Improvements in Cycle Frames:
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1894
"Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1895-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Cycle Frames:
I, CHARLES WILLIAM BROWN of 2 Oak Villas, Friern Park, North Finchley,
in the County of Middlesex, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the frame for a tandem bicycle constructed to
accommodate two ladies. Hitherto, tandem bicycles have been made suitable
either for two men, or for a lady in front and a gentleman behind, but hitherto no
frame has been designed of sufficient strength to stand without the horizontal cross
bar for at least one rider, the said bar interfering with the dress of a lady rider,
and thus rendering it unsuitable for one.
In carrying out this invention I construct the frame substantially as follows: -
I make the main portion of the frame of two triangles at the apex of the front of
which I place the seat for the front rider and the handle-bar for the back rider, and
at the apex of the second triangle I place the seat for the back rider. I carry the
back fork in which the back wheel works horizontally or approximately horizontally
forward beyond the second triangle so as to connect & support two front diagonal'
stays extending respectively from the top and bottom of the steering, head of the'
front wheel; I may arrange the front part of this support or fork in a different
plane from the back, but preferably I carry it on in the same plane and may make
it out of the same tubes. The back fork may be complete in itself and the front
portion be carried forward' by two other tubes one on each side of the diagonal
frames or two tubes may be carried from the axle of the back road' wheel to the
front diagonal; a single tube may be used from the fork forwards but I prefer to
make them double as above described. Some or all of the diagonals of the
triangles may be carried down below the horizontal fork liue above mentioned' and
connected to each other and to a stay joining two or more of them and lying'in'a
more or less horizontal plane and then carried upwards from the back point of
contact to the bearing of the back road wheel. By this construction I obtain' a
rigid frame well'supported and capable of accommodating two lady riders.
Dated this 14th day of September 1894.
Improvements in Cycle Frames.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM BROWN of 2 Oak Villas, Friern Park, North) Finchley,
in the County of Middlesex, Journalist, 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 frame of a tandem bicycle constructed' to
accommodate two ladies. Tandem bicycles have been made suitable either for
two gentlemen, or for a lady in front and a gentleman behind, but hitherto no
10077

page_text: frame has been designed of sufficient strength to stand the strain of two riders
without the horizontal cross bar for at least one rider, the said bar interfering with
the dress of a lady rider, and thus rendering it unsuitable for one.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which...
Figure I'is a side elevation of the complete frame and
Figure 2 a perspective view of portions of the frame.
Like letters represent like parts in both figures.
The front portion of the frame adapted to the accommodation of the front rider
is substantially the same as that described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of my
previous Specification No. 14163, the back portion differing from those figures.
The important feature of this frame is the rigid tying and supporting of various
parts so as to prevent what is known as side whip or other deflection of the
frame, and particularly to prevent twisting of the brackets which carry the crank
axle.
In constructing this frame and commencing at the back end I make the
triangle A composed of the tubes A' A² and A3 much in the ordinary style, the
seat for the back rider being carried at the top of the diagonal A' by an L-pin or
other suitable connection B in the usual manner. The tube A³ extends from the
bearing C of the back wheel to the forward diagonal D which terminates at the
bottom of the steering head of the front wheel, the tube being connected by
suitable brackets E with each of the framing tubes that it passes on the way.
The tube A³ as shown in Figure 2 is actually one limb of a fork so that one
tube A passes upon each side of all the diagonal framing tubes and is connected
with them. In addition to the fork A³ there is a second and lower fork F of
similar construction also extending from the bearing C of the back wheel to the
front diagonal D but meeting it at the bottom of that tube instead of part way up as
in the case of A³. The tubes F are connected with the various framing tubes as
in the case of the tubes A³ any convenient lugs or brackets being employed for
this purpose. The framing apportioned to the front rider consists of the two
diagonals D and G, one extending from the bottom and the other from the top of
the steering head and the back diagonal H which forms a termination for both D
and G and to which they are both connected. The bottom H¹ of the diagonal H
is directly connected with the back wheel bearing C by the fork F while all three
diagonals DG and H are further up connected with the same point C by the
tubes A³, by which arrangement great rigidity is obtained and twisting of the
crank bracket I, which is situated in the triangle formed by the diagonals D
and H and the front portion of the tubes A³ is rendered practically impossible.
Some of these points of connection might doubtless be dispensed with but I prefer
to have the various tubes rigidly tied together at all these points.
The bracket I may be of any suitable construction and carried in any convenient
manner but it is desirable that its position in relation to the crank bracket J of
the second rider should be adjustable to allow of the chain from the first crank to
the second crank axle being adjusted, but so long as this adjustment is provided
for and a rigid bearing is provided, it is not material for present purposes what
description of bearing is employed. It will be seen that a widely opened frame is
by this means obtained for the front rider as the tubes A³ are but a short distance
above the crank bracket I and great accommodation for the lady's dress is thus
provided. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a similarly open space
for the second rider while at the same time securing the complete rigidity of frame
which is essential to the perfect running of the machine.
