Improvements in Bicycle Supports and Home Training Appliances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Bicycle Supports and Home Training Appliances.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, London, W.C. Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention a communication to me from abroad by Gaston Lucq, commonly called
Glucq, of 24 Rue du 4 Septembre, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer to
be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to a home training apparatus which can be
adapted instantaneously to a bicycle and by means of which variable resistance can
be given to the rotation of the driving wheel equivalent to mounting inclines of
different degrees of steepness this being performed by means of a special brake
device arranged within the reach of the land of the cyclist.
The device is essentially composed of a base plate of iron or any other suitable
material provided with two sockets with set screws to receive two rods intended to
support the axle of the driving wheel of the bicycle.
The base plate has also a lug with axle pin to receive the end of a lever. This
lever which oscillates freely round the axle pin carries a friction roller which is
applied against the driving wheel. The free end of this lever is operated by a cord
chain or the like which is attached to a sector provided with a handle. This sector
is fitted upon a loop which is to be fixed upon the handle bar of the bicycle, this
loop is traversed at its under part by a bolt intended to retain it. The working of
this system is very simple. The cyclist pedals upon the bicycle in the usual
manner having the handle of the sector in hand and varies the resistance by
pressing more or less upon the handle which causes the roller to press more or less
upon the driving wheel. The sector can be fitted so that each of its positions
corresponds to a predetermined resistance, for instance, equivalent to a certain
incline. The sector can then turn freely upon an arbor fixed upon the support
which is fastened upon the handle bar by means of collars. This sector is connected
with a second toothed and graduated sector which operates an endless screw.. It is
therefore sufficient to turn this screw more or less in order to vary the resistance
and the divisions of the graduated sector in regard to a fixed mark will indicate
the corresponding ascent. The cord instead of being operated by a sector can be
operated by a slide hook. This slide hook which is operated by a regulating screw
ending in a milled button moves in a slide which is connected to the handle bar by
two cellars. The border of the slide is graduated and the division before which
stands the index which the slide hook carries indicates the effort to be made and
the corresponding steepness of ascent. Instead of the sector being freely placed
upon the handle bar and retained by a pin which obliges the cyclist to keep
constantly the brake in his hand in order to vary the resistance it may be rendered
immovable in the angular position, providing the desired resistance, it is sufficient
for this to attach upon the handle bar by means of a knot the end of the cord of
the brake; but I prefer to apply to my brake a ratchet wheel with pawl. This
ratchet wheel in form of a toothed are is fixed upon the handle bar by means of
coupling plates bolted together. The under coupling plate carries an oblique fork
which presses on the handle bar and serves thus as a solid holder for the whole
system. Upon the axle of this ratchet wheel is fitted the brake sector in order
that it can freely oscillate it is provided with a pawl and its spring. The end of
the cord or chain is attached on the sector.
One has only to operate the handle of this sector in order to advance the pawl
upon the toothed wheel for one or more teeth which augments the tension of the

page_text: cord and consequently the effort of resistance of the friction roller upon the tire,
without it being necessary as in the first arrangement to make and-loosen a knot for
each change.
The improvement in the manner of supporting and attaching the cycle is
applicable to training apparatus generally and especially to this resistance
apparatus.
Usually the cycle is held by means of two fixed rods provided at their upper end
with two holes into which the ends of the axle of the driving wheel are engaged
for instance after having unscrewed the nuts which are then again screwed on over
the rod.
I have thus modified this manner of attachment by providing an attaching
support movable in all senses and no longer requiring the unscrewing of the
axle nuts.
This support can be elevated, lowered, removed or approached according to the
length of the wheel axle and. diameter of the wheel; but it is of full metal forming
a vertical slide.
A slide provided with the same symmetrical holes can slide vertically along the
first and be bolted thereto. This second slide ends in its upper part in a small
horizontal platform in which can slide an.l be fixed a small sliding carriage which
can slide horizontally upon the platform which ends the slide. This sliding
carriage can have the form of a collar with fixed or variable opening in which
engage the axle of the wheel together with its screw nuts cap etc. or this sliding
carriage is arranged in order to hook on and to support the screws and the fuller
parts or extensions of the back forks of the cycle.
Dated this 24th day of June 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycle Supports and Home Training Appliances.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co. of 18, Buckingham
Strcet, Strand, London, W.C. Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention a communication to me froin abroad by Gaston Lucq. commonly
called Glucq of 24 Rue du 4 Septembre, Paris in the Republic of France,
Engineer and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a home training apparatus constructed in such a
manner that it can be instantly adapted to any cycle, tandem etc. in consequence of
the property of embracing mathematically in a vertical line any diameter of the
back wheel and in horizontal line any width of the axle, with the great advantage
of avoiding absolutely any unscrewing of the axles of these wheels or their nuts.
The said apparatus is provided with a special resistance brake which is placed
either on the handle bar or on the upper tube of the frame, but always within reach
of the hand of the cyclist, who can operate it, at his pleasure while remaining in the
saddle.
This apparatus allows any one to train at home on his or her own machine and
to drive the machine against a resistance equivalent to mounting up a hill as steep
as desired, while actually remaining always in the same place.
My apparatus consists essentially of a base plate with its accessories and of a
brake.
In the annexed drawing.
Fig. 1 shows in side view the base, plate A with its supports, its collars, its lever
with friction roller and bent prolongation.
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

