A Rain Guard or Apron Attachment for Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1897
1000
A Rain Guard or Apron Attachment for Cycles.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY, of the Firm of Joseph Riley and Sons, of Corpora-
tion Street, in the City of Birmingham, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an attachable and detachable guard or shield, adapted
to be secured or carried upon the front part of a cycle in wet weather for the
purpose of protecting the legs and lower part of the body of the rider from rain,
and which admits of being easily attached, and removed from a machine and
folded up into a small compass when not required for use.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I take a sheet of light waterproof
material such as mackintosh silk or the like, of any suitable shape but cleft or
divided upwards from the middle of its lower edge to form a clearance for the front
wheel. This apron or waterproof guard is secured at its top edge to the handle
bar of the machine by a number of ebonite or other spring clips carried by it
and springing over the said bar, whilst the edges of the cleft part lie along the
front fork sides and the lower extremities are secured by hooks, clips or other
means to the ends of the front wheel axle, or to suitable parts of the forks, or
even to downward or forward extensions of the same where an increased area of
protection is desired.
A clearance is made in the apron for the lamp bracket on the ball head to
project through, and the sides or edges of the sheet, which may be stiffened by
wires or otherwise, if required, may be cut either parallel with one another or to
incline inwardly. In the former case, the bottom edges of the apron would be
stiffened or provided with stretchers or supplementary supports of sufficient
strength to prevent the guard being collapsed by wind pressure.
The summit of the cleft may be stiffened, if required, to preserve the shape of
the same and if necessary, both the top and sides of the cleft part may be secured
or fastened to the fork side or to the fork crown.
The supplementary or extension framing preferably have parts arranged to take
into sockets carried by clips or washers threaded on the ends of the wheel spindle
or attached to a suitable part of the framing.
1007

page_text: A Rain Guard or Apron Attachment for Cycles.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY, of the Firm of Joseph Riley and Sons, of Corpora-
tion Street, in the City of Birmingham, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention consists in an attachable and detachable guard or shield, adapted
to be secured or carried upon the front part of a cycle in wet weather for the
purpose of protecting the legs and lower part of the body of the rider from rain,
and which admits of being easily attached and removed from a machine and
folded up into a small compass when not required for use.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a front elevation of one form
of my improved detachable rain-proof weather guard applied to the front of a
safety bicycle in such a manner as to protect the riders legs from rain, mud or
the like.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the said rain or weather guard or apron attachment,
separately, and
Figure 3 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, one form of means which I propose
to employ for the purpose of connecting the lower end of the apron to the cycle.
Figure 5 is an edge view of Figure 4.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
The form of weather guard represented in the aforesaid figures consists of a
sheet of light waterproof material (such as macintosh silk or the like) a, made of
a triangular figure, or of any other suitable shape approximating thereto, but cleft
or divided upwards at a', from the middle of its lower edge to form a clearance for
the front wheel b, of a bicycle. This apron or waterproof guard is secured at its top
edge a², to the handle bar b', of the machine by a number of ebonite or other spring
clips c, carried by it and springing over the said bar and also by elastic loops d,
adapted to be passed over the handles 62, whilst the edges of the cleft part lie along
the front fork sides 63, and the lower extremities are secured by loops or rings e,
being engaged over hooks f¹, carried by and preferably formed integrally with the
washers f, which are slipped onto the ends of the front wheel axle 4, outwards of
the fork sides and are there secured by the lock nuts 65, but I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to this particular connection, as the lower
termination of the apron may be attached to other suitable parts of the front forks,
or even to downward or forward extensions of the same where an increased area
of protection is desired.
A clearance is made in the apron at a³, for the lamp bracket 66, on the ball head
to project through, and the sides or edges of the sheet, which may be stiffened by
wires or otherwise, if required, may be cut either parallel with one another instead
of inclining inwardly towards one another as shown, in which case, the bottom
edges of the apron would be stiffened or provided with stretchers or supplementary
supports of sufficient strength to prevent the guard being collapsed by wind
pressure.
The summit of the cleft may be stiffened if required, to preserve the shape of
the same and if necessary, both the top and sides of the cleft part may be secured
or fastened to the fork side or to the fork crown.
The framings for supporting the supplementary or extension portions of the

page_text: guard or apron preferably have parts arranged to take into sockets carried by clips
or washers threaded on the ends of the wheel spindle or attached to a suitable
part of the framing.
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:
First A detachable weather guard for cycles, consisting of a sheet of water-
proof or other suitable material, stretched at the front of the machine and supported
between the handle bars and a part of a cycle framing, or an attachment thereto.
Secondly: A detachable weather guard for cycles, consisting of a suitably
shaped and cleft sheet of waterproof material, connected at its upper edge by
clips, elastic loops or other means and at its lower end by suitable connections to
the spindle of the front wheel, or to lower parts of the steering forks, substantially
as described and set forth.
1
01 of Wohr 1898
WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.