IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND WHEELS THEREFOR, SUCH WHEELS BEING APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Owen Aves, of St. Paul's Crescent,
Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND WHEELS THEREFOR,
SUCH WHEELS BEING APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Owen Aves
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th October 1875.
I, WILLIAM OWEN AVES, of St. Paul's Orescent, Camden Town,
5 in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND WHEELS
THEREFOR, SUCH WHEELS BEING Applicable to CarRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES,”
to be as follows:-

page_text: and wheels, such whecls being also applicable to carriages and other
vehicles with two or moro wheels.
I propose making the bicycle frame or back bone of hollow steel
tubing instead of solid iron. The front end of the back bone I fit with
a piece of steel shaped to size with a top and bottom centre to connect
the same to the front fork, which carrys the front or driving wheel.
The other end of the back bone is fitted with fork end and steel pin to
receive the hind or back wheel. The fron fork I make of steel; the
top end is made in the shape of a cone drilled, bored, and slotted, and
fitted with top and bottom steel centre pins to connect with the centres
in the before-named back bono. The lower or bottom part of the front
fork I fit with antifriction roller bearings made to the size of the axle of
the front or driving wheel." The steering or guiding handle I make of
brass, iron, or steel with socket piece forged on, turned up in lathe, thread
cut thereon. It is then screwed firmly in to the top or cone end of front
fork, and by turning the above-named handle the front wheel is guided
in any desired direction. The spring is made of steel; one end is
attached to the front part of back bone by means of a knuckle joint and
pin, the other end rests on the after part of the back bone fitted with a
curved steel plate, which produces free action of the spring, and on this
spring I fix an air saddle, thus giving the rider more elasticity, which
renders the propelling of the bicycle much easier.
The wheels I make of steel rolled to a V or U shape to receive the
india-rubber tyres, and while under the process of rolling are made
round in one ring of metal without welding as heretofore. The rim or
felloe of wheel is drilled, and screws fitted, projecting one inch or more
from the inside diameter of wheel. The nave or stock of the wheel I
make of iron or steel with a solid axle forged in the centro thereof,
having two ribs or flanges from three to six inches apart from each
other, and about three inches diameter and half inch thick. Holes are
drilled in the edge of these ribs or flanges, which are screwed to receive
the hollow wrought-iron stud nuts, which are also to fit in the holes in
the flanges of the stock or nave of the wheel. The axle is turned up
true in lathe, and a crank with treadle is fitted on each end of the axle,
by which the bicycle is propelled.
The spokes I make of steel wire of suitable strength and size, having
a round head formed on one end of the spoke. It is then passed

page_text: through the hollow nipple nut, which I make of wrought iron, the head
resting in the recess of nut. The other end of spoke I pass through the
hollow wrought-iron stud nut; I then form or make another head on
this end, so that each spoke is made with a head on each end. The
stud nut screws one end firmly to the nave or stock, while the nipple
nut connects on to the screw in the rim of the wheel, and by turning or
screwing the nipple nut it draws up and tightens the spoke, whereby
great advantage is gained in the facility of keeping the wheel in perfect
truth and tension. The number of spokes in each wheel I shall regulate
according to size and weight the wheel has to carry. The wheels are
fitted with double set of spokes; one set is screwed to the right-hand
rib, the other set to the left-hand rib of the nave or stock of the wheel,
while the upper ends of both sets of spokes are screwed fast to the rim
or felloe of wheel.
When applying the wheels to bicycles and other vehicles I shall
dispense with the present mode of propelling by cranks and treadles now
worked by the feet, and shall substitute in place thereof a side motion
to work by the hands or feet by means of levers, rods, quadrants, cog or
friction wheels, or other mechanical appliances, whereby a motion is
obtained for working and propelling bicycles and other vehicles running
on two or more wheels.
The wheels for carriages or other vehicles I shall make as before
described, except that part of the stock or nave which I shall make
hollow to receive the axle and box instead of with a solid and fixed axle,
the spokes of hollow steel tubing in place of steel wire, the spokes will
be provided with heads welded or brazed in the hollow spokes; the
nipple and stud nuts I shall increase in strength to correspond with the
size of the spokes.
The wheels are covered with indestructable india-rubber tyres, which
are vulcanised to the rim or felloc of wheel, and which as a junction
rubber becomes a solid substance that cannot be separated, and is well
adapted for running on common roads for the purposes required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Owen Aves in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OWEN AVES, of St. Paul's Crescent, Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord Ono thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Owen Aves,
Her special licence, that the said William Owen Aves, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Oven Aves, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND WHEELS THEREFOR,
SUCH WHEELS BEING APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Owen Aves, my
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Owen Aves, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to bo particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of
bicycles and wheels, such wheels being also applicable to carriages and s

