Cycle-frame.

Application filed January 29,1913. Serial No. 744 840.

To dll whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, Lyman H. Cobb, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and 5 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cycle-Frames, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

My invention relates to cycle frames and more particularly to such frames as are used in connection with motorcycles. Many features of the invention are clearly applicable, however, to other forms of frames such, for 15 instance, as those used in a common form of bicycle.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of frame including a mudguard whereby the mudguard itself will 20 be resiliently and flexibly supported by other adjacent portions of the frame to which it is attached.

The invention involves novel features of construction not only in the mudguard itself, ²⁵ but also in other adjacent portions of the frame which cooperate in supporting the mudguard in the desired manner.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken ³⁰ in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which—

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of a motorcycle, the front wheel of which is provided with a mudguard sup³⁵ ported in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 1, this figure being partially in sec⁴⁰ tion to show details of construction; Fig, 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 of Fig. 3.

⁴⁵ Like reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

I have illustrated the principles of my invention by showing one form thereof as applied to a common type of motorcycle, ⁵⁰ comprising a head 1, a backbone 2 and a front brace 3. Rotatably supported within the head 1 is a tube 4 to the lower end of which is secured a plate 4^a. The upper ends _ of the rear pair of tubes 5 and 6 of the front ⁵⁵ fork of the machine are secured to the rear portion of this plate 4^a. At the forward corners of the plate 4^a are the forwardly extended and downwardly turned prongs 7 and 8 which are brazed or otherwise attached to a second pair of tubes 9 and 10. The tubes 9 and 10 are rigidly attached at their ⁶⁰lower ends to the tubes 5 and 6 respectively, and the upper ends of the tubes 9 and 10 are attached to a plate 11 which is secured to the upper end of the tube 4 and which is provided with a clamping ring 12 for ⁶⁵holding the handle bars 13.

The rigidly united tubes 5 and .9 are pivotally connected at their lower ends with the rear end of a short bar 14, and the lower ends of the united tubes 6 and 10 are simi- ⁷⁰larly connected with the rear end of a short bar 15, the forward ends of the bars 14 and 15 being rotatably mounted upon an axle 16 of the forward wheel 17 of the machine. -A tube 18, of inverted U-shape, extends from ‘ one end of the axle over the top of the forward wheel 17 to the other end of the axle 16, both extremities of this tube being also pivoted to the axle. Near the upper portion . ₈₀of the tube 18 is a cross bar 19 which joins the two sides of the tube 18 a short distance above the top of the wheel 17.

A spring 20, consisting of a series of leaf springs placed one above the other, is at- ₈₅tached to the lower face of the plate 4^a by a staple 21 and a pair of bolts 22. The spring 20 is tapered somewhat being narrower at its forward end than at its rear end. The several leaves of the spring 20 are all of sub- ₉₀stantially the same length so that the mudguard may be properly attached to and supported by the narrow forward end thereof. The forward end of this spring 20 is curved downwardly and extends into the opening 95 formed between the cross bar 19 and the upper bent portion of the tube 18 and rests upon the central portion of this cross bar 19. Immediately above this cross bar 19 is a small opening 23 through the spring 20 to 100 accommodate a short post 24 rigidly fixed to the _ cross bar 19. The opening 23 in the spring 20 is elongated or enlarged longitudinally of the spring so that the forward ends of the individual leaves comprising the 106 spring 20. may slide upon each other when the spring is distorted by the weight of the machine and its rider.

.As shown in Fig. 5, the post 24 is provided near its upper end with a shoulder 25, ng

1,132,820 the forwardly extending bent plate or bar 26 having its rear end secured against this shoulder 25 by a nut 27. Between the lower face of the rear end of the plate 26 and the 5 adjacent upper surface of the spring 20 is interposed a washer 28 of leather or similar material, this washer 28 surrounding the post 24 so as to be held in place thereby, 'lhe shoulder 25 on the post 24 prevents the 10 rear end of the plate 26 and the washer 28 from pressing against the upper surface of the spring 20 sufficiently to cause the individual leaves of the spring to bind when the spring is distorted.

The forward portion of the plate 26 is bent downwardly and then forwardly to support the forward portion of the mudguard 29. Between the forward end of the plate 26 and the adjacent portion of the 20 upper surface of the mudguard 29 is interposed a washer 30, and extending upwardly through alined openings in the mudguard 29, the washer 30 and the forward end of the plate 26 is a bolt 31, provided with a 25 head at its lower end and having its upper end threaded and provided with a shoulder 32. A spiral spring 33 surrounding the bolt 31 is held in place by an inverted cup 34 screwed onto the threaded upper end of the 30 bolt 31 against the shoulder 32.. This inverted cup incloses the spring 33 in order to protect it from dust and other foreign matter and from mechanical injury. The upper end of the cup is formed into the shape of a 35 nut to facilitate its removal and replacement. While this nut is preferably integral with the cup, the two parts may be formed separately if desired. The lower edge of the cup 34 does not quite reach the upper 40 face of the bar 26 and the bolt 31 is fitted so as to slide freely in the opening therefor in the bar 26, a yielding and resilient connection between the mudguard and its support being thus provided. .

The mudguard 29 is divided into a forward portion and a rear portion, the two portions meeting at the staple 21 and the adjacent or meeting ends of the two portions of the mudguard being supported by this staple. The forward end 35 of the rear portion of the mudguard is sufficiently narrow to lie between the two. legs of the staple so as to bo hold firmly in place between the horizontal portion of the staple and the un55 der surface of the spring 20. This forward end of the rear portion of the mudguard is offset upwardly so as to provide a space between the spring 20 and the remainder oi this portion of the mudguard. This, pre50 vents friction and makes the parts easier to clean. The forward portion of the mudo-uard 29 is provided at its rear end with a. narrow tongue 36, formed either integrally or attached to this portion of the mudguard by rivets as shown in big. 3. The central portion of the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the staple is recessed sufficiently to receive loosely this tongue 36 which is curved approximately half way around the staple, a pivotal joint being thus 70 provided between the supporting staple and the forward portion of the mudguard.. The. recess which receives the tongue. 36 is, of course, not wide enough to reach either edge of the forward end 35 of the rear portion, of 75 the mudguard. A short, rearward extension 37 is provided at each side of the tongue 36 to overlap the adjacent end of the rear portion of the mudguard and so to close the space between the two portions thereof. The 80 other end of the rear portion of the mudguard is supported by rods 38, each attached at one end to an edge of the mudguard and at its other end to a member. 39 pivoted to the frcnt fork of the machine. g5

While I have illustrated the principles of my invention by showing and describing the details of one form thereof, I do not wish to be limited to such details as it is obvious that certain changes may be made within 90 the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention; but