Improved Means for Giving a Spring or Resilient Action to the Front Wheels of Bicycles or similarly Constructed Velocipedes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improved Means for Giving a Spring or Resilient Action to the Front
Wheels of Bicycles or similarly Constructed Velocipedes.
I, BRUCE GREEN, of 374, Camden Road, London, N., Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is intended to provide "improved means giving a spring or
resilient action to the front wheels of bicycles or similarly constructed velocipedes."
The front forks are prolonged or brought somewhat forwardly by
their usual position at their lower ends and to them are respectively
pivoted two rearwardly extending arms which, rearward of the fork,
are again pivoted to two upwardly extending rods which meet together or are suit-
ably connected into one piece above the wheel and near the fork crown in order that
they may bear upwardly against one and the same centrally placed pneumatic
cushion or spring preferably carried by brackets from the fork crown.
The aforesaid arms, preferably at a suitable position intermediate of their ends,
carry the axle for the wheel.
The upwardly extending rods may have guidance in the fork crown or on the
limbs of the fork.
Dated this 5th day of April 1898
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improved Means for Giving a Spring or Resilient Action to the Front
Wheels of Bicycles or similarly Constructed Velocipedes.
I, BRUCE GREEN, of 374, Camden Road, London, England, Gentleman, 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; --
This invention is principally intended to provide improved means for giving a
spring or resilient action to the front wheels of bicycles or similarly constructed
velocipedes.
The front forks are prolonged or brought somewhat forwardly of rearwardly of
their usual position at their lower ends, but preferably forwardly, and to them are

page_text: respectively pivoted two arms extending rearwardly in the first case or forwardly
in the second case, which are again pivoted to two upwardly extending rods which
meet together or are suitably connected into one piece above the wheel and near the
fork crown in order that they may bear upwardly against one and the same centrally
placed pneumatic cushion or spring.
The aforesaid arms, preferably at a suitable position intermediate of their ends,
carry the axle for the wheel.
The upwardly extending rods may have guidance in the fork crown or on the
limbs of the fork or in sockets therein.
In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the front portion of a bicycle
fitted with this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts at and near the
fork crown on a larger scale Fig. 3 is a section through such parts on the line 3-3
of Fig. 1 on a yet larger scale.
A is a cycle frame and B is the fork crown secured in the usual manner to a tube
passing through the head of the cycle frame and having the handle bar fastened
in it in the usual way. The fork crown has two sockets D D one on each side,
preferably vertical or almost so, and forwardly of these sockets, the two branches EE
of the fork extend forwardly and downwardly to points EE preferably about
six inches forward of the usual position of the front wheel axis. Here there are
pivoted to the fork ends two bars FF extending rearward carrying the wheel axle
at G and again connected at H H by slots to two upwardly extending rods J J
which pass through the sockets D D or through the tubes D 1 fitted therein and
in effect forming part of said sockets and are connected to one another above the
sockets by a cross head or cross heads K. In the centre of the cross head K is a
socket L through which passes a rod M attached at its lower end to the fork crown B
and at its upper end to the cap N in which the socket L has sliding bearing.
Against this cap N bears the upper cup 0 of the cushion P. The lower cup Q
of said cushion bears upon the cross head K.
It will be obvious that as the wheel passes over an obstacle or roughness in the
road the bars F F will swing upwardly on their pivots E E¹ and the rods JJ will
move in the sockets D D and cause the cross head K to compress the cushion P
against the upper cup O which is unyieldingly connected to the fork crown B and
so forms the unyielding abutment by which the cycle frame rests upon the cushion.
Vibration from roughness of road could thus only be communicated to the cycle
frame through the cushion P, which however neutralises or absorbs it.
R is a spring which holds the cross head K up against the cushion P when the
cycle is lifted from the ground. It may be dispensed with.
The cushion P may be a rubber block or a pneumatic cushion or a coiled spring
or any other suitable buffer device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a bicycle or similarly constructed velocipede the mounting of a wheel axle
upon two horizontal or substantially horizontal levers, fulcrumed at their forward
ends to the ends of the forks which are brought forward of their usual position to
receive the fulcra of said levers, counter bearing being given to said levers against
the upward pressure of the wheel axle by rods pivoted to the rearward ends of
said levers, sliding in sockets on the fork or fork crown and connected to bear upon
a single cushioning device having its counter support connected with the cycle
frame.
2. A bicycle or similarly constructed velocipede having the front wheel axle
mounted upon two horizontal or substantially horizontal levers F F fulcrumed to
forks EE brought in advance of said levers and connected at their rear ends to
rods J J guided in sockets D D and connected by a cross head K to bear upon a
cushioning device constructed as herein described.
3. In the cushioning device for cycle wheels as described the combination with

page_text: the fork crown of a rod attached thereto, a cross head having a socket moving loosely
on said rod, a cap attached to said rod and guided on said socket, a cup beneath
said cap, a cup on said cross head and a cushioning device between said cups.
Dated this th day of January 1899.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, (W.C.