Improvements in or applicable to Cycles for Military Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Cycles for Military Purposes.
I, HARRY AUBREY DE VERE MACLEAN, of Church House, Kew, in the County
of Surrey, but at present of Morocco, Kaid (Officer) in the Army of H.S.M. the
Sultan of Morocco, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in cycles, more especially applicable
to bicycles, for military use, and it has for its object to provide a cycle with means
whereby a rifle, carbine, or the like, may be carried thereon, and may be mani-
pulated without having to remove it from the machine.
To this end, I dispense with the ordinary handle bar, and I provide the steering
post with means for carrying a rifle, carbine, or the like, so that this latter will
then take the place of the handle bar and can be used as such.
In carrying out my invention, I provide the steering post with arms, brackets,
or supports, furnished with clips, or other suitable devices, to receive the rifle, or
carbine, and I so arrange said steering post that the rifle or carbine may be
rotated horizontally on the same, and may likewise swivel thereon, so as to be
elevated or depressed.. I further provide means for retaining the rifle or carbine
in place and prevent it becoming detached during the travel of the cycle.
or
The steering post is so constructed and arranged that it may be raised
lowered, and be retained in the required position to act as a support for the rifle,
or carbine, during firing.
Improvements in or applicable to Cycles for Military Purposes.
I, HARRY AUBREY DE VERE MACLEAN, C.M.G., of Church House, Kew, in the County
of Surrey, but at present of Morocco, Kaid (Officer) in the Army of H.S.M. the
Sultan of Morocco, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My invention has reference to cycles, more especially for military purposes, and
it has for its object to provide them with means whereby a rifle, carbine, or like

page_text: weapon, can be carried thereon, and be manipulated therefrom without having
to remove it from the machine.
To this end, and according to one arrangement, I dispense with the handle
bar, and I provide the steering post with a suitable support for carrying the
weapon, so that such support will then serve the double office of handle bar and
weapon-carrier.
According to another, or alternative, arrangement, I retain the handle bar,
and apply thereto the means for carrying the weapon, both arrangements, however,
being such that the said weapon can still be manipulated without having to
remove it from the machine.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood, I will describe it
fully with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations, at right angles to one another, of the steering head
of a cycle embodying my first arrangement, viz. that in which the handle bar
is dispensed with.
In carrying out my invention, I construct the steering post in two parts a, a¹,
to the upper one, a¹ of which, I pivot a bracket, arm, or support 6 adapted to
carry the weapon. The lower part a is connected to the fork of the front wheel in
any usual manner, while the upper part a¹ terminates at bottom in a square and
slightly tapered portion a designed to enter a correspondingly shaped recess a³
formed in the part a, and so cause the two parts a, a¹, when in their engaged
position, to turn together in the steering head c. Above the square portion a
is a collar a fitting tight and easy in the said head, and serving to steady and
guide the part a' which is free to be brought into engagement with the part a,
or to be disengaged therefrom, and then be revolved in the head independently
of the part a.
d is a screw plug for preventing the part a¹ quitting the steering head. It is
preferably made in halves, so as to allow it to be removed, when required, for any
purpose.
The said bracket, arm, or support b is provided at its ends with clips b¹, or
other suitable retaining devices, for gripping or holding the weapon. It is pivoted
in a fork a on the part a', and is formed with lugs or projections, the purpose
of which is hereinafter described.
Either, or both, of the clips b' may be furnished with a pin b³ for the purpose of
entering a hole, or holes, in the stock of the rifle and prevent it shifting endwise,
or turning over.
I further provide a locking device for holding the part a¹ of the steering post
when in its raised, or in its lowered, position, as may be required. A suitable
device consists of a plate e hinged to the head c, and having a tooth e¹ adapted to
enter a slot c¹ in such head, and so retain the collar a' whether raised, or lowered.
The plate e and its tooth el are prevented from shifting by means of a spring
clip embracing the steering head.
It will thus be readily seen from Fig. 1 of the drawings, that the part a¹ of the
steering post, when raised, as shewn in full lines, can be revolved in the head c
without affecting the front wheel, and that the weapon can be readily elevated, or
depressed, by tilting the pivoted bracket &, as well as be rotated with the part a¹
of the steering post, and further, that the said weapon can be fired in any direction,
without it being necessary to remove it from the machine.
By the rider dismounting, and holding the head of the machine with one hand,
while adjusting the weapon with the other, great facility is afforded for taking
steady aim.
Thus, according to this arrangement, the rifle, or like weapon, serves as a handle
bar for steering purposes when the machine is being ridden, and by means of the
projections or lugs babutting against the screw plug d, as shewn in dotted lines,
the said rifle is, at the same time, prevented from oscillation.
Should it be deemed advisable for military or other reasons to abandon the
machine, it is only necessary to carry off the parts a¹, b and d, and so render the
abandoned parts useless.

