US1068583A - Frame for motor-cycles or like vehicles. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. HARLEY.

FRAME FOR MOTOR CYCLES 0R LIKE VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912.

1,068,583. Patented July 29, 1913.

82M (Ia M07);

W. S. HARLEY. FRAME FOR MOTOR CYCLES OR LIKE VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912.

1,068,583. Patented July 29, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J W W COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH co. WASHINGTON, u. c.

WILLIAM S.

HARLEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCGNSIN.

FRAME FOR MOTOR-CYCLES 0R LIKE VEHICLES.

Application filed November 18, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. HARLEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of YVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frames for Motor-Cycles or Like Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to vehicle frames such as bicycles, motorcycles or the like, the same being especially designed to be used in connection with the latter.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical and yieldingly connected spring-fork for the rear wheel of a machine of this character, the same being under spring control and having vertical yield, together with transverse rigidity.

l/Vith the above object in view the inven tion consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a motorcycle frame embodying the features of my invention with parts broken away and in section to illustrate structural features; Fig. 2, a detailed sectional plan view of the rear portion of the machine frame, the section being indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged detailed sectional elevation of the spring connection between the fork members and rigid part of said frame, and Fig. 4, a sectional plan view of the same, the section being indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents the horizontal top bar of a motorcycle frame and 2 a corresponding reachbar arranged approximately parallel therewith, these bars being in brazed connection with a seat-mast 3. A section of the seatmast extends above the top-bar for the reception of a suitable seat not shown. As shown the horizontally disposed reach-bar 2 is provided with an open mouth that terminates with a gland 4, into which gland is fitted a tubular jacket 5, the same being provided with a flanged end that rests upon the outer end of the gland 4 to which it is clamped by a threaded coupling ring 6. The tubular jacket has fitted therein a hollow plunger 7 that is provided with an apertured head 8, which head projects beyond the end Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

Serial No. 732,073.

of the reach-bar. The bottom head 9 of the jacket is apertured and serves as a guide for a rod 10, which rod is secured to the head 8 of the plunger and projects beyond the head 9 of the jacket, terminating with a block between which and the head 9 there is interposed a coiled spring 11, the same surrounding the rod. A similar longer coiled spring 12 is interposed between the head 9 of the jacket and the head 8 of the plunger, the

said spring being similarly coiled about the rod and serves as a cushion in opposition to inward thrust of said plunger, the shorter spring 11 serving as a shock-absorber in opposition to outward movement of said plunger. The seat-mast 3 is provided with the usual hanger 13 for a pedal-carrying crankshaft 14, and below said crank-hanger there is extended rearwardly from the mast a pair of struts 15, the ends of the same adjacent to the mast being brazed and connected thereto by a suitable bracket, the struts being also further braced by a connection with the bottom portion of the crank-hanger 13. Thus said struts are rigidly secured. The outer end of these struts carry a transversely disposed tubular hanger 16, which hanger as shown, is arranged just forwardly of the rear wheel of the machine. Mounted in the tubular hanger upon suitable ball-bearings is a rock-shaft 17 having tapered ends that project beyond the hanger for the reception of apertured hubs 18 which are rigidly connected to the rock-shaft and are retained by suitable clamping nuts 19 that are in threaded union with reduced ends of the shaft. These hubs are each provided with a vertically disposed tubular brace-bar 20 and a horizontally disposed lower fork-bar 21, the rear end of which fork-members are secured to slotted axle-receiving plates 22. Zach axle-plate has secured thereto an obliquely disposed forwardly inclined rear fork tube 22, the upper end of which fork tube intersects the brace-tube 20 in juxtaposition to the mouth of the horizontally disposed reach-bar 2. Each pair of intersecting brace and reach-bars are brazed or otherwise secured to a transversely disposed bridge-block 23 having upwardly extended apertured cars 24, between which cars is fitted the apertured end of a link 25, the same being in the form of a T, the stem of which constitutes the outer end of said link and is apertured and fitted between the forked ends of the head 8 which is carried by the plunger 7, this link-end being suitably connected by a cross-pin 26 as shown. That end of the link which is fitted between the ears 24 of the bridge-block extends outwardly to a considerable width whereby torsion strain upon the fork members and brace-bars 10 is reduced to a minimum, the said linkend being secured by a bolt 27 which passes through the same together with the head ears. Fitted between and connected to the upper fork members 22 is the usual mudguard 28, which mud-guard extends downwardly and may be shown connected also to the brace-bars 20. Thus said mud-guard is arranged to rise and fall with the rear wheel.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the crank-hanger constitutes a bracing bracket for the rearwardly extending pair of struts which support the tubular hanger 16 that constitutes the fulcrum point of the entire fork member, the hubs 18 bein g rigidly connected through the hanger by the rock-shaft 17 to thus constitute a single head in conjunction with said rock-shaft. Owing to the fulcrum point of the fork member, as a whole, being at approximately a right-angle to the tubular reach-bar of the frame it is apparent that there is slight arc movement at the bridge connection of the struts and upper reach-bar. Hence there will be no appreciable tendency of the spring plunger to bind in its action, such slight tendency being relieved by the link connection at this point, the construction as a whole forming a rigidly braced fork that is capable of floating or oscillating incidental to vibration caused through travel, whereby undue strains are absorbed, particular attention being called to the bridge-block or cross-connection that is provided with ears which are spaced far apart to prevent torsion or twist of the fork frame and also the shaft connection between the heads 18 whereby the opposite triangular sides of the fork are rigidly secured at their fulcrum point.

