Improvement in Means of Storage and Carriage of Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Means of Storage and Carriage of Bicycles.
I, HENRY WALLACE DOVETON. DUNLOP, of Viewmount, Lucan, County of
Dublin, Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the storage and carriage of bicycles in such a
manner that a great many can be safely stored in a small place and conveniently
for carriage by rail or otherwise or for storage in rooms and still that each one
can be easily got at and taken out without disturbing the rest. To do this, I
secure the bicycles to holders which are attached as arms to a spindle or shaft
which stretches across the space dealt with. The arms are placed all round the
spindle or shaft as near as possible to one another and the spindle, by turning,
allows all the arms to be filled. To remove any machine you turn the spindle
until the machine you require comes to you when you can release it without
disturbing the rest.
Dated this 30th day of June 1807
Improvement in Means of Storage and Carriage of Bicycles.
I, HENRY WALLACE DOVETON DUNLOP, of Viewmount, Lucan, County of
Dublin, Ireland, Civil Engineer, 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 storage and carriage of bicycles.
According to my invention a great many bicycles can be safely and conveni-
ently stored in a small space for carriage by rail or otherwise and in such a
manner that each bicycle can be easily reached and removed without disturbing
the rest. For this purpose, I provide a series of radial arms or supports carried
by a spindle or shaft that is capable of being conveniently rotated when desired.
The bicycles are connected to the aforesaid radial arms in any appropriate
manner that will enable them to be quickly released; I prefer however to employ
a device or holder of the kind hereinafter specified.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
Price 871

page_text: effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate my invention applied, by way of example, to a railway
van.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a part sectional end view of the device.
Figure 3 shows a modified construction thereof; and
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views shewing on an enlarged scale, the holder and
arm employed therein.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a is the spindle or shaft, which
is, in this instance, arranged horizontally across the van. The extremities of the
spindle proper fit rotatably in end blocks a¹ adapted to slide in vertical grooves b,
formed by channel iron or the like, secured to the side of the van. Obviously
however the spindle may be arranged longitudinally instead of transversely in
which case it would be formed in sections each having a separate spindle sup-
ported in channel iron guide grooves forming independent pillars at suitable
distances from each other and from the end of the van. The spindle can be
supported at any desired height from the floor by pins b₁ passing through holes
in said channel iron and in the blocks a¹; or said spindle may rest in a fixed
box, say, at a distance of 3 feet 9 inches from the floor. Any other means of sup-
porting the shaft or spindle and guiding it in its movements may however be
employed.
c, c are the radial arms which are in the present instance arranged 'in pairs
on the spindle a, each pair being adapted to lie at right angles to the pair on
either side of it, and also being capable of adjustment towards or away from each
other. Near the ends of these arms, spring or other clips or holders c¹ are pro-
vided for the reception of the bracket-bearing portion of the bicycle which is
secured by a pivoted bolt and nut i or by any other suitable means. These
holders are preferably lined with rubber or some other suitable material for
preventing the frame of the bicycle from being abraided.
.11
Obviously I may employ any other appropriate form of holder, for grasping
the bicycle at any desired part thereof.
i
Instead of providing holders or clips on the arms or on the: spindle,.. I may
provide each bicycle with a device permanently or temporarily secured thereto
and having a stem or the like adapted to fit into a socket in the spindle or the
arm and to be secured therein by a spring bolt or pawl.
A form of holder adapted to be temporarily secured to the bicycle is shewn
in Figures 3 and 4. This holder is also capable of being permanently fixed on
the arm or spindle in the same manner as that already described.
It consists of two padded members e, e¹ joined together at one end by a spring
or other flexible connection 2. These members are adapted to grasp the main
tube and centre or saddle tube of the machine, as shown, the said parts of the
machine being securely fixed therein by means of a pivoted bolt and butterfly
nut or other suitable device. The member e is carried by an arm or stem f
provided with a cross piece fl. One portion of this crosspiece is curved and
padded and forms a hook or seat for the barrel of the bracket-bearing portion
of the bicycle; and the other portion carries the fork f2 for preventing the front
wheel from turning, which fork may be hinged to the said cross piece as shown.
The opposite end of the stem is adapted to be secured to the arm c.
Instead of supporting only one member by the arm f and hinging the second
member thereto, may arrange each member on a separate spring-like support
or arm.
Figure 5 shows one of the arms c detached; it is provided with loops g forming
a socket into which the extremity of the stem f³ is pushed. "A spring controlled
pivoted catch is fitted to the arm, and is adapted to engage with notches h² in
the stem f3 as soon as the latter is pushed home, the arrangement being such that
when the stem is inserted in the socket the catch is automatically pushed back

