Year: 1896

page_text: I, OWEN JONES, of 68, Great Russell Street, in the County of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bicycles and other velocipedes and comprises various
improvements hereinafter mentioned.
The chief object of my said invention is to enable the width of the machine to be
readily reduced for the purpose of storage or transport. I provide means for enabling
the pedals to be turned inward without detaching either the treadles or the cranks.
For this purpose I connect the cranks to the crank-shaft or the treadle-pins to the
crank-webs by suitable hinge-pins, pivots or swivel-joints. To accomplish this result,
according to one method, instead of fixing the cranks on the crank-shaft or pedal-
shaft in any of the ways heretofore adopted, I connect, each crank to the said shaft by
means of a hinge-pin or pivot-pin extending at right angles to the crank-shaft
through a lug or lugs formed on or attached to the said shaft, and I so construct the
said crank and the end of the shaft that, when the crank is turned about its pivot-
pin into its operative position, it will be caused to engage with the said shaft in
such a manner that it will serve efficiently for driving the same. When the machine
thus constructed is to be stored or transported, its width can be reduced by turning
the cranks about their respective pivot-pins into such a position that the pedals
extend inward instead of outward.
According to another method, I fix on the crank-shaft a socket in which the web
of the crank is secured in such a manner that, on slackening a nut or other fastening
device, the web of the crank with the pedal attached to the outer end thereof can
be turned in the said socket through an angle of ninety degrees or more to move the
pedal inward.
In other cases, I make the crank-web with a projection or stud and the treadle-pin
with an eye to fit and be secured upon the same. In all cases I prefer to provide a
shoulder or stop against which the turning part will bear when the pedal is in its
operative position.
I also make the handle-bar of the machine so that it can be turned fore and aft or
into a vertical or nearly vertical position, or the top or cross-piece thereof can be
readily detached. Or I use a folding or telescopic handle-bar of any suitable
description.
When the pedals are turned inward and the handle-bar is turned into a fore and
aft or a vertical position, or is folded, the cycle will occupy a very narrow space, and
consequently a larger number of cycles so constructed can be packed into a railway-
vehicle or the like than is practicable with cycles of the ordinary construction.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, OWEN JONES, of 68 Great Russell Street, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates to bicycles and other velocipedes and comprises various
improvements hereinafter mentioned.
My said invention is chiefly designed to enable the width of bicycles and like
velocipedes to be readily reduced for the purpose of storage or transport. According
to my said invention I provide improved means for enabling the pedals to be turned
inward without detaching either the treadles or the cranks. For this purpose I
connect the cranks to the crank-shaft or the treadle-pins to the crank-webs by
suitable hinge-pins, pivots or swivel-joints. To accomplish this result, according
to one method, instead of fixing the cranks on the crank-shaft or pedal-shaft in
any of the ways heretofore adopted, I connect each crank to the said shaft by means
of a hinge-pin or pivot-pin extending at right angles to the crank-shaft through a
lug or lugs formed on or attached to the said shaft, and I so construct the said crank
and the end of the shaft that, when the crank is turned about its pivot-pin into
its operative position, it will be caused to engage with the said shaft in such a
manner that it will serve efficiently for driving the same. When the machine thus
constructed is to be stored or transported, its width can be reduced by turning the
cranks about their respective pivot-pins into such a position that the pedals extend
inward instead of outward.
According to another method, I fix on or form integrally with the crank-shaft, a
socket in which the web of the crank is secured in such a manner that, on slackening
a nut or other fastening device, the web of the crank with the pedal attached to
the outer end thereof can be turned in the said socket through an angle of ninety
degrees or more to move the pedal inward.
In all cases I prefer to provide a shoulder or stop against which the turning part
will bear when the pedal is in its operative position.
My invention moreover comprises other improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, and
Figure 2 a front elevation of the crank-shaft and crank-web of a velocipede
having my improvements applied thereto.
Figures 3 and 4 are side elevations illustrating an alternative method of locking
the crank web in position.
Figures 5 and 6 are side and front elevations respectively, shown partly in
section, illustrating further modifications of my invention.
Figures 7 and 8 are side elevations, partly in vertical central section, illustrating
still further modifications of my invention.
