Improved Appliance for Locking the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other such Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1891--Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliance for Locking the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles,
and other such Machines.
I LESLIE WARD LEE of The Vicarage Bilston Staffordshire Iron Merchant &c.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A suitable lock is rivetted soldered or otherwise fastened to one end of a rod or
band of iron brass or other metal, preferably tempered steel, which rod or band is
bent somewhat into the shape of a horse shoe and at its other end the linking or
catch plate of the lock is fastened face to face with the lock itself. The horse shoe
rod or band is affixed on to one or more suitable parts of a bicycle tricycle or other
vehicle of this class, preferably in a safety bicycle, for instance, one to the brake,
and one to the mud guard of the back wheel so that the horse shoe band or rod
hangs freely each side of the wheel and does not interfere with its revolution until
it is desired to lock or fasten the wheel or wheels so that the machine cannot be
removed or stolen then the lock is simply sprung to and so by locking the band
between the spokes it prevents all movement until with the proper key the lock is
unfastened.
2 T 1
1000
LESLIE WARD LEE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improved Appliance for Locking the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles,
and other such Machines.
I LESLIE WARD LEE of The Vicarage Bilston in the County of Stafford
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my 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 consists of the improved appliance hereinafter described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings for locking the wheels of bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes.
The said locking appliance consists essentially of a strip or band of iron brass
or other elastic metal or alloy preferably of hardened and tempered steel bent or
doubled at its middle somewhat into the form of a horse shoe; that is the locking
appliance consists of two nearly parallel spring arms or branches joined by a semi-
circular bend. The free end of one of the spring arms or branches has rivetted or
otherwise fastened to its inner face a lock and the free end of the other spring arm
or branch has a linking or catch plate or eye rivetted or otherwise fixed to its inner
face opposite to the lock. By means of the lock described the free ends of the two
branches of the locking apparatus can be fastened together or unfastened from one
another. When unfastened their free ends spring asunder.
The locking appliance is affixed to a portion of the bicycle or velocipede near
the wheel with which it is to be used. For example it may be affixed to the mud
guard of a safety bicycle or to the brake of the front wheel the branches of the
locking appliance when in their normal position hanging freely on each side of the
wheel and not interfering with the rotation of the wheel until it is desired to lock
or fasten the wheel for the purpose of preventing the velocipede being removed or
stolen. For locking the wheel it is only necessary to bring the free ends of the
branches of the appliance together by passing them between the spokes when the
catch plate on one of the branches snaps into or engages with the spring bolt of

page_text: the lock on the other branch thereby locking the appliance between the spokes
and preventing rotation in the wheel until the appliance is unfastened by unlocking
the lock by a key.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a safety bicycle to the mud guard of the
back wheel of which a locking appliance constructed according to my invention is
affixed:
Figure 2 represents in side elevation a portion of the said back wheel and the
appliance drawn to a larger scale and
Figures 3 and 4 represent cross sections of the same; Figure 3 exhibiting the
locking appliance closed and fastened for locking the wheel and Figure 4 the same
unfastened and opened for releasing the wheel. In Figure 3 the inner faces of
the free ends of the appliance are also shown.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
C
a is the back wheel of the safety bicycle and 6 is the mud guard of the same;
c, c², is the locking appliance secured to the mud guard b by the sheet metal
clip d the ends of which are bent around the edges of the mud guard and under its
inner face as seen in Figures 3 and 4. I do not however limit myself to any
particular way of securing the locking appliance to the mudguard or other part of
the velocipede. For example it may be secured to the mudguard by the ornamental
heade of the appliance; is the lock rivetted to the inner face of the free end of
the elastic branch and is the catch plate or eye rivetted on the inner face of
the free end of the elastic branch e for engaging with the spring bolt of the lock f.
I do not limit myself to the particular kind of lock represented. It will be seen by
an examination of Figure 4 that the semi-circular bend of the locking appliance
seats itself on the convex upper face of the mudguard b and is fixed to the said
mudguard by the clip d the branches of the locking appliance hanging freely
in their normal position on each side of the wheel a so as not to interfere with the
rotation of the said wheel. When it is wished to lock the wheel the lower free
ends of the two branches c, c² are passed between the spokes and brought together
so that the catch plate or eye g on the branch c snaps into or engages with the
spring bolt of the lock fon the other branch c³ and fastens the said branches as
illustrated in Figure 3. The rotation of the wheel a and hence its travelling is
.prevented. To release the locking appliance the lock is unlocked by means of
the key. On unfastening the lock the ends of the branches c, separate by their
elasticity as seen in Figure 4 and the wheel is released and can perform its
travelling motion.
C
Although I prefer to apply the locking appliance immediately under the seat yet
it may be fixed to the mudguard under the seat post. The locking appliance may
also be secured to the brake of the front wheel.
In ordinary bicycles the locking appliance may be secured to the mudguard
immediately under the seat or to the brake but my improved locking appliance
may be secured to any convenient fixed part of the bicycle or velocipede which
will enable it to lock the wheel near which it is situated in the manner hereinbefore
described.
For greater security two or more of the locking appliances may be applied to
one or more wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention :-
The improved appliance for locking the wheels of bicycles tricycles and other
such machines herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings ;
that is to say a locking appliance consisting of two nearly parallel elastic arms or
branches connected together and suspended from the mudguard or other convenient
fixed part of the bicycle or velocipede so that the said arms or branches will hang
freely in their normal position on each side of the wheel to be locked, the free ends

page_text: of the said arms or branches being provided with a lock or locking mechanism for
locking them together between the spokes of the wheel when it is required to lock
the said wheel substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the 24th day of March 1891.
LESLIE WARD LEE.