Fork for steering wheel of various cycles

• US 4,008,903 A
• Filed: 03/25/1975
• Issued: 02/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis Maurice Ramond
• Original Assignee: Louis Maurice Ramond
• Inventors: Ramond, Louis Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/561,835
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 280/279, 280/274, 280/152.1, 280/152.2, 280/152.3, 188/24
• US Class Current: 280/279
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/02 Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine
• CPC Class Codes: B62L 1/14 the elements being mounted on levers pivotable about different axes

Abstract

A steering fork for cycles, e.g., bicycles, motorcycles, etc., preferably moulded from a plastics material, having an upper stock portion with bearings for receiving the cycle frame pivot pin and with a handlebar mounting bracket and having a pair of downwardly extending, spaced apart arms for receiving the cycle front wheel therebetween. The arms have openings and means for mounting brake jaws in the arms so that brake pads on the jaws can pass through the openings and engage the wheel rim. The wheel axle is received in openings at the lower ends of the arms and preferably, the openings are at least partly surrounded by tapered projections receivable in recessed nuts on the axle. The stock portion has one or more tubular portions for receiving one or more handlebar mounting bracket extensions and means for clamping the extensions at the desired height.

Claims

1. A fork for receiving a steering wheel of a cycle, said wheel having a rim and an axle and said cycle having a frame, a handlebar and braking means including oppositely disposed brake jaws, each jaw having a brake pad for engagement with a side of said rim, said fork having a central portion which has a transverse portion which extends transversely to the plane of the wheel and a pair of spaced portions extending downwardly from the transverse portion and parallel to and on opposite sides of the plane of said wheel to thereby overlie said wheel in spaced relation to the periphery and sides of said wheel when it is received in said fork, and having a stock portion extending upwardly from and integral with said central portion, said stock portion having bearing means substantially co-axial with a pivot axis in said plane for pivotally engaging said frame and having handlebar support means for supporting mounting means for said handlebar, said fork also having a pair of spaced apart arms extending downwardly from said spaced, downwardly extending portions of said central portion for receiving said wheel therebetween, each of said arms comprising a pair of arm portions integral with and extending downwardly from said spaced, downwardly extending portions of said central portion and lying substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of said wheel, said arm portions being spaced apart in the direction parallel to said plane of said wheel at the upper ends thereof at said spaced, downwardly extending portions of said central portion and converging and being integral with each other at the opposite, lower ends thereof, each of said arm portions being U-shaped in cross-section and each of said arms having an opening at the lower end thereof for receiving an end of said axle and having means adjacent said spaced, downwardly extending portions of said central portion for receiving and mounting one of said brake jaws intermediate the spaced apart portions of said arm portions for engagement of said pad on said jaw with said rim, and at least said arms and said central portion being made of a plastics material.

2. A fork as set forth in claim 1, wherein said axis extends upwardly from and intersects said central portion, said stock portion has a web extending upwardly from said central portion, transversely to said plane in offset relation to said axis, said frame has a pivot pin and said bearing means comprises first and second cylindrical bearings mounted respectively at the upper and lower ends of said web and disposed toward said axis with respect to said web for receiving said pin.

3. A fork as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fork is made of a plastics material.

4. A fork as set forth in claim 1, wherein said axle has a pair of nuts thereon with oppositely and inwardly facing tapered seats therein and wherein said opening at the end of each of said arm for receiving an end of said axle has an outwardly facing tapered projection at least partly therearound of a shape complementary to the shape of said seats and receivable within one of said seats.

5. A fork as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said seats is in the shape of a truncated cone and each said tapered projection is in the shape of a truncated cone having an axial bore and a radially extending slot for receiving said axle.

