Improvements in Safety Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
Improvements in Safety Bicycles.
We, HERMANN NITSCHE and PAUL KAUSMANN, both Manufacturers of Branden-
burg on the Havel, Prussia, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The present invention consists of a safety bicycle which is built low enough to
enable the rider to stand on the ground with both feet and to support the wheel
between his legs. In order to allow for a sufficient reach in spite of the low build
of the machine, the seat is placed or adjusted further behind the pedal shaft that
is to say the rider does not sit as far over the pedal shaft as in the ordinary
safety. The gearing is arranged at the same time as the ordinary safety but the
wheels of the present machine are considerably smaller, consequently the driving
chain wheel is correspondingly larger in diameter than that of the ordinary safety.
Cycles built according to the present invention are well adapted for use in con-
nection with military operations, as the rider need not dismount, but simply
takes his feet off the pedals when firing, holding the wheel between his legs. Thus
it will be seen that the wheel will be suitable for military and sport purposes and
will be safer for street traffic, since the danger of falling is avoided and it is
possible to stop suddenly, without the aid of a brake.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible
reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference
denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine and
Fig. 2 a diagram showing how to find the proper position for the seat to avoid
too short a reach.
The driving wheel A is of smaller diameter than that of the ordinary safety,
being from 10 to 20 inches in diameter and the driving chain wheel C is corre-
spondingly larger in diameter. The diameter c of the driving chain wheel and
that b of the smaller chain wheel are so proportioned as to effect the same speed
as an ordinary 68 inch wheel. The distance of the centre of the driving chain
wheel from the ground line as at d should be sufficient to allow about 6 inches
between the roadway and the pedal when the latter is in its lowest position. In
order to attain the proper length of reach from the saddle to the pedals, a horizontal
line should be drawn, at a distance above the ground line corresponding to the
length of reach or leg and a second horizontal line should be drawn at a distance
above the ground corresponding to the radius of the pedal crank plus the distance
of the pedal above the ground when in its lowest position. This latter distance
is represented by the dimension line 6 m (Fig. 2). If the compass is set at a radius
equal to h minus 6 and the centre of the driving chain wheel taken as starting
point, then the point at which the arc cuts the upper horizontal will be the proper
position for the saddle f as at S. If the reach is required to be increased it will
only be necessary to raise the saddle in the direction of the line S S', it not being
necessary to take into account the slight difference between the vertical S¹ B and
the slanting line S¹ S.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is;
1. A bicycle having a saddle mounted and adjustable within the reach of the
rider when the latter is standing on the ground and having pedals arranged to
allow of the utilization of the full reach of the rider, substantially as described.
2. In a bicycle as covered by Claim 1 the employment of wheels A and B of
from 16 to 20 inches diameter substantially as described.
3. In bicycles as covered by Claims 1 and 2 the arrangement of a correspondingly
large driving chain wheel C in order to attain the ordinary speed substantially
as described.
1008
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.