Improved Locking Apparatus for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Locking Apparatus for Cycles.
We, ERNST SCHAEFER and PAUL KLOSE, both of Oberstrasse, Sorau Nieder-Lausitz,
in the German Empire, Druggists, 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 relates to a locking apparatus for cycles which possesses the advantage
over other apparatus of the same kind heretofore in use, that it is much easier to
manipulate and is easily applied to any existing cycle without the least alteration
in the construction of the machine. The improved locking apparatus is constructed
with a double arrangement of springs, one of which is for the purpose of causing the
locking bolt to fall out of the way automatically when the lock is unfastened while
the other enables the locking bolt to be drawn out to enable its end to be introduced
into a corresponding opening in the lock. The locking apparatus may be applied
either to the front or back wheel forks, or to both if desired.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates the invention as applied to the
fork of the front wheel of a cycle.
Figure is a side view showing the application of the improved locking apparatus
to the fork of the front wheel.
Figure 2 is a front view, partly in section, of the apparatus in the locked position,
that is to say locking the front wheel.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the apparatus, and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, to a larger scale than Figures 1, 2 and 3, of the
lock or latch forming part of the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of the following arrangements :-
a and b are two clamps carrying respectively a locking bolt and a fastening lock or
latch. These clamps a and bare provided with lugs and screw bolts c and d by means.
of which they can be fixed securely to the arms of the fork.
The lock or latch connected with the clamp a consists as usual of an outer case e,
in which is arranged a suitably guided latch bolt g acted on by a spring f and operated
by a key h, which may be of more or less complicated construction according to the
degree of security desired.
The locking bolt of the apparatus is connected, as above stated, with the clamp b
and the arrangement of this locking bolt is best seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the
drawings. The clamp 6 carries the two lugs 61 and 62 connected with which is the
tubular part i of the locking bolt, the same being pivotted to them by the pin j.
Round the pin j is wound a spiral spring k, one end of which is fixed to the clamp b
and the other end to the tubular part i. Inside the tube i is arranged a rod
having at its rear end a piston m, and at its front end a collar n and a head o,
a space being left between the collar and the head o into which the front
bevelled end of the latch bolt g can enter. The front end of the tube is
provided with a cover plate i¹, and between this cover plate and the piston m is a
spring p encircling the rod l. The case of the lock is furnished with an opening o¹
through which the head o of the locking bolt can be introduced.

page_text: The manipulation and action of the apparatus are as follows:-
The locking bolt, which when unlocked is held by the spring k in the vertical
position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, that is to say parallel to the arm of the
fork, is raised by h and into the horizontal position shown by full lines in Figure 2,
when it is desired to lock the wheel, so that it passes between two adjacent spokes
of the wheel. Then, by means of two fingers, preferably the middle and forefinger,
the head o is drawn out, whereby the spring p between the piston m and the cover
plate is compressed, and the head o of the bolt can then be passed through the
opening o¹ in the casing e. The rounded front of the head o is thereby pressed against
the bevelled front end of the latch bolt g pushing the latter backwards; then when
the head o has been pushed far enough into the casing the said latch bolt g springs
into the space between the collar n and head o so as to hold the locking bolt securely
in the locked position.
By these means the front wheel is locked so that it cannot be turned round, and it
then only remains to remove the key h to prevent any unauthorized person using the
machine, and to make it difficult for anyone to steal it. In the above described
operation of locking it is quite unnecessary to use the key, and consequently to leave
it in the lock, because as above explained the latch bolt g acts automatically. In
practice it is best to carry the key always in a pocket of the dress usually employed
by the rider, or the key may be connected to the dress by means of a chain or string
to prevent it being lost.
In order to unlock the wheel it is only necessary to draw back the latch bolt g by
means of the key h, the spring p then immediately draws the piston m and rod / back
so that the head o comes clear of the opening of and the whole locking bolt, including
the tubular part i, is returned into the vertical position shown in dotted lines
Figure 2, by means of the spring k.
It will be understood from the above description that the manipulation of the
apparatus is extremely simple.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
First. Locking apparatus for locking the front or hind wheels of cycles, which
consists of clamps a and b which can be readily fixed to or removed from the forked
parts of the machine, a locking bolt pivotted to the clamp 6 and acted upon by a
spring which tends always to place the locking bolt vertical or parallel to the arm
of the fork, the said locking bolt being furnished at its front end with a spring actuated
head, adapted to be inserted into the case e of a lock of suitable construction con-
nected with the clamp a, and to be locked therein by means of a spring actuated
latch bolt g; the various parts being arranged and adapted in such manner that the
locking bolt, when introduced into the lock or latch case, is locked therein auto-
matically by the aforesaid latch bolt, and that when the locking bolt is released from
the lock or latch it is returned automatically into the vertical position parallel to
the arm of the fork, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Second. Apparatus for locking the front or hind wheels of cycles, constructed and
operating substantially as described.