Improvements in Means for Supporting the Frames or Bodies of Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 189) - Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Supporting the Frames or Bodies of
Vehicles.
We, CHARLES LOUIS MERKEL, a citizen of the United States, and residing at
No. 182, 11th Street, in the City of Milwaukee. County of Milwaukee and
State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Piano-tuner, and ALEXANDER
GOLDSMITH, a Citizen of the United States, residing at No. 435, Jackson Street,
in the City of Milwaukee, County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, United
States of America, Merchant, 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:-
Our invention has relation to improvements in means for supporting the
frames or bodies of vehicles.
The improvements are more especially intended for the purpose of supporting
the frames of bicycles, or other light vehicles, but may also be used to advantage
in supporting the bodies of any styles of vehicles.
The primary object had in view is to provide an improved construction for
preventing or deadening vibrations or shocks caused by obstacles in, or uneven-
ness of, the road-bed.
With the above primary object in view, the invention consists of the devices
and parts, or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle equipped with
our improvements.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the pneumatic cushion and related parts.
Fig. is a detail plan view of the lower portion of the frame or saddle for the
pneumatic cushion.
Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary view of the rear tubular arms of the bicycle
frame, showing the connecting cross piece therefor, with means for the con-
nection thereto of an air-pump.
Fig. 5 is a front view of a wagon equipped with our improvements, and
Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the wagon shown in Fig. 5.
Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing show our invention in connection with a bicycle,
nd while we have only illustrated one side of the bicycle, yet it will be under-
stood that the parts of our improvements hereinafter described are duplicated
the opposite side. Referring to these figures of the drawing, the numeral 7
ndicates the frame of an ordinary form of bicycle. At the lower ends of the
ubular arms 8 of the front fork are frames or saddles, which frames or saddles
are preferably composed of two sections, the upper section being indicated by
he numeral 9, and the lower section by the numeral 10. The upper section of
ach frame is integral with or rigidly connected to the end of one of the arms of
he fork. The two sections of the frame may be connected together in any
lesirable manner, although we prefer to employ the means illustrated in the
ccompanying drawing, wherein the upper section is shown as provided at its
ower end with laterally-extending lugs 11-11, and the upper end of the lower

page_text: section with corresponding lugs 12-12, which register with and fit the lugs 11,
the sets of lugs being secured together by means of screw-bolts 13, 13. We
also prefer to provide the upper section with interior shoulders 14-14, and the
lower section with similar interior shoulders 15-15, said shoulders fitting
together, and thereby effecting a tight joint. The opposite sides of the two
sections of each frame or saddle are cut out to form openings, in order to secure
as much lightness as possible. While we prefer to provide a frame composed of
two sections, as above described, and as shown in the accompanying drawing,
yet we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to that particular con-
struction, inasmuch as the frame may be made in one part, without departing
from the spirit and scope of our invention. Projecting downwardly from the
lower end of the lower section 10 is an extension 16, having an opening in its
lower end, and also provided in its sides with elongated openings. Within the
extensions 16 are arranged arms 17, each of said arms extending upwardly and
loosely through an opening in the bottom of the lower section 10 of the frame or
saddle, and also extending downwardly and loosely through the opening in
the lower end of said extension 16. The front axle of the bicycle is indicated
by the numeral 18, and each end of the axle passes through the elongated open-
ings in the sides of the extension 16, and also through an opening in each
arm 17.
Each extremity of the axle may be provided with a nut or head 19.
Each arm 17 is provided at its upper end with a stirrup or plate 20. Located
in each frame or saddle 9-10, and resting upon the stirrup or plate 20 is an air
cushion 21, advisably of rubber, or like material. Each cushion has a tube 22
extending from its upper side, and each tube is preferably of metal, and threaded
exteriorly, said tube passing through an opening in the upper side of the cushion,
and formed at its lower end with a plate or enlargement 23 which bears against
the under side of the top of the cushion. The upper end of this tube engages a
threaded opening in a plate 24 at the lower end of the tubular arm 8, thereby
establishing free communication between said tubular arm and the interior of
the cushion. A nut 25 turns on the threaded tube between the under side of
the plate 24 and the upper side of the cushion, and thereby prevents the tube
from dropping into the cushion.
The connecting tubular cross piece 26 for the tubular arms 8, is provided with
an ordinary air-valve mechanism 27, adapted for the connection thereto of an
air-pump. It is obvious that when a pump is adjusted to this valve mechanism,
and said pump operated, air will be forced down the tubular arms 8 into the
cushions 21, whereby said cushions will be simultaneously inflated, and caused to
press firmly against the stirrups 20.
The numeral 28 indicates the rear tubes of the bicycle frame, which are con-
nected at a point intermediate of their ends by the usual connecting cross
tube 29. This cross tube is provided with an air-valve mechanism 30, adapted
for the adjustment thereto of an ordinary air pump. The lower ends of the
tubes 28 are connected and combined with frames or saddles similar to those for
the tubular arms of the front fork, and designated by the same reference numerals.
The same form of air cushions are also employed, and these air cushions are
inflated by an air pump operatively connected to the valve mechanism 30. (See
Fig. 4.) It will therefore be seen that the yielding supporting mechanism for
the front of the machine is duplicated at the rear end of said machine. The
rear axle which connects with the arm 17 is indicated by the numeral 31.
In Figures 5 & 6 we show our invention as applied to an ordinary form of
wagon. Referring to these figures the numeral 32 indicates the body of the
wagon, 33 the front axle for the forward wheels 34, and 35 the rear axle for the
rear wheels 36. In this application of our invention, the frames or saddles are
constructed exactly similar to the frames or saddles illustrated in connection
with the bicycle, and hereinbefore fully described, the lower sections of said
frames or saddles being provided with the depending extensions 16, having the
elongated openings in the sides thereof through which the axles pass, and said

