Improvements in or relating to Drey Bros.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Drey Bros.
1, GEORGE DUNCAN MOFFAT, of Hastings House, Norfolk Street, Strand, in
the County of Middlesex, Commission Agent, do 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 :-
My invention relates to bicycles and has for its object to provide an improved
device for supporting or steadying these machines in an upright position.
According to my invention I provide two supporting legs pivoted in proximity
to the bottom bracket of the frame and arranged so that when depressed by the
operation of a suitable pedal said legs shall be pressed down against the action
of a spring and reach the ground. Furthermore, I provide means whereby the
supporting legs shall be splayed outwards from their pivot so as to touch the
ground at a suitable distance on each side of the line joining the wheels so that
the machine will be rigidly supported in an approximately upright position.
In order that my invention shall be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a rear view of the bottom bracket with the supporting legs attached
thereto constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, and
Figure 3 is a plan of the same drawn to a smaller scale.
Figure 4 is a side view of a detail hereinafter fully explained.
A is the bottom bracket, B B the tubes forming the back fork of the frame,
C the lower stay of the frame. Secured beneath the bottom bracket by any
suitable means are two lugs DD which support a fixed axle E on which are
pivoted the legs F, F. The lugs D D have their inner faces inclined as shewn
at D' so that when the legs F are rotated from their lowest position shewn in full
lines to their raised position shewn in dot and dash lines they slide on the axle E
towards each other and also rotate on an axis perpendicular to said axle so as to
take up a position close to the rear wheel of the machine. To permit the rotation
of the legs on the axis perpendicular to the axle I provide a ball F in a suitable
recess in the top of each leg through which ball the axle passes as shewn. The
upper part of each leg may be made in two parts to permit of the insertion of the
ball in its recess. Between the upper parts of the legs and surrounding the axle E
is located a doubly wound spiral spring G the middle loop G¹ of which passes
through a recess Hin a disc H secured on the axle E at the centre thereof. A side
view of said disc is shewn at Figure 4. The spring G tends to prevent the upper
parts of the legs F approaching each other and also its ends are firmly secured to
said upper parts so that when said legs rotate on their axle from their uppermost
position to their lowest position said spring is twisted, consequently the spring
will tend to raise the legs from the ground. To maintain the legs in position for
supporting the machine a projection D2 is provided upon each lug D which engages
with a corresponding notch F2 in the upper part of each leg. The tension of the
spring G is regulated before the axle E is secured, by turning round said axle and
the disc H¹ so as to twist the spring and when this has been done to a sufficient
extent the axle is secured in the lugs by the pins E. The means I provide for
depressing the legs when desired are as follows
:-
Secured to the upper part of each leg is an arm F³ at the end of which is

page_text: pivotally attached a counecting rod J, the other end of which connecting rod is
pivoted to an arm K secured to the pedal L. M is a lug. secured to one of the
back stays B on which lug the pedal L is pivoted. In order to assist the spring G
in moving the legs to their uppermost position 1 sometimes provide a second
spring N which when the pedal L depressed will be compressed between the
arm K and another arm N' secured to the lug M or the pedal L can be controlled
by a leaf spring if desired.
The action of the device is as follows:-
Normally the legs F are raised from the ground being maintained in their
uppermost position by the action of the spring G assisted by the spring N when
this latter is provided. When the bicycle is to be supported in an upright position
the rider presses on the pedal L and through the connecting rod J and arms F3
depresses the legs F to the position' shewn in Figure 1 until the projections D³
engage with the notches F2 in the upper parts of the legs. By the downward
'movement of the legs the spring G is twisted and extended and the spring N when
present is compressed. In order to raise the legs from the ground they are pressed
towards each other by moving the bicycle or otherwise so that the notches F
become disengaged from the projections and as soon as this has occurred the
spring G untwists so as to raise the legs from the ground.
The pedal L is preferably provided on the opposite side of the machine to that
at which the gear wheel is located, for example as shewn in the drawings the gear
wheel A' is placed on the right hand side of the machine and the pedal L on the
left, the lug M being secured to the left hand limb of the back fork.
Instead of using two rods J, I sometimes provide that the arms F³ shall have a
sliding and rotary connection with the ends of a tube which tube is connected by
a single rod with the part K.
The lugs D preferably form part of the bottom bracket but may be secured
thereto in any suitable manner. For example as shewn in the drawings said lugs
are carried by a plate D³ having rearward extensions D* passing between and over
the limbs of the back fork B B. The plate D³ fits closely round and underneath
the bottom bracket and is provided with two extensions D' which embraces the
lower stay C of the frame and are secured at the top thereof by a bolt D.
Although I have herein shewn a convenient manner of carrying my invention
into practical effect I wish it understood that the details may be considerably
varied without transgressing the limits of my invention.
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
The improved appliance for supporting or steadying bicycles either with or
without the spring N or its equivalent constructed and operating substantially as
.described.
ΟΙ
day of January 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.