US352090A - Thomas humber - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. HUMBER.

VELOGIPBDB.

No. 352,090. Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

Nv PETERS, Fhnm-Lilhagmpher, Wnshngioll, D C.

UNITED STATES.,

PATENT OFFICE.

THoM-As'HUMBER, or BEEsToN, COUNTY or NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,090, dated November 2, 1886. l

Application filed February 26, 1886. Serial No. 193,331. (No model.) i

To a/ZZ whom, it may concerm,

Be it known that I, T-HoMAsHUMBEa, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain, residing at Beeston,i`n the county of Nottingham, England, cycle-manufacturer and machinist, have invented certain newand useful Improvements 'in Tricyles and 'like Vehicles, of which 'the i following is a specification.

My invention relates, first, lo improvements in tricycles, Ste., of the class provided with a spring in connection withA the steeringwheel'in such manner asto prevent the jarringl ofthe wheel on the road being communicated to the steering-handle by which the postionof the Vwheel is controlled, `and also provided with automatic steering-gear in which a spring is applied, tending constantly to place ,j the steering-whcel in the position for straight the. frame an inclined tube is carried.

running.

The arrangement as adapted to an automatic front-steerer is as follows: At the fore part of It receives within it another tube, to Which, at its `upper end, the steering cross head or handle is secured. On the inner tube there is also a cam or inclined block, which, as heretofore in automatic steering-gear, works in conjunction with a corresponding fixed camor inclined block which i's secured atthe upper-end ofthe outer tube. rIhe inner tube projects at its lower end from the outer tube, and a' spring isinterposed between the two. It abuts against fianges on each. This spring is the automatic steering-spring. It draws down the inner tube,

holds the two camsor inclined blockspin contact, and when permitted to do so places the steering-handle for direct progress. rIhe stein of the fork carrying the steering-wheel enters the inner tube, and it abuts at its upper end upon a coiled spring contained within the tube. The load is vtransmitted to the steeringwheel through this spring, and the spring plays as the wheel 4.passes over inequalities in the road. The steering-handle when turned carries the wheel round with it by means of a key which passes through the stem of the Wheelfork, and projects so .that its ends enter slotted holes in the inner tube, to which the handle is attached.

My improvements also relate to the seat. To

carry the seat I employ the following spring v zontally over the' top of the base-plate andV i parallel to it. At the end distant from the joint the spring-blade is connected with the base-plate by a bolt, which allows play within limits. There is a helical spring surrounding thebolt and between the base-plate and the spring-blade. It supports the spring-blade, and on this latter the seat is secured by clips.

The position of the seat on the blade admits of adjustment, as does also the position in which the base-plate is clipped onto the frame of the tricycle or vehicle.

In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed preparatory to a specific designation of the subjectunatterclaimed.

In thedrawings, Figure lis aV front elevation ofthe parts in connection with the steering-wheel of an automatic front-steering tricycle. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same.` Fig. 3 shows a modified form. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a spring saddle-support constructed in accordance with my invention.

In Figs. l and 2, a is the fore part of the frame ofthe tricycle. bis an inclined tube fixed to the frame. lexis another tube within the tube b. d is the steering cross-head or handle. Its stem d enters within the tube c at its upper end and is securely Xed by vrivets or otherwise. c:2 is a cam or inclined block fixed on the tube c. b2 is a similar cam or inclined block fixed on the tube b'. e is a coiled spring surrounding the lower end of the tube c iinmediately above the fork in which the steering-wheel is held. The spring e abuts against a flange, c3, on the tube 0,' and also against i' another flange, b3, on the tube b. As the spring e is in compression it brings together the inclined faces of the ,blocks b2 and c2, and when permitted to do so holds them in the position shown in Fig. 2, and with the steering! Wheel parallel to the main wheels.

- When force is applied to the cross-head to IOO steer the vehicle to the right or left, the spring e is further compressed as the incline on the block c2 ascends theincline on the block b2. As soon as the cross-head is released the spring e causes the return of these parts to the position in which they are represented in the drawings. f is the steering-wheel, and gis the fork in which it is held. g', the' stein of this fork,enY ters within the tube c and bears at its upper end against the coiled spring l'z,oontained within o. The other end ot' the spring ZL abuts on a disk or stop at the closed upper end of. the tube e. The stem g has a slotted hole in it at gx, and a key, et, fixed into the tube o, passes through it. The stein g is consequently able to play up and down in the tube e, the spring h yielding as the wheel passes an obstacle, and the jar which otherwise would be transmitted to the steering-handle and the hands of the rider is avoided. The slot gx and key e* insure the movement of the steering crosshead being transmitted to the steering-wheel. The cams or inclined blocks b2 and o2 and the spring e insure, when the steering-handle is released,that the steeringwheel isset for direct forward movement. Other means may be re sorted to for preventing the stem g turning within the tube c, in place of using the key o* and the slot gx. Thus, as is shown in Fig. ."5, the stem g may be square, and maybe passed through a squarehole in ablook, G, fixed with in the tube e. In this case, in addition to the spring h, operating as already described, I prefer to employ a second and opposing spring, H, so that the stem may never come to adead stop.

1n Fig. 1i, k is a base-plate or bar clamped onto the frame of the vehicle. Zis a springblade jointed tok at la. At Z the blade Z is coiled around the joint k' in two open coils. Z`l is the horizontal limb of the blade Z, and upon this the saddle is clamped in the usual way. m is a coiled spring supporting the fore end of the blade Z, and n is abolt passing through the parts k and Z, and through the interior of the coiled spring. The bolt n restrains the upward tendency of both the blade Z and the spring m when the weight is off the saddle. This arrangement of springs gives great elasticity, and prevents, to a great extent, the riderbeing 5o jarred by the irregularities of the road.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed, l declare that what I claim is 1. The combination of the frame, the outer tube fixed thereto, the cam on the upper end of this tube, the tube rotating and sliding within the outer tube, the cam fixed on the upper end of the inner tube, thesteering-handle, 6o its stem projecting into and xed to theinner tube, the compressed coiled spring thrusting upward against the lower end of the outer tube and downward against the lower end of the inner tube, the steering-wheel, its fork hav 65 ing the stem projecting into the inner tube and turning therewith and sliding therein, and the coiled spring Within the inner tube and thrusting upward against it and downward upon the stem of the steering-wheel fork, all 7o substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A saddlesupport for a tricyele or like vehicle, consisting of the combination of the base'plate, the blade-spring coiled at one'end and jointed to one end of the base-plate, the bolt passing through theother ends of the baseplate and spring, and the coiled spring between the base-plate and blade-spring, sub stantially as set forth. f

THOMAS HUMBER.

Vitnesses:

FRANK P. RICHARDS, Clerk to Mr. W. A. Richards, SoZcior, Notting- MARK SHAW, Clerk to Mr. R. II. Speed, Notary Public, Nottingham.

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