An Enclosure or Case for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Enclosure or Case for Cycles.
I, ROBERT HENRY HEPBURN, of 49 Stanhope Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an enclosure or stall for the housing of cycles, and
principally of the safety type, and has for its object an enclosure easily and cheaply
made, light in weight and neat in appearance.
According to one form of my invention, I make a cycle enclosure or case in
two parts, viz., a body part and a lid part. The said parts in elevation follow
more or less the contour of a cycle, and with the said body part of an inside depth
about equal to the breadth of a cycle, when the handle bars are turned in the
general plane of the machine, although the inside depth of the case may be about
equal to the greatest breadth of a machine.
In building up the body of the case, I take a bent-wood frame suitably grooved,
and braced together transversely by ties or distance stays, so as to form as it were
a two-sided and rigid skeleton frame, and within a side and the boundary edges,
panels of tin plate, preferably strengthened by corrugations, are inserted, and with
the said sides so arranged relatively to the boundary framing, that they not only
form the walls to the case but they also constitute ties, for bracing the skeleton
framing together. There is thus produced a light composite body, rigid and cheaply
produced, dust-tight and made to constitute an article of furniture and which I call a
cycle bureau.
Now instead of employing tin-plate of commerce I may employ panels of corru-
gated or shaped papier-mache or other suitable substance, and instead of employing
bent-wood I may employ any ordinary light wood for the purpose suitably shaped
as desired, and to which framings the walls of my cycle bureau are attached, secured
or connected in any way desirable.
I make the lid or door practically in the same way as I make the body, but only
single sided, and I hang the said door from the body, from the bottom or a side, or 1
form the said door or lid with flanges, which slide telescopically or fit within the
entrance to the said body.
In a further form of my invention, I make the skeleton framing of both body and
lid of open-jointed tubing, with the material constituting the walls or the sides, entering
the said tube through the open joint, and by closing the tubes, the sides or panels
are secured.
As a still further form I may make the body of a like transverse section of a
machine, and run the same therein from an end, which is closed by a door or lid.
The inside of the bureau is preferably fitted with rests or distance blocks for parts
of the machine to come against so as not to bear unduly against the thin walls of
the structure.
As a still further form of my invention, I may make the cycle bureau up of a
series of infibulated or jointedly connected together tin-plates, which when not in
use, admits of folding flat, but when required to receive a machine it opens out and
is kept distended by folding stays, whose outer ends are rigidly connected so as to
keep the walls at given distances apart. This receptacle may be provided with a
sliding door or doors or a hinged lid or lids or closures.
I propose also to make up the frame work of my cycle bureau from wire work

page_text: that is I make the foundation frame of wire or lattice work, suitably stayed so as to
make the sides mutually support each other, and I stretch over this frame work,
thin caoutchouc or india-rubber, or a composition with oil-skin fabric or thin oil cloth,
so as to exclude dust and moisture.
I may also make the foundation of my bureau from a large spiral of wire of about
the cross section of the machine, and capable of longitudinally collapsing, and when
covered with oil skin, American leather or other suitable material the same can be
collapsed gussett-wise when not in use.
As a still further form I may make the said bureau of a series of telescopic
tubes, with the one end closed and the other end covered with a lid.
I might add that in all cases where rigidity combined with lightness is required,
the same may be stiffened with insertions of metal or other suitable material.
In a modified form of fastening the edges of the tin plates in the grooved wood
frames I proceed as follows:-
I return the terminal edges of the tin plates into a hooked figure and insert the
said returned and tenoned ends into the groove at one side of the wood frame, whilst
a groove is formed upon the inner or other side of the wood frame to receive a like
tenoned end maile from a Z sectioned strip, of which the one web is attached to the
tin plate by soldering or otherwise, hence the locking of the tin plate to the wood
framing.
My cycle bureau may be fitted with supporting runners, for transporting the same
from place to place.
1000
I, ROBERT HENRY HEPBURN, of 49 Stanhope Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Engineer, 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:-
of
This invention consists in an enclosure or case for the housing and protection
cycles (principally of the safety type) and has for its object a light, neat and easily
produced enclosure.
According to one form of my invention, I make a cycle enclosure or case in two
parts, viz., a body part and a lid part. The general outline of the case follows more
or less the contour of a cycle, and the body part is of an inside depth about equal to
the depth of a cycle, although the said depth may be about equal to the greatest
breadth of a machine.
