IMPROVEMENTS IN STEering gear FOR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I FRIEDRICH WECK, of Lilleshall, in the county of Salop Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN STEering gear
FOR VELOCIPEDES " to be as follows:-
This invention has for object to prevent the rattling caused by the play in rack
and pinion steering gears of tricycles and like velocipedes and also to prevent the
large amount of wear to which the teeth in the said racks and pinions are subjected.
For this purpose I apply immediately above (or where more advantageous, below)
the pinion and on the spindle of the pinion, a cylinder having the same diameter
as the pitch circle of the pinion. Near one end of this cylinder (preferably that
furthest from the pinion) is attached by means of a hook or otherwise a thin flat
band of steel or other suitable metal of a somewhat greater length than that of the
travel of the rack. The other end of the, band is attached to a small screw which
passes through a spring fixed to one end of the rack a little beyond the toothed
part thereof. The spring is attached in such a manner that when the steel band is
made taut by means of a nut placed on the above named small screw, the spring
shall be able to "give" somewhat in the direction of the pull of the band. This is
to allow for irregularities in the pitch of the rack through wear or other causes.
By means of the tension of the spring the teeth of the pinion will always be
pressed firmly against those of the rack in one direction and prevented from
touching them in the other direction. The apparatus is so arranged that the hand
does not lap over itself, but takes helical turns round the cylinder, and as this
cylinder has the same diameter as the pitch circle of the pinion, the motion of the
rack and band accord perfectly.
The apparatus when applied to steering gears which from use have become
worn, prevents their rattling and when applied to new steering gears prevents in a
great measure the wear which is the first cause of the rattling. The work of the
whole gear is divided between the rack and the band; thus on turning the pinion
in one direction it pushes the rack in that direction and on turning in the opposite
direction the band pulls the rack back.again.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I FRIEDRICH WECK of Lilleshall, in the County of Salop, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR
FOR VELOCIPEDES and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
This invention has for object to prevent the rattling caused by the play in rack
and pinion steering gears of tricycles and like velocipedes, and also to prevent the
large amount of wear to which the teeth in the said racks and pinions are
subjected. For this purpose I apply immediately above (or where more advan-
tageous, below) the pinion and on the spindle of the pinion, a cylinder having the
same diameter as the pitch circle of the pinion. Near one end of this cylinder
(preferably that farthest from the pinion) is attached by means of a hook or
otherwise a thin flat band or chain of steel or other suitable metal of a somewhat
greater length than that of the travel of the rack. The other end of the band or
chain is attached to a small screw which passes through a spring fixed to one end
of the rack a little beyond the toothed part thereof. The spring is attached in
such a manner that when the steel band or chain is made taut by means of a nut
placed on the above named small screw the spring shall be able to give somewhat
in the direction of the pull of the band or chain. This is to allow for irregularities
in the pitch of the rack through wear or other causes.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure I is
an clevation of a steering gear for velocipedes with my improvements applied
thereto, the spring being kept in tension by means of a band passing over a plain
cylinder; Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 an end elevation of the same; Figure 4
is a similar view to Figure 1, but shewing the spring kept in tension by a
chain passing over a grooved cylinder. Similar letters in all the figures represent
similar parts.
Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3 a is the bearing of the steering spindle and is
fixed to the frame of the velocipede; b is the pinion, c the rack, d the guide, and e
the steering spindle to which is attached the handle for manipulating the gear.
All the said parts are of ordinary construction and represent a known form of rack
and pinion steering gear; they are shewn in the drawing only in order to illustrate
the application of my invention; f is the cylinder of suitable diameter which is
rigidly fixed to the spindle e above the pinion b by a set screw a¹ as shewn or by
a key or other suitable mechanical means; g is the band of steel or other suitable
metal attached at one end by means of a hook 61 to the cylinder f the said band g,
being of a somewhat greater length than that of the travel of the rack c; 'is the
screw to which the other end of the band g is attached and i is a clip attached to
the steering rack c; the screw h passes loosely through the clip i; k is the spring
bearing against the clip i and against the nut c¹ by means of which the band g, is
made taut and is so maintained by the spring / which is able to give somewhat in
the direction of the pull of the band in order to allow for irregularities in the pitch
of the rack through wear or from other causes. In Figure 4 a chain, is shewn

page_text: instead of a thin band of metal as hereinbefore described and the cylinder f is
shewn with a groove d cut in it, in which groove the chain g, lies,
The diameter of the cylinder f is such as to bring the centre of the pliable band
or the chain g, on to a circle coincident with the pitch circle of the pinion b and
the band or chain g winds round the cylinder helically as shewn and does not
overlap itself, thereby keeping the motion regular. By means of the tension of
the spring k, the teeth of the pinion b will always be pressed firmly against those
of the rack c in one direction and be prevented from touching them in the other
direction.
The apparatus when applied to steering gears which from use have become
worn prevents their rattling and when applied to new steering gears prevents in a
great measure the wear which is the first cause of the rattling. The work of the
whole gear is divided between the rack c and the band or chain g; thus on
turning the pinion 6 in one direction it pushes the rack c in that direction and on
turning it in the opposite direction the band or chain g pulls the rack c back
again. If by any accident the band or chain g should break the steering gear will
remain as safe as before, and will not in any way endanger the rider.
The apparatus may be fixed above the steering rack and pinion as shewn, or
below it, as best suits the construction of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use in combination with an ordinary rack and pinion steering gear such
as that described and shewn for velocipedes, of a band or chain winding helically
round a cylinder for the purpose of holding the teeth of the rack and pinion
together in one direction so as to prevent "play" between them substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. The improved steering gear for velocipedes substantially as herein before
described and represented in the accompany drawing.