An Improved Adjustable Bicycle Support.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1946
An Improved Adjustable Bicycle Support.
I MARK GOODMAN of No. 2 Harriet Street Lowndes Square in the County of
London Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of an adjustable support or supports that will enable the
machine to stand in a vertical position at will, whether rider is upon the machine,
or machine is standing alone, the said support to fulfil the dual purpose of a brake,
by its friction upon the surface of the ground, and also as a support as aforesaid,
the supports to be operated by a suitable lever, so that it may be raised or lowered
at the will of rider, the invention also comprises a spring gear to enable the
support to adjust itself to the inequalities of the road.
By the aid of this invention a person will be enabled to mount or dismount a
bicycle when same is perfectly stationary, and in a vertical position, thus avoiding
the necessity of a forward motion in machine during this process, which will
greatly facilitate travelling in busy thoroughfares and permitting a rest for
conversation.
Dated this 28th day of April 1896
M. GOODMAN.
An Improved Adjustable Bicycle Support.
I, MARK GOODMAN, of 2 Harriet Street, Lowndes Square, in the County of
I.ondon, Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to appliances or devices for supporting a bicycle when at
rest in such a manner that the rider may temporarily leave the machine without
other support, or, whilst still remaining upon the machine, may keep it at rest
safely whilst engaged in conversation or being otherwise occupied. The appliance
or device which is the subject of this invention has also the advantage that it is
equally effective on level, sloping or rough ground.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved appliance or device and are
hereinafter referred to. In the several figures similar letters of reference are
employed to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 shows in elevation a bicycle having the appliance or device attached
thereto.
Figure 2 illustrates in elevation, and Figure 3 in sectional plan, the appliance
or device drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal section along the line y Figure 2.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 show details of the lever which I prefer to employ for
operating the device.
The principal parts of the new apparatus consist of. two legs or struts A, A,
[Price 8d.

page_text: with their accessories. These legs have at their upper ends tubes or sleeves a a,
arranged at an angle to the upper part of each leg, and each mounted upon an
axis E fixed at a corresponding angle in a carrier D. The outer parts of the legs
may be curved or spread so as to give a greater basis of lateral support in use.
The carrier D may be conveniently attached to the bottom bracket F of the
machine by the two short tubes F F. On the inner end of each of the sleeves a a,
there is fixed a plate G, provided with an extension arin H and with a quadrant of
ratchet teeth I upon its edge. Each leg must consequently move with the plate
attached to it. Above the carrier there are two levers L, L, parallel with the
plane of the machine, fulcrumed at / to two brackets or extensions c c, from the
side of the carrier. Each of these lovers datfies a catch of detent pinned to
the levers at p and arranged to engage with the ratchet teeth on the plate. The
forward end of each lever carries a small grooved palley P, and its opposite end is
conflected by a spring such as S to the leg below it, as shown. The extension
arms H H are constructed, by preference, so that they come below the pulleys P P,
as represented by Figure 3.
The apparatus may be variously operated, but I prefer to employ the means
illustrated. A cord T has its ends respectively attached to the two extension
arms H H. This cord passes round the pulleys P and a pulley U, which is
carried in a light frame u to which the pull cord V is attached. This pull cord
passes over small guide. pulleys JJ, attached to the machine frame, to the
neighbourhood of the handle. bar K, where its end is attached to the inner member
of a pair of articulated levers M, M. At some convénient part of the cord there
is inserted a spiral spring or length of rubber cords, the function of which is to
pernit the cord to be pulled up to the full length, whereupon the tension of the
inserted springs acts upon the legs and enables them to adjust themselves
automatically. This adjustment is greatly aided by the arrangement of the cord T
and pulley which permits the tension to be equally transmitted to the legs
irrespective of their relative positions at any moment in use. Although I attach
importance to the cord and pulley, and the spring inserted in the pull cord, they are
not essential, since two separate cords may be attached to the extension arms in the
same manner as the endless cord, and the two ends of these substituted cords may
be connected and attached direct to the pull cord. Parts of the operating
articulated levers M, M' are illustrated in elevation by Figures 5 and 6, and in
plan by Figure 7. These levers may be carried by their fulcro m m', upon the
clip N which is fixed upon the handle bar K. They are preferably intergeared
between their futerà By means of a projection on the outer lever engaging with a
recess on the contiguous end of the inner lever M. If the projection and recess
are shaped as shown by Figures 5 and 6, they will, when the outer end of
the lever M is forced upwards, occupy and retain the position represented by
Figure 5 until released by the depression of tire unter end of the lever M. The
outer end of this lever is brought near to one of the handles of the machine so that
it may be readily moved by the hand of the rider, similarly to a brake handle. If
the outer end of the outer lever M be raised, the inner end of the lever M will
also be raised, and as the cord from the supporting appartitus is connected to the
inner end of M¹ the apparatus will be brought into action and will remain in action
until the outer end of M is again pushed down.
When the cord is pulled by raising the lever M, as above described, the legs are
drawn down into the position shown by the fuil lines Figure and by the dotted
lines. Figures 8 and 3: Owing to the angular position of the axes upon which the
legs move they at the same time open outwards, and thus give a wider basis of
lateral support to the machine. Should either of the legs come into contact with
the ground before the other, as would frequently be the case, that leg obviously
cannot be moved further whilst irevertheless the cord must still be further pulled
to bring the other leg into tuntaut with the ground. The springs S provide for
this, since any further pull upon the cord after the leg has conté tu rest operates
only, to extend: the spring. ''Bhus, perfect means are provided for plumbing the
1

page_text: machine whatever may be the want of level in the surface of the ground upon
which it is brought to rest. When each leg commences to move, its motion is
communicated by the spring S to the lever L, and the catch or detent thereon is
lifted out of engagement with the ratchet teeth on the plate G.
It will be obvious that I may vary the shape and position of the legs, and that
I may operate them by other means than a cord as herein before described.
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. An apparatus for supporting a bicycle, consisting essentially of a pair of legs
mounted upon axes inclined to the vertical plane of the machine, each leg having
attached thereto a plate carrying an extension arm and having ratchet teeth on its
edge, and each leg being connected by a spring to a lever which carries a catch in
engagement with the ratchet teeth and a pulley over which a cord passes from the
extension arm to the operating levers near the handle bars of the machine,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. In the apparatus set forth in Claim 1, a pair of legs mounted so as to be
capable of motion on axes inclined to the vertical plane of the bicycle, substantially
as hereinbeforedescribed and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In the apparatus set forth in Claim 1, a pair of legs adapted to be raised and
lowered and moving on axes inclined to the vertical plane of the machine, in
combination with a plate connected with each leg on which there is an extension
arm by means of which the legs may be raised and lowered, substantially as.
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In the apparatus set forth in Claim 1, a pair of legs which may be raised and
lowered, in combination with a pair of levers respectively connected with the legs
by a pair of springs, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. In combination with the apparatus set forth in Claim 1, a pair of intergeared
or articulated levers near the handle bar, connected with the apparatus by a chain
or cord, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of October 1896.