Improvements in or relating to Bicycles, more especially Bicycles adapted for use in Military Service.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
Improvements in or relating to Bicycles, more especially Bicycles
adapted for use in Military Service.
I, JAMES CALDWELL ANDERSON, of Young's Hotel, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor, 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 certain new and useful improvements in bicycle con-
struction, and it has for its general object to provide a bicycle specially adapted for
use in military service.
In bicycles of ordinary construction when used in military service it has been
found that the accoutrements and gun of the soldier have to be carried upon
the person of the rider, rendering it not only awkward for him to mount and
dismount the machine, but also seriously retarding the pedaling action and soon
fatiguing the rider. Another serious disadvantage attendant upon the ordinary
construction lies in the fact that when the rider dismounts from the machine for
the purpose of using his gun, he must either let his machine fall to the ground or
take the time and care necessary to place it in some suitable supported position,
and if he advances his machine is left behind him and is unavailable for immediate
re-use.
In addition to the general object of my invention as above stated, my invention
has for a further object to so construct a bicycle that the gun and accoutrements
of the rider may all be suitably disposed upon and carried by the frame of the
machine, the gun being so disposed in front of the rider, and the handle bars of.
the machine being of such construction that the rider on dismounting can grasp
and remove his gun and stepping in front of his machine can trail the latter in
an upright position behind him, or when occasion requires disconnect himself
entirely from the machine.
With these ends in view my invention consists in the peculiar details of
construction and arrangement hereinafter and more particularly described.
In order that those skilled in the art of bicycle construction may know how to make
my improved machine, and that those for whose purposes it is especially designed
may understand how to use the same, I will proceed to describe the construction
and mode of using my improved bicycle, referring by letters of reference to the
accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 represents a side view of one of my improved bicycles showing a
soldier's knapsack, canteen and gun secured in position upon the frame of the
machine.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view with the gun removed, and showing in dotted
lines the nosition of the knapsack and haversack.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear portion of the cycle frame with knap-
sack, haversack, canteen and blanket suitably supported in position.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged longitudinal section of the handle bar, showing a
section adapted to telescope with the handle bar.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same taken at the line x, x, of Fig. 4; and
Fig. Grepresents a side view of my bicycle as adapted to be driven with the
larger driving wheel in front and the smaller steering wheel in the rear.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
The frame proper of my improved military bicycle with the exception of the
supporting devices for the gun and accoutrements is substantially the same as
that described and claimed in another application filed by me, of even date here-
with, and numbered 18489 and as shown comprises a vertical rear fork A, an
oblique front tube B, constituting a support for the seat post, which also con-
stitutes the steering post. Said application also contemplates the reversal of the
machine so that while the function of the steering by the seat is maintained the
machine may be driven with the driving wheel in the lead and the steering wheel
carrying the seat in the rear. In the present application I have fully shown in
the drawings both methods of operating the machine. Reference being had
particularly to Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawing. The fork A and tube B are connected
at their lower ends by tubular braces C, and at their upper ends by a brace D),
and the power for driving the machine may consist of a chainless driving
mechanism consisting of a longitudinal rotatory shaft E connected with the hub
of the rear wheel and the crank axle by any suitable system of gearing, or the
ordinary chain and sprocket mechanism may be employed.
When the machine is driven with the driving wheel in the lead I use an internal
driving gear, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings in which U represents a
one piece steel forging carrying the driving mechanism U and pedals U2, the
cogs U3 of the gear being formed internally to mesh with the pinion V, fixed to
the driving wheel. The gear U being mounted in suitable ball bearings upon a
stud fixed to the frame of the machine in the rear of the pinion of driving wheel
and in such relation thereto that the internal gear will span over the pinion
forwardly, so that the driving shaft of the gear shall have its central axis in rear
of the pinion in substantially a horizontal plane with the wheel centre. This
location of the pedal shaft being essential in order to provide against headers by
locating the vertical centre of the driving wheel some little distance ahead of the
vertical line of the pedal shaft and at the same time providing proper axial rotation
of the driving wheel. It will be understood that while I have only shown and
described in this connection the driving mechanism of one side of the machine
that the arrangement for driving the wheel is duplicate on both sides of the
wheel.
The handle bars F are rigid and extend forwardly each side of the saddle post,
and the front wheel is guided and the machine steered by the saddle post through
the movement of the rider's body, all as fully set forth in my pending application
hereinbefore referred to.