page_text: Referring to the second or alternative arrangement, that in which the handle
bar is retained, Fig. 3 is an elevation, Fig. 4 a plan, and Fig. 5 a sectional side
elevation thereof. Fig. 6 shows the position of certain of the parts while elevating,
or depressing, the weapon.
The bracket, arm, or support b is, as in the first arrangement, pivotally con-
nected to the part a', or stem fitting into the steering post a of the steering head c,
and the screw plug d, on which the bracket revolves, is constructed as a socket to
receive the fork or joint a5. The handle bar is connected to the bracket b, as
shewn in Fig. 4, and a locking device, hereinafter described, is employed for
locking the bracket and handle bar f to the steering post, when the cycle is being
ridden.
The bracket carries a spring controlled sliding bar provided at each end
with lugs or blocks g', 92, over which the swivels or D-loops of the rifle are slipped
to secure it in place, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, a spring pin 3 (or
other suitable contrivance) being employed to prevent it becoming accidentally
detached. The sliding bar g is guided in bearings 94, 95, formed on the ends of
the bracket b, and a coiled spring his interposed between the lug gl and the
bearing 5, to absorb the recoil of the weapon. The bracket b is adapted to
rotate about a flange d' on the socket d, in a plane at right angles to the steering
head, and so allow of steering the cycle. When elevating, or depressing, the rifle,
while using the same, the bracket rises slightly, as shewn in Fig. 6, and travels in
a more or less inclined position on the edge of said flange.
Or, if preferred, I may retain the clips 6', shewn in Fig. 1, in place of the
lugs g, g, and said clips may be either a fixture, or may be adapted to swivel
or shift upon the bar g. Or the weapon may be fixed to the bar 9 by any other
suitable attachment adaptable to the pattern of weapon employed.
In Fig. 5 is shewn a convenient locking device for use with the arrangement
shewn in Figs. 3 to 6, by means of which either the parts a and a¹ of the steering
post may be locked together, as previously stated, or by which the front wheel
may be locked whilst unlocking the steering post. Said locking device advan-
tageously comprises a tooth or bolt el adapted to enter slots c¹ and 3, in the parts a
and a respectively of the steering post, and so render the handle bar immovable
therein. This tooth or bolt is carried by a rod e, the upper end of which is bent
to form a handle e, while the lower end enters a pivoted arm which is held
against the steering post by means of a clip e³. The arm is pivoted at * to the
steering post, or to the head clip 7, and the pivot e also carries a stirrup or
U-piece m provided with a finger or tooth m and notch m³. Extending from
near the pivoted end of the arm e³, is a stud e adapted to press against the
tooth m¹ and keep the stirrup lifted while the cycle is being ridden (as shewn
in Fig. 5). To use the cycle as a rest or support, from which to fire the weapon,
the rider pulls back the handle e so releasing the tooth or bolt e¹, the rod e at
this moment causing the arm e³ to turn on its pivot et and to assume the position
shewn in dotted lines. The stud ethereupon moves away from the finger and
strikes against a second tooth m³ on the edge of the stirrup or U-piece m and so
forces the latter into engagement with a pin p on the frame A of the cycle, so
locking the fork of the front wheel and releasing the handle bar. The rifle, or
like weapon, may be attached to the sliding bar g prior to, or after, manipulating
the locking device, it being understood that when riding "in company" the rifle
would preferably be carried in any convenient position on the frame of the
machine.
Should it be desired to carry the rifle lengthwise with, and at the side of, the
machine in accordance with the practice in vogue, I provide the sliding bar g,
near its lug g³, with any suitable clip or holder, so that the rifle can be brought
parallel with the side of the machine, by simply disconnecting it from the lug g',
or clip, and, if necessary, allowing it to slide backwards through the clip on the
lug, and then securing the butt end to a clip on the frame of the cycle, as
usual.

page_text: I may, however, dispense with the locking device, just described, and fix the
handle bar permanently to the steering post, as shewn in Figs. 7 and 8 which
represent two views taken at right angles to one another. In such case, I prefer
to fit the part a', to which the bracket 6 is connected, into the steering post a,
and to guide the sliding bar g in a sleeve q forming part of the bracket.
The arrangement shewn in Figs. 7 and 8 further allows of the weapon being
carried at the "slope."
Although my improved cycle is more especially devised for military purposes,
yet it is apparent that it can equally well be employed for sporting or other
purposes.
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. In cycles for military purposes, the combination with the steering post of a
bracket, support, or the like adapted to carry a rifle or similar weapon and to
permit of it being manipulated without having to remove it from said cycle,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a cycle for military purposes, as above claimed, the combination with the
bracket, support, or the like, of a steering post formed in two parts and adapted
to engage or be locked one with the other, when to be used for steering purposes,
but to be disengaged or unlocked when the weapon carried by the bracket is to
be manipulated, and means for retaining the movable part of such steering post
in position, substantially as described.
3. In a cycle for military purposes, the combination of the pivoted bracket b
(having clips 6), the divided steering post a, a' (the upper part of which carries
the bracket and is adapted to rise when the weapon is to be used) and the locking
device e, for retaining said steering post in its raised, or in its lowered, position,
substantially as described.
4. In a cycle for military purposes, the combination with the pivoted bracket,
having projections 62, of a plug (d) forming a bearing surface for said projections
and a guide for the movable steering post, substantially as described.
5. In a cycle for military purposes, the modified arrangement wherein the handle
bar is carried by a bracket, arm, or support provided with a spring controlled
sliding bar or weapon-carrier adapted to rotate about a flanged socket d, d¹, receiv-
ing the forked head or joint as of such bracket, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the annexed drawings.
6. In a cycle for military purposes constructed in accordance with Claim 1, the
locking device for either locking the handle bar to the steering post, or the fork
of the front wheel, alternatively, substantially as described and shewn in Fig. 5
of the annexed drawings.
7. In a cycle for military purposes, the alternative form in which the bracket is
arranged independently of the handle bar, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 7 and 8 of the annexed drawings.
8. A cycle, for military or other purposes, provided with the rifle or like weapon-
carrying arrangement shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, or in 3 to 6, or in 7 and 8 of the
drawings hereunto annexed
Dated this 29th day of April 1898.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 5A, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.