tube and
the inferior one El adapted to fit in the inner tube A in which case the inner
tube E of the handle bar stem is gripped to the interior of the tube A¹ by the
means hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 and the outer tube E

page_text: of the stem is gripped between the tubes A and A' by means of the usual
adjustable coned clip C.
It will be obvious that either of the constructions herein before described
are applicable to that type of head having two independent tubes not concen-
trically arranged and which support the handle bar by means of two stems,
and Figure 6 illustrates such as application. In applying this invention to
such a construction of head the double tubes may be carried down through
the crown of the fork and throughout the lengths of the members of the forks
to make them of double construction and so increase their strength.
Although I have herein before described the steering tube as made up of two
tubes, three or more tubes may be used if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: :―
(1) A steering head for velocipedes characterised by the steering tube com-
prising more than one tube the said tubes being concentrically arranged out
of contact with each other for the greater portion of their lengths as set
forth.
(2) In a steering head for velocipedes, a steering tube composed of two or
more concentrically arranged tubes and a handle bar stem consisting of one
or more concentrically arranged tubes adapted to engage the tubes of the
steering tube and of means for clamping the tube or tubes of the handle bar
stem between the tubes forming the steering tube, as set forth.
(3) A steering head for velocipedes characterised by a steering tube consisting
of two concentrically arranged fubes and by a handle bar stem fitting between
the two tubes and locked therein by the expansion of the inner and the con-
traction of the outer of the two tubes forming the steering tube as herein set
forth and illustrated by Figure 1.
(4) A form of construction of the steering head as specified in the preceding
claim in which the steering tube is composed of three concentrically arranged
tubes and the handle bar stem of two concentrically arranged tubes, as herein
set forth and illustrated by Figure 5.
(5) A steering head for velocipedes consisting of three tubular members
supported by the crown of the fork and arranged in a plane, the side members
each comprising two or more concentrically arranged tubes the said side
members being adapted to receive the tubular members of a duplex handle
bar stem as herein set forth and illustrated by Figure 6.
801
1
T
1900
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E.
Chartered Patent Agent,
,70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.