Improvements in and connected with Bicycles to be Made Portable by Folding.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bicycles to be Made Portable
by Folding.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PERCIVAL, of Claremont Villa, St. Mary's Terrace,
Paddington in the County of London Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in, and connected with bicycles. The
object being to make portable the machine so that it may be more readily
stored in the house, also more compact when being conveyed by rail or sea.
To perform this, I divide the frame and insert suitable hinges and having a sliding
tube to cover same so as to make it as strong as before, or by any other suitable
means.
I also make the handles to fold in a similar way by hingeing the bars, and a
locking bar to cover same, so as to make them fast.
Dated this 21st day of October 1895.
LE FEVRE & Co.,
26 Budge Row, E.C., Agents.
Improvements in and connected with Bicycles to be Made Portable
by Folding.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PERCIVAL, of Claremont Villa, St. Mary's Terrace,
Paddington, in the County of London, Civil Engineer, 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:-
The object of my invention is to make bicycles of the class known as "safeties"
more readily portable by folding and to render them more compact for storage at
home or for conveyance by rail, sea and otherwise.
For this purpose I divide the frame of the safety bicycle in a vertical line
between the two wheels and apply hinges thereto in such a manner as to bring the
wheels of the bicycle when folded, side by side.
In the accompanying drawings in which the same letters of reference indicate
similar parts in all the figures, I have shown two methods of construction by which
the desired result is obtained.
According to the method illustrated at Figures 1 to 8 I divide the frame of the
bicycle on a vertical line and between the two parts of the top tube a I insert a
double binge b. This hinge b turns in a horizontal plane on the hinge pins & b
and is of such length as to allow the wheels of the cycle to be folded up almost
parallel to each other as shown in plan at Fig. 2.
I also attach to the frame a tube a parallel to the top tube a which is divided
and provided with a double hinge of similar construction to that of the top
tube a. The hinged parts are shown on a larger scale at Figures 3 to 7 and
the broken lines in Fig. 3 indicate the relative position of such parts when the
bicycle is folded.

page_text: In order to enable the frame of the bicycle to be made rigid at the hinges and
to protect these parts I fit each tube a. a¹ with a split tube c which reaches at each
end a certain distance beyond the hinge over the solid tube as is more clearly
shown at Fig. 3. The ends of said split tube c are made conical and are screw
threaded.
The tubes a. a¹ are each fitted with a fixed ring or collar a³ provided with an
internal tapered screw thread corresponding to that on the ends of the split tube c
so that by screwing the said split tubes into the rings or collars a' they will be
tightened up against the tubing of the bicycle frame and around the hinges. The
opposite end of each split tube c of which Fig. 8 is a cross section is fitted with a
taper nut c' which by screwing on to the screw threaded conical end of the split
tube tightens this end of it against the tubing of the cycle frame.
The tube d of the cycle frame is divided on the same vertical line as that on
which the tubes a. a' are divided and it is secured and strengthened in the same
manner by a split tube c screwed at one end into a fixed ring or collar a³ with
internal taper screw threads and tightened at the other end by a taper screw
nut ở.
I would have it understood that the split tube placed over the hinges may be
tightened up by other means than those herein shown and described, such for
instance as ordinary clamping screws, eccentrics and the like.
Another method of constructing a folding bicycle is shown at Figures 9 to 28 as
applied to an ordinary safety bicycle and at Figures 28 and 29 applied to a "lady's"
safety bicycle.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation
Fig. 10 a plan, and Fig. 11 a front elevation of a safety bicycle with my inven-
tion applied thereto.
Fig. 12 is a plan partially folded and
Fig. 13 is a plan of the safety bicycle fully folded for storage or transport.
Figures 14 and 15 are respectively a side and a front elevation to a larger scale of
part of the frame of the bicycle showing the hinges fitted thereto.
Fig. 16 is a plan of the top hinge opened out, Figures 17 and 18 are plan views
of the two parts of the top hinge shown separately.
Figures 19 and 20 show respectively edge views of the parts shown at
Figures 17 and 18.
Figures 21 and 22 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the upper portion
of the lower hinge.
Figures 23 and 24 are similar views of the middle portion and Figures 25 and 26
are similar views of the lower portion of the same hinge.
The hinges are arranged at right angles to the direction of the frame of the
machine and the hinge pine is at a short distance from the side of said frame.
I also preferably employ a permanent upright hinge pin or bar e connecting the
upper and lower hinges together and a locking pin adapted to be removed for
folding the machine. The hinge pin or bar e is strong enough to bear all the strain
of the machine and the pin only serves for locking the two hinges and the frame
in position for riding.
The tubes a and d of the frame of the machine are each divided for the insertion
of the hinges which are centred as before in a vertical line and a tube a¹* parallel
to the top tube a is fitted to the lower part of the frame of the cycle to carry the
part of the lower hinge.
The preferred construction of the permanent upright or hinge pin or bar e with
a view to lightness is clearly shown by the vertical section Fig. 27. It should
however be mentioned that this bar e not merely serves as a hinge pin for both the
upper and lower hinges but forms a stay for the divided frame.
The various parts forming the upper and lower hinges shown separately to a larger
scale at Figures 17 to 26 are provided with sockets to fit and suit the direction of
the tubes a. a* and d of the cycle frame to which they may be fixed by brazing
or in any other preferred manner. The upper hinge consists of the parts g and h

