Appliance for Preventing the Theft of Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1897
1000
AASL Mou 1000
TRUVIDIONAL
Appliance for Preventing the Theft of Cycles.
I, CARL FRIEDRICH POLLACK, Merchant, of Cologne, Luebeckerstreet 6, in the
Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
It is well known what trouble is caused to cyclists by the daily increasing theft
of their machines, against which up to be present no remedy has been found, and
Since such an
which is also not obviated in the end by cycling insurance.
insurance company has already found itself unable, owing to the increasing
number of thefts to meet its obliquations and had to wind up its affairs.
The appliance represented in the accompanying drawing is intended in a very
simple manner, on the one hand to make it impossible for any one but the owner
to mount the bicycle and on the other hand in case a thief wheels the cycle along-
side of him and endeavours to get away with it to draw the attention of every,
passer by a striking signal which cannot be removed by the thief, to the fact
that the machine has been stolen.
The appliance is represented in the accompanying drawing in Fig. 1 in a vertical.
longitudinal section, in Fig. 2 in ground plan and in Fig. 3 in a partial side view.
A special box C, including a bolt B, is attached by means of the bands b near to
the vertical or inclined tube A of the frame, which bears the saddle support.
This bolt B which is either painted, varnished or enamelled in a striking colour
(f.i. deep red) is generally hidden when the wheel is being used by its rightful
owner entirely in the box C, which is protected against the rain by a lid D.
The bolt B has in its lower end a press-screw ? passing through it at right angles
which at the one end has a three sided or four sided head k of any size or shape
fits a key S in the possession of the owner.
This head rests in a longitudinal slit a of the box C. In case the rider is
obliged to go into a house and leave his machine outside he places his key S in
the head k of the screw thereby raising the bolt B by pushing the key upwards
so that the bolt opens the lid D at the upper end of the box C, comes out and pro-
jects above through a corresponding opening in the saddle a good piece above the
surface of the saddle, so that it makes it impossible for any one to sit on the saddle
and on the other hand the bolt B is on account of its length and colour visible as a
striking signal to every passer by.
When the bolt has been raised to the highest position a slight turn of the key S
is sufficient to fix the point of the lower end of the screw in a corresponding hole
in the wall of the box C. Thereupon the rider takes of the key S and now a
stranger who is not in possession of an accurately fitting key is unable to remove
the bolt B on account of its length prevents him from passing over it and seating
himself on the front part of the saddle, and of the part of the saddle behind the
bolt B is much too small to serve as a seat.
And even if it should really happen that the thief should succeed in sitting on
the saddle in front or behind, the signal rod B would remain visible either in front

page_text: or behind him; this signal rod is still more visible in case the thief should lead
the bicycle and attempt to disappear with it.
Here every passer by and especially the police would immediately see that the
man with the bicycle was not its rightful owner to would stop and question him.
The address of the owner of the cycle could further more be inscribed in clear
writing on one or more sides of the signal rod, as has been done on the accom-
panying drawing in Fig. 1, when the rod B is outlined in the projecting position,
through the saddle.
In order to have the address more clearly inscribed it is desirable make the
rod B square in transverse section on one or two sides as shown in the ground
plan Fig. 2.
Instead of making the screw p pass through the bolt B into the wall of the box
a small screw might be attached in the front in the wall of the box, bearing the
head k for the key and on being turned pressing itself into a punch-break on the
surface of the bolt B while in this case a special handle (in the shape of a button,
pin or bolt) which moves up and down in a slit, may be arranged, in order to move
the bolt B up. and down.
In order to cause the bolt B to project easily in front of the saddle one might
arrange between its lower end and the bottom of the box Ca spiral spring, which
on the bolt moving downwards is pressed together and endeavours to expand and
thereby also raise the bolt; in this case of course the press-screw, even when the
bolt is in its lowest position must be tightened and the bolt B thus made fast
against the force of the spiral spring.
In order to prevent any damp penetrating a suitable lid or slide may be placed
over the lateral slit in the box C.
In the box C which contains the bolt may of course instead of being placed at
the side of the tube A, on which the saddle support is fixed, be also placed above
on the tube of the frame, which is directed obliquely upward from the axle of the
hinder wheel to the upper end of the tube A, in which case the signal rod B would
come through the saddle with an inclination towards the front.
When manufacturing cycles, which are to be fitted with the signal rod, the latter
might be arranged, without making use of a box C directly in one of the above
mentioned tubes of the cycle frame; in this case however it is true that the saddle
support must to be attached in a manner different to that most used at present.
Thus for instance one might place in the upper end of the tube A, which usually
has hitherto received the downwards bent end of the saddle support, a short
narrower tube, from which a horizontal piece branches off above A and serves to
attach the saddle support, which in this case is not bent, while the vertical tube
can itself receive the rod B. By such an arrangement it would be obtained, that
the signal rod would not lie on one side, but symmetrically with regard to the
saddle, and thus in no way disfigure the machine by its presence.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1897.
For CARL FRIEDRICH POLLACK,
Bernhard Brockhues.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Appшance for Preventing the Theft of Cycles.
I, CARL FRIEDRICH POLLACK, Merchant, of Cologne, Luebeckerstreet 6, in the
Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia, 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:-
It is well known what trouble is caused to cyclists by the daily increasing theft
Appliance for Preventing the Theft of Cycles.
I, CARL FRIEDRICH POLLACK, Merchant, of Cologne, Luebeckerstreet 6, in the
Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia, 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 ::—
It is well known what trouble is caused to cyclists by the daily increasing theft

