Improvements in Locking Arrangement, applicable for Cycles, Motor Cars, and other Carriages.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Locking Arrangement, applicable for Cycles,
Motor Cars, and other Carriages.
I, GUSTAV WILHELM MÜHRSTÄDT, Mechanical Engineer and Manufacturer, of
44, Bradford Street, Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the arrangement of parts, constituting a complete and
effectual locking device for locking the principal, or most vital parts on cycles,
motor-cars, or other carriages, such as the crank shafts, axles, wheels, or levers by
which motion or movement is imparted. This locking arrangement being part of,
or a fixture of such vehicles is provided with a series of letters, figures or signs,
so constituted that by so arrangeing them to form a certain word, number or sign,
by which the part when locked, may be released and has for its object to prevent
such cycles, motor cars or carriages, from being driven away or stolen when left
standing unattended in the streets, public highways or other places.
4
Now for the purpose of showing my method of locking, I will take as an example
the crank shaft on a cycle. This shaft I provide on its periphery with a flange or
shoulder or its equivalent, such flange or shoulder, in this case I prefer in the
middle of the shaft and may be either part of such shaft, or may be fixed on
separately, this flange, or its equivalent is provided with one or more slots or
indentations on its peripheri to receive the tongue of the locking tube or bolt.
Such bolt or tube I employ inside the tube which may be by preference either
the upright or longitudinal tube on a cycle or may have a separate tube attached
to it for that purpose, this bolt is held in position by a spring and screwbolt, or its
equivalent when not in contact with the axle and is provided with a projection
at a convenient place on its periphery such projection to fit in to an opening or
slot made in the tube and lug of the bracket to act as a guide.
I also provide two or more rings or collars as may be required to form the words,
numbers or signs. These rings or collars are provided on their outer periphery
either with letters figures signs or other marks and on their inside periphery
with a slot or opening to allow the projection on the before mentioned bolt to
pass, these rings are fitted over the cycle tube and cover the projection and slot in
the tube in which the locking bolt moves and are kept in position by a conveniently
shaped screw actuated collar and lock ring or nut.
This locking arrangement may be varied according to the parts to be locked and
can either be so varied in its detail to apply the principle for locking the axles
wheels or levers on all movable vehicles & carriages.
Dated this 20th day of July 1897.

page_text: Improvements in Locking Arrangement, applicable for Cycles,
Motor Cars, and other Carriages.
I, GUSTAV WILHELM MÖHRSTÄDT, Mechanical Engineer, of 44, Bradford Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, 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 the construction arrangement and disposition of lock-
ing-mechanism for use in locking any class of cycle and also for use in locking
any class of motor-car or other vehicle.
The principle object of my invention is to provide means of locking the wheels
of cycles, motor-cars and other vehicles, so that the person using the cycle, motor-
car or other vehicle, can after dismounting the cycle, or getting out of the motor-
car or other vehicle, Jock one or more of the wheels of the cycle, motor-car or
other vehicle, and so prevent the cycle from being stolen, or the motor-car or
other vehicle from being started in the absence of its owner by mischievously
disposed persons.
My invention consists of the arrangement of the parts hereinafter described con-
stituting complete and effectual secret-locking-mechanism for locking the principle
parts of cycles, motor-cars and other vehicles, the parts directly locked being by
preference the crank-shafts, axles, or levers through which motion is conveyed
to the wheel to be locked and prevented from revolving, and where the road-wheels
revolve over a fixed axle free of any transmitting mechanism I lock such loose
wheels directly.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which the locking-mechanism is constructed and applied.
Figure 1, represents a sectional elevation of the locking-mechanism unlocked.
Figure 2, represents an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 3, represents a section of slotted crank of Figure 1 on the line A B.
Figure 4, represents a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 5, represents a half section and half elevation of the ring z of Figure 1.
Figure 6, represents a side elevation of Figure 5.
Figure 7, represents a half section and half elevation of the ring y of Figure 1.
Figure S, represents a side elevation of Figure 7.
Figure 9, represents an outline of a bicycle showing the locking mechanism in
position.
Figure 10, represents the sliding guard.
Figure 11, represents a sectional elevation of the locking-mechanism in a locked
position.
Figure 12, represents a half section and half elevation of motion for altering the
combination word or sign.
Figure 13, represents an outside elevation of upper portion of Figure 11 showing
the bayonet groove in the barrel.
