US1318924A

US1318924A - Motorcycle side car

Info

Publication number: US1318924A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1936-10-14

Description

R. F. ROGERS.

MOTORCYCLE SIDE CAR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. I918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

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R. F. ROGERS.

MOTORCYCLE SIDE CAR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. me.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. F. ROGERS MOTORCYCLE SIDE CAR. APPLICATION FILED MAYZI. 1918- Patented Oct. 14,1919.

I 4 SHEET$-SHEE T 3.

R. F. ROGERS.

MOTORCYCLE SIDE CAB. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. I9l8.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- sTnT s PATENT OFFICE.

"RALPH, F. ROGERS, or oI IoAeo, ILLINOIS.

MOTORCYCLE SIDE CAR.

To all whom, z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, (RALPH, F. Rooms, .a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement 1n MotorcycleSide Cars, of which the followin is a specification. v I

wry nvention-relates to certain new and useful improvements in motorcycle side-cars andis fully described and explained in the s'peci'fieation and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which I F igure 1 is a side elevation of the device; Fig. 2a rearelevation; 3,, atop plan of the 'running ge ar; Fig, 4, a section on the line 4; of Fig, 3; Fig, a'sectionion the line 50f Fig; 2; Fig. 6, a top plan of amodified form of the outer end of the axle, and-its connections;s, Fig. 7, x a vertical section through the 'axleshowing the adapt-ationv of the structure to use with an extension axle.

The present structure is designedto simplify the running gearto the greatest pos sible extent, omitting all unnecessary parts, thus savingweightand reducing the cost.

In the drawings, "8 is the axle, prefer-ably of tubular form. At its inner end is aforging 9 containing a socket which receives the I I tubular axle a yertical longitudinally-ex- "ao tendingplate-portion 10' to which is adjustably securejclja socketmemberil (Figs. 2 and v 5 the rear. end of the, plate-portion beingturned outwardly to form an ear 12,

(Figs 2,, 3 and, '5), to which is bolted a pin 1,3 isupporting a springshackle 14. The socket me'mber 11 is attachedjto a ball-member 15 secured to the motorcycle, the vertical adjustment of thejso'cket' member upon thelate of the forging permitting the axle to e maintained perfectly horizontal in .spite of variations inthe v position of the ballmember on motorcycles of different constructions. Sincehowever the extreme difi'erence in verticalposition of the ball -member in motorcycles now on -themarket is not over three-fourths of an inch either direction from a mean position, the adjustment of the socket member 11 may be dispensed with, the" axle being inclined slightly, and {the body: either being ad'justed to, compensate forthe inclination of the axle or not as desired. 16 is a brace attaohed by a bracket 17 to the axle and runnin upward and for-- ward to a point adjacent the seat-post cluster' 'of theniotorcycle; This brace "is preferably I Specification of Letters Patent. 4 Patented Oct. 14,1919. Application filed M5 27, 1918. Serial Na -236,793.

curvedto afford a limited elasticity so that the. small vibrations of the side-car running gear froln the road are cushioned thereby before reaching the motorcycle. On the outer end of the axleis a forging 18 having a split socket 19 at itslong end, which is clampedto the end of the axle. The forging has anupwardly-extending portion 20 into which is driven an axle-pin 21 having a taper fit in the socket and held in place by a nut 22. A Wheel is journaled on this axle pin in the usual manner. The forging 18 has a: rearwardly-extending' spring-supportingpin 23 between which and the shackle l l is 7 carried. a semi-elliptic.spring 24c.

} 2511s the fender which is carriedby three braces 26, two horizontal and one vertical, on opposite sides of the wheeh the three bracesron each side meeting .in fittings 27 'whichv are carried by. the .two ends of the axle-pin 21 and held inpla-ce by nuts. Thefenderv can 7 thus be readilyremovedfor work on the tire.- The fender is kept from oscillating or swingingiaround its support by ,a brace 28 on' the. inside of the-fender which is heldin place bya screw '29 entering the lower part of the forging 18 Whenit is desiredto employ an extension axle .withthis structure, the axle-pin 21 is knocked out and. an extensiblezmernber 30 is slippedinto the tubular axle 8 A'forging'31iscarried on the end of the extensible member, and the axle-pin can befinserted therein precisely asin the forgin 18. By

this arrangement the 'sidei-caris a apted for use.,with' the extension axle, for which I there is considerable ,demand, because for certain particular .uses it is highly desirable lbut which is, inpoint of fact,vvery little used.

In, accordanceswith, present practice. a motorcycle must be made either with or without anextension axle.- If made with an 'extension axle" a, very considerable weight is added, and yet wthelexten'sion feature is. fsel'don used,- and win many cases never used. With my arrangemennwon the con-- trary, "there is no, addedweight Whatever excepting when it is actually desired to employl'the extension feature, for whenthe extension is; not to; be actually used the extension axle will be removed,bodily, and 7 therefore it will beipossible with my structure to avoid 'thenow commonpractice of e vin iinextende'cl condition,

round aheavy extension axle in;

The forging 18 has projecting forward ears 32 (Figs. 1 and 4) to which is pivotally secured a forging 33 carried by the rear end of a diagonal bar 3%, preferably of rear,- wardly-open channel iron, the diagonal bar being curved at 35 and attached to the lower forward portion of the motorcycle frame. In fitting a Sidecar to various motorcycle frames, there is some little variation in the distance between the forward and rear points of attachment of the side-car, and also a small variation in the vertical po'si tion of the forward attachment. The pivotal arrangement illustrated will amply compensate for these variations, but in the alternative the rather simpler construction of Fig. 6 may be employed. In it, the forging 18 is provided with a squared portion 36 extending diagonally forward in the line of the diagonal bar 3% and rigidly bolted in place therein. lVith this arrangement the natural resilience of the bar 34 is relied upon to compensate for variations in the dis tance between the points of attachment of the side-car frame.

