Improvements in and relating to Supporting Devices and Driving Mechanism for Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Supporting Devices and Driving
Mechanism for Velocipedes.
I, GEORGE THOMAS MACKLEY, of Harrowfield, Eltham Road, Lee, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in velocipedes, and it consists in apply-
ing to a rear driving bicycle a pair of supporting wheels thereby making it a
machine of stable equilibrium, and of a novel form of driving gear whereby greater
steadiness is obtained.
In carrying out my invention I take an ordinary rear-driving bicycle without the
ordinary pedal-crank axle rotary driving gear, and at the point of the frame where
the pedal-crank axle is usually located 1 mount a suitably shaped frame extending
downwards and adapted to carry on each side of the machine at a suitable distance
from its longitudinal centre a pair of small wheels one located on each side of the
machine. The attachment of these wheels to the frame carrying them or of the
said frame to the frame of the machine is such that the wheels have a certain
amount of independent elasticity to allow of their accommodating themselves to the
inequalities of the road. This however may alternately be attained by fitting the
wheel with pneumatic tyres which are only partially inflated i.e., not inflated to
a pressure sufficient to support the entire weight of the machine and rider.
To the frame of the machine at a suitable point forward of the driving wheel
are mounted a pair of rocking foot levers or plates which are connected by suitable
connections with cranks or clutches on the driving wheel or axle thereof, the cou-
struction being such that the reciprocation of the foot levers or plates imparts
continuous rotary motion to the driving wheel.
Dated this 1st day of October 1807
Improvements in and relating to Supporting Devices and Driving
Mechanism for Velocipedes.
I, GEORGE THOMAS MACKLEY, of Harrowfield, Eltham Road, Lee, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
[Price 8d.]

page_text: manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for attachment to bicycles of
the rear-driving safety type to transform such machines into machines of stable
or approximately stable equilibrium, the primary object being to enable riders to
mount and dismount or remain seated on such machines when at a state of rest.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention:
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a bicycle fitted with the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a view in front elevation thereof.
-
Figure 3 is a broken view on an enlarged scale showing details of construction,
and
Figure 4 is a broken view in front elevation showing a modification.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The apparatus consists essentially of a frame of an inverted T-shaped. adapted
to be attached or fixed to the frame of the bicycle in front of the rear driving wheel,
and carrying small wheels at such a distance from the centre of the machine as
will place them exterior to the paths of the pedals.
Mi,
The inverted T-shaped frame consists of a vertical member A which is either
provided with clip sockets such as a and a to enable it to be clamped to the
frame X of the machine or is fixed permanently to the said frame.
At each end of the horizontal member A' of the T-shaped frame is a vertical
or approximately vertical arm a¹. These arms support short horizontally arranged
arms a² each carrying a socket a³ in which slides the stem b of a fork B carrying
a wheel C. The stems b of the forks B are supported in the sockets a³ by spiral
springs D contained in the said sockets, so as to allow the said wheels to rise and
fall to a limited extent which is preferably defined by means of dowel pins 61 or
their equivalents carried by the stem b sliding in slots a in the said sockets.
The upper ends of the slots at are widened as shown by Figure 3 to permit the
stems b of the forks B turning radially in the sockets a³ to allow the wheels C to
accommodate themselves to the curves the bicycle may be running in when the said
supporting wheels are in contact with the ground.
To restore the wheels C to their normal positions. parallel to the driving wheel of
the bicycle immediately they are clear of the ground, a circular plate spring E is
80 fixed to each of the sockets a³ so as to engage with the dowel pins 6 as shown
by Figure 3.
The wheels C are so mounted in the forks B that their vertical positions can be
adjusted to enable them either to run on the ground or to be clear thereof as shown
in the drawing. To this end the axles c of the wheels C are mounted in slots b² in
the ends of the forks B, as shown in Figure 1.
I prefer to place the arms a¹ at such an angle with the horizontal member A¹
of the T-shaped frame as shown by Figure 4-that when either of the small
wheels C touches the ground owing to the inclination of the machine out of the
perpendicular its vertical plane is at right angles to the ground line whereby the
said wheel is relieved of all buckling strain.
Although the apparatus is hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing as being fixed to the frame of a bicycle by clips for their
equivalents it may be permanently fixed thereto by forming the member A in one
with the frame X.
That part of my invention relating to a driving gear I abandon as being of no
value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, what I
claim is:-
(1) An apparatus for attachment to a safety bicycle consisting of a T-shaped
frame adapted to be attached transversely to the frame of the bicycle in front of
the driving wheel and carrying at its outer ends small wheels mounted in swivelling

page_text: spring supported forks, the arrangement being such that the small supporting
wheels are exterior to the path of the pedals, the forks carrying the said wheels
having self-centering devices so that they automatically assume a position parallel
to the driving wheel of the bicycle when they are clear of the ground, as and for
the purpose set forth.
(2) The combination with a rear-driving safety bicycle of a supporting device
consisting essentially of a T-shaped frame carrying at its outer ends upwardly
extending arms a¹ and horizontally arranged arms a² of sockets a³ carried by the
arms a³, of small wheels C mounted in forks B the stems b of which slide in the
sockets
of
a³,
a3
d arranged in the
spiral springs
sockets
adapted to
the forks
movements
of
the
stems of
and
B
control the
therein, of dowel pins b¹ or their equivalents carried by the stems b of the forks B
and engaging with slots at in the sockets a³ the upper ends of the said slots being
widened to permit the stems 6 of the forks B turning radially in the sockets, and of
plate springs E fixed to the sockets a³ and engaging with the dowel pins b, all
combined. arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
ROBERT E: PHILLIPS, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.