A rectangular frame composed of the tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, is secured by brazing or
in any suitable manner to the rear of the frame proper, so as to constitute a rear-
ward continuation of the hollow handle bars F in order that the telescopic
sections G may be housed therein or drawn out as shown in dotted lines (sec
Fig. 2) and in order that this movement may take place and the telescopic sections
locked in place when distended or drawn out for the purpose hereinafter explained
the rear ends of the sections G are constructed as shown at Fig. 5, so that when slightly
rotated upon their axes the thickened portion of the rear ends of such sections Ġ
abut against the shoulders H, in the handle bars F and are thus rendered
stationary in their distended position, as is obvious, a reverse movement in a
rotary direction putting said sections in a position which will enable them to be
housed within the handle tubes, and the tubes 2 and 4 of the carrying frame.
The sections G are provided at their outer ends with rings or hooks a adapted to
interlock with corresponding hooks which may be attached to the cartridge belt of

page_text: the rider, so that as he dismounts forwardly from the machine the sections G
will be withdrawn from their housings and constitutes, as it were, shafts by which
the machine would be trailed behind, while the rider would have free use of his
body and limbs, and if the machine should be travelling on a down grade it is
preventing from creeping upon the dismounted rider by slightly rotating one or
both of the sections G so that the thickened portion of the inner end will abut
against the stationary stud or shoulder H on the interior of the handle bar, and
as before stated a reverse rotary movement of sections G will permit it to house
or conceal itself within the handle bar.
When the machine is to be operated with the small steering wheel in advance
as shown in the example Fig. 1, of the drawings, a gun support is secured rigidly
to the steering fork tube 33 at or near its lower end, consisting of a butt rest I,
rising from which is a vertical arm J, to the upper end of which is secured a spring
clip K. The butt rest is flanged as shown to prevent any lateral movement of
the butt of the gun, and the clip K grasp the stock just in rear of the breach and
holds the gun in a vertical position in front of the rider. As the spring arms of
the clip K are open or separated in front it will be seen that as the rider dis-
mounts he can grasp his gun and step down over the forward steering wheel,
and as he does so the telescope extensions G being hooked to his cartridge belt will
be pulled forward and sustain the bicycle in a vertical position, causing the
machine to be trailed behind the dismounted rider. If it becomes necessary at
any time for the machine to be entirely disassociated from the rider it will only
be necessary to disconnect the extensions G from the cartridge belt.
The design of the frame and the relatively sizes of the wheels as will be seen
is such that when the rider is mounted upon the saddle no part of the frame of the
machine is in front of him, and the gun support being below his crutch, and the
front wheel being of small diameter, he is perfectly free to dismount forwardly
as already described. This peculiarity of design or construction of the frame
constituting the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent of even
date is not claimed herein, and it will be understood that so far as my present
invention is concerned I do not wished to be limited to the exact design or con-
struction shown, so long as the same involves the absence of any frame or part of
the frame in front of the rider.
In the other example where the machine is driven with the larger or driving
wheel in advance of the rear guiding wheel, the gun is mounted in the gun
support Z adapted to fit the stock of the gun X, as clearly shown at Fig. 6, and at
the same time serve as a mud guard.
The rear of the support Z is pivotted at 7 to a clip 7 secured to the tube B
and is held in a horizontal position upon the bridge or pin 73 across the front
fork A, as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1. 7 is a flat spring secured by the
pivot in such a manner that it will hold the gun securely in place when in a
horizontal position or yield when the gun is swung up into the position shown
by dotted lines, in which position the gun is held by a pivotted plate or strap
(see Fig. 6).
In this application of my invention I make the driving wheel somewhat smaller
than the usual standard driving wheel of a bicycle, so as to permit the gun in
its horizontal position to come below the crutch of the rider and so facilitate the
mounting or dismounting of the rider over the gun and allow the rider to trail
the machine when desired astride the gun for a short distance and when long
distances are to be traversed in trailing the machine, the rider may readily
step from over the gun and adjust it in the position shown in dotted lines, so that
it may be out of the way at the back of the rider.
I do not wish to be limited to the form of this gun support, or to the particular
way in which it is connected with the rear tube of the frame so long as it is
capable of supporting the gun substantially in the position shown. Nor in the other
position do I wish to be limited to the exact details of construction in the gun
support, as I may employ any other suitable supporting device for the gun, so

page_text: long as it is arranged in front of the rider and enables the gun to be readily
released in a substantially forward direction, as previously described.