6. A fork for receiving a steering wheel of a cycle, said wheel having a rim and an axle and said cycle having a frame, a mudguard, a handlebar and braking means including oppositely disposed brake jaws, each jaw having a brake pad for engagement with a side of said rim, said fork having a central portion which extends both transversely and parallel to the plane of said wheel to thereby overlie said wheel in spaced relation to said wheel when it is received in said fork, and having a stock portion extending upwardly from said central portion, said stock portion having bearing means substantially co-axial with a pivot axis in said plane for pivotally engaging said frame and having handlebar support means for supporting mounting means for said handlebar and said central portion also having a pair of transverse channels therein, one on each side of said central portion, for receiving portions of said mudguard, said fork also having a pair of spaced apart arms extending downwardly from said central portion for receiving said wheel therebetween, each of said arms comprising a pair of arm portions integral with and extending downwardly from said central portion and lying substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of said wheel, said arm portions being spaced apart in the direction parallel to said plane of said wheel at the upper ends thereof at said central portion and converging and being integral with each other at the opposite, lower ends thereof, each of said arm portions being U-shaped in cross-section and each of said arms having an opening at the lower end thereof for receiving an end of said axle and having means adjacent said central portion for receiving and mounting one of said brake jaws intermediate the spaced apart portions of said arm portions for engagement of said pad on said jaw with said rim, and at least said arms and said central portion being made of a plastics material.

7. A fork for receiving a steering wheel of a cycle, said wheel having a rim and an axle and said cycle having a frame, a handlebar and braking means including oppositely disposed brake jaws, each jaw having a brake pad for engagement with a side of said rim, said fork having a central portion which extends both transversely and parallel to the plane of said wheel to thereby overlie said wheel in spaced relation to said wheel when it is received in said fork, and having a stock portion extending upwardly from said central portion, said stock portion having bearing means substantially co-axial with a pivot axis in said plane for pivotally engaging said frame and having handlebar support means for supporting mounting means for said handlebar, said fork also having a pair of spaced apart arms extending downwardly from said central portion for receiving said wheel therebetween, each of said arms comprising a pair of arm portions integral with and extending downwardly from said central portion and lying substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of said wheel, said arm portions being spaced apart in the direction parallel to said plane of said wheel at the upper ends thereof at said central portion and converging and being integral with each other at the opposite, lower ends thereof, each of said arm portions being U-shaped in cross-section and each of said arms having an opening at the lower end thereof for receiving an end of said axle and having means adjacent said central portion for receiving and mounting one of said brake jaws intermediate the spaced apart portions of said arm portions for engagement of said pad on said jaw with said rim, and at least said arms and said central portion including said stock portion thereof being made of a plastics material and said stock portion having a metal core.

8. A fork for receiving a steering wheel of a cycle, said wheel having a rim and an axle and said cycle having a frame, a handlebar and braking means including oppositely disposed brake jaws, each jaw having a brake pad for engagement with a side of said rim, said fork having a central portion which extends both transversely and parallel to the plane of said wheel to thereby overlie said wheel in spaced relation to said wheel when it is received in said fork, and having a stock portion extending upwardly from said central portion, said stock portion having bearing means substantially co-axial with a pivot axis which is in said plane and extends upwardly from and intersects said central portion for pivotally engaging said frame and having handlebar support means for supporting mounting means for said handlebar, said stock portion having a web extending upwardly from said central portion in offset relation to said axis and having a pair of spaced tubular portions secured to said web and extending generally parallel to said axis, said tubular portions being disposed on the opposite side of said web with respect to said axis and forming said handlebar support means, said frame having a pivot pin and said bearing means comprising first and second cylindrical bearings mounted respectively at the upper and lower ends of said web for receiving said pin, said handlebar mounting means comprising a rigid member having a pair of extensions in spaced apart relation and receivable in said tubular portions, said extensions having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the inner cross-sectional shape of said tubular portions, said rigid member having means for clamping said handlebar thereon, said fork also having a pair of spaced apart arms extending downwardly from said central portion for receiving said wheel therebetween, each of said arms comprising a pair of arm portions integral with and extending downwardly from said central portion and lying substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of said wheel, said arm portions being spaced apart in the direction parallel to said plane of said wheel at the upper ends thereof at said central portion and converging and being integral with each other at the opposite, lower ends thereof, each of said arm portions being U-shaped in cross-section and each of said arms having an opening at the lower end thereof for receiving an end of said axle and having means adjacent said central portion for receiving and mounting one of said brake jaws intermediate the spaced apart portions of said arm portions for engagement of said pad on said jaw with said rim, and at least said arms and said central portion being made of a plastics material.