Improvements in Mud Guards for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Mud Guards for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, VICTOR JULIUS ERDMANN GOTTWALD, of 21 pt. Fehland Strasse, Hamburg,
in the Empire of Germany, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object a mud guard for cycles which in contrast to
the ordinary sheet metal mud guards does not surround a large portion of the
periphery of the wheel but only a very small portion so that with this mud guard
the wind is not so much caught and travelling is not so much impeded, whilst
by the combination of several dirt catching discs arranged one above the other
and eccentrically to the wheel, any throwing up of mud or moisture to the height
of the rider is entirely prevented. In addition, by loosening a counter nut this
mud guard can be easily placed out of action, and also equally easily removed
from the wheel or again mounted thereon.
The invention is shown as an example in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1
being an elevation of a cycle fitted with these improved mud guards, Figure 2
a longitudinal section of the guard, and Figure 3 a cross section.
As shown in Figure 1 the mud guard is attached to the wheel frame b by
means of suitably stiff stays or struts a and also attachment clips or rings or the
like. The actual mud guard itself consists as shown in Figure 2 of two plates e
which are connected with one another at a given distance apart by means of
bolts whilst the above mentioned struts « are pivotally attached to projections
or lugs e and f by means of bolts g h of which the bolts are adjustably mounted
in a slot of the plates c, and are fixed by means of a nut k. The plates are
preferably corrugated or provided with grooves 1, for instance with four such
grooves superimposed at suitable distances apart, in which grooves insertion
pieces m n o p are inserted with great friction. One of these insertion pieces m
is of stiff material such as wood, fibre, metal or the like which faces the wheel
and has a shape corresponding to the profile of the pneumatic tyre, and stands
at a distance of from one to two millimetres from the same.
The insertion piece situated above the insertion piece m is on the other
hand of soft material such as rubber or the like, and being suitably cut out rests
closely against the pneumatic tyre of the wheel. The insertions o p (finally
consist preferably of brush material which is gripped or engaged in suitable
parts. All the insertions are fixed or clamped firmly by tightening up the
bolts d.
The mode of working of the invention is as follows:-
-
The mud guard is suitably mounted near the wheels at a short distance above
the ground and when out of action as shown on the front wheel in the drawings
is so attached to the upper fastening strut a that the bolt.h lies at the end of the
slot i away from the wheel and the nut is in this position screwed up tightly.
In this position none of the insertion pieces m n o p are approached to the pneu-
matic tyre of the wheel. But if the mud guard is to be brought into action, the
nut & is released and the mud guard is pressed close to the pneumatic tyre, being

page_text: guided by the bolt h in the slot i, and in this position is secured by a subsequent
tightening up of the nut k. The disc m is then at a short distance away from the
tyre and scrapes off any heavier dirt carried up with the latter, whilst the in-
sertion piece rests on the tyre and thus prevents finer particles of dirt and
moisture from being carried round with the pneumatic tyre. Finally the in-
sertions and ensure that any mud or the like which spurts over, cannot be
carried along with the tyre so that an absolute security against the sprinkling
or spurting up of mud and moisture is obtained.
The use of this mud guard is naturally not limited to cycles, but it is applicable
with equal advantage to other vehicles, whilst if desired the attachment need
not take place by struts or stays lying parallel to the direction of travel, but they
may be arranged at right angles to the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
.claim is: :-
1. A mud guard for cycles and the like, characterised by several dirt catching
parts (mo) being arranged one over the other and suitably cut out to corre-
spond with the sectional shape of the pneumatic tyre, one of which parts (m) is
composed of hard material, another () of soft material and the other two (2)
of brush-like material, with the object (whilst sparing the pneumatic tyre as much
as possible) of catching the coarser dirt and mud by means of the first inser-
tion (m) which stands at a short distance from the tyre, and then subsequently
removing the finer dirt and also moisture by the other parts which lie closer to
the pneumatic tyre, and thus entirely preventing the spurting up of mud or
moisture to the height of the rider, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. A mud guard such as described adapted to be attached to the vehicle by
means of two bolts (g) and a slot (i) in such a way that by means of a nut (k)
the mud guard may be thrown into or out of action as desired, substantially as
described.
Dotad his 201
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6. Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.