Improvements in Cycle Mud-guards.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycle Mud-guards.
I, GEORGE WILTSHIRE, of 66, Queen's Road, Bootle, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to cycle mud-guards, and is more especially applicable
to the wheel or wheels in rear of the rider, that is to say, the object of the inven-
tion is to prevent mud from being thrown in a forward direction as well as upwards.
At present this is done, either by a rigid guard which very nearly covers the
upper half of the wheel periphery, or by a flexible guard which extends over the
top of the wheel and also in front thereof. The invention is however also appli-
cable to the front wheel or wheels of cycles.
According to this invention, as applied to the rear-wheel of a bicycle, I cause
a flexible or a rigid guard to extend backwards some distance over the wheel
from the back fork. This guard, as at present, prevents mud from being thrown
upward on the rider's back. To prevent mud from being thrown forward against
the machine and against the rider's legs, I do not, as at present, continue the guard
downwards in front of the wheel, but instead of doing so I close the space which
exists in the back fork above the tire of the wheel, by a plate or sheet of celluloid,
metal, cloth, or other suitable material. Such plate has a semicircular recess
therein, which fits over the contour of the tire, so that a clearance space of about
one eighth of an inch, only, exists between the tire and the plate. Mud which
remains on the wheel until the zenith of the revolution is reached and passed, and
then flies forward, at a tangent, is caught by the said plate, whilst the small
quantity of mud which remains on the wheel until the downward half of the
revolution is reached, is precipitated towards the ground.
The plate which closes the fork above the tire may be arranged in different
ways, as follows:-
The present rigid guard will terminate at the back fork, and at this point will
be recessed semicircularly and bent inwards towards the tire.
The plate will be clamped on the back fork by cross-bars, and bolts disposed in
slots, so that the semicircular recess in said plate may be adjusted close to the tire.
On the back of the plate specified in the preceding paragraph is fitted a tubular
case, into which a flexible mud-guard or awning is wound by a spring actuated
roller, said case having a slot through which the guard passes and by which it is
scraped clean. Such flexible mud-guard is held extended over the top of the wheel
by a stay whose end is swivelled in a plate in such a manner that it may be caught
by a projection.
is held
For the front wheel of a cycle I employ a flexible mud guard arranged to be
Such guard is
wound in upon a spring actuated roller as above described.
intended to intercept mud thrown upward by the wheel, and
extended backwards from the crown of the fork, at a tangent to the
wheel, by a forked stay which is swivelled in a plate about the axle in
a similar manner to the stay of the rear mud guard. The guard thus follows the
077

page_text: steering movement of the wheel. Swivelled to the said stay is another forked
stay, which projects downwards in rear of the wheel. On the outward end of this
fork is adjustably mounted a plate having a semicircular recess, which is adjusted
close to the tire, and intercepts the mud which first flies from the tire. Mud which
adheres to the tire after this plate is passed is caught by the upper guard. When
the roads are dry the plate is removed to the accessory bag, and the stays are
turned up against the fork, the flexible guard being wound in by its spring.
A cross-bar by which the plate and flexible mud-guard case are attached to the
front fork, may be extended sidewise, to form foot-rests.
The plate by which the mud is intercepted may be in two pieces, one of which
being adapted to give way before any large substance which may adhere to the
tire.
It will be noted that the herein described mud-plate also serves to remove
adhering thorns and the like from the tire before the same again touch the road.
By dispensing with that portion of the present guard which is disposed in front
of the rear wheel and at the rear of the front wheel, a considerable resistance to
the atmosphere is obviated, weight is removed, and the labour of fitting is
diminished. The rear wheel may also be fitted nearer to the frame, thus adding.
to the rigidity of the machine.
Dated this 20th love of Cantonal
1002
J. A. COUBROUGH,
Registered Patent Agent (Qual. by Exam.),
O, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.
I, GEORGE WILTSHIRE, of Triangle Chambers, Martineau Street, Birmingham,
formerly of 66, Queen's Road, Bootle, Lancashire, Mechanician, 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 cycle mud-guards, and has for its object to prevent
mud from being thrown upward as well as forward. At present this is done either
by a rigid guard which very nearly covers the upper half of the wheel periphery,
or by a flexible guard which extends over the top of the wheel and also in front
thereof. In the drawing hereto annexed Figure 1 illustrates a bicycle fitted with
front and rear wheel mud-guards, according to this invention. Figure 2 is a per-
spective view of the rear wheel mud-guards. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detail
views of the rear mud-guards. Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are detail views of the
front mud-guard.
According to this invention, as applied to the rear-wheel of a bicycle, I cause
a flexible or a rigid guard to extend backward some distance over the wheel-
from the back fork. This guard-as at present-prevents mud from being thrown
upwards upon the rider's back. To prevent mud from being thrown forward
against the machine, and against the rider's legs, I do not, as at present, continue
the guard downwards in front of the wheel, but instead of doing so, I close the
space which exists in the back fork above the tyre of the wheel, by a plate or
sheet of celluloid, metal, cloth, or other suitable material. The plate a has a
semi-circular recess b which fits over the contour of the tyre so that a clearance
space of about one-eighth of an inch, only, exists between the tyre and the plate a.
Mud which remains on the wheel until the zenith of the revolution is reached,

