Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and the like.
We, GEORGE SANDERS, and PICKERING PHIPPS, Works Manager and
Chairman respectively of The Bamboo Cycle Company Limited, Petit Street,
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to velocipedes and the like, especially those in which the
principal members of the frame are of bamboo or the like material, and has for its
objects an improved construction of certain parts of the frame and improved means
for locking the adjustment of the saddle pillar, as hereinafter described.
We will describe our invention as applied to a bamboo rear driving safety
bicycle, though it may be applied to other types of velocipedes and the like
whether made of bamboo or other tubular material, as will be readily understood.
We provide the upper end of the bamboo diagonal, into which the saddle pillar
telescopes, with a closely fitting collar, having a radially projecting lug. This lug
may conveniently take the form of a hollow socket adapted to receive the top tube
of a "diamond" frame. Into the top of the diagonal is fitted a metal bush,
preferably having a flanged head to cover the edge of the bamboo and prevent the
bush slipping down too far. In the wall of the bush are formed three cuts or slots,
one parallel to the length of the bush and the others transverse thereto, thus
forming two free ended tongues. Opposite to these tongues a transverse hole is
bored in the lug and collar, the boring also cutting away a portion of the bamboo
and forming a transverse slot therein so that when the bush is in place, parts of the
said tongues project into the said hole.
A bolt is adapted to fit into the transverse hole and is constructed of two parts.
The principal part is approximately cylindrical and of two diameters; the free end
of the portion of smaller diameter is screw threaded. The other part of the bolt
consists of a sleeve which slides on to the smaller portion of the principal part and
has its external diameter equal to the larger diameter of the said principal part.
A transverse groove is formed partly in the sleeve and partly in the larger portion
of the principal part of the bolt, the radius of the groove being preferably
approximately equal to the external diameter of the bush fitting into the top of the
diagonal. When the bolt is in position in the transverse hole in the collar and lug,
the grooved parts thereof bear on the tongues of the bush and the threaded parts
project beyond the surface of the collar and lug. On a nut being screwed on to
such threaded part it bears on the end of the sleeve which is thereby forced towards
the other end of the bolt, while the principal portion of the bolt is drawn through
the sleeve. As the grooved portions of the bolt approach the groove as a whole
becomes shallower and the tongues are pressed back, so as to grip the saddle pillar
within the bush. The surface of the pillar may be milled or otherwise roughened
to increase the grip. Thus the pillar is held without pinching the bamboo and risk
of crushing or splitting the latter is avoided.
The upper ends of the members rising from the axle of the rear wheel towards
the saddle, commonly known as the "upper back fork" or "back stays" are
preferably attached to the body of the collar instead of to the usual lugs projecting
backwardly therefrom. Eyes are formed on the said upper ends and bosses are
preferably formed one on each side of the collar. Holes are bored through the said

page_text: bosses, the walls of the bamboo and the walls of the bush; and the holes are
tapped to receive suitable screws, preferably slot headed screws. The said upper
ends are bolted to the collar, bamboo and bush by the screws and after the latter
have been tightened sufficiently their inner ends are shaped to the form of the
interior of the bush so that when the saddle pillar is inserted in the bush it will
engage with the ends of the screws and prevent their turning and slackening.
The bosses on the collar and the eyes may be recessed into each other to take the
shearing strain off the screws. The transverse bolt and the two screws hold the
collar securely in position on the bamboo diagonal.
The transverse bolt may be applied to ordinary frames of steel tube or the like
so as to bear on the saddle pillar with or without the intervention of the tongues;
and the tongues, if employed, may be formed in and of the walls of the diagonal
tube. Similarly, the upper ends of the upper back fork or back stays may be
secured in ordinary frames by screws having their inner ends shaped and adapted to
be locked by the saddle pillar as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 26th day of June 1896.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18 Hertford Street, Coventry, Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and the like.
We, GEORGE SANDERS and PICKERING PHIPPS, Works Manager and
Chairman respectively of The Bamboo Cycle Company Ltd., Petit Street,
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, 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 :-
Our invention relates to velocipedes and the like, especially those in which the
principal members of the frame are of bamboo or the like material, and has for its
objects an improved construction of certain parts of the frame and improved means
for locking the adjustment of the saddle pillar, as hereinafter described.
