Year: 1896

page_text: bottom board a by webs h. The hoop e is jointed to the bottom board a while the
hoops fand g are jointed at i to the hoop e the hoop f folding down outside, and the
hoop g inside, the hoop e. The hoop g is provided with a grooved guide k in which
the bicycle wheel is received as well as in a groove in a cross bar m on the bottom
board . At each end of the bottom board is also mounted a tongue piece n slotted
at o to receive a ring p pivoted on the hoop g by means of which the tongue piece is
kept vertical and which also serves for lifting the crate. The ends of the webs h are
united to maintain the hoops in position by means of straps q or by lacing, studs and
eyelets, or in other suitable manner.
To ensure increased rigidity the lower ends of the hoops or members f may be
caused to engage with ratchet teeth at either side of base board a. Straps may also
be provided at suitable points on the inside of the hoops to prevent the cycle from
shaking during transit. The members f may be slotted so as to enable the height of
the crate to be increased to suit the cycle, without dismounting either the saddle or
steering handles.
The apparatus such as herein described may be entirely covered with canvas,
leather, moleskin, or other suitable material to protect the cycle from damp or
dust.
The operation is as follows:-The crate having been laid out flat, as shewn in
Figure 4, the cycle is placed thereon with its wheels in guides ; the ends q of webs h
are then pulled up to simultaneously raise the hoops and form the two hoods
represented in Figure 2. After having united the straps the sliding pieces n are
drawn out of their grooves and raised to a vertical position to protect the tyres and
then secured by means of rings p. The cycle when thus packed may be moved from
place to place either by trundling the crate upon its rollers or carrying it by the rings,
and is entirely protected from injury during transit.
To remove the cycle from the crate it is simply necessary to detach and return the
end pieces n to their grooves and to unfasten the straps q so that the hoops may fold
down one within the other, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. After removing
the cycle the bottom is folded together, in the direction indicated by the arrows at
the lower part of Figure 2, so as to form the crate into a package of small compass, as
shewn in Figure 5, which may be stored anywhere.
The crate may be used not only for the transport of cycles but also be suspended
vertically in rooms, warehouses, etc.
The crate may be arranged to contain several cycles placed side by side and it may
also serve for packing all kinds of light vehicles.
The crate is preferably inade of bent wood but it will be understood that the forms,
dimensions, details, and materials employed in its construction, may be varied without
affecting in any manner the principle of my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
A folding crate for the transport and housing of bicycles, consisting of a folding
base board a in two parts hinged at b so as to fold together in combination with hoop.
frames e f g jointed at d and i and united to each other and to the base board by websh
so as to form two symmetrical collapsible hoods adapted to fold against the respective
members of the base board when not in use and when expanded to be connected as
at q so as to form a rigid structure all substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of Tune 1807
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
63, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: I, EUGENE VINCENT of 3, Rue du Louvre, Paris, France, Velocipede Manufacturer
do hereby delare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a folding crate for the transport and housing of bicycles.
The particular advantages of this improved crate are that it is light, easily and
quickly erected or collapsed, occupies snall space and protects the machine from
damage during transport.
In order that the invention may be readily understood, I have illustrated it by way
of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a front
elevation of the crate, enclosing a bicycle for transport. Figure 2 is a front view and
Figure 3 an end view of the crate alone. Figure 4 is a plan of the crate collapsed in
the flat. Figure 5 shows the crate folded up.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The crate consists essentially as shown of a bottom a of two parts hinged at b
provided with rollers c on the ends of the joint pin. Upon the base board a at
points d, d symmetrically disposed are jointed skeleton frames each composed of hoop
shaped inembers e, f, g connected together and to the bottom board a by webs h.
The hoop e is jointed to the bottom board a, while the hoops f&g are jointed at i
to the hoop e, the hoop f folding down outside and the hoop g inside the hoop e. The
hoop g is provided with a grooved guide in which the bicycle wheel is received as
well as in a groove in a cross bar m on the bottom board a. At each end of the
bottom board a is also mounted a tongue piece n slotted at o to receive a ring p
pivoted on the hoop g by means of which the tongue piece is kept vertical and also
serves for lifting the crate. The ends of the webs h are united to maintain the hoops
in position by means of straps g or by lacing, studs and eyelets or in other suitable
manner.
To ensure increased rigidity the lower ends of the hoops or members of may be
caused to engage with ratchet teeth at either side of base board a. Straps may also
be provided at suitable points on the inside of the hoops to prevent the cycle from
shaking during transport. The members may be slotted so as to enable the height
of the crate to be increased to suit the cycle, without dismounting either the saddle
or steering handles.

page_text: The apparatus such as herein described may be entirely covered with canvas,
leather, moleskin or other suitable material to protect the cycle from damp or
dust.
The operation is as follows:-
9
The crate having been laid out flat as shown in Figure 4, the cycle is placed thereon
with its wheels in guides ; the ends q of webs h are then pulled up to simultaneously
raise the hoops and form the two hoods represented in Figure 2. After having united
the straps the sliding pieces n are drawn out of their grooves and raised to a vertical
position to protect the tyres and then secured by means of rings p. The cycle when
thus packed may be moved from place to place either by trundling the crate upon
its rollers or carrying it by the rings, and is entirely protected from injury during
transit.
To remove the cycle from the crate it is simply necessary to detach and return the
end pieces n to their grooves and to unfasten the straps q so that the hoops may fold
down one within the other as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. After removing
the cycle, the bottom a is folded together in the direction indicated by the arrows at
the lower part of Figure 2, so as to form a package of small compass as shown in
Figure 5, and may be stowed anywhere.
The crate may be used not only for the transport of cycles but also be suspended
vertically in rooms, warehouses &c.
The crate may be arranged to contain several cycles placed side by side and it may
also serve for packing all kinds of light vehicles.
The crate is preferably made of bent wood but it will be understood that the forms,
dimensions, details, and materials employed in its construction may be varied without
affecting in any manner the principle of my invention.
Dated this 17th day of September 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Folding Crate for the Transport and Housing of Bicycles.
I, EUGENE VINCENT of 3, Rue du Louvre, Paris, France, Velocipede Manufacturer,
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 a folding crate for the transport and housing of bicycles.
The particular advantages of this improved crate are that it is light, easily and quickly
erected or collapsed, occupies small space, and protects the machine from damage
during transport.
In order that the Invention may be readily understood I have illustrated it by way
of example in the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification in which
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the crate, enclosing a bicycle for transport.
Figure 2 is a front view and Figure 3 an end view of the crate alone. Figure 4 is a
plan of the crate collapsed in the flat. Figure 5 shews the crate folded up. The
same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The crate consists essentially, as shewn, of a base or bottom board a made in two
parts hinged together at 6 and provided with rollers c on the ends of the hinge joint
pin. Upon the base board a at points d d symmetrically disposed are jointed skeleton
frames each composed of hoop-shaped members e f g connected together and to the