Improved Bicycle for Use on Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1396-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
TAVY IDIONAL DI MUTLICATIVA.
Improved Bicycle for Use on Railways.
I JOHN ROSE of No. 1 Kensington Gate London Barrister-at-Law do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
A bicycle made to run on the rail of an ordinary railway.
Each of the two wheels of this bicycle has a steel tyre with a rim between two
flanges of such shape and size as to fit on to a railway rail of the common width, s0
that when the wheel is put on the rail the rim of the wheel at the point of contact.
will rest on the head of the rail and one flange will be on each side of the rail to
keep the wheel on the rail. The wheels are placed in line one before the other and
fastened together by bars supporting a seat for the rider and pedals or a motor as.
in a road-bicycle, but the wheels of the rail bicycle are held straight by the bars
and, inasmuch as it must follow the course of the rail on which it runs, it is.
without the moveable bar and' handles by which the direction of a road bicycle is.
changed.
The rider keeps his equilibrium by balancing himself, and, having handles to
manage, may carry, if needed, a cane in his hand to touch the ground in order to.
regain his equilibrium when lost.
The rail bicycle will be useful to railway servants examining or mending the
permanent way or communicating with stations, and to other persons.
Dated the Thirteenth day of November A.D. 1895.
I, JOHN ROSE of No. 1 Kensington Gate, Loudon, Barrister-at-Law, 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:
A bicycle made to run on the rail of an ordinary railway.
Each wheel of this bicycle has a steel tyre with a rim between two flanges of
such shape and size as to fit on to a railway rail of the common width so that when
the wheel is put on the rail the rim of the wheel at the point of contact will rest on
the tread of the rail and one flange will be on each side of the rail to keep the.
wheel on the rail. The wheels are placed one before the other and fastened together
by bars supporting a seat for the rider and pedals or a motor as in a road bicycle,
but the wheels of the rail bicycle are held straight by the bars and inasmuch as it.
must follow the course of the rail on which it runs, it is without the movable bar-
and handles by which the direction of a road bicycle is changed. The rider keeps.
his equilibrium by balancing himself and having no handles to manage, may
carry if needed, a cane in his hand to touch the ground in order to regain his
equilibrium when lost.
The rail bicycle will be useful to railway servants examining or mending the.
permanent way or communicating with stations and to other persons.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention:-
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of one of the wheels.
In both views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The wheels.A, A have rims or felloes a of a channel section to adapt them to
run on the permanent way of railways, the side flanges.a¹ a¹ of the rim or felloe
being adapted to run on either side of the rail. The wheels are constructed on the
suspension principle in the well-known manner the spokes being preferably connected
to the rim alternately. at each side of the groove-therein. The wheels are mounted
on axles carried by a rigid frame B shaped to support a saddle C and a pedal-crank
axle D both mounted in the ordinary manner. Motion is imparted from 'the
pedal-crank axle to the driving wheel by a chain and sprocket wheels in the well-
known manner.
As both wheels are mounted in the rigid frame there is no steering device, but a
small handle bar-not shown on the drawing-may be employed if desired to assist
the rider to maintain his equilibrium.
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
olaim is :-
(1.) A bicycle for travelling on the permanent way of railways, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2.) A bicycle having both wheels mounted in the same rigid frame and the
wheels of which have channelled rims or felloes, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. É.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.