In building up the body of the case, I take a bent wood frame suitably grooved
and braced together transversely (if necessary) by ties or distance stays, so as to
form as it were a two sided and rigid skeleton frame between the members of which,
panels of tin plate, preferably strengthened by corrugations, are inserted, whilst the
said sides or panels are so arranged relative to the boundary framing that they not
only form the walls to the case, but also constitute ties for bracing the skeleton
framing together. There is thus produced a light and rigid composite wood and
metal case or enclosure, which is cheaply produced dust-tight and weather-proof, and
which may, if desired, constitute an article of furniture and which I preferably call a
cycle bureau.

page_text: Instead of employing tin-plate of commerce, I may make the panels of corrugated or
shaped papier mache or other suitable substance, and instead of employing bent wood
I may employ suitably fashioned or formed up lengths of light wood for the purpose
and to which framings the walls of my cycle bureau are attached, secured or
connected in any way desirable.
I make the lid or door practically in the same way as I make the body of the case
but only single sided and I hang the same from either the top or bottom of one of
the sides or one of the ends of the case, or the door may be made to constitute either
the whole or a part of one of the ends, the sides or the top, or the said door or lid
may have flanged or tongued edges which fit and slide within the parts of the framing
surrounding the entrance to the said body.
Instead of making the skeleton framing of both body and lid from wood, I may
form the same of open jointed tubing, or from tubing having grooves formed therein
with the material constituting the walls or the sides of the case entering the said
tube through the open joint, or into the grooves in the tubes when by closing the
tubes or the grooves therein the sides or panels are secured.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of one form
of composite cycle enclosure or bureau having a curved roof or top and constructed
partly of wood and partly of metal and in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a transverse
vertical section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line a.
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the meeting edges of the hinged side or
door and the fixed part when the framing is made from bent wood, and Figure 5
represents a like view as Figure 4, but with the framing made of hollow tubes.
a is the frame of the body of the case or bureau, fashioned either from bent wood
or metal tube as described and is the body part, e the bottom and d the hinged or
swinging door, preferably jointed to the bottom at c', (although it may be hinged
to any other point as desired) the said bottom, sides and door being made up of a
series of plain or corrugated tin or other thin sheet metal panels or from sheets of
papier mache or other (preferably waterproofed) material e, infibulated, joined or
united at their meeting edges el.
Figure 6 represents a side elevation of another form of cycle bureau, of a similar
construction to that shown in Figures 1 to 5 but in which the roof may be flat and
slightly overhangs the hinged side or door, which is turned down from the top in
order to open the enclosure to admit of a machine being placed therein.
Figure 7 is an underside plan of Figure 6, showing the construction of the bottom,
whilst Figure 8 is a section of a part of one of the roof or other panels showing
the framing made from bent or other wood lengths with the metal sheets fitting in
grooves in the edges of the same, whilst Figure 9 shows the application of open
jointed tubings to the same purpose.
In Figures 6 and 7, a is the frame work of the body and a², the framing of the
roof or top, the sides, top and bottom of the bureau all being composed of tin or
other panels e, or sheets of material as previously described.
As another form of bureau the door of the case, which may approximate an hori-
zontal section to the figure in plan of a machine, the door may be situated at the end
wherein the machine is run. Figure 10 represents an elevation of the door end of
such a case, said door being composed of a frame d', cross stayed at d², and filled in
by suitable panels d³, said frame being mounted and turning on hinges d*, and
secured by a catch or fastener at d. a is the frame of the case.
Figure 11 represents another form of composite bureau, in which the door is
arranged to form a part only of one of the sides.
Figure 12 is a topside plan of Figure 11 and Figure 13 represents an end elevation
of the said case.
In Figures 11 to 13, a is the body part, composed of sheet tin or other panels, let
into grooves formed in the bent wood or tubular frame, and the swinging door,
which is of the same composite character as the body part.

page_text: Figure 14 represents a modified form of enclosure having the entrance for the
machine at one end, in which the door ', is composed of flexible panelling (shown
in Figures 14 and 14 upon an enlarged scale in section and elevation) which
is drawn upwards and then run over onto the top of the case whilst the cycle is
being introduced or withdrawn therefrom. It is understood that if required, the
whole of the case may be made up of a combination of flexible panellings sliding in
grooved parts or equivalents of the framing members.
