US618627A - Bicycle - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 3|, I899. c. I. TRAVIS.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Nov. 3, 1897.)

3 Sheets$hoet I.

(No ModeL) No. 6|8,627. Patented Jan. 3|, I899.

C. L. TRAVIS. I

BICYCLE.

lication filed Nov 3 1897 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. SI, 1899:

No. s |a,e27.

c. TRAVIIS.

BICYCLE.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

//v VE/VTO MK ATTEST wmw UNITED STATES CHARLES L. TRAVIS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,627, dated January 31, 1899.

Application filed November 3, 1897. Serial No- '7,256. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. TRAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention partains to improvements in bicycles, and more particularly to that class wherein means are employed for absorbing and taking up the shock or jarimparted to the machine incident to its passage over an obstruction or unevenness in the roadway.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bicycle, showing the relation of the hinge connection to the other parts before the parts are completely assembled; Fig. 2, a similar view, the parts, however, being connected; Fig. 3, an enlarged perspective view of the hinge-joint; Fig. 4, a similar view, the parts being shown separated; Fig. 0, a vertical sectional view of the cushioning device; and Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, detail perspective views.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved cushioning device and also to provide a new hinge or yielding connection for the frame.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the pillar-post or central column of the ordinary diamond-frame or drop-frame construction, and B the pedal-shaft hanger or barrel carried at the lower end thereof. So much only of the forward part of the frame is shown as is necessary to an understanding of my invention, and it is immaterial what he the form of the forward portion of the frame.

C indicates the rear forks, hinged to the rear of the barrel B, and D the rear braces, pivoted to the rear forks C at or near their ends, extending upwardly therefrom and connected to the cushioning device E.

The hinge joint or connection between the barrel 1; and the rear forks is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. vided with a rearwardly-extending web or flange F, in which is formed aslot G, extending from one end thereof to the other. -A recess II is also formed in the lower lip of the flange, but, as shown, is not so deep as the The barrel is formed or promain slot G. Suitable countersunk openings I are formed in the upper side of the flange, and corresponding holes are also provided in the lower lip.

The forward ends of the rear forks are di rectly connected to a semicircular or curved member J, its rear ends K being reduced and inserted within the open ends of the forktubes, the parts being then securely brazed together.

Member J is formed with a forwardly-extending web or flange L, similar to the flange or web F, and it is provided with a cross-slot M and a recess N, said recess being, however, formed in the upper lip of the web or upon that face opposite to the recess II. Countersunkopeuings or holes 0 are provided with openings in the lower lip to correspond therewith.

Member J may be made in any approved manner, though in practice I have found it desirable to form it of two halves, the line of division being in a plane passing horizontally through member J and the web or flange L, the parts being drop-forgings, which are afterward brazed together.

The connection between the two webs or flanges F and L consists of three flat steel plates I, Q, and R, superimposed one upon the other and connected to the webs, as will now be described.

The intermediate or central plate Q extends back into the slots G and M, abutting squarely against the ends thereof,and is secured therein to both of the webs.

Plate P extends into slot G and is fast at that end; but its opposite end,which extends into recess N, does not, as shown in Fig. 3, come into contact with the rear wall defining the recesses, and said end is not rigidly held therein.

The lower plate R extends into slot M, beneath plate Q, and is secured therein with said plate. Its opposite end extends into recess II, but does not come against the rear wall thereof, and is free to move in said recess-when the plates are flexed.

Flush-head rivets S are passed through theopenings I and O and the openings in the ends of the plates, the intermediate plate being secured at each end and the upper and lower plates being secured at one end'only.