I claim:

1. In a frame for motorcycles or the like having a seat-mast, an open mouthed horizontally disposed reach-tube supported thereby; the combination of a pair of struts rigidly secured to the lower end of the seatmast and extending rearwardly therefrom, a hanger supported thereby, revoluble connected hubs journaled in the hanger, vertically disposed brace-bars extending upwardly from the hanger, lower fork members extending rearwardly from the hub, an eared bridgeblock rigidly connecting the upper ends of the brace-bars in juxtaposition to the mouth of the reach-tube, an axle-plate secured to the end of each lower fork memher. and an obliquely disposed upper fork member connected to each plate and to the bridge-block, and a springplunger carried by the reachtube in connection with said bridge-block ears.

2, In a frame for motorcycles or the like having a seat-mast, an open mouthed horizontally disposed reach-tube supported thereby; the combination of a pair of struts rigidly secured to the lower end of the seatmast and extending rearwardly therefrom, a hanger supported thereby, a rock-shaft mounted in the hanger, hubs secured to the rock-shaft, a vertically disposed brace-bar extending upwardly from each hub, a lower fork member extending rearwardly from each hub, a transversely disposed bridgeblock rigidly secured to the upper ends of each brace-bar in juxtaposition to the mouth of the reach-tube, an axle-plate secured to the outer end of each lower fork member, an obliquely disposed fork member connecting each plate and the bridge-block, and a cushioning mechanism carried by the reach-tube in connection with the bridge-block.

3. In a motorcycle frame having a seat mast; the combination of struts rigidly secured to the lower end of the seat-mast and extending rearwardly therefrom, a hanger secured to the ends of the struts, triangular fork members each having one corner in pivotal union with the hanger, axle-carrying plates at another of the corners of each triangular member, a bridge piece connecting the other corners of the triangular members, and a frame and last named corners of the afore said triangular fork members.

4. In a frame for motorcycles or the like having a seat-mast, an open mouthed horizontally disposed reach-tube supported thereby; the combination of a hanger sup ported by the seat-mast, a revoluble head journaled about the hanger, vertically disposed brace-bars extending upwardly from the hanger, lower fork members extending rearwardly from the head, an eared bridgeblock rigidly connecting the upper ends of the brace-bars in juxtaposition to the mouth of the reach-tube, an axle-plate secured to the end of each lower fork member, an obliquely disposed upper fork member connected to each plate and to the bridge-block, and a spring-plunger carried by the reachtube in connection with said bridge-block ears.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and state of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. HARLEY.

WVitnesses EDWIN F. CASPER, E. J. MUELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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