Figure 14, represents a half section and half elevation of the first ring of
Figure 12.
Figure 15, represents an elevation of Figure 14.
Figure 16, represents a half section and half elevation of second ring of
Figure 12.
Figure 17, represents an elevation of Figure 16.
Figure 18, represents a half section and half elevation of third ring of
Figure 12.

page_text: .
Figure 19, represents an elevation of Figure 18.
Figure 20, represents a half section and half elevation of motion with three
moveable lettered rings.
Figure 21, represents a half section and half elevation of first ring of
Figure 20.
Figure 22, represents an elevation of Figure 21.
Figure 23, represents a half section and half elevation of second ring of
Figure 20.
Figure 24, represents an elevation of Figure 23.
Figure 25, represents a half section and half elevation of third ring of
Figure 20.
Figure 26, represents an elevation of Figure 25.
Figure 27 represents a half elevation and half section of cone-ring as shewn at
Figure 1, 4, 11, 13 and 20.
Figure 28, represents an elevation of Figure 27.
In carrying out my invention in connection with bicycles I provide a tube a as
shewn broken off at Figures 1, 2, 4, 11, 12, 13 and 20 and as shewn connected to
bottom bracket b at Figures 1 and 11, the locking tube a may be the saddle tube
of the bicycle as shewn at Figure 9; or any other equivalent tube, within the
locking-tube I secure the guide-bearing c.
A tube d
I next provide the locking-bolt constructed in the following manner.
is provided with a lower fixed guide-block e Fig. 1 (similar in shape to the guide-
bearing c) and also with two additional guide-blocks e¹ and e²; to the lower end
of tube is secured the bolt which consists of a solid piece of metal the back end of
which takes into the lower end of tube d and is fastened therein by suitable means,
the outer end f being formed into a circular tongue or bolt.
At the upper part of the tube I provide a second bolt g the end of which is
pivotted to the guide block cat h, the pivotted bolt g is continually pressed
outwards by the action of the spring shewn in dotted curved shape; a spiral
lifting-spring k is then slipped over the lower end of tube and the tube with its
guide-blocks, bolts, and other connections lowered into the cycle-tube a until the
lifting-spring k reaches the fixed guide-bearing c and the tongue ƒ is presented
on the lower side of guide-bearing c.
I provide a cycle crank spindle m of special construction the extra new parts
of which consist of the collars m' and m² together with the circumferential groove
between m¹ and m²; I mill out or otherwise produce the locking-slots n shewn in
the section of crank-spindle Figures 3 and also shewn by the dotted lines at
Figures 1 and 11%; the tongue fenters either of the slots n shewn at Figure 3.
I have shewn two of such slots n nevertheless I prefer in some cases to provide
three or more of such slots.
I pierce the cycle-tube a with the bayonet slot o as shewn at Figure 13 and
to the inner tube d I secure a wire spring 2 for use in the manner hereinafter
described.
Over the bayonet sloto of cycle-tube a I place the sliding-guard q as shewn
at Figure 4. I provide the knob r the shank of which passes through a hole t
in the guard q Figure 10; thence into a screwed holes provided in the guide-
block e into which the shank of the knob is screwed, or a pin may be screwed
into the holes and the knob r secured over the upper end of such pin; the sliding
guard q is also pierced with a slot t through which passes the upward return end u
of spring p.
The tube d and its connections is operated within the cycle tube a in the
following manner.
The normal position of the spiral spring & is its expanded state as shewn at
Figure 1 such expanded state between the fixed guide-block e of tube d and the
fixed guide-bearing c of outer tube a supports the tube d in the raised position
as shewn, the lower end of the spring resting on the immoveable bearing c and
When
the upper end of spring & pressing against the travelling guide-block e.

page_text: the tongue f is in the disengaged position shewn at Figure 1 the return end u of
wire spring p would be in the upper recess of bayonet groove o as shewn at
Figure 13.