page_text: I prefer making the bicycle frame or backbone of hollow steel
tubing, the front end of the backbone I fit with a piece of steel shaped
to size with a top and bottom centre, to connect the same to the front
fork which carries the front or driving wheel, the other end of the back-
bone is fitted with fork end and steel pin to receive the hind or back-
wheel as usual. The front fork I also prefer to make of hollow steel,
the top end is made in the shape of a cone drilled, bored, and slotted
and fitted with top and bottom steel centre pins to connect with the
centres in the back bone. The steering or guiding handle I make of
brass, iron, or steel, with socket pieces forged on and turned up in a
lathe and having a thread cut thereon; it is then screwed firmly in to
the top or cone end of the front fork, and by turning the above named
handle the front wheel is guided in any desired direction as usual. The
spring is made of steel; one end is attached to the front part of the
back bone by means of a knuckle joint and pin, the other end rests on
the after part of the back bone, fitted with a curved steel plate which
allows of free action of the spring, and on this spring I fix an air or
other saddle in the usual manner, thus giving the rider more elasticity,
thereby rendering the propelling of the bicycle much easier.
I prefer to make the felloes of the wheels of steel rolled to a V or U
shape to receive the india-rubber tyres, and while under the process of
rolling the felloes are made round in one ring of metal without welding
as heretofore has been the case, the rim or felloc of the wheel is drilled
and tapped, and screws are fitted thereto projecting about one inch from
the inside diameter of the wheel. These screws are for the purpose
herein-after described, the nave or stock of the wheel I make of iron or
steel with a solid axle forged in the centre thereof having two ribs or
flanges; holes are drilled in the edges of these ribs or flanges which aro
screwed to receive the usual hollow wrought-iron stud nuts, which
are also screwed to fit in the hole in the flanges of the stock or nave
of the whcel.
The spokes I make of steel wire having a round head formed at oue
end of the spoke, which is then passed through a hollow nipple nut of
iron, the head resting in a recess in the said nut; at the other end of the
spoke I pass through the usual hollow wrought iron stud nut; I then
form another head at this end so that cach spoke is made with a head
on each end. The stud nut screws one end of the spoke firmly to the
nave or stock, while the nipple nut connects on to the said screw in the

page_text: "a" is the backbone of the bicycle made of hollow steel tubing ;
b, Figure 3, is the piece of steel of the backbone, having a male centre
at its lower end fitting and working in the female centre c in the front
fork d, the fork being made by preference of hollow steel; the other end
of the backbone is made in the usual manner; the steel piece b is
formed with a female centro at its upper end in which fits the male
centre at the lower end of the screw e, which screws in the socket ƒ
of the handle g, the lower end of which is tapped and screwed into the
female screw thread cut in the top end of the front fork, as shewn in
Figure 3, and the screw nut & then renders the whole secure and
prevents the top centre e from shifting, and firmly fixes the backbone
to the front fork, at the same time allowing it to turn freely.
The centre part of the steering or guiding handle g is also formed with
the sockets i and j, the whole forged in one piece, and into these sockets
the handles are screwed in any suitable manner; k is the spring, the
front end being connected to the backbone by the knuckle joint and
pin ; the other end of the spring rests on the backbone, and is fitted
with a curved steel plate m which allows of the free action of the
spring; is the saddle. The felloes o of the wheels are rolled to a v
U shape and are made in one piece or ring without welded joint, the
india-rubber tyre p being fixed thereon in the usual manner. In the
felloc or rim of the wheel I drill and tap a number of holes (corre-
sponding with the number of the spokes) and into these holes I screw
the screws q (Figure 4), projecting a short distance from the inside
diameter of the rim or felloe, as shown.
or
The spokes of (the wheels are made of steel, and each is formed with
a round heads (Figure 5) at its upper end, and then passed through a
hollow nipple nut & recessed and cut with a female screw therein, the
thread of which corresponds with the screws q fixed in the felloe of the
wheel; the spoke is then passed through the usual hollow wrought-
iron stud nut u and is headed at its lower end; the stud nutu secures
one end of the spoke firmly to the nave or stock as heretofore, and the
nipple nut being then screwed over one of the screws q in the rim
or felloc of the wheel, the spoke may be tightened with great facility.
The bicycle shown in Figures 1 and 2, in addition to the usual cranks
and treadles w, is provided with cranks ≈ on the handle, such cranks æ

page_text: cones, as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Owen Aves, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
J. SAWYER,
63, Alma Street,
New North Road, N.,
Consulting Engineer.
W. O. AVES. (L.s.)