An Improved Attachment for Velocipedes for the Purpose of Locking the Wheels, Brake, or Steering Head, and for Steadying the Steering of such Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Attachment for Velocipedes for the Purpose of
Locking the Wheels, Brake, or Steering Head, and for
Steadying the Steering of such Machines.
We CONSTANTINE SINANIDES professionally known as C. L. ORMONDE of
39, Alma Square, Saint John's Wood Artist and Vocalist and EDWARD RUSSELL
BUDDEN of 11, Furnival Street Holborn Analytical Chemist both in the County
of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to steady the steering of velocipedes and also to
prevent the said machines from being stolen by rendering the steering apparatus
or wheels thereof immovable.
Now according to this invention we provide a cylinder of metal capable of being
secured to the steering head or other convenient portion of the frame of the
machine. In this cylinder we place a piston or plunger capable of longitudinal
movement in the said cylinder the said piston or plunger being normally forced to
one end of the cylinder by means of a spring or springs. One end of the plunger
or the piston rod projects through the cylinder end and bears against a collar
secured to the steering rod or tube attached to the handle bar. This plate has a
recess therein which recess engages with that end of the plunger or piston rod
which projects through the cylinder when the steering wheel is in line with the
back wheel or wheels. The other end of the piston or plunger rod which is
within the cylinder has a series of projections thereon which may be caused to
engage with one or more of a series of slotted flanged dises arranged at the bottom
or back of the cylinder after the manner of a "letter lock."
When the slots in the discs are in a line with the projections the piston or
plunger will move backwards and forwards in the cylinder and the steering will be
effected in the usual manner but more satisfactorily than usual owing to the com-
pression of the spring or springs when the end of the plunger or piston rod is
forced out of engagement with the recess in the collar by the rotation of the handle
bar. When the steering wheel is in line with the back wheel or wheels and
the discs are rotated so as to cause the flanges thereon to engage with the
spaces between the projections on the plunger or piston rod the steering
apparatus will be locked in its mid position and steering of the machine
prevented.
The discs may be rotated by the fingers in the same manner as those on, a
"letter lock or by means of a suitable key. To prevent the discs from
rotating when the machine is in use the spring inside the cylinder may be
caused to press against the said discs and forces them against the opposite end
of the cylinder which may be reduced in diameter at the end where the discs
rotate.
Or any other suitable device may be used for preventing the rotation of the
discs for example the discs may be octagonal externally and a spring or springs
caused to bear on the flat portion of the discs.
Or instead of the apparatus hereinbefore specified being used to lock the
steering apparatus it may be used to lock the wheels by causing the end of the
plunger or piston rod to enter a hole or recess in the hub of whichever wheel it

page_text: is desired to lock. Or the lock may be used to lock the brake when hard on the
wheel. In these cases we prefer to prolong the end of the piston or plunger rod
so as to cause the same to project through the back of the cylinder and fasten a
knob or button to the end of the said rod by means of which the said piston or
plunger may be drawn back and locked clear of the wheel or brake. It will be
understood that the apparatus used for locking the brake or wheels may be
locked in either position whether holding the wheel- stationary or allowing it to
rotate.
Disfil 100
T. E. HALFORD;
11 Furnival Street, London, E:C., Agent for Applicants.
An Improved Attachment for Velocipedes for the Purpose of
Locking the Wheels, Brake, or Steering Head, and for
Steadying the Steering of such Machines.
We CONSTANTINE SINANIDES professionally known as C. L. ORMONDE of
39 Alma Square Saint John's Wood Artist and Vocalist and EDWARD RUSSELL
BUDDEN of 11 Furnival Street Holborn Analytical Chemist both in the County
of London, 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 steady the steering of velocipedes and also to
prevent the said machines from being stolen by rendering the steering apparatus
or wheels thereof immoveable.
Now according to this invention we provide a cylinder of metal capable of
being secured to the steering head or other convenient portion of the frame of
the machine. In this cylinder we place a piston or plunger capable of longi-
tudinal movement in the said cylinder the said piston or plunger being normally
forced to one end of the cylinder by means of a spring or springs. One end
of the plunger or the piston rod projects through the cylinder end and bears
against a collar. secured to the steering rod or tube attached to the handle bar.
This plate has a recess therein which recess engages with that end of the
plunger or piston rod which projects through the cylinder when the steering
wheel is in line with the back wheel or wheels. The other end of the piston
or plunger rod which is within the cylinder has a series of projections thereon
which may be caused to engage with one or more of a series of slotted flanged
discs arranged at the bottom or back of the cylinder. after the manner of a
"letter lock."
When the slots in the discs are in a line with the projections the piston or
plunger will move backwards and forwards in the cylinder and the steering will
be effected in the usual manner but more satisfactorily than usual owing to the
compression of the spring or springs when the end of the plunger or piston rod is
forced out of engagement with the recess in the collar by the rotation of the
handle bar. When the steering wheel is in line with the back wheel or wheels
and the discs are rotated so as to cause the flanges thereon to engage with the
space between the projections on the plunger or piston rod the steering' apparatus
will be locked in its mid position and steering of the machine prevented.
The discs may be rotated by the fingers in the same manner as those on a
"letter lock" or by means of a suitable key. To prevent the discs from
rotating when the machine is in use the spring inside the cylinder may be