Figures 9 and 10 are side elevations, partly in vertical section, showing other
forins or modifications of my invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing,
Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, a is the crank-shaft and
b the crank-web bearing the pedal c. On the crank-shaft a is mounted a lug or
piece in such a manner that it is free to turn thereon but is prevented from
inoving longitudinally by means of a pine sliding in an annular groove el in the
crank-shaft. On the outer side of the lug d is formed a groove or seat d¹ to receive

page_text: the crank-web, a similar groove or seat a¹ being formed in the end of the crank-
shaft a. These grooves a, d, when in line with each other, are adapted to receive
the crank-web b which is jointed at its inner end to the lug d by means of a pivot-
pin or hinge-pin f. g is a taper pin or cotter which, when the crank is in use for
propelling the vehicle, is passed through holes in the crank-web b and in the lug d
and is secured in position by means of a nut g¹. h is a catch sliding in a suitable
recess in the lug d and acted upon by one or more springs which press it
outwards. This catch engages with one or other of two recesses h² formed on the
boss of the crank-web b and serves to retain the crank-web in either of its extreme
positions.
When it is desired to fold the pedal e inwards, the nut g is removed and the
cotter g withdrawn, after which the crank-web can be turned into the position
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 and retained therein by means of the catch k
as above described. When the pedal is thus turned inward, it is still possible to
wheel or move the machine along since the crank-shaft a can turn freely within the
lug d, the pin e meanwhile sliding in the groove el. When it is desired to bring
the pedal c into position for use, the grooves a¹, d' are brought into line with each
other and the crank-web b turned back into the position shown in full lines in
Figure 1, taking care that the cranks are at an angle of 180° to one another, when
the part 6 of the crank-web b passes into the slot and prevents rotation of the
lug relatively to the crank-shaft a. The cotter can be then replaced and the
nut tightened, when the crank is ready for use in propelling the machine. If
desired, instead of making a slot a' in the end of the crank-shaft a, the crank-
web b may be provided with a square or otherwise suitably shaped aperture adapted
to fit over the end of the crank-shaft which is shaped so as to fit the said aperture
and thus lock the crank-web to the crank-shaft.
It is obvious that, if desired, the lug d can be keyed or otherwise rigidly secured
to the crank-shaft «, in which case the crank-shaft would be prevented from turning
when the pedals are folded inwards.
In Figures 3 and 4, I have shown another method of locking the crank-web b in
position for use. In this arrangement the crank-web is provided with a
transverse hole 62 having a lateral aperture 63 of less width than the diameter of
the said hole, and the cotter is reduced in section at the part g2 thereof which
extends across the groove or channel d', so that, when in the position shown in
Figure 4, it can readily pass through the aperture 8, bnt when turned into the
position shown in Figure 3, it will rigidly hold the crank-web in position. The
end of the cotter g is provided with a handle or a square, or is otherwise suitably
shaped so that it can be readily turned as above described.
If desired, other suitable ineans, such as a spring catch, can be provided for
locking the crank in its operative position.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown another form or modification of my invention
in which the crank-web is forked at its boss or inuer end and turns about a
pivot-pin or hinge-pin passing through the reduced end of the crank-shaft a.
The end of the reduced part a³ of the said crank-shaft is curved to a semi-circular curve
concentric with the pin f, and is provided with recesses a on opposite sides thereof.
In the crank-web is mounted a pin provided with a handle or extension and
reduced in section on one side in such a manner that, when in the position shown
in Figure 5, it will engage with one or other of the recesses at, but when turned
through an angle of 90° or other suitable angle, it will release the end a3 of the
crank-shaft a and allow the crank-web to be folded over so that the pedal can be
turned inwards and vice versa, The pin is retained in position to lock the
crank-web, as above described, by causing a projection on its extension
press into a recess b7 in the crank-web.
to
In the arrangement shown in Figure 7, the crank-shaft a is provided with a reduced
end having flat surfaces a³ on opposite sides, and the crank-web is forked at its boss
or inner end similarly to the arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6. In a suitable
slot in the interior of the crank-web b, is mounted a piece m adapted to slide in

page_text: suitable guides to and from the crank-shaft a by means of an eccentric n mounted on
a pin which is operated by means of a handle or extension in a similar inanner to
the arrangement above described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. When the
eccentric n is in the position shown, the piece m will be tightly pressed against one
or other of the flat surfaces a', and the crank-web thus securely retained in position,
but when the piece. m is moved back by turning the eccentric a through a suitable
angle by means of the extension 1, the crank-web b can be turned about the pin f so
as to bring the crank into or out of its operative position.
