An Improved Mud Guard for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mud Guard for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, OTTO LELM, of 12, Boulevard Poissonniere, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved mud guard for cycles and other vehi·les.
Mud guards which have hitherto been used, for the rear wheels of cycles have
been attended by the serious drawback of being both heavy and unsightly, their
unattractive appearance being the cause of cyclists dispensing with them whenever
they can, with the frequent result that a person, setting out without a mud-guard
to his machine while it is fine, often finds himself subjected to the unpleasantness
of being bespattered with mud if he happen to ride along roads that have been
watered, or been made wet by a sudden shower.
The improved mud-guard hereinafter described has been designed to obviate
this inconvenience; and its construction will be best understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows the improved device as applied to a bicycle, the full lines showing
it while in use, and the dotted lines delineating it in the position of rest;
Figure 2 represents the mud-guard to a larger scale; and
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the drum or barrel whereon the mud-guard
band is wound.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are detail views hereinafter referred to.
A is the saddle stalk or saddle-supporting tube for the attachment of the
telescopic part or arm of the improved mud-guard, which arm comprises the
tubes B, C, D and E. The tube A which is, say, about 12 centimetres long, has a
ring a screwed into it, wherein one of the telescoping tubes B is adapted to slide.
This tube is in turn provided with a ring b, receiving the second tube C, and so
on to the last tube E.
This last tube E terminates at its rear-end in a cap or washer f in the centre of
which a stirrup or fork F is mounted on a pivot g. This stirrup or fork is shown
detached in Figure 4 and is provided with hook-eyes h h¹ at its ends; these eyes
serving to retain the rod G, to which is fixed one extremity of the band H which
forms the mud-guard proper and consists of elastic waterproof or other suitable
fabric.
The other end of the band is fastened to a rod G¹, the ends of which engage
either in an aperture and a slot l, or in a pair of slots, provided in diues I I¹
(Figures 5 and 6) which discs are mounted as in Figure 3 on the spindle of a
small barrel or drum K whereon the mud-guard band can be wound when out
of use.
The spindle or shaft of the barrel or drum is carried by a forked bracket L,
suitably secured to the bicycle-frame by a clip or collar Li, and it has connected
to it one end of a spring M coiled within the case or barrel M¹. A spring-catch N,
adapted to be depressed with the finger, enables the spring M to wind up the

page_text: band H when it is not in use. Whilst the mud-guard is thus wound up the
tubes B, C, D, E, of the telescopic arm of the mud-guard, remain one inside the
other within the tube A.
The band H being for the most part wound upon the drum K, and the latter
occupying an almost vertical position, beneath and in rear of the saddle, and being
concealed thereby, the obtrusive appearance of the ordinary mud guard is
avoided.
When however the mud-guard is required for use, the telescopic arm is extended
by drawing out the tube E, thereby extending the band H to its full length and at
the same time stretching it, its tension imparting a certain rigidity to the tubes,
B, C, D and E.
It will be seen that should any of the tubes, by reason of a sudden jerk or/con-
cussion, show a tendency to turn, the fact of the arm F being pivotted loosely
will always cause the hand H to tend to retain its horizontal position.
To close up the mud-guard under the seat, pressure is applied with one hand
upon the end of the tube E, whilst with the other hand the retaining pawl N of
the spring barrel of the hand winding drum is disengaged.
The band H may be readily cleaned by steeping it in water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A mud-guard for cycles and other light vehicles comprising a telescopic
arm, and a flexible band, substantially as described.
2. The employment of the saddle stalk to contain the telescopic arm of the mud
guard, substantially as described.
3. A mud guard for cycles and other vehicles having a flexible band adapted
to be wound up on a spring barrel when not in use, substantially as described.
4. A mud guard for cycles and other vehicles constructed and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.