Improvements in Oyoles, and in Velodromes or Tracks to be Used in connection therewith.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3:d Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oyoles, and in Velodromes or Tracks to be Used in
connection therewith.
I, RRUBEN CORSHAM, o 69 Skinner Street, Bishopsgato, in the City of London,
Copying Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means for assisting learners in the art
of riding bioycles and other similar vehicles. When a learner first mounts a bicycle,
for example, the natural tendency is for him to fall over either to the right or to
the left, with the result that he becomes nervous, and it roqnires considerable time
and practice to enable him to ride with confidence, and without hurting himself or .
damaging his machine. By the use of my invention.however he is enabled to practise "
riding without fear of fulling in either direction, and consequently to quickly attain
proficiency in the art of cycle riding.
For this purpose I attach to the fork or other part of a cycle or other similar
vehicle one or inore suitably shaped projecting rods or arms the outer ends of' which
are provided with guide wheels or rollers, which como in contact with the ground,
or with specially provided bearing or guiding surfaces to be hereinafter described,
whenever the cycle becomes inclined to one side or the othor beyond a certain
predetermined angle. The knowledge that those guide wheels or rollers must come
in contact with tho ground or other bearing or guiding surface as soon as the cycle
has become inclined to a certain extent, and will inevitably prevent the latter from
falling over altogether, instils confidence in the learner, and enables him to devote his
attention without fear to the pedaling and steering of the machine.
The abovementioned bearing or guiding surfaces may be made of any suitable
material fixed in any suitable way so as to follow the shape and contour of the
velodrome or cycling track, and in positions corresponding to the guido wheels or
rollers on the cycle, so that when the latter becomes inclined to a certain extent the
said guide wheels or rollers must necessarily come in contact with such surfaces
and prevent the cycle from falling over. The said bearing or guiding surfaces may
be flat, curved or of any other suitable section, and they may be arranged at the sides
of the track level therewith or suspended over the same, or even, where the track on
which the cycle runs is supported above the ground or foundation the said surfaces
may he placed below the track, the guide wheels or rollers on the cycle boing in any
case placed in positions thereon corresponding to the positions of the guide surfaces.
The track on which the cycle runs may he flat, or of any other suitable shape, for
example it may be curved with the concave side of the curve upwards, or of U, or
other trough like shape in order to guide the road wheels of the cycle in a definite
path, and prevent them from swerving to the right or left beyond a certain extent.
When the velodrome or cycling track is out of doors the cycle may be provided with
one or more sails adapted to ho acted on the wind like the sails of a boat for the
purpose of imparting motion to the oycle, and it will be understood that the improve-
ments above specified are applicable whether the cycles are operated by hand, foot,
team, electric, or any other power.
Dated 22nd day of April 1896.

page_text: AURIT LE SPUITTOALIN
Improvements in Cycles, and in Velodromes or Traoks to be Used in
connection therewith.
1, REUBEN CORSHAM, formerly of 69 Skinner Street, Bishopsgate, in the Oity of
London, but at present of 28 Kingsland Road, London, Copying Machine Maker,
do horeby 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide means for assisting learners in the art of
riding bicycles and other similar vehiclos. When a learner first mounts a bicycle for
example, the natural tendency is for him to full over either to the right or to the left,
with the result that he becomes nervous; and it requires considerable time and practice
to enable him to ride with confidence, and without hurting himself or damaging his
machine. By the use of my invention, however, he is enabled to practiso riding
without fear of falling in either direction, and consequently to quickly attain proficiency
in the art of cycle riding.
And in order that the said invention inay be fully understood I will proceed to
describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an end view of a bicycle, and cross section of a velodrome constructed
in accordance with my invention and Figure 2 similar views of a modified
arrangement.
For the purpose of my invention I attach to any suitable part of a cycle or other
similar vehicle one or more suitably shaped laterally projecting rods or arms A, the
outer ends of which are provided with guide wheels or rollers B, which come in
contact with and roll against specially provided bearing or guiding surfaces (to be
hereinafter described, whenever the cycle becomes inclined to one side or the other
beyond a certain predetermined angle. The knowledge that these guide wheels or
rollers must come in contact with the said bearing or guiding surface as soon the
oycle has become inclined to a certain extent, and will inevitably provent the latter
from falling over altogether, instils confidence in the learner and enables him to
devote his attention without fear to the pedalling and steering of the machine.
The above mentioned bearing or guiding surfaces C may be made of any suitable
material fixed on posts D, or in any other suitable way, so as to follow the shape
and contour of the velodrome or cycling track, and in positions corresponding to the
guide wheels or rollers B on the cycle, so that when the latter becomes inclined to a
certain extent the said guide wheels or rollors must necessarily come in contact with
such surfaces and prevent the cycle from falling over. The said hearing or guiding
surfaces may be Hat, curved, or of any other suitable section, and they may be
arranged at the sides of the truck level therewith or suspended over the same or even,
where the track on which the cycle runs is supported above the ground or foundation,
the said surfaces may be placed below the track, the guide wheels or rollers on the
cycle being placed in positions thereon corresponding to the positions of the guide
surfaces, as illustrated in Figure 2 for example.
The track on which the cycle runs may be flat, or of any other suitable shape, for
example it may be curved with the concave side of the curve upwards, or of U, or
other trough-like shape, as shown at E in both Figures 1 and 2 for example, in order
to guide the road wheels F of the cycle in a definite path, and prevent them from
Bwerving to the right or left beyond a certain extent.
When the velodrome or cycling track is out of doors the cycle may be provided
with one or more sails adapted to be acted on by the wind like the sails of a boat, for
the purpose of imparting motion to the cycle, and it will be understood that the

page_text: improvements above specified are applicable whether the oycles are operated by hand,
foot, steam, electric, or any other power..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The improvement in cycles, which consists in providing the same with
laterally projecting rods or arms having guide wheels or rollers mounted thereon, the
said guide wheels or rollers being adapted to bear and roll against bearing or guiding
surfaces fixed to a velodrome, when the cycle becomes inclined to one side or the
other beyond a predetermined angle, substantially as described.
Second. The improvements in velodromes or tracks to be used in connection with
cycles which consists in applying thereto bearing or guiding surfaces, so arranged
and adapted that guide wheels or rollers mounted on the cycle can bear and roll
against them when the cycle becomes inclined to one side or the other beyond a
predetermined angle, substantially as described.
Third. The devices or apparatus for assisting learners in the art of riding bicycles
and other similar vehicles, which consists of a bicycle or other similar vehicle provided
with lateral guide wheels or rollers, and a velodrome provided with bearing or guiding
surfaces adapted for the lateral guide wheels or rollers of the cycle to bear or roll
against when the cycle becomes inclined to one side or the other beyond a
predetermined angle, combined and operating substantially as described.
Buted this 10th day of January 1897.
Led Luis FOLD any of Junuary 1054
R. CORSHAM,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.