page_text: fitted respectively with sockets g¹ h' and with drilled holes 9' 9' and h³ ³ for the
reception of the hinge pin or bar e and of the locking pin f
The lower hinge is comprised of the parts . j. k fitted respectively with
sockets and with drilled holes and k³k to receive the said hinge
pin or bar e and locking pin f
In order to facilitate the folding of the cycle without however making the hinges
unnecessarily long I place the sockets g'ijk by which they are fixed to the
frame nearest the locking pin f so that when the hinges are opened out there shall
be provided sufficient space for the wheels to be folded almost parallel with each
other.
The parts, as has been already intimated, are permanently jointed together by
the insertion of the upright or hinge pin or bar e which is secured at each
extremity by a screw nut el on the screw threaded ends of said bar and by a lock
nut or by a cross pin at the lower extremity for preventing the accidental
loosening and possible loss of the nut.
The locking pin f for securing the hinges in the closed up position is sufficiently
long to pass through both hinges for locking the cycle frame and is provided with
a round head 1 adapted to drop into a suitable recess 9' in the upper hinge as
shown at Figures 14, 15, 17, 19, 28 and 29 which latter is provided with a covering
plate 9 see Figures 16, 30, 31 turning on a screw pin 9" to cover the head f¹ of the
pin fand prevent the latter from working loose.
In some cases may adopt the form of pin head shown at Figures 32 and 33
which represent two views of the same drawn at right angles to each other. The
head as will be seen is in the form of a handle hinged to the upper part of the
pin and can be laid flat on the upper hinge where, if so desired, it may be secured
by any suitable means.
I prefer to construct the handle bar of the cycle with hinges so as to enable it to
be turned down each side at the head of the machine as shown at Figs. 12 and 13
and by broken lines at Fig. 11 and I also propose to secure the same in position
for use by means of split tubes secured over the joints in a similar manner to the
tubes c covering the hinges of the bicycle frame shown at Figures 1 to 8.
In applying my invention to "ladies'"" cycles I arrange the hinges in a similar
manner to that shown by Figures 9 to 15.
The upper and lower hinges are placed in the same vertical line and they are
provided with a hinge pin or bare to form the vertical pivot for both hinges and
with a locking pin fto lock them in position for riding.
In carrying the invention into practice I have been careful to adopt a con-
struction and arrangement of parts best calculated to retain the full carrying
strength of the bicycle but it is obvious that the details of the invention may be
somewhat varied to suit the special designs of machines.
It is also evident that the hinges would be constructed in such manner as to
cause the bicycle to be folded in the opposite direction that is to say with one part
folded against the chain and chain wheels.
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. A folding safety bicycle consisting of a divided frame and provided with
double hinges b. b secured to and forming continuation of the divided parts of the
frame and split tubes adapted to be placed over the said hinges for the purpose of
strengthening the frame and holding it in its locked position for riding substantially
as hereinbefore shown and described.
2. A folding safety bicycle for either men or ladies provided with hinges
arranged at right angles to the direction of the frame and connected together by
a hinge pin or bar e and locking pin f substantially as shown and described.
3. In a folding safety bicycle the combination with the divided top tube a of
the cycle frame provided with a double hinge of an additional tube a¹ arranged

page_text: parallel with said top tube and fitted with a similar double hinge whereby the
machine can be folded so as to bring the two wheels parallel or nearly so with each
other and level at the base or tread substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a folding safety bicycle the combination with hinges provided with sockets
for attachment to the frame of a permanent pivot common to both hinges. and
adapted to strengthen the divided bicycle frane substantially as herein shown
and described.
5. In a folding safety bicycle the combination therewith of hinges fitted with a
permanent hinge pin or bar and a locking pin common to both hinges and with
sockets for attachment to the tubes of the cycle frame arranged nearest the eye of
the locking pin whereby the two parts of the cycle frame, each carrying one of the
wheels, when folded are placed at a sufficient distance to enable the wheels to be
almost parallel to each other.
6. The folding bicycle substantially as herein set forth.
Dated August
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.