Improvements in Bicycle Shoulder Braces.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycle Shoulder Braces.
1, ESTANISLAO CABALLERO DE LOS OLIVOS, a citizen of the Republic of
Mexico, of 34 West 15th Street New York City, in the County and State of New
York, United States of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement. :-
My invention relates to a device enabling a bicycle rider to propel his machine
with increased power, by attaching to the cycle a support affording a resistance above
the shoulders of the operator. The object of my invention is to provide a support
or brace of the above indicated class which will be detachably connected with the
machine, so that in case of an emergency the rider can readily dismount. Other
objects of the invention will appear from the description following hereinafter.
The invention cousists of certain features of construction, and combinations of
parts, that will be hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the
appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved shoulder brace attached to the
front end of the saddle of a bicycle ;
Figure 2 is a broken front elevation of the improvement with parts in section ;
and
Figure 3 is a broken sectional plan, taken essentially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Like numerals indicate like parts in all the views.
To the front end
device, a curved
The rod 4 forms
1 designates the saddle of the bicycle, and 2 the saddle frame.
of said frame is secured by means of a clip 3 or other fastening
rod 4 whose free end preferably is vertical or approximately so.
a support for the shoulder brace, which is adapted to rest on a collar 5 produced on
the rod 4.
The shoulder brace consists of a transverse bar 6 provided with apertures for the
passage of the rod 4. Within a recess of the bar 6 is placed a slide 7 having an
elongated aperture 8 through which the supporting rod 4 is adapted to project.
The slide is connected to a rod 9 protruding from the bar 6 and provided with a
button 10 to permit the slide to be actuated by the rider of the bicycle. A
spring 11 normally keeps the slide 7 and rod 9 in an outward position, and when
the bar 6 is in position upon the rod 4, serves to hold one side of the aperture 8 in
engagement with a notch 12 of the supporting rod 4, thereby preventing separation
of the shoulder brace from the support. To the ends of the bar 6 are secured
shoulder straps 13, preferably provided with pads 14, and with buckle connections 15
whereby their length may be adjusted according to the stature of the rider.
straps 13 may be connected by a transverse strap or brace 16.
The
It will be understood that the straps 13 afford a resistance or fulcrum above the
shoulders of the rider and thus enable him to exert a considerably greater
downward pressure with his feet than when no shoulder brace is employed. Should
the rider desire to dismount quickly, it will be sufficient for him to press the
button 10, thereby disengaging the slide 7 from the supporting rod 4, and the
upward strain on the straps 13 will cause the bar 6 to come off the support 4, so

page_text: 1
that the rider is entirely free to jump off the machine. This feature I consider an
important advantage of my invention.
It is preferable that the free end of the support 4 should be vertical o
approximately so, as this will enable the bar 6 to readily slide off the support when
the rider presses the button 10.
When the support 4 is secured directly to the saddle frame, as shown in Figure 1
secure the further advantage that vibrations of the saddle relatively to the frame
of the bicycle will not affect the position of the shoulder brace relatively to the
rider's body, as they would if the support 4 were secured directly to the frame of
the bicycle. I am aware, however, that with some types of saddles it will be
difficult to secure the support 4 directly to the saddle frame, and I reserve the
right of securing said support to any part of the bicycle, as in any event the
advantage accruing from the detachability of the shoulder brace would be
preserved. If desired the shoulder brace may be used in connection with a plurality
of supports all adapted to be engaged by the slide 7 or an equivalent locking
device. Yokes or other supports may be substituted for the straps 13. Other
modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as
defined in the claims.
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. The combination of the support secured to the cycle, the shoulder brace
detachably connected to the said support, and a locking device under the control
of the rider, for normally preventing separation of the shoulder brace from its
support, substantially described.
2. The combination of the support secured to the cycle and having its free end
arranged to face upward, the shoulder brace detachably connected to the said
support and mounted to move upward on the free end of the same to disengage the
shoulder brace from its support, and a locking device under the control of the
rider, for normally preventing separation of the shoulder brace from its support,
substantially as described.
3. The combination of the support secured to the cycle and having one end freely
projecting therefrom, the shoulder brace mounted to slide on the free end of the
support so as to be detachable therefrom, and a locking device, under the control
of the rider, for normally preventing separation of the shoulder brace from its
support, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the support secured to the cycle, the shoulder brace
comprising a transverse bar detachably mounted on the free end of the support,
and supports secured to said bar and constructed to engage the rider's shoulders
from above, and a locking device, under the control of the rider, for normally
preventing separation of the shoulder brace from its support, substantially as
described.
5. The combination of the support secured to the cycle, the shoulder brace
comprising a transverse bar apertured for the reception of the free end of said
support, and supports secured to said bar and constructed to engage the rider's
shoulders from above, and a spring-actuated slide, under the control of the rider, for
normally preventing separation of the shoulder brace from its support, substantially
as described.
6. The combination of the support secured directly to the saddle of the cycle so
as to follow the vibrations of the saddle, and a shoulder brace secured to said
support and comprising parts constructed to engage the rider's shoulders from
above, substantially as described.
7. A cycle provided with a shoulder brace secured to the saddle so as to follow
the vibrations thereof relatively to the cycle frame, said brace comprising parts
constructed to engage the rider's shoulders from above, substantially as described.
8. The general construction and arrangement of parts constituting any improved

page_text: bicycle shoulder brace, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of February 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.