Year: 1896

page_text: I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS of 32, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
My invention relates to the construction of sociable and tandem-sociable bicycles
and has for its object to support the doubly cranked pedal shaft or shafts, the
saddles, and steering heads upon a single central main frame; to provide means
of supporting the machine in the upright position when the riders are mounting or
when the machine is at rest or when the motion is so retarded as to render such
support necessary; to provide improved means of adjusting the saddles in the
lateral direction to properly balance riders of unequal weights; and to provide
means of carrying passengers and parcels or other load.
The doubly cranked pedal shaft is mounted in bearings in the ordinary bottom
bracket and likewise in pillars carried by a cross-bar attached to a central pillar
or extension of the bottom bracket so that no part of the main frame is
duplicated, as in existing sociable bicycles. The bicycle support is formed by
crank arms terminating in rollers and attached to the ends of a rock shaft
mounted in the cross bar above referred to as carrying the pedal shaft bearings,
this cross bar being tubular for that purpose and the rock shaft being provided
with a central crank arm connected by a link with a crank or eccentric worked
by a handing lever mounted on the top member of the main frame in an easily
accessible position and provided with means of locking it in whatever position
it may be set. By partially rotating the rock, shaft the roller carrying arms
are turned downwards into position to bear upon the ground so as to afford the
lateral support necessary to prevent falling over when the machine is travelling
very slowly or to maintain the machine in the upright position when stationary.
Instead of the supporter wheels being carried by arms on a rock shaft they
might be carried by a cross bar fixed to a sliding stem working up and down
in or on the downward extension pillar of the frame so as to be raised and
lowered by a direct movement from the handing lever. The saddles for the
two riders abreast are mounted to slide upon a transverse supporting bar and
are connected so as to be moved together as one by a rack bar with which
engages a pinion provided with a self-locking device whereby any lateral shifting
of the saddles by jarring will be prevented, the pinion axis being for this
purpose capable of end wise movement under the stress of a spring so as to
interlock by end teeth upon it with corresponding teeth on the bearing in which
the pinion axis turns. The steering head of the machine is provided with
laterally extending frames in which are mounted the spindles of independently
adjustable steering handles, one or both of which may be coupled by crank and
link connections with the steering fork spindles.
In the case of a tandem sociable the above described arrangement of the crank
axle, supporter, saddle mountings, and handle bars would be duplicated towards
the rear part of the machine frame, the steering being controlled by the front or
rear riders or by both as may be preferred.
In order to provide for the conveyance of non-working passengers, a basket-work

page_text: or other light body or seat of the Victoria type would be removably mounted on
the rear saddle supporting bar or upon a rear extension of the frame according as
the propulsion is to be effected by two or four working riders.
For the carriage of goods, parcels, or other dead load, a suitable receptacle
would be provided in lieu of the carriage body or seat.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS of 32, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.
Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to the construction of sociable and tandem-sociable bicycles
and has for its objects to support the doubly cranked pedal shaft or shafts, the
saddles, and steering heads upon a single central main frame; to provide means of
supporting the machine in the upright position when the riders or passengers are
mounting or dismounting, or when the motion of the machine is so retarded as to
render such support necessary; to provide improved means of adjusting the weight
of the riders and load so as to properly balance unequal weights; and to provide
means of carrying passengers and parcels or other load.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a front elevation of a sociable bicycle
provided with my improvements, whilst Figure 3 is a side elevation and
Figure a rear elevation of a similar machine adapted for the conveyance of
passengers.
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views, shewing in plan and section the means of
lateral adjustment for balancing the weight of the riders, passengers, or load.
Figure 7 shews a modification of the bicycle supporter.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the main frame of the machine
is of the ordinary construction and that the doubly cranked pedal shaft A is mounted
in bearings in the ordinary bottom bracket B and likewise in pillars C carried by
a laterally extending tubular cross bar D attached to a central pillar E or downward
extension of the bottom bracket B, the main frame which is of the ordinary
diamond pattern not being duplicated.
The bicycle support is represented as lowered into operative position and is
formed by crank arms F terminating in rollers f and attached to the ends of a
rock shaft G passing through the tubular cross bar D and provided with a central
'crank arm g which is connected by a link with a crank arm i or an eccentric
I worked by a handing lever I mounted on the top member of the main frame in an
easily accessible position and provided with a latch j for engagement with a notched
quadrant J or other means of locking the support in whatever position it may be
set. Normally the rollers f are retained in the position indicated by dotted lines
but, by partially rotating the rock shaft G, the roller-carrying arms F are turned
downwards into the position shewn in full lines to cause the rollers to bear upon
the ground, as shewn, so as to afford the lateral support necessary to maintain the
machine in the upright position when travelling very slowly or stationary. When
-thus lowered the arms F are vertical and therefore in the most favourable position

