Year: 1886

page_text: I EDWARD REDMAN of 17 Devonshire Street in the City of London 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 :—
In bicycles of all descriptions and in many other velocipedes such for example
as tricycles of the Humber type a great evil is experienced in that if the leading
wheel or wheels comes or come in contact with a stone or other impediment in its
or their path the rider is in danger of being precipitated forwards in consequence
of the wheel or wheels being suddenly checked by the impediment. Now the
object of this my invention is to obviate and remedy to a very great extent if not
altogether this evil of which the usual symptom and expression is the lifting up of
the hinder wheel of the velocipede whereby the fork or front frame is caused to
rake forwards and thus by this my invention I secure the rider to a very great
extent from the aforesaid danger.
•
In order the more clearly to explain my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing in which I have shown
so much of a bicycle as will exhibit this my apparatus.
On the lower part of the fork A in a convenient position I secure a bracket B to
the end whereof is pivotted or jointed the pawl C. On the outer side of the
flange D of the hub of the driving wheel and concentric therewith I secure & disc
or ring E the outer periphery of which is formed with ratchet teeth into which
ratchet teeth the pawl C can engage.
Therefore when the bicycle is proceeding forwards in the normal manner the
pawl C travels easily and freely over the ratchet teeth on the disc or ring E but
when any impediment is met with on the road and the revolution of the wheel is
checked thereby thus tending to throw the rider forward lifting up the hinder
wheel and causing the fork to rake forwards this movement is immediately
checked by the pawl C bearing against one of the ratchet teeth on the disc or
ring E whereby the rider is secured to a very great extent from the danger of
being precipitated forwards as is desired.
In this apparatus as hereinbefore described when all the meeting parts are made
of metal and are not covered with any other material there may be and generally
will be a slight clicking noise as the pawl travels over the ratchet teeth while the
bicycle is progressing and if desired I can obviate this disadvantage if it be so
deemed in the following manner.
Another disc or ring F is secured on the outer side of the flange D of the hub
of the driving wheel which may be larger than the aforesaid disc or ring E or as

page_text: is preferable may be somewhat smaller than the same as is shewn in the drawing
or may be of an equal size therewith and on the outer periphery of this disc or
ring F are formed a series of corrugations or indentations corresponding in number
to the ratchet teeth of the said disc or ring E and an arm H is attached to
or formed with the pawl C which arm H bears on the said corrugations or
indentations of the disc or ring F.
These corrugations or indentations and the arm are so proportioned and formed
that the pawl shall not rest on the ratchet teeth but shall always move just clear
of the backs of the same and shall be raised to pass over the points thereof and
thereafter shall be allowed to fall into the recesses following the same but shall not
strike on the back of the next tooth and as these corrugations or indentations are
rounded off as shewn in the drawing so that the arm shall continuously be borne
thereby no noise will be occasioned or created but when required as aforesaid the
pawl shall always be capable of immediately engaging the front of one of the
ratchet teeth as is desired.
Both these aforesaid discs or rings may either be made separately and be secured
on the flange of the hub of the wheel or may be formed therewith as may be
desired and the whole apparatus may be placed on one side of the bicycle or on
both sides thereof as may be deemed expedient.
In the same manner this my improvement may be applied to other velocipedes
whenever and where-ever it may be required and no further description is or can
be necessary to explain the same.
I would also state that I consider the positions and proportions and shapes and
dimensions of the bracket B the pawl C and the arm H if any as shewn in the
drawing are the best and most convenient and effective for carrying out my
aforesaid object but at the same time I would have it clearly understood that I do
not limit myself thereto for the pawl C and the arm H if any may be formed and
constructed to engage on their respective discs or rings E and F in any positions
and the bracket B would be constructed and formed and secured on the fork or
frame A in accordance therewith.
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
a
1. The combination of the bracket B the pawl C and the disc or ring E with
ratchet teeth substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
declared.
2. The combination of the bracket B the pawl C with arm H and the discs or
rings E and F substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
declared.
3. The method of and apparatus for minimizing the danger of the rider of a
velocipede being precipitated forwards substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Dated thin sh