AN IMPROVED FITTING FOR THE BEARINGS OF VELOCIPEDES.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nahum Salamon, of Holborn Viaduct, in the City of
London, Sewing Machine Factor, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED FITTING
FOR THE BEARINGS OF VELOCIPEDES.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nahum Salamon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1880.
NAHUM SALAMON, of Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, Sewing Machine
Factor. "AN IMPROVED FITTING FOR THE BEARINGS OF VELOCIPEDES."
The object of this Invention is to remove as far as possible the jarring action or
tremor which is transmitted to velocipedes through the running wheels, notwith-
standing their being clothed with tyres of india rubber.
Attempts have been made to obviate this inconvenience, but hitherto without
success, or at the expense of accurate and costly workmanship in the fitting.
I now propose in manufacturing bicycles to interpose between the bearings and
the gripping terminations of the steering fork an annular cushion of india rubber
which may be applied in various ways. Thus I form bearings of the steering
wheel with an external annular groove midway of their length to receive a filling
of vulcanized india rubber which, when cured, will stand out slightly beyond the
bearing and form an elastic cushion for the gripping terminations of the fork to
embrace and hold firmly.
In order to oil the bearings they are fitted with hollow plugs which project
through the india-rubber cushion and meet channels formed in the fork for the
passage of the oil down through the bearings to the axle of the wheel. This will
prevent the access of oil to and its injurious action upon the india rubber.
By the adoption of these elastic surfaces the tremor of the steering wheel will be
absorbed instead of its being transmitted, as is now commonly the case, to the steering
handles.
In like manner I propose to provide for the hind wheels of bicycles and other
wheels which run on a dead axle an elastic or yielding medium. This may be
conveniently applied in the form of india rubber sleeves strung onto the ends of
the dead axle at the parts where it is embraced by the terminations of the fork or
other support.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nahum Salamon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1880.
NAHUM SALAMON, of Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, Sewing Machine
Factor. "AN IMPROVED FITTING FOR THE BEARINGS OF VELOCIPEDES."
The object of this Invention is to prevent the rider of bicycles and other
velocipedes from feeling the jar or vibration caused by his machine passing over
irregular ground, and this result is achieved by a novel application of
vulcanized india rubber or equivalent elastic medium, which is so arranged as to
absorb the tremor of the wheels and framework of the machine.
The parts through which this tremor is transmitted to the rider in bicycles and
velocipedes of ordinary construction are the bearings of the wheels and the handle
bar, and it is at these points that I now propose to interpose between the parts
which would otherwise be in metallic contact with each other, cushions or washers
of an elastic medium, such as vulcanized india rubber. Figures 1 to 7 inclusive,
Sheet I., of the accompanying Drawings, show my improved fitting as applied to
the wheel bearings of a bicycle, and Figures 8 and 9, Sheet II., show the same
principle applied to the bearing for the handle bar. Fig. 1 shews one of the prongs
of the steering fork and its roller bearing in transverse vertical section (that is to
say, in the line of the crank axle), and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at right
angles thereto on the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
A is the case forming part of the ball bearing and having a groove a turned in its
outer periphery to receive the elastic washer or cushion A₁ of vulcanized india
rubber or its equivalent, which is sprung into the groove a and is retained therein
by its own elasticity. B is the gripping termination of the steering fork made in
two parts which are hinged together at b, and securely clasped upon the ball
bearing fitted with its elastic cushion by a clamping screw b' as usual.
C, C, are the inner and outer cones carried on the threaded portion of the axle D
and upon which they may be adjusted by turning them axially, as will be well
understood.
To provide for the lubrication of the bearings I screw or otherwise fit a hollow
plug into the termination of the fork, the rubber cushion being formed with a
passage to allow of the hollow plug projecting through it and into a hole bored
in the casing A for the admission of oil through the bearings to the axle of the
wheel. This arrangement allows of the hollow plug rising and falling freely
through the aperture in the ball bearing casing, and effectually prevents the
access of oil to and its injurious effect upon the india rubber washer or cushion.
With the bearings of the steering wheel thus fitted with elastic cushions little
or no tremor will be transmitted, as is now commonly the case, to the steering
handles, and through them to the rider.