In Figure 8 I have shown a still further modification of my invention in which the
pivot-pin or hinge-pin is provided with eccentrics, at its ends, adapted to work
in seats formed in the limbs of the forked end of the crank-web b. The eccentric f
is preferably formed integrally with the pin f, whilst the eccentric is passed over
the squared end of the said pin, the said eccentrics being made taper as shown so
that any wear may be taken up by tightening the nut fi. The pin f is moreover
provided with an extension similar to that described with reference to Figures 5
and 6 so that it can be readily tarned or secured in the position shown in Figure 8.
On turning the pin f relatively to the crank-web b, by means of the extension, a
surface between the limbs of the forked end of the crank-web b, will be brought
into or out of contact with one or other of flat surfaces a5 on opposite sides of the
crank-shaft a, so as to grip or release the said shaft. When the arm is in the
position shown, the crank-web b will be rigidly secured to the crank-shaft, but when
the surfaces a, 68 are separated, the crank-web can be turned into or out of its
operative position as desired.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 9, the end of the crank-shaft a is provided
with a taper socket a² to receive the end of the crank-web b which is made tapered
or conical so as to fit therein. The said crank-web is moreover provided with screw-
threads 65, 6 to receive nuts j, j which serve both to lock and release the crank-web b
as hereinafter described. For example, when it is desired to turn the pedal c
inwards, the nut j is slackened and the nut j' screwed towards the crank-shaft a
so as to loosen the cone bt in the socket a². The crank-web b can then be turned
through an angle of 180° or other suitable angle so as to reduce the width of the
machine, a piuk working in a groove in the end of the crank-web b being
provided for limiting the motion of the said web. The crank-web b can then be
secured in position by means of the nut j. To bring the crank again into position
for use, the nut j¹ is screwed away from the socket a² and the web turned so as to
bring the pedal e into position for use, after which the nutj is tightened so as to
bring the cone closely into contact with the socket a². If desired the nut j¹
may be afterwards screwed up into contact with the shaft a so as to serve as a
lock-nut.
In Figure 10 I have shown a modification of the arrangement shown in Figure 9,
in which the nuts j, are replaced by a single nut which is provided with an
annular groove to receive a pin + secured in the crank-shaft a, so that the crank-
web can be moved to either tighten or slacken the cone & in the socket a', accordingly
as the nut is turned in one or the other direction.
If desired the socket a² may be made in a separate lug mounted on the end of the
crank-shaft in which case it may be made partly in the said lug and partly in the
side of the said shaft so as to simultaneously secure the said lug on the shaft a.
If desired the pedal-pia may be provided with a socket at its inner end in which
the crank-web may be adjustably secured as above described.
The arrangements above described are preferably employed in conjunction
with suitable devices for folding the handle-bars towards the centre of the machine
or for turning them into a fore-and-aft or vertical position so as to reduce the width
of the machine during transport or at other times as required.
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

page_text: First. A velocipede-crank connected to the crank-shaft by means of a hinge-pin or
pivot-pin extending transversely to the said crank-shaft through a lug or lugs at or
near the end of said crank-shaft, substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore
described.
Second. A velocipede-crank connected to the crank-shaft in such a manner that,
when the pedal is in its operative position, the said crank will engage with the
crank-shaft so as to efficiently drive the same, but when the pedal is in its inoperative
position, the said crank-shaft will be released, substantially as, and for the purposes,
hereinbefore described.
Third. The combination, with a velocipede-crank adapted to turn about an axis
arranged transversely to the crank-shaft, of suitable means for locking it in its
operative and inoperative positions, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2, or to Figures 3 and 4 or to Figure 5, or to Figure 6, or to Figure 7
or to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawing.
Fourth. A velocipede-crank connected to the crank-shaft by means of a joint
capable of being slackened to permit the turning of the crank-web about its own
axis through a suitable angle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figure 9 or to Figure 10 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Suth day of August 1997.
OWEN JONES.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.