page_text: Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus, but without its lever with triction
roller and without its bent prolongation which are sufficiently illustrated in Figs. 1
and 2.
Figs. 4 and 5 show the sliding carriage F with collar in front and in side
view.
Figs. 6 and 7 show a sliding carriage F with cramps, in front and in side
view.
Figs. 8 and 9 show the gear G for adjusting the resistance with one method of
attachment with free coupling plate and. two pressure screws.
Figs. 10 and 11 show the same gear G with another attachment with articulated
coupling late and oscillating pressure screw.
The base plate A, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 carcies a lug B' which serves as attaching
point, for the lever B with the friction roller and two vertical supports each
provided with holes (Fig. 3) preferably five in number, which are intended to
receive the two movable supports D D which are fastened with bolts on the same
at variable height in accordance with the size of the back wheel for instance
for 60, 65, 70, or 75 cm. diameter. These movable supports allow thus of adjustment
for any usual height in a vertical line.
They are bent at their upper part and end in puppets E E provided with a
square chamber forming a guide and in which the sliding carriage F F can slide
horizontally at pleasure. This sliding carriage is either made with collar as in
Figs. 4 and 5 cr with cramps as in Figs. 6 and 7.
A pressure screw serves in any case to fix the sliding carriage in its puppet
when it has arrived in the desired position.
These two movable slides, sliding at pleasure in their puppets, allow thus in
their turn in the horizontal direction sense of adjustment for any width of wheel
axle.
Consequently this apparatus being adjustable in both the vertical and the
horizontal directions; any bicycle may be fitted upon it in the most simple and
mathematical manner.
In order to correspond to the diameter of the wheel, one fastens the movable
supports DD on the posts of the base plate at the necessary height. In order to
correspond to the width of the axles it is sufficient to engage in one of the collars
(if for instance one uses slides with collars) the one of the two ends of the axle,
screwed with its nut, its cap, etc., without unscrewing anything, which is one of
the important advantages of this system. One then pushes the other collar
towards the other end of the axle and, engages it therewith. It is then sufficient
to give a turn to the pressure screws of the puppets which render the slides
immovable in their guides and the bicycle is then solidly fixed upon the apparatus
and is ready for use.
The operation would be the same with the sliding carriages with cramps, with
the difference that instead of receiving the ends of the axle of the wheel or their
nuts, they seize the stretchers and solid ends of the back forks of the machine, as
will be seen hereafter.
With this, one is no longer obliged to unscrew in any case the nuts of the wheel
axles and to screw them again on each time as is necessary in other systems
disturbing the wheel bearings and wearing the delicate screw threads of the
axles.
To take the cycle from this training apparatus, it is sufficient to unscrew slightly
only one of the two pressure screws of the puppets and to move back with the
finger the sliding carriage which has become free in its guide: The bicycle falls
immediately into the hand and is ready to be taken away and ridden.
The lever B.articulated at B' with the base plate carries a pressure roller which,
in proportion as it rises, operates with more or less resistance against the tyre.
This friction roller turns freely on its axle in contrary direction to the wheel and
with simple tangential movement so that it cannot destroy the tyre.
The bent prolongation C is attached on one end to the lever B at the point C

page_text: and at the other end it carries the end of the traction cord of the adjusting
gear.
The sliding carriages F with collars shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are intended, as
already mentioned to receive the two axle ends of the back wheel of the cycle, the
axle ends being left screwed together with their nuts, caps etc.
-
The sliding carriage F1 with cramps shown in Figs. 6 and 7 slide in the square
chamber of the puppets absolutely like the previous ones, but instead of collars
they carry extensible cramps which seize firmly the stretchers and the full parts of
the back forks of the cycles. Also here it is not necessary to unscrew a single nut
of the axle of the wheel.
The adjustment mechanism G, Figs. 8 and 9 or Figs. 10 and 11 is placed within
the immediate reach of the hand of the cyclist, either on the horizontal upper tube
of the frame, or upon the handle bar, so that he can easily operate it while
remaining in the saddle.
The gear is essentially composed of two parts: 1. A coupling plate which by
means of an oblique fork, takes a bearing upon the centre rod of the handle bar
or upon its socket which it presses in order to render the whole apparatus solid
with the handle bar. 2. A ratchet wheel upon which is arranged a sector
oscillating with an operating handle and pawl.
The end of the cord is engaged in the groove of the sector carrying the pawl, in
such a manner that on lifting the sector the pawl advances for the distance of one
or more teeth on the ratchet wheel retained fixed by the coupling plate. The
cord attached to the sector, lifts equally far the extremity of the bent lever C to
which it is fixed and thus lifts equally the lever B and its friction-roller, whereby
an equivalent and progressive augmentation of the resistance upon the tyre is
effected; this resistance can be increased at pleasure.
There are two methods of attaching the gear; they are shown, the first in
Figs. 8 and 9 with free coupling plate and two pressure screws; and the second
in Figs. 10 and 11 with articulated coupling plates and an oscillating pressure
screw.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In home-training appliances brake gear with ratchet wheel placed upon the
handle bar or on the frame, within the reach of the hand of the cyclist sitting in
the saddle, for operating at pleasure a lever with friction roller which allows of
varying the effort of resistance in order to give a resistance equivalent to a hill to
be mounted.
2. The construction of said gear and methods of fixing the same substantially as
set forth.
3. The two methods of supporting and of attaching the cycles on a training
apparatus by means of a combination of movable organs, some movable in the
vertical direction and the others in the horizontal sense, in order to embrace
automatically any wheel-diameter and any width of the axles, and adapted to
engage the same or the cycle frame without unfastening any screws or nuts of the
wheel axles, the same being supported either by sliding carriages with collars in
which engage the extremities of the axles with their nuts, caps, etc., or by sliding
carriages with cramps which seize the stretchers and the full parts of the back
forks.
Dated this 20th day of March 1897
R. HADDAN: