Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
I, CHARLES MITCHEL THOM, Boot Maker, Wood View House, Evan Street,
Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, Scotland, N.B., 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 improvements in and relating to velocipedes constituting my invention,
consists of a combination device to be attached to the steering rod of the front
fork, and adapted to operate for the purpose of actuating the said rod,
and the brake of the front or steering wheel, and has for its object,
to provide a means whereby the rider may sit more upright (or at such
angle as may be most convenient or pleasant) than is possible by the use of the
handle bars as at present made and used.
Referring to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the entire
device or apparatus according to my invention, while Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan
view of a portion of same.
Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of a bar I prefer to use in lieu of the ordinary.
handle bar, illustrating the manner in which a portion of the said device or appa-
ratus engages therewith.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of so much of a bicycle as will serve to illustrate the
application of my invention thereto.
I carry my invention into effect by fixing upon the top end of the steering rod A
of a bicycle, tricycle, or similar front steering velocipe, a cross bar B, in
the same manner as, and in lieu of the ordinary handle bar, and for attachment to B
I provide of tubular metal a Ụ shaped frame C, the ends of which have brazed
thereto, or formed so as to provide curls or bends D and D', adapted to engage with
the bar B, and be fixed thereto at any angle approximating to the horizontal, by the
means of thumb screws E and E¹, the latter being in such a position as to be
easily reached by the rider when seated upon the machine, so that he may alter
the angle of the frame C, relatively to the steering rod A, without leaving the
machine, or the said screws may be only sufficiently screwed home to ensure light
contact between E and El and the bar B, to allow the frame C to have such freedom
as may prevent vibration from reaching the hands of the rider, and in order that
the said frame when so loosely mounted upon B may not work off either end, I
provide upon each end of B, outside the members of the frame C, an annular rib
or ridge F, (Fig. 3).
Upon the rod A I mount a bracket G, adapted to be rigidly fixed thereon by the
means of a thumb screw or its equivalent H, (Fig. 4) engaging with holes J (Fig. 1)
in the back ends thereof. The front portion of G is turned upward parallel with,
and in front of A, and pivotally carries at its upper end the lower member of a
bell crank lever K, the upper member of which is pivotally connected to one end
of a rod L, passing centrally along the frame C, the opposite end of which said rod
engages with, and slides within a casting or nosing M, fixed upon the bow portion
of C, while the extreme end of the lower member of K is pivotally connected to the

page_text: upper end of the brake rod N of the machine, which may conveniently pass freely
through a hole provided for its reception in the bracket Ğ.
The frame C would be of such length as to extend a convenient distance from
the steering rod A. towards the riders seat 0, so that he or she may sit upright and
use the said frame for steering the machine, for which purpose the said frame
may be provided with suitable hand holds, or coverings of leather or other soft
material as suggested by P and PI, (Figs. 2 and 4), and when the rider desires to
operate the brake, a pull imparted to the rod L, in the direction of the arrow in
Figs. 1, 2 and 4, would lower the brake rod N, and so cause the brake R to engage
with the tyre of the front wheel S in the usual way.
The back end of the rod L carries a toothed plate T, to which is attached a
handle V, passing through a hole in the rod L, and by the means of the said
handle the sliding of the rod L as stated may be effected, and when pulling the
said rod for putting on the brake, the teeth in the plate T automatically engage with
like but reverse teeth in a plate W, fixed upon the nosing M, as shewn in Fig. 2 in
which it is assumed that the brake is on, and will remain on at the will of the
rider, to remove which the rider would impart a pull upon the handle V in a direc-
tion from the rod L, thus releasing the teeth of T from engagement with the teeth
of W, when the rod L may go forward and so raise the brake rod N and brake R.
From the foregoing it will be understood, that although I prefer to employ a
bar B in lieu of the ordinary handle bar, the clips D and D₁ of the frame C are
applicable for attachment to an ordinary handle bar if such is desired.
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) The herein described device or apparatus adapted for steering and braking
the front or steering wheel of a velocipede, substantially as set forth and described.
2nd. In a steering and braking device for bicycles tricycles and like velocipedes,
the combination of a U shaped frame C, constructed at D and D¹ for attach- to
the ordinary handle bar, or a substituted bar B fixed upon the steering rod A, and
having a central sliding rod L, connected to a bell crank lever K, in connection
with the brake rod N, and mounted upon a bracket G, with means, such as a pair
of toothed surfaces T and W for automatically locking the brake when on, sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of October 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.