Apparatus to be Applied. to Bicycles and the like to Prevent Theft of same
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus to be Applied. to Bicycles and the like to Prevent Theft of
same,
I, WALTER GRUDE, of No. 33, bei dem Strohhause, St. Georg, Hamburg,
Gormany, Merchant, 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 of an apparatus for preventing the theft of bicycles and
the like. An apparatus according to this invention which can be readily applied
to any cycle comprises two plates which are normally closed upon each other
and which when opened out display an inscription together with an explanatory
notice to the public, so that the description thus displayed will betray any person
making away with the cycle as a cycle thief because he is not able to undo the
fastening which keeps the plates in their open position, and thus he cannot
replace the plates into their normal closed position in which the inscription is not
visible.
This invention may be carried out in various ways:-
One way of carrying it out is illustrated by way of example in the accom-
panying drawings in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a plan of the theft-preventing apparatus in its closed position fixed
to part of a cycle.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a bicycle provided with the theft-preventing
apparatus which is shewn closed.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the bicycle, showing the apparatus opened to
prevent theft.
As shewn the theft-preventing apparatus comprises two plates a and b con-
nected together by means of a hinge c or the like and hereinafter termed respec-
tively the fixed plate and the movable plate. The outer surfaces of these plates
may, for the purpose of providing greater strength and giving a more elegant
appearance to the same be fluted, ribbed or otherwise ornamented. For the
purpose of fixing the apparatus to the bicycle, the moveable plate a has attached
to it a clip-piece or strap d to which is hinged another clip-piece or strap f pro-
vided with screwthreaded pins y beyond which the strap has fixed to it a lock h
The pins of the strap f are adapted to pass through slots or holes in the
strap d, so that on screwing up the nuts which are preferably adapted to be
operated solely by means of a box spanner, the straps d and fare pressed towards
each other so as to clamp the whole apparatus firmly on the front fork or other
convenient part of the frame of the bicycle. On the outer surface of the move-
able plate are provided hooked bolts which are adapted to engage in the
sockets or apertures m of the lock when the plate 6 is opened out. Uninten-
tional opening of the plates is prevented by any suitable device conveniently by
means of a spring catch n which engages with a part of the fixed plate a.
The lock may be of any suitable construction, and can be opened by means of
its proper key inserted through the key hole p which is situated in the top of the

page_text: lock. The apparatus cannot be detached from the bicycle whilst it is in the
locked position because the plate 6 in this position (shown in dotted lines in
Figure 2) covers the nuts i.
The mode of operation of this apparatus is as follows:-When the owner
desires to use liis bicycle, he closes the plates a and b on to each other (Figures 2
and 3) and ho secures them against unintentional opening by means of the
spring catch 1.
If he should now have to leave the bicycle unattended, he opens the
catch turns the moveable plate b into the open position indicated in dotted lines
in Figures 1 and 2, whereby the retaining bolts are caused to engage in tho
lock h, so that now the inner surface of the plates a and b bearing the inscription
becomes visible. The plate can now be turned back only by opening the lock h
by means of its proper key. The inscription on the plates ab may vary in
style. A suitable inscription would comprise the words "Stop thief" (or in
German Rad-Dieb") with the owner's name and address. Should the owner
forget to turn back the plate & into its closed position, he can always prove his
ownership by producing the key of the lock, whilst a cycle thief on seeing the
plate with the inscription displayed on the bicycle will' hesitate to steal the cycle
for fear of immediate betrayal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
1. For preventing the theft of bicycles and the like, an apparatus attached to
the bicycle or the like adapted to display a warning notice when opened out,
and to be locked in said opened out position, the arrangement being such that
the apparatus can only be closed to conceal the warning notice by means of the
proper key of the lock, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for preventing the theft of bicycles and the like of the kind
referred to in the preceding claim, the combination of a plate adapted to be fixed
to the cycle or the like and a moveable plate hinged to the aforesaid plate, with a
lock, the arrangement being such that the moveable plate can be locked in its
opened out position to display a warning notice inscribed on the inner sides of
the plates, substantially as described and shown.
3. In apparatus for preventing the theft of bicycles and the like, of the kind
referred to in Claim 1, a clip for fixing the apparatus to the cycle or the like,
comprising two straps of which one ends in a lock and is provided with screw
bolts or the like, that engage in slots or holes or the like in the other strap and
are fitted with nuts for clamping the two straps together in such a manner that
the clamping nuts cannot be unscrewed whilst the plates are in the opened out
position, substantially as described and shown.
4. The improved apparatus for preventing the theft of cycles and the like, con-
structed, arranged and operating substantially as described and shown.
Th
T1 1900
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.