page_text: to sustain the weight with the least strain upon the parts, and as their rock shaft G
is journalled in the ends of the tubular cross bar D the strain is supported directly
by this part of the frame. Similarly, before making a sharp turn or under other
circumstances which may possibly render lateral support necessary, in order to
guard against overturning, the banding lever I may be moved to, and latched in,
an intermediate notch such as so as to bring the rollers f into an intermediate
position such as in readiness to afford support should it be required.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 7 the rollers f are pivoted to the ends.
of the cross member F of a 1 shaped frame whose vertical member F is fitted to
slide up and down in a guide formed by the tubular pillar E or by a socket F
fixed thereto the member F having an arm passing through a vertical slot in the
socket by which it is prevented from turning, said arm being connected by a link
such as h with a handing lever provided with a latch for engagement with a
notched quadrant as before, the supporter being in this case moved downwards by
a direct thrust.
The saddles K for the two riders abreast are mounted upon the usual saddle
pins k clamped in sockets L fitted to slide upon a transverse supporting bar M
fixed or fitted upon the frame and preferably constructed of two tubes brazed
together side by side and to a central socket L' fixed to the frame of the machine;
for the purpose of adjusting the sockets L laterally they are coupled together by
a rack bar N with which engages a pinion P provided with a self-locking device
whereby any lateral shifting of the saddles by jarring will be prevented. By
means of this adjustment the one saddle is moved towards, and the other away
from, the central main frame so that a balance may be obtained by a very slight
adjustment. The pinion axle is provided with a winged or a milled head and is
capable of end wise movement under the stress of a spring O (Figure 6) whereby
it is normally raised partly out of the plane of the rack bar so as to be caused
to engage both with the rack teeth and with teeth o in the cavity of the cap.
plate whereby it is held rom turning so that in order to adjust the saddles in the
lateral direction it is necessary to first depress the pinion until it is disengaged from
the locking teeth o.
The head of the machine is provided with laterally extending frames R in which
are mounted the spindles of steering handles S which may be independently
adjustable as to height and one or both of which may be coupled by crank arms
and link s with a crank arm s2 on the steering fork spindle.
In the case of a tandem-sociable the above described arrangement of doubly
cranked pedal axle, saddle mountings, handle bars, aud bicycle supporter, for the
rearmost pair of riders would be similar to those for the foremost pair of riders as
in an ordinary tandem, as will be readily understood, and the steering may be
controlled by the front or rear riders or by both as may be preferred.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that in order to provide for
the conveyance of passengers or non-working riders the construction would be
somewhat similar to that of a tandem-sociable, the rear pair of saddles and their
supporting bar being replaced by a basket-work or other light body forming a pair
of seats of the Victoria type. This double seated body T is represented in outline
ouly by dot-and-dash lines and is carried by a light frame formed of a cranked
bar U supported at the middle upon the rear part of the main frame of the machine
in place of, and in a similar manner to, the rear saddle supporting bar which it
replaces, the said frame U being adjustable in the transverse direction so as to
enable the one seat to be moved away from, and the other towards, the central
main frame in crder to obtain a balance between riders of different weights. The
frame U may be supported and stayed if necessary by means of legs V extending
downwards and forwards, the platform portion being supported with capability of
lateral sliding motion for the purpose of the above mentioned adjustment by a
transverse sliding rod or rods received in pillars W rising from the cross bar D'.
Or it may be supported in any other suitable way. The cross bar D' is similar to

page_text: the bar D at the fore part of the machine above described. A supporter in all
respects similar to that before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 (and
the parts of which are indicated by the same letters of reference), is also provided
so as to bring within reach of the occupants of the seats T means of maintaining
the stability of the machine, when required, independently of the working riders,
as for instance when one of the passengers is about to alight.
In order to enable both the front and rear supporters to be brought under the
control of one and the same handing lever I the other handing lever may be
dispensed with and the two rock shafts G may be connected by a link X as shewn
in dotted lines in Figure 3, connected to crank arms a on the two rock shafts so
that the latter will be moved in unison.
For the carriage of goods, parcels, or other dead load, suitable receptacles would
be provided in lieu of the seats, the said receptacles being carried by a fra ne
provided with means of lateral adjustment for balancing substantially similar to
that above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A sociable bicycle having a single central main frame and a doubly cranked
axle supporting frame formed of a central pillar E extending downwards from the
bottom bracket and of a cross bar D and pillars C rising from the ends of the
said cross bar substantially as shewn and described.
2. A sociable bicycle having a single central main frane, laterally extending
frames R carried by the head of the main frame, and a pair of steering han lles
whose spindles are mounted in said laterally extending frames and are coupled
to the steering fork spindle by crank and link connections substantially as
specified.
3. A sociable bicycle having a single central main frame, a transverse saddle
supporting bar fixed thereon, and a pair of saddle supports mounted to slide on said
bar and coupled by a rack bar so as to be moved together, in combination with a
self-locking pinion for effecting the lateral adjustment of the saddles and retaining
them in position substantially as specified.
4. The combination, with the central pillar E and tubular cross bar D of the
supporter formed of the rock shaft G mounted in the tubular cross bar D and
terminating in roller carrying crank arms adapted to be depressed to an inter-
mediate position so as to afford support if necessary or to bear on the ground, and
of means substantially as described of raising and lowering the rollers for the
purpose specified.
5. The combination, with a vertical guide socket projecting downwards from
the bottom bracket, of a supporter formed of a shaped frame having friction
rollers mounted on the extremities of its horizontal member, its vertical member
being fitted to slide up and down in the socket with a stud and slot connection
to prevent turning, and being connected by a link with a handing lever so as
to be lowered into operative position by a direct. thrust substantially as
specified.
6. A sociable bicycle constructed substantially as herein described and comprising
in combination the improvements specified in Claims 1, 2, 3, and 4.
7. A tandem-sociable bicycle constructed substantially as herein described and
comprising in combination the improvements specified in Claims 1, 2, 3, and 4,
duplicated for the two pairs of riders substantially as specified.
8. In a tandem-sociable bicycle, or a sociable bicycle with seats for passengers
or receptacles for goods, the combination of two supporters each formed of a
rock shalt with terminal crank arms and friction rollers the rock shafts being
mounted and coupled as described so as to be operated by one handing lever as
specified.

page_text: 9. The combination, with a sociable bicycle constructed as described, of seats
for passengers or receptacles for goods carried by a laterally adjustable frame
substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of January 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.