I propose also to make up the frame work of my cycle bureau from wire work,
that is I make the foundation frame of the enclosure of wire framings suitably stayed
so as to make the sides inutually support each other, and I stretch over this frame
work thin caoutchouc or india rubber or other waterproof material, or composition or
fabric or thin oil cloth, so as to exclude dust and moisture.
Figure 15 represents an end elevation of such a case, with the covering material
broken away off the one side.
a is one of the framing ends both of which are supported by one or more longi-
tudinal stay wires or rods and are bolted or otherwise secured to a base or other
support c. d is the water-proof covering, having piped or tubular parts d', through
which the framing wires are passed or the covering may be attached to the framing
by laced cords, or sewn-on loops or in other convenient ways.
I may also make the foundation of my bureau from a large coil of wire compre-
hending a cross section approximating to that of any of the cases previously described
and capable of longitudinally collapsing, so that when covered with oil skin, American
leather or other suitable material the same can be collapsed gussett-wise when not
in use.
Figure 16 represents a side elevation of such a construction, in which a is the
framing or support which is fashioned out of a continuous length of wire, and 6 is
the outer covering.
As a still further form, I may make a collapsible bureau of a series of telescopic
tubes, covered with water-proof material, the one end of the case being preferably
covered in whilst the other end is closed by a lid, as represented in Figure 17.
As a still further form of my invention, I may make the cycle bureau up of a
series of infibulated or jointed together tin or other sheet metal plates, which, when
not in use, admit of folding flat, but when required to receive a machine, can be
opened out and kept distended by suitably arranged stays, whose outer ends are
rigidly connected so as to keep the walls at given distances apart. This receptacle
may be provided with a sliding or hinged door or doors or a hinged lid or lids or
other closure as may be required.
Figure 18 is a side elevation of such a collapsible case composed of hinged together
sections.
Figura 19 is a back end elevation showing two of the stays which keep the same
distended.
Figures 20 and 21 show vertical and horizontal sections of the collapsed casing.
In Figures 18 to 21, the body a, of the enclosure is composed of six (or other
number) of thin sheet metal panels, g', 92, 93, 9, 9, 9º, hinged together at 1, whilst
the ends i, are each made of two (or more) halves or sections 2, 3, hinged together
and to the body at j, j; one of the ends being arranged to act as doors.
the stays which prevent the case collapsing when in use.
k are
I might add that in all cases where rigidity combined with lightness is required,
the case or bureau may be stiffened or strengthened by inserted or added metal or
wood battens or struts, or in any or other suitable manner.
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
First. A bureau, case or enclosure for cycles, made up of a frame of bent wood
or its equivalent and with the edges of panels or the like composing the body of

page_text: the same inserted in grooves in the said frame or the members thereof substantially
as described and set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 an 14.
Secondly. A bureau, case or enclosure for cycles, made up of a frame of tubing
or open-jointed tubing or its equivalent, and with the edges of panels or the like
composing the body of the same inserted in grooves in, or within the open joints
of, the said frame or members thereof, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17.
Thirdly. The improved form of bureau, case or enclosure for cycles described and
set forth in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Fourthly. Making the body part and the door of a bureau, case or enclosure
for cycles from flexible panels run into the edges of, or into grooves or open joints
in the members composing the framings, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 14, 14 and 14B.
Fitthly. A cycle bureau case or enclosure, having a framing made of wire and
covered with waterproof material substantially as described and set forth in Figure 15.
Sixthly. A cycle bureau, case or enclosure having a frame composed of a continuous
helix or coil of wire, fashioned to comprehend the required cross sectional shape
and having a covering of waterproof material, substantially as described and set
forth in Figure 16.
Seventhly. A cycle bureau, case or enclosure having a frame composed of tele-
scoping tubular members and having a waterproof covering, substantially as described
and set forth in Figure 17.
Eighthly. A collapsible cycle bureau case or enclosure the body part and door
of which is composed or made up of jointed or hinged-together sections or panels,
and having suitable stays for preventing the collapse of the structure when in use,
substantially as described and set forth in Figures 18 to 21.
Ninthly. The improvements in cycle bureaux, cases or enclosures, and in the con-
struction and arrangement of the component sections of the same, substantially as
described and set forth.
Dated this fun day oT December 1070
ROBERT HENRY HEPBURN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.