IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLIS AND TRICYCLES to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN WILLIAM COUCHMAN of 7 Stanley Villas Pembury Road Tottenham
in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLIS AND TRICYCLES to be as
follows
-
'
My invention consists in applying to the frame or backbone of a bicycle two
trailing wheels placed one on each side of the plane of the driving or road wheel,
and more or less in rear of the centre of such wheel in place of the single trailing
wheel usually employed in bicycles the seat of the rider being pliced as in the
ordinary bicycle at a suitable point over the main driving or road wheel but more
or less behind the axle of such driving wheel and in front of the axles of the two
trailing wheels
By these arrangements a carriage or machine is produced which possesses much
of the lateral stability of a tricycle it the same time that it returns the advantages
of a comparatively large bicycle driving wheel acted on more or less directly by
the feet of the rider, seated over the said diving wheel in the same manner as in
an ordinary bicy cle
The framework for carrying the aforesaid two trailing wheels may be formed on
or with the backbone of the bicycle or it may be connected therewith by a socket
Joint screw coupling or other suitable mechanical device of such a nature as will
allow the said trailing wheels with the frame or frames and axles to be removed
from the backbone and the single trailing wheel with its frame and axle to be
applied thereto in place of the two wheels if and when desired whereby the
ordinary bicycle with a single trailing wheel or the unproved bicycle with two
trailing wheels forming a kind of tricycle can easily be obtained at pleasure
without the necessity of having two separate complete carriages or machines
It will be readily understood that the invention can be carried into effect either
by applying the two trailing wheels to a bicycle driving driving wheel or by
applying a bicycle driving wheel to the two trailing wheels of a tricycle
Dated thin 19th day of Cantamhan 1004
WH BECK
Agent for the Applicant
11o, Cannon Street London.

page_text: I, JOHN WILLIAM COUCHMAN, of 7 Stanley Villas, Pembury Road, Tottenham,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND TRICYOLES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertamed
an and by the following statement reference being had to the accompanying sheet
of Drawings and to the letters and figuies marked thereon
My invention consists in applying to the frame or backbone A of a bicycle (see
Figures 12 and 3 of the Drawing hereto annexed) two trailing wheels B B placed
one on each side of the plane of the driving or road wheel and more or less in
rear of the centre of such wheel in place of the single trailing wheel usually
employed in bicycles the seat of the rider being placed as in the ordinary bicycle
at a suitable point over the main driving or road wheel C but more or less behind
the axle D of such driving wheel and in front of the ixles L of the two trailing
wheels B B
By these arrangements, a carriage or machine 18 produced which possesses much
of the lateral stability of a tricycle at the same time that it retains the advantages
of a comparatively large bicycle driving wheel acted on more or less directly by
the feet of the rider seated over the said diving wheel in the same manner as in
an ordinary bicycle
The framework for carrying the aforesaid two trailing wheels B B may bo
formed on or with the backbone A of the bicycle or it may be connected there-
with by a socket joint, screw coupling or other suitable mechanical device of such
a nature as will allow the said trailing wheels with their frame or frames and axles
to be removed from the backbone and the single trailing wheel with its frame and
axle to bo applied thereto in place of the two wheels if and when desired, whereby
the ordinary bicycle with a single trailing wheel or the improved bicycle with two
tailing wheels forming a kind of tricycle can ea ily be obtained it pleasure
without the necessity of having two separate complete carriages or machines
A suitable amangement of the framework for carrying the two trailing wheels
and devices for connecting the saine to the backbone of a bicycle, and disconnecting
the same therefiom is shown in the before mentioned Figures 2 and 3 of the
Diawings in which Figure 1 18 a side view of a bicyclo constructed with my
improvements applied thereto, Figure 2 is a back clevation and Figure 3 a plan of
same The backbone A of the bicycle terminates at its lower end in a fork A
The axle of the trailing wheels B B is fulcrumed between the branches of this
fork A by pin F 60 as to be free to turn on the said pin to a limited extent in
The axle E has secured to
a plane at right angles to the plane of the backbone A
it two side pieces G G which are connected at their upper ends to a slotted guide
piece I the slot in which is shaped as the mic of a circle stuck from the centie F
A pin J secured to or formed on the backbone A takes into the paid slot and
steadies the upper end of the frame formed by the axle E, the side pieces G G ind
the slotted guide piece II It will now be readily understood that when it 19
requned to remove the trailing wheels it is only necessary to disengago the pin J

page_text: from the slot in the guide pieco H and to remove the pin F when the whole of the
frame E G H can be taken away The object of pin jointing the axle E at F 1s
to enable either of the trailing wheels B B to pass over an obstacle such as a stone
or other irregularity of the road without affecting the perpendicularity of the
backbone A oi diving wheel C On the other hand the slotted guide piece H and
pin J allow the backbone A and driving wheel C to assume a certain amount of
obliquity without the machine being overturned by the backbone turning to the
right or left on the pin F as a centre until the pin J comes to one or the other end
of the slot in the piece H which prevents any further movement of the backbone
or driving wheel and keeps the weight within the base formed by the diving
wheel and the two trailing wheels, so that there is no danger of the machine
overtuining either when in motion or while the rider is mounting
For the purpose of holding the machine quite vertical while the rider 18
mounting or in order to connect the frame E, G, H rigidly to the backbone A at
pleasure a sliding bolt K, shown in Figures 4 5 and 6, may be employed, the said
bolt K slides in i guide K¹ fixed to the backbone A and takes into a notch L in
the slotted guide piece H so as to lock the frame E, G, H to the said backbone A
To enable this bolt K to be operated by the 11der when mounted on the seat N, it
may be connected to the steering handles M by means of the rods O, level P and
sping presser handle Q in a manner similar to that usually employed for applying
the brake
2
It will be readily understood that my invention can be carried into effect either
by applying the two trailing wheels to a bicycle diving wheel, or by applying a
bicycle driving wheel to the two trailing wheels of a tricycle
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
Fust In bicycles or tricycles the employment of two trailing wheels in con
nection with a bicycle driving or 10nd wheel substantially as as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed and for the purposes
specified
Second-The construction and arrangement of the parts for carrying the trailing
wheels and their combination with the frame or backbone of a bicy cle whereby
the said trailing wheels may be applied to or removed from the said frame or
backbone at pleasure substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in the
Drawings hereto annexed
Thud Ihe construction and arrangement of devices whereby one or other of
the truling wheels is enabled to pass over an obstacle in the road without affecting
the perpendicularity of the fiume or backbone of the machine or of the diving
wheel and whereby the inclination of the sud backbone and driving wheel to the
perpendicular is permitted and limited substantially as herein before described, and
illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed