Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Cycles.
HENRY FISCHER 88 Seymour Street Nottingham Fitter and Machine Minder.do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention which relates to improvements in cycles, has for its object the
provision of means whereby the vibrations of the wheels due to running on
uneven ground will not be communicated to the rider, thus enabling a rider to
obtain the same comfort as is obtained by a pneumatic tyre without the liability of
puncture.
According to this invention as applied to the front wheel, the front tube which
usually connect the ends of the top tube and the tube from the front to the crank
bracket, is replaced by a tube which is fitted to turn on ball bearings carried by
sockets on the top tube and tube to the crank bracket. This movable front tube.is
fitted with the usual means for adjusting the ball bearings, and for fixing the handle
bar stem. Near the top end of the movable front tube there is a fixed plate, while
the front fork tube is fitted to slide in the inovable front tube and has its upper end
closed with the exception of a small opening which is provided with a valve. At the
end of the tube there is a suction washer or other packing. There is thus formed an
air tight space between the upper end of the front fork tube and the plate or division
in the movable front tube, and in this space there is a spring which assists the air
in the air tight space. The movable front tube and the front fork tube are prevented
from turning independently of each other by a pin and slot or their equivalent, the
pin and slot also limiting the sliding motion of the front tork.
When this invention is applied to the back wheel, the back legs are joined above
the wheel to a tube which corresponds to the front fork tube, and this works within
a tube fixed to the frame. The arrangement being similar to the arrangement used
with the front wheel.
The ends of the back legs are fitted to slide in guides on the lower back stays and
there is an additional stay between the free ends of the top tube and the tube to the
crank bracket.
HENRY FISCHER of 88 Seymour Street Nottingham Fitter and machine minder do
35 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 :-
ovements in arcles and has for its obiect the

page_text: provision of improved means for absorbing the vibrations of the wheels and reducing
the amount of vibration transmitted to the rider.
According to this invention the front tube of the cycle frame is fitted to turn on
ball bearings which are carried by sockets ou the ends of the top tube and down tube
of the cycle frame, and the front tube is provided with menus for adjusting the
bearings and for clamping the handle bar stem. Inside the front tube and below
the end of the handle bar stem there is a division plate and between this plate and
the upper end of a tube sliding in the front tube, there is an air space in which a
spring is placed. The sliding tube is attached to the frout fork and by means of a
pin and slot arrangement or equivalent means the sliding tube is prevented from
turning independently of the front tube. The top of the fork tube is fitted with
packing or washers to form a piston and there is a valve for inlet and outlet of air to
the air space in the front tube.
When this invention is applied to the back wheel, the fork ends of the back legs
are fitted to slide in guides on the back wheel stays, and above the wheel the back
legs are connected to a bracket which carries a tube corresponding to the fork tube
on the front wheel arrangement. This bracket. tube works in a tube which corresponds
.to the front tube but is fixed or pivottedly connected to the cycle frame. In some
cases the back stays and legs may be connected together and the back stays be fitted
to turn on fixed axles.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a section showing the application of the invention to the front wheel and,
Fig. 2 illustrates the application of the invention to the back wheel.
. The front tube a Fig. 1 of the cycle frame is fitted to turn in the sockets b and c
on the top tube d and down tube e. The sockets b and c are fitted with ball bearings
and there is an adjusting nut and a clamp g for connecting the handle bar stem "h
with the tube a. The sockets.b and c may be connected together by a stay i. The
front fork k is attached to a tube which is fitted to slide in the tube a and is closed
at the top by a plate m which has a hole n and a valve o. There is also a cup
leather p or other suitable packing to enable the tube to act as a piston. For
steering the cycle the tubes a and 7 must turn together and for this purpose the
tube may be fitted with a pin q which slides in slots in the tube a, or, the tube
may be square and be fitted to slide in corresponding hearings on the tube a. "Near
the top of the tube a there is a division plates and between this plate and the top of
the tube there is a spring t.
As applied to the back wheel according to one arrangement the back forks u are
connected together above the wheel by a bracket v to which a tube w is attached.
This tube slides in a tube z which is rigidly attached to the cycle frame, and the
tubes w and a work together similarly to the tubes a and I, and they are provided
with a similar spring and air chamber. The ends of the forks may be guided in
slots in the back wheel stays y and the tension of the chain adjusted by eccentric
bearings in the bottom bracket. In another arrangement the spring-and air chamber
are arranged as described but the back legs are rigidly connected to the back stays
which are fitted to turn on fixed axles and in this arrangement the tube a may be
pivotted to the cycle frame.
The strength of the spring and size of the air chamber may be varied according to
the weight of the rider, and toothed gearing may be used instead of a chain.
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. In a cycle the combination of a front tube fitted to turn on ball bearings formed
in sockets carried by the top and down tubes of the cycle frame, a front fork with a
tube which forms a piston sliding in and turning with the front tube, means for
adjusting the ball bearings of the front tube, means for clamping the handle bar and
a spring in an air chamber, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings,

page_text: 2. The combination of the frout head arrangement referred to in the preceding
claim with a similar spring and air chamber arrangements applied to the back wheel
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as herein described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.