page_text: and then flies forward at a tangent, is caught by the plate a, and is drained clear of
the tyre by the inclined ledge a¹.
The plate a which closes the fork above the tyre may be arranged in different
ways, as hereunder described.
On the back of the plate a is disposed a tubular case c, which contains-wound
upon a spindle da flexible mudguard or awning e. The case is carried by
the frame f. The frame f is slotted, and projecting through such slots are two
bolts g.
The bolts g pass through slots gl in the plate a, which rests against the
back fork, and then pass through a slotted bar on the other side of the fork.
The plate a and case c may thus be firmly secured to the back fork by the wing
nuts. The slots in the frame f, and bar h, and plate a, allow of the mud-
guard being attached to back forks of various patterns, and
of being
adjusted towards and from the tyre. The flexible mudguard. e. is
held extended over the wheel as shewn in Figure 1 by a forked
stay whose ends are swivelled to plates (Figures 6 and 7), the
flexible guard being attached to the stay by the hooks e. Rivetted
to the plate k is a flat spring / whose end is turned over and forms a hook, which
engages with and holds the stay and mudguard in their extended position. To
release the stay, the spring hook is pressed back by the projecting pin l.
flexible mud-guard c. may then be wound into the case c by the small crank
handle upon the spindle d, the stay k following the guard. In the act of being
wound up, the guard passes through a slot el in the case c; the lips of which
scrape and remove any mud which may adhere to the guard, and thus clean, the
latter before it is wound-up.
The
Instead of employing a flexible mud guard as above described, I may use the
present rigid guard but instead of continuing this guard downwards in front of
the wheel, as at present, I terminate it at the back fork, where I bend it inwardly
towards the tyre and recess the bent-in portion to fit over the tyre, and so form
an equivalent to the plate a of my invention. Or the plate a may be used in
conjunction with a rigid guard.
For the front wheel of a cycle I may employ a flexible mud-guard arranged to
be wound upon a spindle within a cylindrical case attached to the crown of the
front fork, and held extended at a tangent with the wheel by a forked stay which
is swivelled and arranged similarly to the stay k above described. The guard
thus follows the steering movement of the front wheel. In conjunction with such
a guard I may use a recessed plate or pocket attached to the end of a stay and
disposed near the ground and just in rear of the wheel, so as to intercept the mud
which first flies from the tyre. In practice however I find that the last mentioned
plate or pocket is a sufficient guard in itself without an upper flexible guard,
as I will now describe with reference to Figures 1 and 8, 9, 10, 11.
A clip m (Figures 8 and 9) is attached to the projecting ends of the front axle.
Said clips carry the ends of a forked stay n in an adjustable manner, that is to
say, by loosening the studs m' the ends of the stay may be drawn through the clips.
Upon the lower end of the stay n is carried a pocket o which is attached to the
stay by the hooks p. The pocket o may be a rigid structure of metal or celluloid,
or the like, having a recessed semicircular aperture q which fits over the contour
of the tyre, but by preference I form it of American cloth, patent leather, india
rubber, or some such pliable material, in order that when it is removed from the
stay n, in dry weather, it may be folded up in the accessory bag, and I prefer to
form it of one piece of material of the shape shewn in Fig. 11 and folded as shewn
in Figure 8. The side flaps which carry the hooks ? may be secured by studs r.
By undoing said side flaps the material may be folded up so as to occupy little
space in the bag. I find that when the inner surface of the pocket o is waxed,
mud does not adhere thereto.
Instead of a pocket shaped mud-guard o I may attach a simple plate to the end
of the stay n, such plate being recessed so as to fit close to the tyre, and such
plate may be pliant or may be in two pieces one of which being adapted to give

page_text: way before any large substance which may adhere to the tyre. Or the pocket o
may be slit up the rear seams for the same purpose.
It will be noted that the herein above described plate or pocket o serves to
remove adhering thorns and the like from the tyre before the same again touch
the road.
By dispensing with that portion of the present guards which is disposed in front
of the rear wheel and at the rear of the front wheel, a considerable resistance to
the atmosphere is obviated, weight is reduced, and the labour of fitting is
diminished. The rear wheel may also be fitted nearer to the frame, thus adding
to the rigidity of the machine.
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 is:
-
1. In combination, the case c for containing a flexible mudguard e, having a
slot c¹ whose edges clean the guard as it enters the case, the stay k
for extending the guard e, the spring hook for retaining the stay k in
its extended position, and the recessed plate a for intercepting mud which would
otherwise be thrown forward, said plate being secured between the wheel fork
and the case a by the bolts g; substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.
a
€¹
upon
2. In combination, a flexible mud guard such as e, arranged to be wound into
container, hooks
the free end of said guard, a
stay k
which engages said hooks and holds the guard extended, and spring
hooks upon the plates to which such stays are swivelled, which retain such
stays in their extended position; substantially as and for the purpose herein set-
forth with reference to the drawings.
3. The case c for containing a flexible mud-guard which is wound upon a
spindle therein, said case having a slot c¹ whose edges clean the guard as it enters
the case; substantially as herein set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of
the drawings.
4. The plate a having a semicircular recess b whereby it may fit closely over
the tyre, and slots g¹ whereby it may be bolted to the back fork and close the
space existing in the latter above the tyre and thus intercept mud which would
otherwise be thrown forward, and the inclined ledge a¹ which drains such mud
clear of the wheel; substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 5
of the drawings.
5. In combination, the clips m secured on each side of the front fork and carrying
the stay n in an adjustable manner, and the recessed guard o, or its equivalent,
for intercepting mud thrown upwards by said wheel; substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth with reference to Figures 1, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of
the drawings.
6. The mud guard o formed of flexible material and adapted to be temporarily
attached to a stay n by hooks p, whereby said guard may be readily removed and
stowed away when not required; substantially as herein set forth with reference
to Figures 8, 10 and 11, of the drawings.
r T
1000
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J. A. COUBROUGH,
Chartered Patent Agent,
10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.