..that of the openings T. The nut V for securing the bolt in place is not screwed up tight thereon, but is drawn up to such an extent that the plates are held in contact with each other, but still not bound at all, being perfectly free to move one upon the other. This bolt serves the function of making all the plates take the same general curve when bent or flexed and relieves the lips of the Webs from undue strain which would arise were the free plates P andR not so held.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 5 to 10, inclusive, I will describe the cushioning device E. The lower tubular member a, is mounted in and carried bya, cross-head b, connecting the upper end of the rear braces D. Member at is internally threaded at its upper end, and into it is screwed a shell 0, the shell being preferably formed of brass and fitting closely against the interior of the tubular member a. Shell 0 is provided with a head (Z at its upper end, cross slots or recesses 6 being formed therein, as shown in Fig. 7, for the purpose of permitting a spanner or tool to be placed therein to screw the shell down into place. Before the shell is introducedinto member a a leather or other suitable washer f is passed onto the shell up beneath the head 01, and a metallic washer g is.

also passed onto the shell. When the shell is screwed down into position within the tube a, the head of said tube will bear against the under face of the washer g and crowd the leather washer f up against the head and slightly outward.

Seated and held within the lower end of tube a, is a ring or collar it, its inner upper face being slightly beveled as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. This collar serves to enter and hold in proper position a brass shell or cartridge t, closed at its lower end and open at its upper end,as shown in the figures just alluded to.

Gap-piece j is formed with a recess in its under face, the side walls thereof being inclined, Fig. 5, to direct the upper end of spring Z to its seat. Said spring, as will be seen upon reference to said'figure, extends from the'cap-- piece to the lower closed end of 7, within which it is seated.

The depending'skirt m of the cap-piece is the cartridge threaded internally and externally, as shown,

and a tube n, of steel, is screwed into the interior of said skirt. The external diameter of this tube is such that it makes a mechanical fit with the interior of the brass shell 0, as does the interior diameter of the tube with the cartridge 1;.

A shell or dust-cap 0, threaded internally v at its upper end, is screwed upon the exterior of skirt m, and a screw 19 is passed through said shell into the skirt when the parts are in proper'relation, the screw efiectually prerect contact with tube n is twofold.

venting the shell from unscrewing. Thelower end of the shell is turned in forming a shoulder q, which will abut against washer g and prevent the'parts from being separated. A yielding washer 'r is placed below the end of skirt m and is held in place by its friction with tube n and shell 0, the washer being employed to prevent damage by upsetting of the parts should the parts he so far collapsed that the skirt could come in contact with the head (1 of the brass shell 0.

The cartridge and spring will of course-be inserted into the lower shell a and the tube n projected into the shell cbefore the shell 0 is secured in place. Suitable lubricating ma terial, such as thick oil or Vaseline; will be placed upon the parts before the cushion is closed.

The advantage of employing the brass shell 0 instead of having the tube a come into di- In the first placea brass and a steel surface are brought together, and this afiords a much better wearing-surface than is had between two steel faces. The brass shell may, moreover, be removed when worn and a new one substituted therefor, and the shell may be more easily fitted to the .diam eter of the tube n than could a steel one.

With the construction of the cushion as set forth three distinct air chambers or pockets are formed: first, that included in the interior of cartridge 11 and the interior of tube 01; secondly, that formed between the exterior of the cartridge, tube a, and the lower end of tube n, and, lastly, the space defined by the upper exterior surface of tube a, washer 1', head d, and shell 0, the shell 0 being screwed down to such a degree that the washer f is caused to protrude slightly and bear against the inner face of the shell. I

The lubricating material will of course permeate all the parts andre'nder the air-chambers practically independent of each other.

In assembling the parts they are so arranged and related that normally and with the springplates in a horizontal line the upper end of the cushion extends slightly up'above the post A, and when the cap-plate j is connected the spring-plates of the hinge are bowed down slightly, as denoted in Fig. 2. plates then exert a slight tendency to telescope the parts of the cushion and compress the spring therein, which has the advantage of keeping the parts close together and preventing-any possibility of the parts hitting or chucking against each other. The main advantage, however, of giving the slight bend to the plates resides in the fact that so soon as the rider mounts the wheel the spring I is compressed slightly, shortening the cushionjust enough to bring the. hinge-plates back to the horizontal or their normal position, so-

The

that the plates are under no bending strain until the machine encounters an obstruction and the cushion telescopes, absorbing the shock. As soon as the obstruction-is passed the parts immediately assume their normal position and the hinge-plates come back 'to the horizontal.

