An Improvement in the Construction of Bicycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Construction of Bicycles.
WILLIAM CHARLES MANNING Architect of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the addition of certain adjustable supports with wheels at
the feet whereby a bicycle may remain upright when stationary and also to minimise
the risk of the bicycle falling over when ridden by ladies and beginners.
Dated this 24th day of July 1895.
WILLIAM CHARLES MANNING.
An up in the Construction of Bicycles.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES MANNING, of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk, Architect,
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 this invention is to provide bicycles with adjustable supports having
wheel feet which can be brought down on to the ground when required thus minimising
the risk of the bicycle falling over when driven slowly or when ridden by ladies and
beginners, and serving to keep it upright when stationary.
In the accompanying drawings I have shewn my invention as applied to a rear
chain driven safety bicycle. Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively side and rear elevations,
and Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view. The same letters
of reference where they occur in the several figures are used to denote the same or
corresponding parts.
The adjustable support shewn in the drawings is made as a frame A surrounding
the rear wheel B and furnished with horizontal spindles C C¹ on the ends of which
are the rubber-tyred wheels D D¹ free to rotate over the said spindles. The frame A
is carried by the radia! arms E E', one on each side, whose upper ends are loose on
the rear-axle F or on pivot pins secured to the rear fork G so as to turn about said
rear axle F or pivot pins as a centre. The forward part of the frame A is secured
to the springs H H¹ whose other ends are attached to the rear fork G. The power of
these springs is such that they normally hold the frame in the rearwardly raised
position shewn by the full lines in Fig. 1 so that the wheels D D' are clear of the
ground. On the front of the frame A is secured a rigid arm J which projects forward
and is connected at its forward extremity by a pivot pin K to a radial arm L having
a fixed centre of motion at m on the bottom tube M of the machine, (see Fig. 1). To
the arm L is pivotted one end of a link N the other end of which is pivotted to one
arm of a crank lever O centered at P on the bottom tube M. To the other end of the
said crank lever is pivotted a rod R which has an enlarged head or button r secured.
in the bulged end t of a tube T, or the rod and tube may be secured together by
means of a ball and socket or like joint, so that when the steering pillar U is turned
in steering, the tube T turns with it and rotates on a longitudinal axis over the rod R
(see Figs. 1 and 4). The tube T is furnished at the upper end with a fixed arm or
DQ17

page_text: handle W lying near the handle-bars X of the machine and within easy reach of the
rider's left hand. The brake mechanism, which is situated on the other side of the
machine, is omitted from the drawings to avoid complication. Y is a spring clip
or clutch of any suitable description, fixed on the handle-bar, into which the arm
or handle W is received when drawn up by the rider's left hand. a a and a¹ a¹ are
struts on the frame A and horizontal spindles C C¹.
The operation of the parts is as follows;-When the rider wishes to pull down the
frame A against the power of the springs H H¹ to bring the wheels D D¹ on to the
ground in the position shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, he raises the bar or
handle W close up to the handle-bar X thereby pushing down the tube T and the
rod R, turning the crank lever O on its fulcrum, and drawing the link N, radial
arm L, and fixed arm J forward, thus extending the springs H H and drawing the
frame A forward until the wheels D D¹ are on the ground. The clutch Y firmly
grips the handle W and holds the parts in this position. When the arm or handle W
is released from the clutch Y the springs H H' are sufficiently powerful to return
all the parts to the initial position. It will be understood that when the supporting
mechanism is in operation the machine is running on or is supported by three wheels
at the rear.
Although I have described and shewn my invention as applied to a rear chain-
driven bicycle it is applicable with slight modifications to all kinds of bicycles, and
may be fitted to machines in the course of construction or to those at present in
use. For convenience in fitting the mechanism to bicycles of various sizes and
patterns the parts may be made adjustable and may be varied in construction to meet
requirements.
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. For bicycles, a support for the rear consisting of a support frame connected by
means of springs to the frame of the machine and carrying two wheel feet one on
each side of the machine which are normally held clear of the ground by the springs
aforesaid, lever mechanism connected to said support frame, and pivotted to the
machine and operated by a handle near the ordinary handle bars thereof, whereby
said wheel feet can be brought down on to the ground against the power of the
springs aforesaid substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and for the purpose stated.
2. In bicycle supporting mechanism of the kind indicated in the preceding claim,
connecting the lever mechanism on the steering pillar to the lever pivotted on the
bottom tube of the machine, in such a manner as to allow for the turning of the
steering pillar substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1896.
F. W. GOLBY,
36 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.