We will first describe our invention as applied to a bamboo rear-driving safety
bicycle, though it may be applied to other types of velocipedes and the like whether
made of bamboo or other tubular material.
And in order that our description may be more easily understood and the
invention readily carried into effect we have appended a sheet of explanatory
drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are marked with like reference
numerals where shown.
Figure I is a broken view in side elevation of so much of a diamond framed
bamboo safety bicycle as is required to show our invention.
Figure II is a vertical section of the same and
Figure III is a transverse section on the line a-a in Figure I.
Figure IV is a similar view to Figure III showing the application of our
invention to a steel or similar framed bicycle.
Figure V is a front elevation of the bush hereinafter referred to shown in
Figs. I, II, III and IV.
Figure VI is a side elevation of the part of the diagonal tube of the frame
alone, and
Figure VII shows the parts of the bolt hereinafter referred to separated from
each other.
Referring to Figures I, II, III, V, VI and VII. We provide the upper end of
the bamboo diagonal 2, into which the saddle pillar 3 telescopes, with a closely
fitting collar 4 having a projecting lug 5. This lug forms the hollow socket adapted

page_text: to receive the top tube of a "diamond" frame. Into the top of the diagonal 2 is
fitted a metal bush 7, preferably having a flanged head 8 to cover the edge of the
bamboo and prevent the bush slipping down too far. In the wall of the bush are
formed three cuts or slots, one (9) parallel to the length of the bush and the
others (10, 10) transverse thereto, thus forming two free ended tongues 11, 11.
Opposite to these tongues a transverse hole 12 is bored in a lug 6 on the collar 4,
the boring also cutting away a portion of the bamboo and forming a transverse
slot 13 therein (see Fig. VI) so that when the bush 7 is in place parts of the said
tongues 11, 11 project into the said hole 12.
A bolt 14 is adapted to fit into the transverse hole 12 and is constructed of two
parts. The principal part 15 is approximately cylindrical and of two dianeters;
the free end of the portion of smaller diameter 17 is screw threaded. The other
part of the bolt consists of a sleeve 18 which slides on to the smaller portion 17 of
the principal part and has its external diameter equal to the larger diameter 16 of
the said principal part. A transverse groove 19 is formed partly in the sleeve 18
and partly in the larger portion 16 of the principal part 15 of the bolt, the radius
of the groove being preferably approximately equal to that of the exterior of the
bush 7 fitting into the top of the diagonal 2. When the bolt 14 is in position in
the .transverse hole 12 in the lug 6, the grooved parts thereof bear on the
tongues 11, 11 of the bush and the threaded part 17 projects beyond the surface of
the lug 6. On a nut 20 being screwed on to such threaded part it bears on the end
of the sleeve 18 which is thereby forced towards the other end 16 of the bolt, while
the principal portion 15 of the bolt is drawn partly through the sleeve. As the
grooved portions of the bolt approach, the groove 19 as a whole becomes shallower
and the tongues 11, 11 are pressed back, so as to grip the saddle pillar 3 within the
bush 7 and secure it as to its longitudinal position relatively to the diagonal
tube 2. The surface of the pillar 3 may be milled or otherwise roughened to
increase the grip. Thus the pillar is held without pinching the bamboo and risk of
crushing or splitting the said bamboo is avoided.
The upper ends of the members 21 rising from the axle of the rear wheel
towards the saddle, commonly known as the "upper back fork" or "back stays,'
are preferably attached to the body of the collar 4 instead of to the usual lugs
projecting backwardly therefrom. Eyes 22 are formed on the said ends and
upper
bosses 23 are preferably formed one on each side of the collar 4. Holes are bored
through the said bosses 23, the walls of the bamboo 2 and the walls of the bush 7;
and the said holes are tapped to receive suitable screws 25, preferably having slot-
heads as shown. The said upper ends of the members 21 are bolted to the
collar 4, bamboo 2 and bush 7 by the screws 25, and after the latter have been
tightened sufficiently their inner ends 26 are filed or otherwise shaped to the form
of the interior of the bush 7 so that when the saddle pillar 3 is inserted in the bush
it will engage with the ends 26 of the screws and prevent their turning and
slackening. The bosses 23 on the collar and the eyes 22 may be recessed into
each other as shown in Fig. III to take the shearing strain off the screws. The
transverse bolt 14 and the two screws 25, 25 hold the collars 4 securely in position
on the bamboo diagonal 2.
