Improvements in Folding Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Velocipedes.
I, BRUNO NAUMANN, of Am Priessnitzer Schlage, Dresden in the Kingdom of
Saxony, German Empire, Royal Saxon Commercial Councillor, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to render the well known folding' velocipedes
capable of being either folded into compact or portable shape or extended and
made ready for immediate use, with great rapidity and ease, and thereby to make
them particularly serviceable for military purposes.
This object is attained by an arrangement wherein the two parts of the frame
interposed between the front and rear forks are provided with joints placed one
above the other in a vertical plane, and are parallel to each other sleeves being
passed over the joints to retain the parts in extended position the said sleeves
being rigidly coupled together so that whether it be desired to fold the machine
into portable shape or to restore it to the extended position the said sleeves can be
shifted at the same time by a single movement of the hand.
One form of the improved arrangement is represented by way of example in the
accompanying drawings but the invention is not limited to the precise details
illustrated.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of the velocipede with the parallel junction
tubes, and the sleeves passed over them shewn in section, while
In Fig. 2 the said sleeves are supposed to be so displaced as to admit of the
cycle being folded up by means of the vertical hinge-pins or pivots.
a a are the tubes connecting the forward and rearward forks the said tubes
being parallel to each other and provided with joints situated one above the other
in the same vertical plane. Into each of the opposed ends of the said tubes a a
there is fitted and rigidly secured a solid piece bb¹ respectively; both of which
pieces are provided with inclined surfaces overlapping each other and connected
by vertical pivot pins c, so that they can be revolved upon each other in a
horizontal plane.
In order to prevent any lateral displacement of the said tubes a a¹ when the
machine is in the extended position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, the sleeves d d
coupled together by means of the cross-tie or bridge e, are passed over the
joints, the said sleeves being prevented from moving further than necessary, by
the projections or stops a* on the tubes a a'.
When it is desired to fold the velocipede it is only necessary to slide the
stiffening sleeves d d from the position shewn in Fig. 1 to the position shewn in
Fig. 2, and then to turn one part of the frame, along with the wheel it carries, on
the vertical pivots c c, so as to cause it to assume the position indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 1.
In addition to the great stability given by the provision of the two parallel
tubes connecting the front and rear forks, the invention offers the further essential
advantage of enabling both the sleeves d to be shifted onto and from off the joints
at the same time, by one movement of the hand, so that the time required for
folding or extending the machine is reduced to a minimum,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is :-
A folding velocipede comprising parallel connections such as the tubes a a¹
interposed between the front and rear forks or parts of the frame and connected
by joints, over which sleeves are arranged to be slidden in order to secure the
connection, such sleeves being coupled together, so that they are both operated
at the same time by a single operation of the hand, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1896