US350080A - phillips - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1. W. PHILLIPS.

VELOGIPEDB. No. 350,080. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. PHILLIPS.

VELOGIPEDE.

Ea tented Sept. 28, 1886.

FIG.4-.

STATES Users in \VALTIG t PHILLIPS, OF COVENTRY,

VELOCIPEDE.

QPECIFISATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 350,080, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed March 2, 1886.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VALTIGR PnILLIrs, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, resid ing at- Coventry, in the county of \Varwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to 'Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to those types of velocipedes known as tricycles, which have two driving-wheels and one steering-wheel, and has for its object mounting the steeringwheel in such a manner that a large wheel may be used without decreasing the rigidity of the machine, that the usual vertical fork may be dispensed with, and that the wheel will always preserve a central position with respect to the frame of the machine, so that the tricycle will always travel in a straight line unless it is operated upon by the rider for the purpose of altering the course of the machine. 7

To this end it consists in mounting the steering-wheel on an axle, the length of which is about equal to half the diameter of the wheel. This axle is mounted in a fork, the prongs of which are preferably made of circular tubes. At the end of the fork where the two prongs join is fixed a pin standing at right angles to the prongs of the fork. This pin fits into a vertical socket on the front end of the frame of the machine. so that the fork carrying the steering-wheel lies horizontally. In thelower face of the socket on the frame of the machine are cuttwo V-shaped recesses at opposite points to one another. 011 the base of the vertical pin, or on the face of the fork on which the pin is fixed, are two V-shaped projections which fit into the two V-shaped recesses on the face of the socket. This arrangement forms a cam which serves to keep the steering-wheel always in a direct line with the center of the machine.

A strong spiral spring is placed round the vertical pin between the top of the socket and a nut on the end of the pin, which serves to keep the horizontal fork up to the socket,and yet allows it to move slightly in a vertical di rection, to enable the cam to release itself when the wheel is turned for the purpose of steerin Immediately behind the socket on the frame Serial No. 193,754. (Noinodeh) of the machine'is a long tubular socket, which carries a vertical steering-bar provided at its upper end with a transverse handle-bar and at its bottom end, under the frame of the ma chinc,with a short lever, in the face of which is a slot. This lever is fixed to the steeringbar at right angles to the transverse handle bar, and lies immediately under the central 1 tube of the frame of the machine in the rear of the socket carrying the vertical steeringbar. Immediately under this lever is anothcr lever fixed to or forming part of the horizontal fork carrying the steering-wheel. In the end of this lever is a pin, which engages with the slot in the lever fixed to the steering-bar. 3y this means the main transverse handle-bar is connected to the horizontal fork carrying the steeringwheel, which turns on the vertical pin as a center in the rear of its periphery.

Although the fork carrying the steeringwheel is referred to as being a horizontal fork, it is designated so in contradistinction to a vertical fork. Its position is not a truly horizontal one, but it is sloped downward from the center of the wheel to the center-pin on which it turns. By this means the vertical steering-bar and the center-pin are raked slightly backward, which brings the transverse handle-bar into a more convenient position for the rider, and causes the steeringwheel to cant over in the direction in which it is turned, which facilitates turning sharp curves at a high speed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tricycle in which the steering-wheel is mounted according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation on a larger scale, showing the dc tails of the construction of the steering-gear; and Fig. -t is a plan thereof.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to these figures, A designates the central tube forming theframe of the tricycle; 9 5

B, the main driving-axle thereof, carrying the driving-wheels O G; I), the saddle, mounted on a suitable spring; E, the pedal crank-axle, carrying suitable cranks, F F, and pedals G G.

The pedal crank-axle is connected to the main ICO driving-axle by a chain running over chain wheels on the respective axles, in the usual manner.

H designates the steering-whee], running on the axle I, which is mounted in the horizontal fork J K, the vertical pin fixedto the end of the horizontal fork J and bearing in the socket L, forming part of the frame A of the machine.

designates the cam which keeps the steering -wheel running in a straight line, Z the spring which allows the cam to work, and k the adj usting-nut on the pin K. The said cam and spring are preferably applied to the pin K, as the vertical motion of the said pin is not objectionable, and the action of the cam is not interfered with by the downward pressure of the hands in steering, as would be the case if the cam were applied to the steering-bar.

M designates the vertical steering-bar,n1ounted in the socket N, fixed to the end of the frame A of the machine.

O designates the transverse handle-bar at the top of the vertical steering-bar M, and P the slotted lever fixed to the lower end; Q, the lever fixed to the end of the horizontal fork .T, and R the pin which it carries, engaging with the slotin the lever P. j

S designates the mud-guard, which I prefer to carry by a bracket bolted onto the lever Q or the fork J. I sometimes make the pin It cone-shaped or to carry a coned roller, and make the slot in the lever P of acorresponding shape, so that any slackness due to wear may be readily taken up. By varying the lengths of the levers P and Q the angles through which the transverse handle-bar and the horizontal fork carrying the steering-wheel respectively move may be increased or diminished to gear the steering up or down, as may be found convenient or desirable.

The other parts of the tricycle, of which no description is given, offer no special features, and they may be constructed and arranged in any approved manner.

Iclaim asmy invention- 1. In a velocipede, the combination of a steering-wheel fork provided with apivot-pin projecting from it at right angles, and having the cam j on the fork at its base, a central frame provided with a socket, in which the said pivot-pin is journaled, and having recesses engaging with the said cam, a spring for pressing the said recesses and cam together, a nut for adjusting the pressure of the spring, and a steering-bar j ournaled in the said central frame for operating the steeringfork, substantially as set forth.

2. In a velocipede, the combination of a steering-wheel fork provided with a pivot-pin projecting from it at right angles, and having the cam j on the fork at the base of the said pin, a lever secured to the fork 011 the opposite side of the pivot-pin from the steeringwheel, the central frame provided with a socket, in which the said pivot-pin is journaled, and having recesses engaging with the said cam, a spring for pressing the said recesses onto the cam and keeping the steering-wheel in line with the central frame, a steering-bar journaled in the central frame, and a lever secured to the steering-bar and connected to the lever for operating the steering-wheel, substantially as set forth.

3. In? a vlocipede, the combination of a steering-wheel fork provided with a pivot-pin projecting from it at right angles, and having the cam j on the fork at the base of the said pin, a lever provided with the pin R, and secured to the fork on the opposite side of the pivot-pin from the steering-wheel, the central frame provided with a socket, in which the said pivot-pin is journaled, and having recesses engaging with the said cam, a spring for pressing the said recesses onto the cam and keeping the steering-wheel in line with the central frame, a nut for regulating the pressureof the spring, a steering-bar journaled'in the central frame, and a lever secured to the steering-bar and provided with a slot for engaging with the said pin R and operating the steeringwheel, substantially as set forth.

WALTER PHILLIPS.

Witnesses Rom. ED. PHILLIPS, EDWARD (l-Hainuonn;

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