Improved Spring Forks for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1899
Fection Left. 3rd Sept., 1900-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIO.
Improved Spring Forks for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
DAN EDWARDS, of 133, Great Howard Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Shipwright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
ollows:-
This invention relates to the forks of bicycles and other vehicles, with the
object of overcoming, or reducing, the vibration, when travelling along an uneven
road. To effect this, I affix at the rear end of each rail of the cycle frame, a small
fork with two legs, on which I locate a boss, on the rear edge of this boss, I form
the axlefork, above the axle fork on the rear leg of the fork I locate a compressive
spiral spring, on the front leg of the fork and under the boss is another spring
which acts to raise the front of the boss as the pressure on the axlefork raises the
back, the front and bottom quarter of the boss is cut out to admit this buffer
spring. The rear end of the bottom rail is formed with a dropped angle in the
base of which are two holes to receive the bottom ends of the forklegs, which are
secured by two nuts thus bringing the lower back rail in line with the centre of
the wheel. I may dispense with the axleforks, passing the end of the axle through
the centre of the boss and setting down the end of lower back rail, through a hole
in the bottom of which, I would pass the rounded end of the bottom crosshead,
having two nuts, one on each side of the lug, for the purpose of tightening or
slackening the chain. The front forks are on the same principle, with the
exeption that the front wheel axle passes through the centre of the boss, having
two spiral springs on the legs of the fork, and one below, the boss, on a guide rod,
which passes through the centre of the lower crosshead. The top of the axleforks
is brazed into the bottom of the front fork. The forks of a tricycle or other
vehicle, in which the axle is fixed in the wheel, and revolves in the boss the
centre of the boss is hollowed out to form one side of the ballrace, the other side
being in the form of a hollowed screwed cap. I have described the foregoing
ways of carrying my invention, into effect, but I wish
after having once given the general idea, certain minor
without departing from the principle of the invention.
Cond day of December 1800
to be understood, that
alterations may be made
DAN
EDWARDS,
Of 133. Great Howard Street, Liverpool.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to the forks of bicycles and other wheeled vehicles, and
has for its object to overcome, or minimise, the vibration, when travelling along
a rough road. To effect this I form the front and rear forks of a special con-
struction, which will absorb the vibration. The invention will be understood from
the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in
which,
Figure 1, is a side elevation of the front fork.
Figures 2, are front elevations thereof.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of the rear fork.
Figure 4, is a side elevation of the invention as applied to the carrying frame
of a motor car or other vehicle.
Referring to Figures 1, and 2, I reduce the length of the front fork legs C,
and braze or otherwise secure at the bottom ends. Two short forks, upon which
I locate axlebosses and oblong or other springs, which slide up or down as the
weight is applied. Projecting downwards from the arch of the fork C, the
sliderods A, on which is placed the the spring B, and the axleboss D. In the
centre of the axleboss D, is a hole through which the axle end R, is secured, this
hole is cut out to the bottom of the boss thus forming a sleeve on each side,
beneath the axleboss is the baseplate F, which is semicircular in form with a
strengthening web G formed on the circular or outside edge. The forkends are
passed through holes in the corners of the plate F, and are secured by two nuts O,
from the inner edge between the forks and extending to the web G, formed at the
back or outside edge of the plate E, is a slot the same width as the slot in the
axleboss, the distance from the outer ends of the slots in the baseplates being the
same as the length of the axle, so that by taking the nuts off the ends of the axle
the wheel can be taken out through the slots in the axlebosses and baseplates
without any other part of the machine being disturbed.
In Figure 3 the upper end of the fork I), is brazed into the rear ends of the
upper backstays, from which the forklegs A project downwards and through the
baseplate E, where they are secured by the screwed nuts H, on the upper part of
the forklegs is placed the spring B, on the lower ends of the legs I locate the
axleboss D. I form the axleboss with sleeves to fit and slide on the forklegs A,
and with an oblong hole K, to allow of the driving chain being adjusted, this hole
may be cut out at the forward end to allow of the axle being removed without
disturbing other parts. At the rear end of the axleboss 1), is a small lug L in
which is a hole to fit the chain adjusting screw. The baseplate E is formed with
a dropped angle the upper part being brazed into the rear end of the bottom
backstay, the lower angle being formed into a baseplate through which the fork-
ends pass, and are secured by two nuts H, from the centre of the bottom edge of
the axleboss D, the guide rod L passes down through a hole in the baseplate, thus
securing lateral rigidity when the machine is travelling.
