US391490A

US391490A - Tandem bicycle

Info

Publication number: US391490A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1905-10-23

Description

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. E. SMITH. TANDEM BICYCLE.

N0. 391,490 Patented Oct, 23, 1888.

I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. I W. E. SMITH.

TANDEM BICYCLE No. 891,490. Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

N. PETERS PhnXmLill-wgmphnn wuhin iun. ac.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. E. SMITH.

TANDEM BICYCLE.

No. 391,490. Patented 0012.. 23, 1888.

8 I I f flllll' 2' PETERS. Phciwhlhogmphcn Washington, 070.

UNIT TAT-ES Price.

PATENT WILLIAM E. SMITH, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SMITH CYCLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLORADO.

TANDEM BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,490, dated October 23,

Application filed February 16, 1888. Serial No. 264,188. (No model.) i v- T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SMITH, of 'Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Tandem Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

The aim of this invention is to provide a tandem bicycle which shall be at once cheap, simple, easy to mount and readily steered; and to this end it consistsin a machine having a main frame with two saddles, a front steering-wheel and a rear driving-wheel connected by chains with pedal-shafts located below the respective saddles.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 isaside elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. elevation on an enlarged scale, showing the manner of connecting the front handle-bar to the frame and the steering-rod. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line :0 w of the preceding figure. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the head or steering-center of the steering-wheel on the line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the center of the steering-rod or shaft and its bearings on theline a z of Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevations showing in different forms the support for the forward seat or saddle. Fig. 9 is a vertical axial section through the center of the driving-wheel and the adjacent parts. Fig. 10 is an axial section on the line 1) e of Fig. 1 through the rear pedal-shafts and their bearings. Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the guard or fender for the rear wheel. Fig. 12 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 9, showing the brake mechanism connected with the rear wheel. Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the same line through a small portion of the brake, showing the man ner in which the frictional material is secured to its surface. Fig. 1 1 is an outside face view of the disk by which the brake is operated. Fig. 15 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a rigid main frame; B, a steering-fork swiveled to the front of the frame; C,the steering-wheel mounted in said fork; D, the driving-wheel mounted in the rear forked end of the main frame; E, the forward saddle; F, the rear saddle; G, the forward pedalshaft, and HH the rear pedal-shafts.

Fig. 3 is a side The main frame, which is preferably made of tubular material throughout, has a forward neck, a, with a steering head or socket at the front, as hereinafter described, and with the 5 two rear arms, a, constituting jointlya fork to embrace the rear wheel and carry its bearings. From the main frame forward of the drivingwheel rises rigidly a tubular rod or post, (L to sustain the steeringshaft, and from the upper end of this post there extends rearwardly above the wheel a rigid arm, a, to give support to the rear saddle, this arm being sustained by arms a rising from the for'karms a.

Thesteeringshaft or rod Lextendiug through the tubular member a of the frame, is provlded at the upper end with a steering bar or handle, i, as usual, and is provided atitslower end with a cr0ss-head, 2', connected at opposite ends by two rods, t"", on opposite sides of the steering-fork, so that a turning motion of, the handle and its shaft communicates a corresponding swiveling motion to the steeringwheel. The frame is extended at the front in order to advance the steering-wheel beyond 7 5 the other parts, as shown, that there may be no interference with the skirts of a female rider occupying the front seat. The essence of the invention in this regard resides in locating the wheel in advance of the steering bar or shaft I and connecting the two in such manner that the one controls the other. While I prefer to make use of the rods 2' for this purpose,it is to be understood that any equivalent connection between the parts may be employed. 8 5

The forward saddle, E, is located in advance of the steering-shaft I, and supported adjustably but rigidly in position by connection with the frame, as hereinafter described. In order that its occupant may securely retain her seat, 0 I provide a handle-bar, J, which, springing from a point in rear of the saddle, extends forward in a curved line on each side, its ends terminating in handles in suitable position to be grasped by the occupant of the saddle E. 5 Under ordinary circumstances this handle-bar J is fixed rigidly in position, but provision is made for looking it to the shaft I,so thatit may be used for steering purposes when the steering is to be effected by the occupant of the for- :00 ward seat. A suitable construction to this end is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, in which it will be seen that the bar is supported by a contractile band or clip, j, encircling the steering-shaft and provided with a tighteningscrew, j, the shaft being exposed for the admission of this clip at the proper point through an opening formed in the front of the tube of. When the clip j is tightened,the handle-bar is rigidly connected with and may be used as a means of turning the shaft I.