When the person with the bicycle wishes to lower the tongue f into the crank-
spindle locking-groove n he would rotate the knob r until the pin of knob caught
against the back of projecting wire-spring u and pushed it into the main passage
of bayonet groove o, the knob would then be moved downwards carrying the
inner tube d and its locking-lip into the circumferential groove of crank-
spindle m, then by pushing the road wheels of bicycle a yard more or less along
the roadway, the chain would revolve the crank-spindle m until one of the slots n
passed under the locking-lip of bolt d the locking-lip f would then be moved into
the slot n by the operator, producing the locked position shewn at Figure 11, at
the same time the wire-spring u would travel along the bayonet slot o and spring
into the bottom recess w thereby partly retaining the tongue-shaped bolt f in its
locking-slot n but the main security for retaining the tongue f. in its locking
slot n is the bolt g the action of which in conjunction with the several sets of
lettered or figured secret-index-rings is as follows.
The secret-index-ring mechanism is constructed and used in the following
manner.
I provide a bottom collar as shewn at Figures 1, 4, 11, 12, 13 and 20, and
braze or otherwise secure such collar permanently to the barrel a; I next provide
the revolving index-rings y z Figures 1 and 11, the revolving cone a¹, the nut b¹
and the screwed sleeve c¹.
On the periphery of the fixed collar x I mark letters, numerals or signs, it will
be observed that letters are marked on the collar x; I also mark letters, numerals
or signs on the revolving rings y z.
The barrel a is pierced with a slot about a quarter of an inch wide (more or
less) as shewn at Figure 2 the slot extending from 3 to f¹ as shewn at
Figure 1.
The revolving index rings y and z are also slotted as shewn at ¹ in the detailed
descriptive views Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, of the said index-rings y z.
The ring y is slipped over the ring z and the two rings then passed on the
barrel a and moved up against the fixed collar a the screwed sleeve c¹ is next passed
on to barrel and moved to rest against the outer face of ring the sleeve is then
secured to barrel a by means of one, two or more short screws, thus effecting a
rigid connection with convenience for quick disconnection of said screwed sleeve;
the revolving cone a¹ is next screwed over the outer periphery of sleeve until the
cone bears against the outer face of ring z, the lock-nut is next screwed against
the outer face of cone thus completing the set of secret-index-ring mechanism and
locking the revolving rings between the fixed collar and the non-revolving lock-
nut The tube d and its connections when moved by means of the knob r
will travel down the barrel a to engage the lip f with slot of crank-axle m
whatever position the ring slots may be moved to.
I lock the secret ring mechanism in the following manner.
The knob r is turned so that the pin v moves the spring u into the bayonet slot o
the knob is then pushed downwards, this action presses the lip 2 Figure 1 against
the edge of ring z causing the bolt g to radiate on its pivot , depress the
spring and move inwards until the point bears on the inside surface of ring z
as shewn at Figure 11 along which the point slides until it reaches the outer
edge face of ring y, when the said lip g² is by the action of the spring j pressed into
the cavity g¹ provided to receive it, as clearly shewn at Figures 1 and 11, the
wheel of the cycle is then securely locked and the cycle could be safely left on
the road-side curb, or elsewhere without danger of being stolen, because until the
rings y and z have been moved into the position shewn in section at Figure 1 to
produce the secret sign or word as shewn in plan at Figure 4 the knob could not
be moved along the bayonet slot o and therein consists the security and secrecy of
the ring-lock-mechanism.

page_text: In order to unlock the secret-ring-mechanism the person using the cycle must
know the secret sign or word, consequently the owner when he returns to his
locked machine would revolve the rings y and z by means of their nose edges m¹
so as to move the slots h into the position shewn at lower side of Figure 1, the
ring-slots h¹ would then be lineable with the piercing or slot d of barrel a, the
locking-lip 2 would project through the barrel slot d' into the continuous slot h¹;
by rotating the lifting-knob r in the manner hereinbefore described to disengage
the spring u from lower recess into bayonet slot o the locking-lip 9³ of bolt g
would travel up the slot h¹ to unlock the lip f from its locking-slot n.
I have described two moveable rings and a fixed collar all of which are marked
with letters as shewn at Figure 4 or which may be marked with numerals' or
signs in lieu of the letters.
As a further security in forming a secret word or sign I prefer in some cases
to use the three rings as shewn at Figure 20 and as shewn in detail at
Figures 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, the action of the three rings is precisely similar
to the action of the two rings y and that is to say, the slots 2 in each of
the three rings are all moved into the position shewn at Figure 1 (in relation to
the two rings) in order to be enabled to draw back the bolt d but as there are
three rings instead of two, each of the three rings can be moved into the locking
position and so produce a more complex secret lock than when only two rings
are used. I do not confine myself to two rings and to three rings as I can where
found advantageous use more than three rings.