)y the use of the flat plates supported across both ends a very superior hinge connection is obtainedbetween the rear forks and the pedal-shaft hanger. Not only are there no joints to wear, but the construction prevents and does away with any of the side thrust or give between the fork and the hanger so common under ordinary constructions. From actual use of the device it is demonstrated that yielding'of the parts at this point is done away with and that the rider receives a full return for all power applied to the pedals. The flat surface presented by the plates affords a construction much more readily kept clean than that where the rear forks are connected to the pedal-shaft barrel and braced to each other.

It is of course to be understood that any form of cushion device may be employed with the hinge, as described, and I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the construction of cushion set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A hinge-joint for bicycles and the like, comprising a series of superposed plates secured to a fixed portion ofthe'frame-at one end and to a movable portion at the opposite end, the plates being capable of a slight relative movement lengthwise one to the other, and having their ends supported and held against torsional or twisting strains substantially as described.

2. A hinge-joint for bicycles and the like,

' comprising a plate'rigidly secured intermediate a fixed and movable portion of the frame; and a second plate superposed upon said fixed plate having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end held against torsional movement but free to move lengthwise a limited distance upon the fixed plate when the parts are flexed.

3. A hinge-joint for bicycles and the like, comprising a plate rigidly secured intermediate a fixed and a movable portion of the frame; and plates placed upon opposite sides of said first plate each of said outer plates having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end held against torsional or twisting strains, but free to move lengthwise upon the fixed plate.

4. A hinge-joint for' bicycles and the like, comprising in combination, a crank-hanger; a rear fork; a plate rigidly connected to said hanger and fork; a second plate superposed 'upon said first plate and rigidly secured to said crank-hanger; and a third plate placed upon the lower side of the first plate and rigidly secured to the fork; the opposite ends of the upper and lower plates being free to move relative to the intermediate plate.

5. In a bicycle, the combination of a crankhanger; a slotted web or flange extending therefrom; rear forks connected at their forward ends by a curved member J; a slotted web extending forward from said curved member; a plate extending into theslots of said webs and rigidly secured therein; a second .plate superposed upon said first plate and also extending into said slots; and a third plate extending .into said slots beneath the first plate, said upper and lower plates being secured at one end and free at the opposite end.

1 6. In a bicycle the combination of a. crankhanger; a slotted web F extending rearwardly therefrom; rear forks connected by a curved member J; a slotted web'L extending for-' wardly from said member J; plate Q rigidly secured in said slotted webs; plate P secured in web F extending out over said plate Q and having its free end working in web L; aplate R secured in web L extending forwardly beneath plate Q and having its free end working in web F; and a bolt passing loosely through said plates. I

7. A cushion device for. bicycles and the like, comprising a tube a; a shell 0 provided with a head (1 mounted within said tube; a

washer and a packing interposed between a said head and the upper end of the tube; a cap -.piece; a tube n extending down from said cap-piece into the shell 0; a sleeve 0 also extending down from said cap-piece outside of the head and packing; an inturned projection upon said sleeve 0 at its lower end; and means for securing said sleeve to the cap.

8. A cushion device for bicycles and the like, comprising a tube a; a shell 0 provided with a head d having cross-slots e, mounted within said tube; a washer and a packing interposed between said head and the upper end of the tube; a cap-piece; a tube n extending down from said cap-piece into shell 0; a sleeve 0 also extending down from said cap-piece outside of the head and packing; an inturned projection upon said sleeve at its lower end; a cartridge *5; and a spring extending from the bottom of the cartridge to the cap-piece.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. TRAVIS.

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