page_text: and then snaps into one or other of the notches according to the position of said
stem.
When the stem is to be removed from the arm the handle h¹ is operated to
release the catch.
Or in place of the pivoted catch I may employ a spring controlled pawl sliding
in guides and provided with two or more teeth for engaging with the notches h²
An eccentric or other suitable device may be provided for enabling.said pawl to
be withdrawn from engagement with the said notches.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings each pair of arms is capable of
holding two bicycles in the same plane one on each side of the spindle. By
reason of the above described arrangement of adjacent pairs of arms at right
angles, each pair of bicycles secured to my device is at right angles to the pair
on either side. I also prefer to so arrange the holders that the handle bar of one
bicycle of a pair is opposite the saddle of the other, as shown.
The fixing in position or removal of the bicycles is facilitated by the rotata-
bility of the spindle, and in order to maintain said spindle stationary in any
desired position I provide the same at one extremity with a notched drum or
wheel with which engages a spring catch or bolt 3 Levers or handles may
be provided for turning the spindle; and a cord or chain at or other means may
be attached to the spring bolt to enable it to be operated from any part of the
van.
When the van, or other structure in which my invention may be employed,
is not required for carrying or storing bicycles or the like, the spindle and its
arms may be entirely removed or be elevated so as to allow of the whole space
being utilized for containing luggage or for other purposes. A convenient
arrangement for elevating the spindle consists in attaching to the blocks a', cords
or chains d which pass over pulleys . The free ends of both cords are brought
together and secured to the same cleat ², so that both ends of the spindle are
raised simultaneously; or I may use counterbalancing weights.
The arms c,
or alternate arms, are mounted upon the spindle in such manner as to be
capable of being turned through an angle of 90°, so that when not in use the
series of arms may be turned into one plane, and thus occupy very little space
at the top of the van. The arms may be secured in either position by spring
bolts or thunib screws engaging with grooves or recesses in the spindle; or
in any other suitable manner.
I may vary the disposition and the length of the arms c as desired; or in some
cases I may dispense with these arms and attach the holders directly to the spindle
or shaft. In the latter case the holders would not be arranged exactly opposite
each other, but one holder would be slightly displaced laterally with respect to
the other so as to allow for the wheels of two bicycles overlapping each other.
Or the holders might be arranged in a spiral manner or otherwise around the
spindle. Or I may arrange the arms in sets of three at 120° apart, instead of
in pairs or singly.
By attaching the holders directly to the spindle, the height and width of the
space required are reduced, but the bicycles cannot be arranged so close
together.
I prefer to mark each arm with a distinguishing number or sign, which also
appears on a check or tally to be retained by the person whose bicycle is being
stored or carried.
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
in a device for use in the storage and carriage of bicycles is:-
1. A rotatable shaft having radial arms or holders to which the bicycles or
other articles are capable of being detachably connected substantially as and for
the purpose described.

page_text: 2. The construction of the aforesaid arms or holders so that they are capable
of adjustment on the said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A contrivance for temporary attachment to a bicycle substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
4. My improved device for use in storing or transporting bicycles, having its
parts constructed arranged and combined to operate substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of April 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.