To hold the steering-bar rigidly in position when in use for steering, a contractile ring or clip, j is placed around the outside of the tube a, and notched at its forward end to engage a projecting portion of the clip. When it is required to fix the bar in position,the clip j is loosened, so that the steering-shaft may turn freely therein, and the clip j is moved downward into engagement with the clip j and then contracted tightly upon the tube a", the effect being to lock the handle-bar firmly to the stationary outside tube, or, in other words, the main frame. In place of this particular locking device any device its me chanical equivalent may be substituted, the essential feature of the invention residing in the provision of means by which the handlebar may be locked to the frame or a steeringshaft, as occasion requires.

The forward seat may be connected to the frame by a suitable device; but in order to provide for its vertical and horizontal adj ustment I commonly support it by a clip, 0, arranged to slide forward and backward upon the upper horizontal end of an arm, 6, the other end of which is turned downward, as shown in Fig. 7, through a socket, e", located on the side of the main frame and provided with a set-screw, e. The rear saddle may also be supported on the frame by devices of any suitable character; but I prefer to mount it on the upper end of a standard, f, passing through a socket, f, on the frame,and secured by a setscrew, f that it may be adjusted vertically.

Referring now to the means for driving the wheel D, it will be observed that the forward pedal-shaft, G, is mounted in bearings on the under side of the main frame forward of the driving-whee], and provided at each end with a pedal-carrying crank, g, the pedals standing substantially below the saddle E, that they may be conveniently operated by the feet of the occupant. The shaft G is provided with a sprocket-whee1,g, fixed thereon, and this wheel is connected by a chain, 9 to a sprocket-wheel, 9 formed upon or attached to the hub of the driving-wheel, as shown in Fig. 9. As the rear pedals are located opposite the two sides of the wheel, so that they cannot be carried by a single shaft, it is necessary to make use of the two short shafts H and H, located in line with each other on opposite sides of the wheel and carried by bearings attached to the rear ends of the respective forkarms a of the main frame. The shafts II and H are each provided at the outer end with a pedal-carrying crank, h, and provided at the inner end, inside of the supporting-arm a,

with a sprocket-wheel, it. Each sprocketwheel is connected by a chain, h, to a corresponding sprocket-wheel, k attached to or formed upon the hub of the driving-wheel.

While the three sprocket-wheels fh It may, as before stated, be attached to the hub of the driving wheel, or attached to its axle, I strongly recommend the construction represented in Fig. 9, in which the hubs are flanged outward at the periphery to form thesprocketwheels. This construction not only simplifies the machine and reduces the cost, but permits the parts to be brought together in more compact form than would otherwise be possible. The bearings of the rear shafts, H H, are provided with split contractile clips h, (see Fig. 10,) which are contracted and held in place by bolts h. This construction admits of the bearings being moved rearwardly in order to tighten the driving-chains, as may be demanded. The bearing of the forward shaft, G, is also connected to the frame by a like clip, in order that it may be moved forward to control the tension of the chain 9 The two seats may be arranged in line with each other and directly over the vertical plane of the wheels; but I find it advantageous to arrange the seats, as shown in the drawings, out of line with each other, one seat being set to the right and the other to the left, so that the rear rider, by whom the machine is ordinarily steered, may have an unobstructed view in a forward direction, and so, also, that conversation may be the more readily carried on between the two riders. As shown in the drawings, the forward seat has its supportingstandard applied to the right side of the main frame, while the rear seat has its standard applied to the left side; but a reverse arrangement may be employed. The pedals and pedal-shafts are set to the right and left to correspond to the position of the seats. The three pedal-shafts, the steering-shaft, and the journal or the steering center of the steeringfork are each supported in ball-bearings, each bearing consisting of two parallel plates or rings having their opposing surfaces provided with annular grooves to receive intermediate balls of hardened steel or equivalent material. These bearings are substantially identical with those described in my application, executed and filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 264,187, and are not in themselves claimed as part of the present invention. Fig. 5 illustrates these hearings as applied to the steering-fork; Fig. 6, the bearings as applied to the steering-shaft, and Figs. 9 and 10 the bearings as applied, respectively, to the front and the rear pedal-shafts.