I accomplish this by dispensing with the tube which usually runs from the top
of the diagonal H to the top of the diagonal A¹ and substituting therefor
the diagonal K which runs from the top of the diagonal H until it meets the
diagonal A at the second crank bracket J, being tied to the tubes A³ at the
point whereby its rigidity is greatly increased. In my former Specification

page_text: I-showed a somewhat similar arrangement of a diagonal in conjunction with the
horizontal top tube but in that case the diagonal instead of joining the tubes A³
at the point K a sufficient distance in front of the point E where the diagonal A'
joins them, to provide ample accommodation for the lady's skirt, I connected it at the
point E with the diagonal A' and tubes A³ and placed the crank bracket J at that
point, an arrangement which though suitable for the closed frame described in the
previous Specification, would not be so suitable for the open frame now required and.
would not provide the necessary accommodation for the skirt now provided by the
different placing of the tube K and crank bracket J.
In Figure 1, I have shown in dotted lines horizontal or approximately horizontal
tubes R R R2; these are not essential and I prefer to do without them, but they
may be used to suit special demands. With the tube R the machine would be
suitable for a lady behind and a man or lady in what is termed "rational dress" in
front; with the tubes R' or R2 either lady or gentleman can ride either in front or
behind.
In the figures I bave shown the crank bracket J provided with the necessary
branches to receive the tubes A' and K and to provide extensions thereof down to
the bottom fork F but if preferred one of the tubes K or A¹ may be carried
unbroken down to the fork F and the other one interrupted to pass the continuous
tube or even curved round it though I do not recommend this course and the crank
bearing for the crank axle being placed sufficiently forward or back to clear the
tubes. However, the arrangement of crank bracket J shown in the drawings I fin:
gives excellent results, and it is not necessary for this bracket to be adjustable as
the adjustment of the chain from the crank bracket J to the back wheel at C can
be usefully effected by making the back wheel adjustable in the forks of the bracket C
as is now commonly done,
Excepting at the portion appropriated to the back wheel L where the forks A³
and F are necessarily enlarged the two limbs of each of those forks are preferably
parallel and straight as clearly shown in the drawings and being stayed to each
other and to the whole of the diagonal tubes of the frame it is easy to appreciate
the great rigidity of the frame. These tubes may be curved if necessary, but as
stated I prefer to make them straight. As a means of providing still greater
strength and rigidity I prefer, though this is not essential to the efficient carrying
out of my invention, to stay the tubes A3 A3 and F and F respectively together by
the cross stays N Figure 2. The back stays M may be of any convenient
construction and may be permanently attached to the bracket C or jointed thereto
as found most convenient.
The handles or handle bars for both riders may be arranged in any convenient
manner but as there is not much room to spare for those appertaining to the back
rider I find it convenient to carry them up from the diagonal H in the manner
indicated at O in Figure 1, where O is a single tube curved as shown and split at
the top and provided with the usual clip O' to receive the stem of the handle
bar P which may be fixed by a bolt or nut passing through the clip 0' as will be
well understood. However, other arrangements of this handle bar may be employed.
For example, the tube O might if desired be a continuation of the L-pin Q which
receives the saddle of the front rider. As shown the machine is adapted to be steered
by the front rider only but other arrangements of the back handle bar and double
steering also may be used if preferred.
Although I prefer to make the tube K a fixture as indicated in the drawings
I may if preferred joint it at its upper end K2 and provide a detachable connection
at its lower end K₁ so as to be able to move it into an approximately horizontal.
position and there detachably connect it with the top of the tube A', the distance
between the point K2 and the top of the tube A¹ being for this purpose made to
correspond with that between points K2 and K. This is not suggested for the
purpose of strengthening the frame but because gentlemen riders sometimes object
to riding with the open frame adapted to lady riders.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare: that what I
claim is;
1. The complete frame for a tandem bicycle substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a tandem bicycle frame the combination with an open space for the front
rider of a second open space for the back rider the framing tubes of both spaces
being tied together and connected with the steering head diagonals and with the
back wheel bearing substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings..
3. In a tandem bicycle frame having an open space for the back rider
the extension whether interrupted or uninterrupted of the diagonal K to the
fork tubes F substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a tandem bicycle frame connecting the diagonal K with the tubes A³ at'a
point K in advance of the point E where the diagonal A¹ joins the same tubes
substantially as described and illustrated' in the accompanying drawings.
C. W. BROWN.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.