Figure IV shows the application of the transverse bolt 14 to an ordinary frame
of steel tube or the like so as to bear on the saddle pillar 3 through the intervening
tongues 11, 11 which are formed in and of the walls of the diagonal tube 2. Or,
in this case the tongues 11, 11 may be dispensed with and the bolt 14 allowed to
bear direct on the saddle pillar 3. The upper ends of the upper back fork or back
stays 21 are secured to bosses 23 on the collar 4 by screws 25 having their inner
ends shaped and adapted to be locked by the saddle pillar, as hereinbefore
described. The collar 4 and lug 5 may also be brazed or otherwise secured in
position.
If preferred, in either case the hole 12 may be made through the front of the
collar 4 at its junction with the lug 5, instead of at the back of the collar 4 as
above described and illustrated.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a velocipede or the like, the combination with the diagonal tube and the
saddle pillar telescoping therein of,-a collar fitting around the top of the diagonal
tube, a metal bush provided with tongues and fitting into the top of the diagonal
tube, a transverse hole bored in the collar and diagonal tube, and adapted to
receive a bolt, a bolt provided with an adjustable groove and adapted to lie in the
said transverse hole with its grooved parts bearing on the saddle pillar through the
intervening tongues of the said bush, and, a nut adapted to work on a screwed
. portion of the said bolt so as to reduce the groove in such bolt, all combined,
arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as set forth.
2. In a velocipede or the like, the combination with the diagonal tube and the
saddle pillar telescoping therein of:-a collar fitting around the top of the diagonal
tube, tongues formed in and of the walls of the top of the diagonal tube a transverse
hole bored in the collar and adapted to receive. a bolt, a bolt provided with an
adjustable groove and adapted to lie in the said transverse hole with its grooved
parts bearing on the saddle pillar through the intervening tongues of the diagonal
tube, and, a nut adapted to work on a screwed portion of the said bolt so as to
reduce the groove in such bolt, all combined arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as set forth.
3. The improved means for locking the adjustment of the saddle pillar of a
velocipede or the like, substantially as herein described and as exemplified in
Figures I, II, III, V, VI and VII of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved means for locking the adjustment of the saddle pillar of a
velocipede or the like, substantially as herein described and as exemplified in-
Figures I, 1V and VII of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a velocipede or the like,-attaching the collar (which connects together
the diagonal tube, and the upper back fork or back stays) to the diagonal tube by
a bolt passing through a transverse hole formed in the said collar and in the said
diagonal tube, and with or without screws passing through the said collar, the
diagonal tube and a bush inserted in such diagonal tube, such screws having their
inner ends shaped to the form of the interior of the bush, so that when the saddle
pillar is inserted in the bush it engages with the shaped ends of the screws and
prevents their turning, substantially as set forth.
6. In a velocipede or the like, attaching the collar (which connects together
the diagonal tube, and the upper back fork or back stays) to the diagonal tube by
a bolt passing through a transverse hole formed in the said collar and in the said
diagonal tube, and with or without screws passing through the said collar, and the
diagonal tube, such screws having their inner ends shaped to the form of the
interior of the diagonal tube, so that when the saddle pillar is inserted in
the diagonal tube it engages with the shaped ends of the screws aud prevents their
turning, substantially as set forth.
7. The improved means for attaching the collar which connects together the
diagonal tube and the upper back fork or back stays of a velocipede or the like
substantially as herein described and as exemplified, in two modifications, by the
accompanying drawings.
3333
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18: Hertford Street, Coventry, 75 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., aud
49 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.