Figure 4 shows the invention, as applied to a motor car, ambulance van, or other
vehicle, the lower springs to absorb the vibration from the axle, the upper spring
to absorb the vibration from the motive power or other source.
To do this I form a fork by securing one end of each of two steel rods, in a base-
plate, at a certain distance one from the other, on the upper part and next to the
base plate I locate oval or other springs X, under the spring and on the forklegs
I place an axleboss Y, this axleboss is formed with a hole in each end to fit and
slide on the forklegs, there is also a hole in the centre of the axleboss to receive
the axle, the bottom ends of the forklegs pass through holes in the centre of
another plate W, and are seoured by nuts A each end of this-plate extends upwards
to the end of the baseplate and are secured by bolts and nuts thus serving as
diagonal stay plates and bottom cross head in one, this part of the invention is
secured to the underside of the carriage frame V, by bolts through frame and

page_text: Crticles.
going and may be directly above or further along either way or
upper side of the carriage frame the baseplate being bolted down to the fran
with the forklegs T projecting upwards, the spring U resting on the basp
5 and the sliding boss S, which fits and slides on the forklegs, resting on
spring U.
pin or pivot of the carriage. The upper ends of the forklegs are secured b
There is a hole in the centre of the sliding boss to receive the carry
crosshead and nuts C, or if on a heavy vehicle, by a stayplate as on the axlefo
In applying this part of the invention to a heavy vehicle, I would use a dou
10 fork at each end of the axle and to do this I would rivet or otherwise secure
four rods forming the pair of forks two, and two, across the baseplate, I wou
then place the spring on each fork next to the plate with the sliding bosses again
the springs, between the sliding bosses I locate the axlebox which has a piv
on each end to fit holes in the centre of the bosses, there is also a hole in the cent
15 of the axlebox in which rests the neck of the axle between the forklegs. T
bottom ends of the four slide rods are passed through holes in the centre of th
stayplate where they are secured with nuts, from the bottom of the forks each en
of the stayplate extends upwards to each end of the baseplate where they ar
bolted together thus forming diagonal stays on each side of the axle and a botton
crosshead for the forks. These double forks are constructed in the same manne
as the single forks shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings exepting that each pair is
fixed at right angles to the frame and that instead of the axle being fixed in the
sliding boss, it rests in an axlebox, having a pivot on each end which in turn
passes through holes in the centre of the sliding bosses, the axle thus bearing on
25 two springs one on each side instead of one placed directly above it as shown in
Figure 4 of the drawings.
igure 4 shows the invention in a reversed pos
20
24
In a imotor car, tricycle, or. other wheeled vehicle where the wheel is a fixture
on the axle, the sliding bosses are scored or turned out around the hole in the
centre, to form one side of the ballrace, the other side of the ballrace being formed
on the cones of the axle.
I have described the above ways of carrying my invention into effect but I wish
it to be understood that having once given the general idea, certain alterations
may be made, without departing from the principle of the invention. Thus for
example I may make the baseplate on the front straight, instead of semicircular
passing a guide rod from the base of the axle boss down through the centre of
the lower crosshead to secure lateral rigidity. Or I may use more or less springs
and of different shapes or I may make the axlebosses of a different form than I
have stated in the foregoing description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
ention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is: :-
1st. The system of overcoming or minimising the vibration caused to cycles and
her wheeled vehicles by the irregularities of the road surface, which consists in
rming the wheelforks with an additional resilient axlefork at the extreme ends
the wheelforks of a cycle or other wheeled vehicle which will act to absorb the
oration, substantially as described.
2nd. The improvement in or relating to the wheelforks of cycles or other
icles for absorbing the vibration when moving along a road which consists in
ming the wheelforks of a cycle with axleforks at their extreme ends, on which
tted tension or compressive springs with an axleboss which slides up or down
forks as the weight is applied substantially and as for the purpose set forth.
d. In a motor car or other vehicle the carrying frame of which is supported
xles fitted in axleboxes which slide up or down on forks fitted with resilient
gs under the frame and where the carriage body hangs from pins or pivots
into sliding bosses which rest on springs which are placed on forks fitted
e upper side of the frame, forming a double set of springs. half

page_text: below the frame, the others being above the frame, supporting the carriage body,
more resilience is obtained than by the present method.
4th. The general combined arrangement of parts forming my resilient spring
forks substantially as described in reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the
drawings.
Dated this 1st day of September 1900.
DAN
EDWARDS,
133, Great Howard Street, Liverpool.