Military Fittings for Velocipedes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1898
Military Fittings for Velocipedes.
I, JAMES LOGAN WATKINS, of 251, Clapham Road, London, S.W., Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what mauner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a better and more simple means of
carrying rifles upon cycles or velocipedes and to render it more easy to remove
same, this being done by a side motion instead of an up or down motion.
The chief feature of the invention consists of forming a metal frame made with
one side to open. This metal frame holds any convenient part of the rifle, but
preferably the small part behind the breech. The frame is supported on stays
connected to or near to the axle of the driving wheel of the bicycle.
These stays may be furnished with any suitable clips or additional stays to
keep them in position.
The rifle is carried on the cycle preferably with the butt or stock over the driving
wheel and the barrel pointing forward, the rifle thus being over the centre line of
the cycle.
In this case it is necessary to bend the seat or saddle pillar, or the same may
be made to clamp on the side of the bicycle and be bent so as to bring the
seat or saddle over the centre line.
If preferred the rifle may be carried at the side of the bicycle instead of over
the centre line.
A covered ring or socket is clamped to or near the head of the bicycle, to
support the barrel of the rifle forward. All parts coming in contact with the
All parts are easily
rifle are preferably covered with leather or other material.
detached.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:-
Fig. 1 shows an end elevation of the holding attachment for rifles, which holds
the gun in line with the centre of the bicycle.
Fig. 2 shows a modification of Fig. 1 in which the rifle is held at one side
of the bicycle.
Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the upper part of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shows a plan and section of the horizontal stay rod g¹.
Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a combined socket and clip for supporting
the forward end of the rifle barrel.
Fig. 5 shews a sectional plan of socket and clip when the rifle is held at
one side of the machine.
Fig. 6 shows the outline of a bicycle fitted with my attachment and supporting
a rifle as shown in dotted lines.
a is a metallic frame, a portion a¹ of which is adapted to open outwardly by
means of the simple hinge a². Any suitable device may be used to keep the flap
a² closed. The device shown consists of a leather strap b, a hole in which engages
a stud c, projecting from the frame a. At or about the middle of its length, the

page_text: .
strap is attached to an elastic strip d, the other end of which is secured to the flap a¹.
This tends to keep the strap tight over the stud. The other end of the strap
preferably passes through the usual buckle strap loop c¹ to keep end of strap b
in place. The frame a is supported by a boss f which is secured in any preferred
manner to the upper ends of the two stays which are provided at their lower
extremities with holes g, g which engage with the axle of the back wheel. In some
cases, the stays f¹ could be attached to the back fork of the bicycle frame, in which
case any suitable fastening may be used. g' is an additional stay rod, shown in
Fig. 4, to prevent the attachment moving laterally. For this purpose it is provided
at one end with a semi-circular plate to fit the saddle pillar, and it is preferably
provided with a strap and buckle to connect it to the saddle pillar. The other cud
of the stay rod g¹ is flattened on one side and engages with a hole in the boss f
same being provided with a set screw g² to secure g¹. The rod y' is made longer
than necessary to make it adjustable to any machine as regards the rake of the
saddle pillar.
The mud-guard k shewn in section Fig. 1 is attached to and between the stay
rods f¹.
It is attached at its edges by screws or the like to lugs h projecting from
on the stay rods.
bosses
The forward end of the rifle is supported by the combined socket and clip showu
in detail, Fig. 5; n is a semi-circular plate provided with two lugs, and n¹ is a
similar plate provided at its rear with a socket m to receive the end of the barrel.
The plates n, n¹ are placed on either side of the steering pillar, as shown in Fig. 6,
and fastened by screws passing through the side lugs.
The modification shown in Fig. 2 differs but little from the form shown
in Fig. 1. The boss is disposed horizontally and is recessed to engage
with the upper end of another boss f2 projecting from the upper end of the stay
rods f¹.
I do not bind myself to the exact shape shown of the frame, of the stays or of
the ring or socket as it would be necessary to slightly alter them for use on various
kinds of cycles or velocipedes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For a military bicycle. The combination of devices for carrying a rifle,
consisting of the frame a, flap al, strap b, stud c, elastic strip d, loop c, boss f,
stays f, socket and clip m, n, nor their equivalents, and with or without the
stay rod g', set screw g², boss f², as herein described and set forth.
2. In a bicycle for military purposes, the stays rods f¹, boss f and frame a with
its flap a', as herein shown and set forth.
Dated thig 15th day of Tune 1900
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicant, 171, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.