page_text: extensions also accommodating the arms 17 through which said axles also pass.
The arms 17 are also provided at their upper ends with the stirrups 20, and the
pneumatic cushions are arranged within the frames or saddles in the same manner
as illustrated in Fig. 2. All these parts, therefore, which show in Figs. 5 & 6
are designated by the same reference numerals as are employed for designating
the similar parts in the other views of the drawing. The tubular arms at the
front of the wagon are indicated by the numerals 37-37, and these arms connect
with their respective frames or saddles in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 5,
it being understood also that communication is established between the arms
and the cushions preferably by tubes 22 and related parts, as shown in Fig. 2.
Valve mechanism 38 is connected to the tubular arms 37, and this valve mecha-
nism is adapted to have an ordinary air pump adjusted thereto. At the rear of
the wagon, the construction is exactly similar to that at the front thereof, the
frames or saddles, the arms with the stirrups at the upper ends thereof, the
pneumatic cushions, and other parts being exactly similar. Tubular arms 39-39
also connect with the respective frames or saddles at the rear end of the wagon,
and these tubular arms have connected thereto the same form of valve mecha-
nism 40. For supporting the vehicle hody, the upper sections or upper portions
of the frames or saddles are provided with inwardly-extending flanges 41, to
which flanges the wagon body is adapted to be bolted.
In the drawing, we have shown the front and rear wheels provided with the
ordinary flat bands or non-elastic tires. It is obvious that when the air cushions
are inflated, in the manner previously pointed out, all the desirable features of
pneumatic tires are secured, owing to the resiliency and give afforded by said
air cushion. If preferred, however, vehicles provided with our improvements
may have the wheels thereof equipped with pneumatic tires, and in such case
the very best results in easy and smooth riding are obtained.
It is obvious that with our improved construction, in case any obstruction is
passed over in the roadway, a give is necessarily provided, which relieves the
imachine of all jar and jolt.
While in the drawing we have shown the valve mechanism as applied to the
cross tube connecting the tubular arms which lead to the frames or saddles, so
that when a pump is connected to the valve mechanism both air cushions at
one end of the machine can be inflated at the same time, yet we do not wish to
be understood as limiting ourselves to this particular disposition of said valve
mechanism, inasmuch as separate valve mechanisms can be applied to the tubu-
lar arms at the front of the machine, and separate valve mechanisms to the
tubular arms at the rear of the machine.
While we have shown the frames or saddles of a substantially oval form, yet
we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to this particular forma-
tion, inasmuch as the frames or saddles may be of any other desirable and con-
venient shape, as for instance of cylindrical form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination, of an axle, tubular arms supported by said axle, stirrups
mounted on the axle, frames or saddles which terminate the tubular arms and
overhang the stirrups, respectively, the tubular cavity of the arms leading through
the inner surface or seat of the frames or saddles, inflated cushions interposed
between such frames or saddles and the stirrups, respectively, and tubes extend-
ing from the cushions into the tubular arms.
2. The combination, of an axle, tubular arms supported by said axle, stirrups
mounted on the axle, frames or saddles which terminate the tubular arms and
overhang the stirrups, respectively, the tubular cavity of the arms leading
through the inner surface or seat of the frames or saddles, and each frame or
saddle composed of sections, one section being detachably connected to the other,

page_text: and inflated cushions interposed between said frame or saddles and the stirrups,
respectively, and communicating with the tubular arms.
3. The combination, of tubular arms formed or provided at their lower ends
with frames or saddles, an air valve applied to the tubing, an axle, upwardly-
extending arms at opposite ends of the axle, said arms extending through the
lower sides of the frames or saddles and formed or provided at their upper ends
within the frames or saddles with plates or stirrups, and hollow cushions within
the frame or saddles, said cushions confined between the opposite sides of the
frames or saddles, and between the tops of said frames and the plates or stirrups,
said cushions provided with openings registering with openings in the tubing
and adapted to be inflated by air forced through the tubing.
Dated this 11th day of April 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents