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 improved means whereby a bicycle may be maintained
in the upright position when travelling very slowly or when stopped altogether
so as to avoid the necessity of the rider dismounting when stopped by crowded
traffic or under any other circumstances.
. The invention consists of a support which when brought down upon the ground
projects laterally in position to afford the desired support and when raised out of
action assumes a fore-and-aft position, the construction and operation being such
that the vertical and turning motions are independent, the latter motion being
always performed when the support is out of contact with the ground. The support
consists of a 1-shaped frame, the vertical member being fitted to slide and turn
in or on a pillar projecting downwards from the bottom bracket of the machine
frame. The horizontal arms terminate in rollers or feet adapted to bear upon the
ground and the turning and lowering movements of the support are effected by
a spiral spring onfined between the vertical member of the support and its guide
pillar and acting both by compression and by torsion so as to produce the two
movements required.
In order that these movements shall be performed independently and in the
required order, the support is guided by a stud and slot connection between its
vertical member and the guide pillar, the slot being of such form that the horizontal
turning movement through a quarter circle is always performed out of contact
with the ground. The support is locked in the operative position by a latch lever
on the vertical member engaging with one of a row of holes, lugs, or means of
connection in or on the guide pillar so that the support is self-adjusting to suit the
size of the wheel and height of the machine frame from the ground. Or the latch
lever might be mounted on the guide pillar and similarly engage with holes in the
vertical member of the support. The release of this latch, and likewise the rising and
turning movements are effected by means of a cord attached to and partially encircling
the vertical member of the support or by lever and link connections adapted to act in
a similar manner and so acting on the latch lever as to cause it to become disengaged
whereupon the pull on the cord or lever acting in opposition to the compression and
torsion of the spring raises and turns the support. When a cord is used it passes
through guide pulleys on the machine frame and terminates in a handle within easy
reach of the rider, which is made fast to a clip or other attachment on the machine
frame when the support is raised to its inoperative position.
Dated this 4th day of December 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: 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 an improved support whereby a bicycle may be maintained
in the upright position when travelling very slowly or when stopped altogether so as
to avoid the necessity of the rider dismounting when stopped by crowded traffic or
under any other circumstances.
The support when brought down upon the ground projects laterally at each side of
the machine in position to act as a broad base affording the desired stability and
which when raised out of action is caused to assume a fore-and-aft position, the
construction and operation of the support being such that the vertical and turning
motions are independent, the latter motion being always performed when the support
is out of contact with the ground.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this
specification wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle with the sapport shewn in operative position
in full lines and out of action in dotted lines.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the support.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the pillar portion, and Figure 4 is a sectional
plan.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The support consists of a L-shaped frame A A¹ the vertical member A being
fitted to slide and turn in or on a pillar B projecting downwards from the bottom
bracket C of the machine frame. The horizontal arms A¹ terminate in rubber-
tyres or other rollers D (or they may be feet) adapted to bear upon the ground
and the turning and lowering movements of the support are effected by a spiral
spring E confined within the guide pillar B which is tubular and acting on the
support both by expansion after compression and by torsion so as to produce the
downward and turning movements of the support necessary to bring it into operation
as above mentioned.
In order that these movements shall be performed independently and in the
required order, the member A of the support is guided by a bayonet slot and stud
connection between it and the guide pillar B the slot F being made in the tube A and
being of L-shape whilst the stud fis fixed in the guide pillar B and by engaging in
the slot ensures that the horizontal turning movement through a quarter circle is
always performed when the rollers D are out of contact with the ground. The
support is locked in the operative position by a latch lever G mounted on the part A
which is caused by a spring to engage with one of a row of holes g in the guide
pilla
pillar B (or with lugs or other means of connection thereon) so that the support may
be moved through a greater or less distance as may be required to bring the rollers or
feet D down to the ground, such distance depending on the size of the wheel and
height of the machine frame from the ground.
The release of this latch and likewise the rising and turning movements of the
support in opposition to the compression and torsion of the spring E are effected by
means of a wire or other cord H attached to and partially encircling the member A of
the support and so acting on the latch lever G that a pull on the cord will first cause
the latch to become disengaged from the hole g and then raise the support and finally
turn it to the position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1. The cord passes through
guide pulleys i on the machine frame and terminates in a handle within easy reach

page_text: of the rider, which is made fast to a clip or other attachment on the machine frame
in order to retain the support in the raised or inoperative position.
Instead of using a cord H operated by a direct pull, it will be obvious that the pull
upon the portion of the cord which encircles the part A and acts on the latch G may
be transmitted through bell crank lever and link connections from a hand lever
mounted on any convenient part of the frame and locked in position after raising the
support, by engagement of a locking bolt in a notched quadrant, or adapted to be self-
retaining in any other convenient manner.
The horizontal member A¹ of the support is preferably a rod passed through
holes in the tubular member A and there secured by a piece cast around both but
it may be otherwise constructed.
The spring E is confined between the closed
upper end of the pillar B and the part of the rod A¹ which crosses the tubular
member A and its bent ends engage with holes in both, as shewn in Figure 3, so
that the spring will act both in the longitudinal and circular direction. The
pillar B may be brazed into a socket cast with the bottom bracket C or it may
be detachably connected to the bracket C by arms b adapted to embrace and be
secured by straps 6¹ to the members J K of the machine frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described bicycle support adapted to be brought into operative
position by distinct horizontal turning and a vertical sliding movements produced by
the expansional and torsional stress of a spring under the control of a bayonet slot and
stud connection between the vertical member of the support and the guide pillar so as.
to ensure the separate performance of these movements substantially as specified.
2. The combination, with the bicycle support as specified in Claim 1, of a latch lever
forming a self-adaptable locking engagement between the support and its guide pillar
and of a cord or equivalent means of acting on the latch lever and of raising and
turning the support substantially as specified.
Dated this 8th day of March 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.