page_text: of their machines against which up to be present no remedy has been round, and
Since such an
which is also not obviated in the end by cycling insurance.
insurance company has already found itself unable, owing to the increasing
number of thefts to meet its obliquations and had to wind up its affairs.
The appliance represented in the drawing filed with the Provisional Specification
is intended in a very simple manner, on the one hand to make it impossible for any
one but the owner to mount the bicycle and on the other hand in case a thief wheels
the cycle alongside of him and endeavours to get away with it to draw the attention
of every passer by a striking signal which cannot be removed by the thief, to the
fact that the machine has been stolen.
The appliance is shown in the drawing in Fig. 1 in a vertical longitudinal
section, in Fig. 2 in ground plan and in Fig. 3 in a partial side view.
A. special box C, including a bolt B, is attached by means of the bands near to
the vertical or inclined tube A of the frame, which bears the saddle support.
This bolt B which is either painted, varnished or enamelled in a striking colour
(for instance deep red) is generally hidden when the wheel is being used by its
rightful owner entirely in the box C, which is protected against the rain by a lid D.
The bolt B has in its lower end a press-screw passing through it at right angles
which at the one end has a three sided or four sided head of any size or shape
fits a key S in the possession of the owner.
'
This headrests in a longitudinal slit a of the box C. In case the rider is
obliged to go into a house and leave his machine outside he places his key S in
the head of the screw thereby raising the bolt B by pushing the key upwards
so that the bolt opens the lid D at the upper end of the box C, comes out and pro-
jects above through a corresponding opening in the saddle a good piece above the
surface of the saddle so that it makes it impossible for any one to sit on the saddle
and on the other hand the bolt B is on account of its length and colour visible as a
striking signal to every passer by.
When the bolt has been raised to the highest position a slight turn of the key S
is sufficient to fix the point of the lower end of the screw pin a corresponding hole
in the wall of the box C. Thereupon the rider takes of the key S and now a
stranger who is not in possession of an accurately fitting key is unable to remove
the bolt B on account of its length prevents him from passing over it and seating
himself on the front part of the saddle, and of the part of the saddle behind the
bolt B is much to small to serve as a seat.
And even if it should really happen that the thief should succeed in sitting on
the saddle in front or behind the signal rod B would remain visible either in front
or behind him; this signal rod is still more visible in case the thief should lead
the bicycle and attempt to disappear with it.
Here every passer by and especially the police would immediately see that the
man with the bicycle was not its rightful owner to would stop and question him.
The address of the owner of the cycle could further more be inscribed in clear
writing on one or more sides of the signal rod, as has been done on the drawing in
Fig. 1, when the rod B is outlined in the projecting position, through the saddle.
In order to have the address more clearly inscribed, it is desirable make the
rod B square in transverse section on one or two sides as shown in the ground
plan Fig. 2.
Instead of making the screw ? pass through the bolt B into the wall of the box
a small screw might be attached in the front in the wall of the box, bearing the
head for the key and on being turned pressing itself into a punch-break on the
surface of the bolt B while in this case a special handle (in the shape of a button,
pin or bolt) which moves up and down in a slit, may be arranged, in order to move
the bolt B up and down.
In order to cause the bolt B to project easily in front of the saddle one might
arrange between its lower end and the bottom of the box C a spiral spring, which
on the bolt moving downwards is pressed together and endeavours to expand and
thereby also raise the bolt; in this case of course the press-screw, even when the

page_text: bolt is in its lowest position much be tightened and the bolt B thus made fast
against the force of the spiral spring.
In order to prevent any damp penetrating a suitable lid or slide may be placed
over the lateral slit in the box C.
In the box C which contains the box may of course instead of being placed at
the side of the tube A, on which the saddle support is fixed, be also placed above
on the tube of the frame, which is directed obliquely upward from the axle of the
hinder wheel to the upper end of the tube A, in which case the signal rod B would
come through the saddle with an inclination towards the front.
When manufacturing cycles, which are to be fitted with the signal rod, the latter
might be arranged without making use of a box C directly in one of the above
mentioned tubes of the cycle-frame; in this case however it is true that the saddle
support must to be attached in a manner different to that most used at present.
Thus for instance one might place in the upper end of the tube A, which usually
has hitherto received the downwards bent end of the saddle support, a short
narrower tube, from which a horizontal piece branches off above A and serves to
attach the saddle support, which in this case is not bent, while the vertical tube
can itself receive the rod B. By such an arrangement it would be attained, that
the signal rod would not lie on one side, but symmetrically with regard to the
saddle, and thus in no way disfigure the machine by its presence.
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:-
Appliance for preventing the theft of cycles, characterized by the signal rod B
which ordinarily when the owner is using his machine lies against or in one of the
tube tube supports of the front part of the frame, under the saddle, but on the
machine not being used is raised by the rider and by turning a screw p by means
of a key is immovably fastened to any one but the owner, so that it now passes
through the saddle projecting to a considerable extent above it, being clearly
visible with the object on the one hand of making it impossible to sit on the
saddle and on the other hand in case the machine should nevertheless be used or
carried away every passer by is immediately informed that the machine has been
stolen.
Dated this 4th day of April 1800
For CARL FRIEDRICH POLLACK,
Beruh.
Brockhues.