Improvements in and relating to Bicycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1894-Accepted. 22nd Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Bicycles.
I, PAUL DOUDART DE LA GRÉE, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Barrister, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to bicycles.
Attempts have already been made to use in bicycles auxiliary wheels for
correcting after a fashion the instability of these machines, but these attempts
have had no practical result; the reason for this seems to be that no sufficient
attention has been paid to the indispensable conditions for ensuring a constant
stability during the riding without modifying the essential character of the bicycle,
which is to use only two wheels leaving a single track.
The present invention comprises a safety device for bicycles which is
characterized :
(1) By the adjunction to the bicycle of two small wheels held at a certain
height from the ground. and unchangeably connected to the machine with which
when once in its place the device forms one body.
(2) By the position of these small wheels relatively to the vertical longitudinal
plane of the bicycle and to the vertical transverse plane passing through the centre
of gravity of the machine when weighted with what it is to carry and by the
height of the small wheels above the ground, which position and height should be
such that when one of the small wheels touches the ground during an inclination of
the bicycle the vertical line passing through the centre of gravity thus displaced
falls into a triangle having for its apex the point of contact with the ground of this
small wheel and those of the two wheels of the bicycle in its normal position, and
that this vertical position of the centre of gravity shall be near enough to the
centre of the triangle for enabling the cyclist by a slight movement to raise the
machine again.
(3) By the points of attachment of the arms which support the small wheels and
are adapted to extend either from the axle or from the nave of the rear wheel or
from the axis of the pedals arranged for this purpose either upon any rigid part
connecting these points together or one of them to any suitable point of the frame.
The aforesaid small wheels are held by rigid arms slightly bent so as to leave
room for the pedals and the feet, which arms extend from the nave of the rear
wheel. One part of these arms is parallel to the frame and fixed by any suitable
means against the latter. Each arm thus constitutes a kind of elbow which is
very suitable for resisting the strains produced when the small wheels touch the
ground.
Each elbow is pierced with a hole exactly of the same diameter as the nave of
the rear wheel so that the safety device can very easily be put in its place and
removed without touching other parts of the machine. Pressing nuts hold the
arms in their place upon the rear nave.
The points of attachment of the arms which support the small wheels play an
important part, and I may provide these points of attachment either upon the
nave of the rear wheel, or upon the axis of the pedals which forms for this
purpose a bent shaft, to unite the two axes or only one of them to any point of
the frame, and arrange the small wheels at suitable points on the frame thus
formed.

page_text: It will be understood that the bicycle provided with my improved safety device
may be easily transformed into a sociable bicycle. It is sufficient for this purpose
to replace the actual frame of the bicycle by a frame with two or three seats
arranged in the same line and from which the three cyclists can actuate the driving
shaft by means of pedals. The one who steers maintains the equilibrium of the
machine and by slight movements of the body can suppress the points of contact
of the small wheels with the ground. Moreover, for enabling the weight of the
cyclists to be equalized the seats may be movable upon a single rod along which
they are adapted to slide so that they may be moved nearer to or farther away
from the longitudinal vertical plane of the bicycle.
Dated this 4th day of November 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Bicycles.
I, PAUL DOUDART DE LA GREE, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Barrister, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, aud
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained, in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to bicycles.
Attempts have already been made to use in bicycles auxiliary wheels for
correcting after a fashion the instability of these machines, but these attempts have
had no practical result; the reason for this seems to be that sufficient attention has
not been paid to the indispensable conditions for ensuring a constant stability during
riding without modifying the essential character of the bicycle, which is to use only
two wheels leaving a single track.
The present invention comprises a safety device for bicycles which is
characterized :
(1) By the adjunction to the bicycle of two small wheels held at a certain height
from the ground and rigidly connected to the machine with which when once in its
place the device forms one body.
(2) By the position of these small wheels relatively to the vertical longitudinal
plane of the bicycle and to the vertical transverse plane passing through the centre
of gravity of the machine when weighted with what it is to carry, and by the height
of the small wheels above the ground, which position and height should be such that
when one of the small wheels touches the ground during au inclination of the
bicycle the vertical line passing through the centre of gravity thus displaced falls
into a triangle having for its apex the point of contact with the ground of this
small wheel and those of the two wheels of the bicycle in its normal position, and
that this vertical position of the centre of gravity shall be near enough to the
centre of the triangle for enabling the cyclist by a slight movement to raise the
machine again.
(3) By the points of attachment of the arms which support the small wheels and
are adapted to extend either from the frame carrying the axle of the rear wheel or
from the frame carrying the axis of the pedal shaft, arranged for this purpose
either upon any rigid part connecting these points together or one of them to any
suitable point of the frame.
In the accompanying drawing is shewn how my invention can be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice.
The wheels A are held by rigid arms B slightly bent so as to leave room for the
pedals and the feet, which said arms extend from the frame carrying the axle of
the rear wheel. These arms B are bent as at d, and the parts C, parallel to the

page_text: frame are fixed by any suitable means against the latter. Each arm thus constitutes.
a kind of elbow which is very suitable for resisting the strains produced when the
small wheels touch the ground.
Each elbow or bend d is pierced with a hole exactly of the same diameter as the
axle of the rear wheel so that the safety device can very easily be put in its place
and removed without touching other parts of the machine. Lock nuts d' hold the
arms B in their place upon the rear axle.
The points of attachment of the arms B which carry the small wheels play an
important part, and I may provide these points of attachment either upon the point
where the axle of the rear wheel passes through or upon the point where the axis
of the pedal shaft passes through, unite the two points or only one of them to any
point of the frame, and arrange the small wheels at suitable points on the frame
thus formed.
It will be understood that the bicycle provided with my improved safety device
may be easily transformed into a sociable bicycle. It is sufficient for this purpose
to replace the actual frame of the bicycle by a frame with two or three seats
arranged in the same line and from which the three cyclists can actuate the driving
shaft by means of pedals. The one who steers maintains the equilibrium of the
machine and by slight movements of the body can prevent the contact of the small
wheels with the ground. Moreover, for enabling the weight of the cyclists to be
equalized the seats may be movable upon a single rod along which they are adapted
to slide so that they may be moved nearer to or farther away from the longitudinal
vertical plane of the bicycle.
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 :-
The combination with a bicycle of a safety device characterized by the three
features of rigid connection of the small wheels to the frame of the machine,
triangle of stability and points of attachment of the arms, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dh 20th J
TL 1004
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.