An Improvement in Bicycles and Tricycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Bicycles and Tricycles.
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 an improved support or forward abutment for the
shoulders of the rider of a bicycle or tricycle of the kind described in the
Specification of previous Letters Patent granted to me dated the 24th day of
April 1894 and numbered 8143, and having for object to promote the development
of the rider's chest and by affording an abutment for the rider's body enable much
greater power available for propulsion to be developed both by the muscles of the
legs and by those of the body which are thereby brought into play so as to
co-operate with and supplement those of the legs.
In my former patent the appliance was also adapted to control the steering of
the machine, but in the present example this purpose is not aimed at, the steering
by means of the ordinary handle bar being performed independently of the
shoulder abutment which in this instance does not necessarily participate in the
steering motion.
The object of the present improvements is to provide improved means of
adjustment for the shoulder support or abutment and to enable it to be turned
down round or over out of the way when not required.
To this end the abutment appliance is mounted on a spindle pivoted in or on the
steering fork spindle or steering head so that the one is free to turn independently
of the other and it is made adjustable as to height by being made as a cylindrical
rack or otherwise and gearing with an adjusting pinion which is self-locking or
otherwise so as to support the abutment spindle firmly at any height at which it
may be placed. For this purpose the pinion axis is free to slide longitudinally
without disengaging the pinion from the rack and is forced by a spring into
endwise engagement with fixed teeth forming a sort of clutch carried by the
bracket or casing in which the pinion is mounted and from which it must be
forcibly disengaged by overcoming the spring in order to effect the adjustment.
The forked upper frame carrying the crutch-like shoulder supports is made of a
width to suit the breadth of the shoulders and it may either be in one with the rack
spindle and be backwardly curved so as to bring the shoulder supports into proper
position or as described in my former patent the forked frame may be carried by a
rod inclined fore and aft and formed also as a rack sliding through a socket and
adjusted by a similar self-locking pinion so that in this case two separate adjust-
ments are provided one in the direction of height and one in the fore and aft
direction. In either case a binge joint may or may not be provided between the
forked frame and the rod which carries it so as to enable the shoulder supports to
be folded over towards the front and out of the way when not required to be used,
the joint being immovable when straightened out or provided with means of locking
it rigidly when the shoulder support is in the operative position..

page_text: The invention also comprises the application of the herein described self-locking
pinion and rack adjustment to the saddle pillar in lieu of the clamp now used.
Dated this 12th day of June 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 a cyclist's shoulder abutment of the kind described in
the Specification of previous Letters Patent granted to me dated the 24th day of.
April 1894 and numbered 8143 having for object to afford a point of resistance for
the rider's shoulders to bear against in such a manner as to enable the muscles of
the body to be brought more efficiently into play so as to co-operate with and
supplement those of the legs for the purpose of propulsion, the abutment by
counteracting the tendency to stoop, ensuring an erect carriage of the rider's body
and promoting the development of the chest muscles and the healthy action of the
organs of the body.
The apparatus forming the subject of my former patent was also designed to
control the steering of the machine but in the present example the steering is
performed by means of the ordinary handle bar in the usual way independently of
the shoulder abutment which does not participate in the steering motion although
it is free to swivel in order to accommodate itself to the inflections of the body in
riding and steering.
The object of the present improvements is to permit of this independent swivelling
motion of the abutment, to provide improved means of adjustment in order to adapt
the abutment to suit the requirements of the rider, and to enable the abutment to
be turned over out of the way when not required.
These improvements will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation representing the abutment in position
for use and also (in dotted lines) as turned over out of the way when not required,
parts being in section to shew details of the adjustments which are shewn separately
in Figures 23 4. Figure 5 shews a modification.
The abutment appliance consists of a pair of crutch-like supports A (padded if
desired) which are adapted by their form and position to receive a forward thrust
from the rider's shoulders. These supports A are pivoted at a in the tubular ends
of a fork B to which they are connected by springs a' suitably attached whereby
the supports A are held normally in one position whilst free to swivel to a limited
extent. The fork B is carried by a rod CC¹ inclined in the fore and aft direction
and sliding through a socket D. This socket D is pivoted at J on a spindle E
received in a socket in the handle bar spindle F or in or attached to the head of
the frame so that the one is free to turn independently of the other. This
independence and also the adjustment as to height of the apparatus as a whole,
when such adjustment is required, is provided for by making the spindle E as a
cylindrical rack with which gears an adjusting pinion G. This pinion is self-
locking in order to support the spindle E firmly at any height, and for this purpose
the pinion axis is free to slide longitudinally in its journal bearings sufficiently to

