Certain Improvements in and connected with Folding Bicycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898
Casualabo Cunnifination Loft 20th Luty 1000
Accented and cont
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Folding Bicycles.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Saltley Mill, in the City of Birmingham, Managing
Director of Thomas Smith & Sons, of Saltley, Limited, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in and connected
with folding bicycles particularly for military purposes my improvements being
directed to facilitate the bicycle being quickly folded into a small compass when
required to be carried on the rider's back and also to be quickly opened out with
the frame rigid ready for riding.
In carrying out this invention the top tube of the cycle frame is made in two
parts jointed together so that they will fold side by side. The bottom tube,
which extends from the bottom bracket to the head, is also made in two parts
which are jointed together by a joint of peculiar construction, that is to say, the
meeting faces of the joint make acute angles with the centre line of the tube the
division being parallel with the said top tube. Through these meeting faces >
joint pin passes to connect them together the axis of this joint pin being at
right angles to the face of the joint and
the
at right angles to
axis of the top tube. Thus the front wheel with the front part of
the frame can by these joints be folded so as to lie against the back wheel
and back part of the frame. In order to make the said two jointed tubes of the
frame perfectly rigid when the frame is extended ready for riding, I provide
on each of the said tubes a tubular socket adapted to be slided endwise so as to
either cover the joints or to expose the same. The ends of each of these tubular
sockets are split and fixed in lugs or clips made with ears through which a
tightening screw passes these screws being made with cranked ends for turning
them.
To fold the bicycle above described it is only necessary to first turn the binding
screws at the ends of the sockets and slide the sockets along the tubes until the
joints are uncovered and then the front wheel and front part of the frame will
fold against the back wheel and back part of the frame. In this form the
bicycle can readily be carried on the rider's back by the straps and connections
hereinafter described. When it is desired to open out the frame and fix it ready
for riding, the front part and front, wheel are turned in a line with the back
wheel and the sockets are then slided along the tubes so as to cover the joints
and are tightened up by the jointing screws so as thus to firmly grip the "tubes
and maintain the sockets in their proper positions. Collars fixed on the tubes
limit the endwise movement of the sockets."
To facilitate the carrying of the bicycle on the rider's back I prefer to use the
following arrangement of straps, that is to say, there are two straps fixed by loops
or other convenient means to the seat pillar tube one strap being near the saddle
and the other strap being near the bottom bracket. These straps cross over the

page_text: rider's chest and the other ends of the straps have spring hooks or other con-
venient means which engage with suitable loops which are fixed on to one of the
back forks near the back axle or to some other convenient part of the frame.
Dated this 14th day of October 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Folding Bicycles.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Saltley Mill, in the City of Birmingham, Managing
Director of Thomas Smith & Sons, of Saltley, Limited, 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 consists of the herein described improvements in and connected
with folding bicycles particularly for military purposes my improvements being
directed to facilitate the bicycle being quickly tolded into a small compass when
required to be carried on the rider's back and also to be quickly opened out with
the frame rigid ready for riding.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of a bicycle frame constructed in
accordance with this invention with the folding joints unfastened ready for the
bicycle to be folded this view also shewing certain other parts of the bicycle;
Fig. 2 is a separate view of the lower part of the said frame with the folding
Joint of the bottom tube rigidly secured as when the bicycle is ready to be
ridden; Fig. 3 is a separate view of a portion of the top tube rigidly secured as
when the bicycle is ready for riding; Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of the sliding
socket part represented in Fig. 3; Fig. 4+ is a plan of the joint of the top tube
ready to fold and Fig. 5 shews the same bicycle folded.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In carrying out this invention the top tube of the cycle frame is made in two
parts marked respectively A' A² which are jointed together so that they will fold
side by side. This joint is formed by the adjacent ends of the tubes A A² being
fitted with plugs BB which are brazed in the ends of the tubes and are made
as knuckle joints and jointed together by the link C which fits in the ends of the
plugs B B and is there secured by the vertical joint pins DD2 (see Fig. 1).
The bottom tube which extends from the bottom bracket to the head F is also
made in two parts marked respectively G1 G2 which are jointed together by a
joint of peculiar construction, that is to say, the faces of the joint which are
formed by plugs N' N2 brazed in the tubes GG2 meet at YY and make acute
angles with the centre line of the tube GG2 the division line Y Y being parallel
with the top tube A¹ A². Through these meeting faces YY a vertical joint pin H
passes to connect the two portions G¹G2 of the tube together the axis of this
pin H being at right angles to the face of the joint Y Y and at right angles to
the top tube A¹ A³. Thus the front wheel I with the front part of the
frame can be folded about the joints that is on the line X ✗
Fig. 1 80 as to lie against the back wheel J and back part of
the frame as shewn in Fig. 5. In order to make the parts A¹ A³ of
the top tube perfectly secure and rigid and also the parts G₁G of the bottom
tube perfectly secure and rigid when the frame is extended as represented in
Fig. I ready for riding, I provide on each of the said tubes a tubular socket
which tubular sockets are respectively marked K and L and are adapted to be

page_text: slided endwise along the tube so as to either cover the joints as represented in
Figs. 2 and 3 or expose the joints as represented in Fig. 1. The ends of the
tubular socket A are split and fixed in lugs or clips made with ears through
which the tightening screws m² m² pass these screws each being made with a
cranked handle m³ to facilitate turning them. The ends of the tubular sliding
socket L are similarly split and fixed in lugs or clips and similarly provided
with ears and tightening screws m¹ m² for tightening them on to the tube.
To fold the bicycle above described it is only necessary to first turn the binding
screws m¹ m³ of the sockets KL so as to slacken the sockets on their tubes and
then slide the sockets along the tubes as shewn in Fig. 1 and uncover the joints
and then the front wheel I and front part of the frame will fold against the back
wheel J and back part of the frame as represented in Fig. 5. In this form the
machine can readily be carried on the riders back by straps and connections suit-
ably arranged. When it is desired to open out the frame ready for riding the
front part of the frame and front wheel I are turned in a line with the back
wheel J and the sockets LM are then slided along their respective tubes to the
positions shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to cover the joints and are then tightened
up by tightening screws m² m² so as to thus firmly grip the tubes and maintain
the sockets in their proper positions. The collars aa are fixed respectively on
the portions A' A3 on the top tube limiting the endwise movement of the socket K;
in a similar manner the collar g' fixed on the portion G of the bottom tube limits
the upward endwise movement of the socket L the bottom bracket G preventing
the socket L from moving down too far.
0102 are metal loops brazed on the seat pillar tube P for the attachment of
two straps for carrying the folded bicycle on the rider's back. These straps and
connections form no part of my invention. They can be arranged in any suit-
able manner as by being crossed over the rider's chest the other ends of the straps
having spring hooks or other convenient means to engage with loops which are
fixed on one of the back forks near the back axle or to some other convenient
part of the frame.
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:
1. A folding bicycle having the top tube made in two parts A¹A² jointed
together and the bottom inclined tube also made in two parts G1 G2 jointed
together so that the bicycle frame will fold about the imaginary vertical line XX
and the two wheels lie together side by side, in combination with the sliding
sockets K and L fitted respectively on the said top and bottom tubes with means
for tightening the sockets thereon to make the joints rigid when the frame is
unfolded ready for riding, the parts being constructed and arranged substantially
as described and illustrated.
2. In a folding bicycle in which the frame is made to fold by the top tube
and the bottom inclined tube being each made in two parts jointed together, the
particular construction of the joints of the said parts of the top and bottom tubes
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
11
0011
1
. T 1
1000
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.