In Figures 3, 4, & 5, I have shewn the mode of applying elastic cushions
to the hind wheel of a bicycle so as to absorb the tremor which is imparted
to this wheel on its passage over rough ground, and prevent it from jarring the
rider.
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the prongs of the forked termination of the back
bone of the bicycle between which is mounted the hind wheel.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same at right angles thereto taken in the
line 1, 2, of Fig. 3.
A is the axle on which the hind wheel is mounted; B is one of the prongs of
the forked termination of the backbone, which is flattened out in the form of a disc,

page_text: and slotted to receive a cushion or block of india rubber, or its equivalent, of the
shape shewn at A', Figure 5, in front and edge view, which block overlies and
receives the upward pressure of the axle of the hind wheel.
The open end of the slot a' may, if desired, be covered by a strengthening plate
(not shown in the Drawings) bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the
disc shaped end of the fork B.
'
This disc-shaped end of the fork B is recessed on its outer side to receive a
circular metal plate C³, as will be presently explained.
C, Fig. 4, is an adjustable cone mounted on the threaded portion of the axle A,
and having a milled rim to facilitate its lateral adjustment.
C¹ and Care circular plates of metal placed on opposite sides of the disc
shaped end of the fork B to limit the lateral spread of the india rubber block A¹.
It will now be perceived that the upward pressure of the axle A upon the
block A¹ will be diverted in the direction of the arrows to the extremities of the
curved portions a* of the block A¹, and thus a large amount of elasticity in a small
compass will be obtained by constructing the block in this form.
The plate C¹, shewn detached in front and edge views at Figures 6, serves also as
a lock nut to the adjustable cone C, being threaded to turn on the threaded portion
of the axle A.
The plate C, shewn detached in front view at Fig. 7, is let into the recessed
portion of the disc shaped end of the fork B, and lies flush with the outer side of
the said fork B, as will be seen in Fig. 4. This plate is slotted as shewn at Fig. 7,
to allow of the axle rising and falling in the slot a' formed in the disc shaped
end B as the weight on the backbone varies. It will thus be seen that the rubber
cushion or block A' will intercept and absorb most of the tremor resulting from the
passsage of the hind wheel over rough ground, and this mode of fitting the bearings
of wheels is capable of application to velocipedes generally.
In Figures 8 and 9, Sheet II., I have shewn the bearing of the handle bar of a
bicycle fitted with washers of vulcanized india rubber, the better to prevent any
vibration from passing from the steering fork to the arms of the rider; Fig. 8 being
a longitudinal section, and Fig. 9 an end view, partly in section, of part of a bicycle
with elastic washers so interposed between the handle bar and the sleeve or socket
of the fork stem through which the handle bar passes, and in which it takes its
bearing, as to insulate the handle bar from all direct metallic contact with the
fork stem.
Situate at the upper end of the fork stem and in front thereof is a sleeve or
socket B, so formed as to allow of the handle bar A passing freely through it and
having slight play therein, and the ends of this sleeve are chambered to receive
a series of washers C of india-rubber or its equivalent, and are threaded on their
outer periphery to allow of the metal caps D, D, being screwed thereon to retain
the washers in place.
As shewn in the Drawing these washers C are of circular form and are threaded
on the handle bar; they are then pressed tightly into the chambered ends of the
fixed sleeve B and retained in place by the screw caps D, D. It will thus be
seen that the handle bar A rests firmly embedded in an elastic medium instead
of being in direct metallic contact with fork stem, and thus any slight tremor
which may have escaped the neutralizing effects of the rubber cushions or blocks
with which the wheel bearings are fitted, will be absorbed by the elastic bearing
given to the handle bar.
I would remark that the above methods of absorbing vibration are appplicable
to velocipedes generally.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Fitting_for
the Bearings of Velocipedes" and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim:-The use of washers or cushions of vulcanized india rubber or

page_text: equivalent elastic material, more or less in a state of compression, as fittings for the
the bearings of velocipedes, substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nahum Salamon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
N. SALAMON. (L.S.)