page_text: allow of the pinion being moved in and out of endwise engagement with fixed
teeth g forming a sort of clutch carried by the adjacent journal bearing, as shewn
in Figure 4, the pinion being of such breadth as to always remain in gear with the
rack and being forced into locking engagement with the teeth by a spring gl
which must be overcome in order to disengage the pinion and effect the vertical
adjustment of the rack spindle E. In addition to this adjustment for height of the
apparatus as a whole, the joint J permits of self-adjustment of the shoulder
supports A in the upward direction whilst being in the form of a knee joint it
maintains them at a minimum height.
The forked frame B may be made to suit the average breadth of the shoulders
or its members may be jointed on a common centre 6 to the part C¹ of the rod C,
as shewn, and be made adjustable for width by a nut 6' screwing on a rod connected
to a sliding collar 62 which is in turn connected to the fork members by links 63.
The part C of the inclined fore and aft rod is of square or other section adapted to
prevent it turning in its socket and it is formed as a rack with which gears a
pinion H so that besides the joint J two separate rack adjustments are provided for
the shoulder supports, one by the pinion G in the direction of height and one by
the pinion H in the fore and aft direction.
Instead of the rod C being of square section, as shewn, it might be of round
section with a longitudinal key or feather, sliding in a corresponding keyway in
the socket to prevent it turning, the feather being cut as a rack for engagement by
the pinion H.
The pinion H is self-locking by a clutch-like engagement with fixed teeth h in
its casing, the pinion being journalled to slide longitudinally and pressed into
engagement with the teeth by a spring h'. The members C C' of the rack rod
are pivotally jointed at I to enable the forked frame B and shoulder supports A to
be folded over towards the front, as represented in dotted lines, so as to be out of
the way when not required to be used, a further forward folding motion in the
direction of the arrow; being permitted by the joint J. The joint I being also in
the form of a knee joint supports the member C' in line with the member C and
the two act as a rigid rod under compression without needing any means of locking
them when the shoulder support is in the operative position.
The adjustment for height may, in some cases, be dispensed with, the spindle E
then being plain and provided with a shoulder resting on the top of the socket in
which it turns, as shewn in Figure 5.
The invention also comprises the application of the herein described self-locking
pinion and rack adjustment to the saddle pillar in lieu of the clamp now used, the
pillar and its socket being made of a suitable sectional form or provided with a
longitudinal feather to prevent turning of the pillar in the socket, the pillar or its
feather being cut as a rack for engagement by the pinion which is made self-locking
as above described in respect of the pinions G and H.
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 shoulder abutment or support consisting of a crutch
carrying fork mounted on an inclined fore and aft rack rod knee jointed so as to be
capable of folding over forwards and yet be rigid when in operative position
substantially as specified.
2. The herein described shoulder abutment or support consisting of a crutch
carrying fork mounted on an inclined fore and aft rack rod knee jointed and fitted
to slide without turning, in a socket, in combination with a self-locking adjusting
pinion, the socket of the rack bar being carried by a spindle free to turn in the
handle bar spindle substantially as specified.
3. The herein described shoulder abutment or support consisting of a crutch
carrying fork mounted on an inclined fore and aft rack rod knee jointed and fitted
to slide without turning, in a socket, in combination with a self-locking adjusting

page_text: pinion, the socket of the rack bar being carried by a spindle free to turn in the
handle bar spindle, the said spindle being formed as a cylindrical rack and
combined with a self-locking adjusting pinion substantially as specified.
4. In a bicycle or tricycle the combination, with a sliding rack rod and with its
guide socket, of an adjusting pinion constantly in gear with the rack but free to
slide in its journal bearings and of a fixed clutch adapted to engage by the pinion
and a spring forcing the pinion into engagement therewith as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.