The secret locking-mechanism as hereinbefore described can be unlocked by
any person who has discovered the sign-word, therefore to provide against the
possibility of the owner of a secretly locked cycle being watched as he unlocks
the bolt lip f and the sign word discovered I provide ready means for altering the
secret word or sign many times, and the means are as follows:-
Figure 12 shews the method of adjustment; y¹ represents a ring similar to ring y
Figure 11, z represents a ring to answer the same purpose as the ring z of
Figure 11 but the rim or nosing m is situated in the centre instead of at the
side, moreover the diameter is reduced to permit of the use of the adjusting
ring z³..
The ring is pierced with any desired number of adjustment holes extending
over the periphery in the manner illustrated at n¹ Figure 16, each of the holes n
are screwed or tapped. I next provide the adjusting ring 22 as shewn in detail
at Figures 18 and 19, through the adjusting ring is pierced a screw hole and the
periphery is marked with the required letters numerals or signs.
In the make
The adjusting ring Figure 18 is used in the following manner.
up of a new set of locking-mechanism the adjusting ring 2 would be passed over
the pierced periphery of ring.¹ in the manner illustrated at Figure 12, an adjust-
ing screw o¹ or its equivalent.would then be passed through the screw-hole in the
ring into one of the adjusting holes n¹ of ring z¹ Figure 16 and the secret word
or any combination of letters, numerals, or signs, produced with the rings of the
locking-mechanism moved into the unlocked position shewn at Figure 1; the set
of locking mechanism would then be operated to lock or unlock the crank-
spindle m in the manner hereinbefore fully described in relation to Figures 1
and 11, the owner of the cycle would then have means for altering his secret
word from time to time which would be effected by merely unscrewing the adjust-
ing screw o¹ and then moving the outer ring so as to bring the screw ol over
either of the secret-holes n¹.
The mechanism hereinbefore described as locking into the crank-shaft of a cycle
I also use to lock into the crank-shafts, axles, levers, or wheels of motor-car and
other vehicles, the crank-shafts, axles, levers or wheels being so formed as to
present the collars m¹ and m³, also the circumferential groove between the collars
together with the slots n to receive the locking-lip f the tube a and its locking
mechanism being secured to the motor-car or other vehicle in a convenient position

page_text: to engage with the crank-shaft, axle, lever, or wheel of the vehicle to be locked by
means of my secret locking mechanism.
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1
1st. An arrangement of parts constituting an improved non-detachable self-
contained secret locking mechanism in conjunction with the frames of cycles
motor-cars or carriages, for locking the axles wheels or levers of same by means of
a tubular bolt in combination with a plurality of rings.
2nd. The combination in safety secret locking mechanism, of a tubular bolt &
such as referred to in first claim, such bolt being provided with guide-blocks a
and e and also with a slot in the upper part to allow access to the catch-bolt g,
such catch-bolt g. being actuated by means of a spring ; and being attached to the
tube d by means of a pivot h, the bolt d being also provided with a wire spring-
catch p, a pin fitted in hole s screwed to receive the knob r, the whole working in
a tube or casing a, such tube having a bayonet slot o..
3rd. In safety non--detachable locking-mechanism, a tubular bolt such as referred
to in first and second claims, to engage a slot between two collars or shoulders
on the axles or wheels of cycles, motor-cars or carriages and so prevent such axles
or wheels when locked from revolving and also preventing the axles from being
withdrawn.
1
4th. In safety secret locking mechanism such as referred to in the first claim,
the construction and combination of a plurality of rings, such rings having
sleeves to fit into each other substantially as illustrated and described in relation
to Figures 20 to 26.
5th. In safety secret locking mechanism such as referred to in first claim, the
construction and combination of rings for altering the secret, word or sign, as illus-
trated and described in relation to Figures 12, 16, 17 and 18.
6th. In cycles, motor-cars and carriages, a receiving-part consisting of a circum-
ferential groove situated between two collars, the groove being provided with one,
two, three, or more sunk slots, such slots receiving a bolt that slides within a tube
or case that forms part of the cycle motor-car or carriage, or that is. self-contained
and is secured to cycles motor-cars or carriages.
D
L: 10th Ja of Wohnmory1208
Witness
GUSTAV WILHELM MOHRSTADT.
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER,
International Patent Agent,
Cobden Buildings, Corporation Street, Birmingham.