The forward shaft, G, is provided with two bearings-one at each end-the stationary members of the bearings being seated in the ends of a rigid tube forming part of the main frame, as described and claimed in my application above referred to. The rear shafts, H and II, are each provided with two bearings of similar construction. The sprocket-wheels wheel 9'.

construction shown in Figs. 10 and 15.

h on the inner ends of the rear shafts are made of dished or concave form, as shown, this construction permitting their central portions and bearings to be carried inward close to the sides of the main wheel, so that the width of the machine may be reduced.

For the purpose of protecting the skirts of the forward rider,I employ ashield, L, adapted to lit over and around the forward edge of the rear wheel, and constructed in the manner shown in Fig. 11. It consists of a semicircular strap, Z, overlying the top of the rear wheel,

and provided with side pieces, Z, lying opposite the two sides ofthe wheel, these side pieces or guards being formed either of sheet metal, wire-gauze, or other appropriate light material. A guard-strap, Z is carried longitudinally over the top of the driving chain and downward around and beneath the sprocket It is provided on the outerside with the shield or fender Z, perforated at Z", for the passage of the crank-shaft thereth rough. Two rearwardly-extending guard-straps, Z and Z, are adapted to overlie the rear driving-chains. The strap Z is attached to the strap or guard 1, while the strap Z is attached to one of the vertical rear arms,a ,by a rod, Z having a clip at the top, as shown in Fig. 11, to encircle said arm. The guardstraps Z and Z may also receive support from one of the vertical rear arms, a", of the main frame by a clip'arm, 1 thereon, and the rear end of the guard Z may be held in position by straps Z, extending forward on opposite sides of the wheel to the upright arms of the frame. The manner in which the guard or shield, as a whole, is applied to the machine is plainly represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In order to provide for the regulation of the tension of the rear driving-chains, I adopt the The sleeves h, which carry the rear pedal-shafts,are each provided with a transverse pin, h, passing transversely through longitudinal slots in the arms a of the frame. This pin passes inside of the frame through one end of an eyebolt, h, which is extended rearward through a cap or plate on the rear end of the arm a, and provided with a nut, If", by means of which the clip h" and the pitman-shaft sustained thereby may be turned rearward to increase the tension of the chain.

The machine may be provided with a brake of any suitable construction; but I commonly employ, and I recommendthe use of, a brake mechanism of the peculiar construction represented in Figs. 9 and 10, in which it will be seen that the double sprocket-wheel on the driving-wheel is turned out internally to a true circular form, so as to produce a smooth frictional surface. Inside of this wheel I fix rigidly upon one of the bearing-sleeves which surrounds the stationary axle, or upon any other support by which it may beheld rigidly in position, a friction-brake, M, consisting of a central hub, at, having on opposite sides radial arms m,from each of which an arm, m is curved backward in a line concentric or substantially concentric with the hub. These arms are faced on the outer side with rawhide or other equivalent materiahmiintended to bear with frictional effect on the inside of the sprocket-wheel. The arms m are provided at the outer or free end with a transverse eccentric slot, 111*, these slots receiving studs m which project inward from the face of a plate, m, having a slight rotary motion around the axle or other support. This plate is connected at one edge to an operating-rod, m which is in turn connected, as shown in Fig. 1, through elbow-lever in, rod m, elbowlever m,and rod m, to the hand-lever m, pivoted on the handlebar. hen the lever m is pulled upward at its free end, it acts through the intermediate parts to turn the plate m in the direction indicated by the arrow, causing the studs to traverse the eccentric slots of the brake and force the brakearms at" outward against the inner surface of the sprocket-wheel.

\Vhile I prefer to retain the particular connections shown between the brake-operating plate m and the hand-lever m, it is to be understood that any equivalent device for communicating motion from one to the other may be employed.

The brake M is commonly cast or forged complete in one piece; but its parts may be separately constructed and rigidly united in any suitable manner. \Vhile it is preferred to use the facing m", and secure the sameby means of countersunk screws, as shown, it

,may be omitted and the brake-arms allowed to act directly on the inside side of the sprocket wheel or hub.

