AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR FACILITATING THE WORKING OF BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Samuels Campbell, of Hampstead,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR FACILITATING THE WORKING OF BICYCLES
AND TRICYCLES."
Sealed the 19th July 1870, and dated the 22nd January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Samuels
Campbell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd January 1870.
I, ARCHIBALD SAMUELS CAMPBELL, of Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR FACILITATING THE WORKING OF BICYCLES
AND TRICYCLES," to be as follows:-
'
This Invention has for its object the facilitating the working of
bicycles and tricycles by affording a support or rest to the back and
shoulders of the rider, by easing the arms in steering, and by affording
greater purchase when working the cranks.

page_text: -
According to this Invention it is proposed to connect straps or
bands to the steering handles, which straps or bands extend to the
shoulders of the rider, and may be connected together by a broad strap or
band across the back. Each of these straps may be made double from
the handles to the shoulders, passing under and over the shoulders, and
may be provided with a buckle or other means for adjusting the length
of such straps. The rider when leaning back is supported by these straps
and may guide the bicycle by a slight motion of his shoulders, whilst
at the same time his arms may be free, and a considerable purchase is
afforded for moving the cranks.
It is obvious that the same arrangement of supports is equally
applicable to what are known as tricycles propelled in a similar manner
to the ordinary bicycle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Archibald Samuels Campbell in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd July 1870.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, ARCHIBALD
SAMUELS CAMPBELL, of Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Archibald Samuels Campbell,
Her special license, that I, the said Archibald Samuels Campbell, 2
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Archibald Samuels Campbell, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the a
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR FACILI
TATING THE WORKING OF BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Archibald Samuels Campbell, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
:
.
:

page_text: hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Archibald Samuels Campbell, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is
to say) :-
My said Invention has for its object the facilitating the working of
bicycles and tricycles by affording a support or rest to the back and
shoulders of the rider by easing the arms in steering and by affording
greater purchase when working the cranks.
According to my Invention I propose to connect straps or bands to
the steering handles, which straps or bands extend to the shoulders of
the rider, and may be connected together by a broad strap or band made
rigid or not across the back. Each of these straps should be made
double from the handles to the shoulders, one part passing under and
the other over the shoulders, both combined parts forming one strap,
which may be provided with a buckle or other means for adjusting its
length. The rider when leaning back is supported by these straps, and
may guide the bicycle by a slight motion of his shoulders, whilst at the
same time his arms may be free, and a considerable purchase is afforded
for working the cranks.
It is obvious that the same arrangement of supports is equally.
applicable to what are known as tricycles propelled in a similar manner
to the ordinary bicycle.
The details of the above. appliance may obviously be varied without
altering the principle upon which it acts, namely, the connection
between the handles and the shoulders, so that any motion of the
shoulders is communicated immediately to the steering handles. Thus
by strengthening the back strap or band with iron or otherwise, so as to
form a rigid back support, it may be made to extend from the shoulders
into the small of the back, and the straps below the shoulders being
fastened to the lower part of the back support a greater rest is afforded,
to the back than when the back band is narrower and not made rigid.,

page_text: Also if the upper straps are desired to be dispensed with as making the
rider apparently tied to the handles by his shoulders, a pair of iron or
steel semicircular hoops well padded and fitted over the shoulders may
be joined to the iron back support above described, in which case any
motion of the shoulders will be communicated to the handles through
the means of the lower straps only.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents the mode of applying or using
one modification of my said improved contrivance; Figure 2 is a
detached perspective view of the same apparatus.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the end of one of the steering 1
handles.
And, Figure 4 is a perspective view of another modification of my
said apparatus.
The apparatus shewn in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a metal frame, by
preference of steel, padded and covered with leather: This frame is
composed of a curved piece a, which passes round and fits against the
small of the back of the rider, and has two hooked arms b, b, rivetted or
forged thereon of just sufficient height to fit over the shoulders; this
frame is to be padded and covered with leather or other stout material,
and is formed with two eyes at c, c, on to which are hooked strong metal a
rings or loops attached to the double straps e, e; these straps are pro-
vided with buckles f, f, for the purpose of adjusting their length. To
the opposite ends of the straps there are attached other strong metal
rings g, g, which are capable of being readily slipped on and off metal
buttons (one of which is shewn in detail plan detached at Figure 3 a
fixed into the ends of the ordinary steering handles i, i. The relative
heights of the eyes c, c, in the frame or support a and of the steering
handles i should be so arranged as that the pull of the straps upon the
frame when the rider leans back shall be in a downward direction. rather
than upwards, or horizontally, the object of this being to insure the a
shoulder pieces b, b, taking a firm bearing upon the shoulders of the
wearer when any strain is put upon the frame a. In using this support,
which may be worn underneath the coat and thereby concealed from

page_text: view, the rider after mounting slips the two metal rings or loops g, g,
on to the buttons h, whereupon by a slight twist of his shoulders, so as
to advance the one and withdraw the other a little, the steering handles
will receive a corresponding motion through the frame a and straps e
without any necessity for the rider using his hands.
In the modification shewn at Figure 4 I have dispensed with the
hooked parts b of the frame, which fit on to the shoulders, and have
added a cross piece 6 connected by a central bar b¹ to the curved piece a,
which fits against the small of the back. To each end of the cross
piece' there is secured a shoulder strap and buckle k, k, through which
the wearer passes his arms up to the shoulders. From these shoulder
straps k, k, one end of an adjustable strap e is attached by a buckle, the
other end being secured permanently or otherwise to the ends of the
curved part a of the frame or back support. In the loop formed by the
straps e, e, are looped other adjustable straps e³, e¹, carrying the rings ġ, 9,
which hook on to the buttons h on the ends of the steering handles.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction
and use of an appliance for facilitating the working of what are known
as "bicycles" and "tricycles," whereby the shoulders of the rider are
connected either directly or indirectly with the steering. handles,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Samuels Campell, have
to this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day
of July One thousand eight hundred and seventy.