Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 14th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
1, HENRY WILSON of Quick Road Chiswick in the county of Middlesex, Cycle
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a method of mounting and controlling the steering wheels
of those Velocipedes having the steering wheel placed in front of the driving wheel or
wheels, and is especially adapted and suited for rear driving safety bicycles which
are extremely sensitive in steering owing to the fact that the balance has to be
maintained by means of the steering wheel. In existing machines of this type it is
impossible except with skilled trick riders-to ride and steer the machine without
the use of the hands, but with a machine built according to my invention it can readily
and easily be done without any practice.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I proceod as follows:-I preferably
use a steering wheel somewhat smaller in diameter than the driving wheel or wheels.
1 mount this wheel in a fork terminating in a tubular steering post which fits in a
socket on the front end of the backbone of the machine.
The fork carrying the steering wheel is curved so that when the steering post is in
its socket the fork rakes forward from its lower end for about four inches more or
Between the shoulder of the
less, thus giving the steering wheel a castor action.
fork and the bottom of the socket is placed a stout coil spring, so that the main frame
of the machine rests on the spring and so allows the steering wheel a certain amount
of independant vertical play. A small reaction spring is also placed between the top of
the socket and cross bar fixed to the top of the steering post.
On the backbone of the machine in a convenient position in the rear of the other
In this socket is
socket is mounted another socket raking slightly backwards.
mounted a steering post carrying a transverse handle bar. On this steering post is
fixed a cross bar the ends of which are connected with the cross bar on the top of the
steering post forming part of the fork carrying the steering wheel, by chains or their
equivalent, the connections to one of the cross bars being made through universal
joints so as to provide for the movement caused by the two steering posts not being
mounted parallel with each other.
Dated this 16th day of September 1887
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70-72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
I, HENRY WILSON of Quick Road, Chiswick, in the county of Middlesex, Cycle
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 :-
My invention relates to a method of mounting and controlling the steering wheels
of those velocipedes having the steering wheel placed in front of the driving wheel
or wheels, and is especially adapted and suited for rear driving safety bicycles which
are extremely sensitive in steering owing to the fact that the balance has to be
maintained by means of the steering wheel. In existing machines of this type it is
impossible except with skilled trick riders-to ride and steer the machine without
the use of the hands but with a machine built according to my invention it can
readily and easily be done without any practice.
શ
I carry my invention into practical effect in the manner illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings in which Figure 1 Sheet No. 1 is a view in side elevation of
rear-driving safety bicycle embodying my invention and Figure 2. Sheet No. 2. is a
view in side elevation of a modification thereof.
Throughout both views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The steering wheel A which is preferably smaller in diameter than the driving
wheel or wheels B is mounted in a fork C terminating in a tubular steering post or
head D. If as a steering post it fits in a socket e on the front end of the backbone E
of the machine. The fork C is curved so that when the steering post D is in the
socket e which is kept vertical the fork rakes forward from its lower extremities for
about four inches more or less, thus giving the steering wheel a castor action.
On the backbone E of the machine in a convenient position in the rear of the other
socket D is mounted another socket D' raking slightly backwards as shown this
socket carries the pillar F of the handle bar F. On the socket D' is fixed a cross
bar the ends of which are connected with a cross bar d on the top of the steering
post D by coupling rods d², d², or their equivalents the connections to one of the
cross bars being made through universal joints so as to provide for the movement
caused by the two sockets D and D' not being mounted parallel with each other.
I sometimes in using a socket head adapt the same to contain one or more springs
to act as an elastic cushion and so absorb the jars and vibration of the front wheel,
but as such an arrangement is not novel I lay no claim to it.
To stiffen the frame I prefer to use a supplementary light backbone E' as shown,
which also serves to carry the foot rests e¹.
As a modification I use a closed head of the well known construction instead of the
socket D as illustrated by Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. This figure also
illustrates the adaptation of my invention to a diamond-shaped frame.

page_text: It will be understood that although my invention as described and shown as carried
out in a rear-driving bicycle, it is equally applicable to all other types of velocipedes
steered by a single front wheel.
Those parts to which no special reference has been made or which are not shown
in the drawings present no novel features and may therefore be of any known
construction.
I would have it particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the exact
construction and arrangement of parts hereinbefore described and shown, but hold
myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit
and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to bo performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Mounting and controlling the steering wheel of a velocipede specifically as set
forth.
2. In a velocipede mounting the steering wheel in a fork curved to carry the
vertical socket or head in which the fork turns, sufficiently in advance of the centro of
the steering wheel to give the said wheel a castor action, and controlling the move-
ment of the said fork from a handle bar mounted in a socket in the rear of the
socket or head carrying the steering wheel fork through coupling rods or their
equivalents as set forth.
3. In a velocipede the combination with the steering wheel, of the fork curved
forward from its lower extremities, the vertical socket or head carrying the said fork
and the raked socket carrying the handle bar pillar, all combined, arranged and
operating as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 14th day of June 1888.