The hub of the drivingwheel may be of any ordinary construction; but when the two sprocket-wheels are used on opposite sides, as shown, I form the hub, as shown in Fig. 9, with annular flanges, which are seated-in the grooves in the inner edges of the respective sprocketwheels and brazed or otherwise fastened in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a tandem bicycle, a rigid main frame, the rear driving-wheel therein, the front steering-wheel and its fork swiveled thereto, the two seats located on the main frame, the steering-shaft located between the seats and suitably connected with the front wheel, the front and rear pedal-shafts mounted in bearings on the frame, and the sprocket-wheels and chains connecting said shafts with the rear wheels, said elements combined substantially as described and shown.

2. In afront-steering rear-drivingtandem bi.- cycle, the main frame and the two seats thereon, in combination with the driving-wheel mounted therein, the shaft mounted in front of said wheel and provided with two pedals, the two rear shafts mounted on opposite sides of the wheel and each provided with a pedal-shaft, and the sprocket-wheels and chains connect- IOO ing the three shafts with the driving-wheel, as described.

3. In a tandem bicycle having a rear driving and a front steering wheel and two seats upon the frame, one in advance of the other, the steering-shaft mounted in the main frame between the two seats, its upper end provided with a steering-handle and its lower end suitably connected with the front wheel, substantially as described and shown.

4. In a tandem bicycle, the combination of a main frame with two'seats flXGd thereon, a rear drivingwheel, a front steering wheel, a steeringshaft located between the seats and suitably connected at its lower end with the steeringwheel, and two steering bars or handles attached directly to and suspended by said shaft and terminating, respectively, adjacent to the front and the rear seats, whereby the steering of the machine may be effected by either or both riders.

5. Inabicyclehavingthetwoseats,onein advance of the other, the steering-shaft provided with the rigid steeringbar adjacent to the rear side, the second steering-handle terminating at points adjacent to the front seat, and devices, substantially as shown, whereby the front steering-bar may be locked to the frame or to the steeringshaft at will;

6. In combination with the steering-shaft I and its support a", the steering bar J, the adjustable clip j, connecting the same with the steering-shaft, and the locking sleeve or collar j". i

7. In a bicycle or analogous machine, the main frame and the rear-driving-wheel therein, the front steering-wheel,the steering-shaft,and its handle-bar for controlling the front wheel, in combination with the expansible brake acting within the side of the driving-wheel, and the brake-expanding devices connected with the lever on the :steering-handle, whereby the operator is enabled while controllingthe front wheel by said handle to operate the brake within the rear Wheel.

8. In a bicycle or analogous machine, the

combination of the groundwheel having the internally-recessed hub or sprocket-wheel at its side, the brake lVI,witl1 its adjustable arms located within said hub, and the rotary plate m, having studs or projections to urge the brake-arms outward.

9. In a bicycle or analogous machine having a tubular mainframe arm, a, the collar h, a sprocket-wheel shaft supported by said collar, the transverse pin h, and the adjusting-bolt connected to said pin within the arm a, and extended rearward and provided with an adj listing-nut, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a tubular mainframe arm, a, and a shaft-support, h mounted movably thereon, an adjusting-bolt located within the tubular arm, one end extended to the movable bearing or shaft-support and the other end extended beyond the arm, that it may be adjusted to effect the movement of the collar.

11. In a tandem bicycle, a main frame, a rear driving-wheel, a front steering-wheel located in line or substantially in line therewith, two seats located one in advance of the other on opposite sides of the plane of the wheels, pedal-shafts mounted on the main frame below the respective seats and offset laterally to correspond with thelocation of the seats, and sprocket-wheels and chains connecting said shafts with the rear wheel.

12. In a tandem bicycle having a main frame and two ground-wheels located in line or substantially in line with each other, two seats located one in advance of the other on opposite sides of the rear wheel, and pedalshafts located beneath the respective seats and suitably connected with the driving-wheel.

In testimony whereofIhereunto set my hand, this 11th day of February, 1888, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

WILLIAM E. SMITH.

\Vitn esses:

F. T. CHAPMAN, W. R. KENNEDY.