A cantaliver spring 37 is securedby a clamp 38 to a central point on the axle 8 and runs forward therefrom.v It passes underneath the diagonal bar 34 and is secured thereto by a clamp 39 and its end extends upwardly, being attached to the forward end of the body 40. In assembling, the clamp 39 is tightened up after the diagonal bar has been adjusted'to place.

The body itself is of novel form, being principally distinguished, from a mechanical point of view, by the fact that it has a long rear projection l1 behind the seat, in which projection the heavy accessories, such as a spare tire, and other heavy luggage, canbe carried. This results in making it possible to secure the axle substantially in line with the axle of the rear wheel of the motorcycle, to advance the seat in the. sidecar well forward to one side of the seat of the motorcycle, and, at the same time, through the proper placing of the extra weight of aspare tire, luggage, etc, at the extreme rear, to throwthe center of gravity of the side-car well back, so that the danger of upsetting in rounding corners is reduced to aminimum.

The structure herein described has not only the obvious advantages of extreme simplicity and light weight, but is adapted to an extraordinary extent to be knocked down for shipment The diagonal bar is readily disconnected from the outer end of the axle and both the diagonal bar and axle can be very quickly disengaged from, the body. The wheel can be packed in the body itself and the axle and diagonal bar. will simply form straight pieces which can be packed at will either in the body or beside it in a rectangular crate or box The present (161' vice, therefore, can be packed in a much smaller package than is now possible with devices of this character.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of the construction herein shown, and I do not intend to limit myself thereto, except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is my intention .to claim all the novelty inherent in the device as broadly as is permitted by the state of the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A motorcycle frame comprising an axle transverse to the motorcycle frame and attached to the rear thereof, and a diagonal bar running from the outer end of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, the axle and diagonal bar forming with the motorcycle frame, a substantially horizontal rigid triangle, and a front spring running forwardly from a central point in the diagonal bar and backward for attachment to the axle.

2. A motorcycle side-car running gear, comprising an axle transverse to the motorcycle frame and a diagonal bar extending forwardly from the outer'end of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, the axle and diagonal bar forming with the motorcycle frame'a triangle, a rear body spring'having a two-point bearing on the rear axle and a front spring running foryyard from a central point on the diagonal 3. A motorcycle side-car running gear having a two-bar frame consisting of an axle at the rear and a diagonal bar running fromthe outer end of the axle to a forward point on themotorcycle frame, a spring affording a rear supportfor a body and connected thereto at one point and having its en dscarried by the rear axle, and a central longitudinally extending spring furnishing a support for the front of the'body and secured to a central point'in the diagonal bar. 4. A motorcycle side car running gear having a two-bar frame consisting of an axle at'the rear and a diagonal bar'running from the otherend of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, spring means affording a two-point support for a body carried by the rear axle, and a front spring affording one-point support for the body running from the rear axle beyond the diagonal bar, and secured to both.

5. A knock-down motorcycle side-car frame, consisting of an axle adapted for attachment adjacent the rear of the motorcycle, a substantially horizontal diagonal bar detachably and flexibly connected to the outer end of the axle and running to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, whereby the motorcycle frame serves to form with said axle and diagonal bar a rigid triangle free from other longitudinal connections adjacent the outer end of the axle and bar.

6. A side-car frame comprising an axle transverse to a motorcycle frame and attached to the rear thereof, and a substantially horizontal diagonal bar running from the outer end of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, the diagonal bar and axle being adapted to yield in the. horizontal plane to accommodate themselves to motorcycles of different distances between points of attachment.

7 A side-car frame comprising an axle transverse to a motorcycle frame and attached to the rear thereof, and a diagonal bar running from the outer end of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, the diagonal bar and axle being adapted to yield in the horizontal plane to accommodate themselves to motorcycles of different distances between points of attachment, and a front spring connected to both axle and diagonal bar, and extending forward of a central point in the diagonal bar.

8. A motorcycle side-car frame having a hollow rear axle, an axle-pin supportingmenrber at one end thereof, an extension axle telescoping in the main axle and having a generally similar axle-pin supportingmember, and an axle-pin adapted to be supported in either of said members whereby the extension axle can be removed when its use is unnecessary.

9. A motorcycle side-car running gear, comprising an axle transverse to the motorcycle frame and a diagonal bar extending forwardly from the outer end of the axle to a forward point on the motorcycle frame, the axle and diagonal bar forming with the motorcycle frame a substantially horizontal rigid triangle, a rear body spring having a two-point support on the rear axle and a front spring having a one-point support centrally of the diagonal bar.

RALPH F. ROGERS.

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