The auxiliary frame composed of the tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, as before stated, constitutes
a support for the knapsack L' and haversack M, which may be held in position by
flat hooks b secured thereto and adapted to hook over the frame as shown, or in
the absence of such hooks ordinary straps c may be secured to the frame to con-
stitute a swing into which the knapsack and haversack may be placed, the
canteen N being swung in any suitable manner from the knapsack. O is an
ordinary blanket secured in the usual manner to the knapsack.
The handle bars F are, as described in the application herein before referred to,
rigidly secured to the frame and the saddle post P is mounted upon the steering
fork, the machine being guided by the rider's body when turned in one or the
other direction by pulling upon the handle bars.
I have shown the auxiliary frame as rectangular in form as best adapted to con-
form to the knapsack, and haversack, and in order to give a greater length of
reciprocation of the handle bar sections G, but I do not wish to be confined to
this exact form as any other form which may be suitable for the purpose may be
employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.
As the frame of my improved bicycle and the arrangement of the handle bar is
such that the rider mounts from a position in advance of the saddle, it will be
readily seen that the location of the baggage in rear of the saddle can in nowise
affect the mounting and dismounting.
While I have shown the handle bars as extensible through the telescopic
sections G, it will be understood that the generic idea of so constructing a machine
that the rider when dismounted can without disassociating himself from the
machine trail the latter behind him and at the same time have perfect freedom
in his personal movements, may be accomplished by other constructions than that
shown, and it will therefore be understood that I may so construct the handle
bars that they shall be capable of extension forwardly; for instance, the handle
bars F may be jointed and adapted to fold and unfold, or if desired there may be
attached to the end of the handle bars or the frame what may be properly
denominated shafts" capable of forward extension; a lazy-tongs construction
would fairly illustrate the suggested idea.
66
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. In a bicycle for military purposes, the combination with the frame, and with
the handle bars secured to the frame in the rear of the saddle post and extending
forwardly, extensible devices connected with the handle bars and adapted to
constitute shaft like elongations of the same, whereby the bicycle may be trailed
behind a dismounted rider, as herein before set forth.
2. In a bicycle for military purposes, the combination with the frame A, B, C, D,
mounted upon a large rear wheel and a comparatively small front steering wheel,
a saddle mounted at the top of the front member of the frame, handle bars secured
to the frame in the rear of the saddle post and extending forwardly, a gun support
secured to the front member of the frame and adapted to hold the gun
vertical and removable position in advance of the rider and also in advance of
the handle bars, whereby the rider may dismount forwardly and at the same time
remove the gun from its support, as hereinbefore set forth.
in a
3. In combination with the tubular handle bars F, secured at their rear ends to
the frame of the bicycle, sections G, housed within the handle bars and adapted to
extend forwardly to constitute shafts by which the machine may be sustained in
a vertical position and trailed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a bicycle for military purposes, the combination with the frame, the
handle bars secured to the frame in rear of the saddle post, and extending for-
wardly, and extensible devices connected with the handle bars and constituting

page_text: shaft like prolongations of said handle bars, means secured to the forward ends of
the shaft like extensions and adapted to interlock with a belt worn by a dis-
mounted rider, whereby the bicycle may be trailed substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In combination the frame A, B, C, D, and rigid handle bars F, the auxiliary
baggage frame 1, 2, 3, 4, secured in position upon the main frame and in the same
horizontal plane with the handle bars, the side bars of the auxiliary frame
constituting rearward elongations of the handle bars, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
6. A military bicycle adapted to carry a soldier and his equipments and provided
with means whereby the machine is held in an upright position attached to and
trailed along. by the soldier when dismounted substantially as described.
7. A military bicycle embodying in its organization a short triangular
frame A, B, C. A front driving wheel a rear steering wheel an auxiliary baggage
frame 1, 2, 3, 4, a pivotal gun support in a horizontal or vertical position, as and
for the purpose set forth.
8. In combination with the frame A, B, C, a gun support Z pivotted to the
tube B of the frame and the spring % for holding the gun F within the support X
as hereinbefore set forth.
9. In combination with the frame A, B, C, and pivotted gun support Z, the
bridge pin, and strap substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. A bicycle embodying in its organization a short triangular frame A, B, C, a
front driving wheel, a rear steering wheel, and an internal driving gear having
its central axis in the rear of the center of the driving wheel and in the same
horizontal plane therewith. Said internal gear meshing with a pinion fixed
to the driving wheel substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 27th day of August 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.