page_text: caused to press against the said dises and force them against the opposite end
of the cylinder which may be reduced in diameter at the end where the discs
rotate.
Or any other suitable device may be used for preventing the rotation of the
dises for example the discs may be octagonal externally and a spring or springs
caused to bear on the flat portion of the discs.
Or instead of the apparatus hereinbefore specified being used to lock the
steering apparatus it may he used to lock the wheels by causing the ends of the
plunger or piston rod to enter a hole or recess in the hub of whichever wheel it is
desired to lock. Or the lock may be used to lock the brake when hard on the
wheel. In these cases we prefer to prolong the end of the piston or plunger rod
so as to cause the same to project through the back of the cylinder and fasten a
knob or button to the end of the said rod by means of which the said pistón or
plunger may be drawn back and locked clear of the wheel or brake. It will be
understood that the apparatus used for locking the brake or wheels may be
locked in either position whether holding the wheel stationary or allowing it to
rotate.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying drawing in which :-
Fig. 1. represents longitudinal section of an attachment for velocipedes
constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2. is elevation of same.
Fig. 3. shews our invention attached to the steering head of a bicycle.
Fig. 4. is front view of collar.
Fig. 5. is plan of underside of same.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figs.
a is a cylinder of steel or other suitable metal which is capable of being secured
to the steering head or other convenient portion of the frame of the machine by
clips or otherwise. e is a piston (or plunger) capable of longitudinal movement
in the cylinder a. The piston (or plunger) c is normally forced to one end of the
cylinder a as shewn at Fig. 1 by the pressure of the spring d. One end of the
piston (or plunger) rod e is made square and projects through the cylinder en and
bears against a collar or plate for the like secured to the steering rod or tube to
which the handle bar is attached.
This plate has a recess g therein which recess engages with the end e¹ of the
plunger or piston rod e when the steering wheel is in line with the driving wheel
or wheels.
The other end of the plunger or piston rode or the portion thereof which is
within the cylinder a has a series of projections & therein which may be caused to
engage with one or more of a series of slotted flanged discs h arranged at the
bottom or back of the cylinder after the manner of a letter lock. When the
steering wheel is in line with the driving wheel or wheels and the discs & are
rotated so as to cause the flanges thereon to engage with the spaces between the
projections k on the piston rod e the steering apparatus will be locked in its mid-
position and steering of the machine prevented. The square portion of the piston
rod prevents it from rotating with the discs.
If the apparatus is used merely to prevent theft the plate or collar / may be
made as shewn at Fig. 5, but if it is used to steady the steering as well as to
prevent theft the plate is made in the form of a quadrant as shewn in dotted lines
Fig. 5.
When the slots in the discs are in a line with the projections the piston or
plunger will move freely backwards and forwards in the cylinder a and the
steering will be effected in the usual manner but as the end e' of the piston rod has
to be forced out of the groove g against the pressure of the spring d the steering
will he steadied.
If however when the end e' of the rod e is engaged with the groove g the discs

page_text: are rotated until the flanges thereon engage with the spaces between the pro-
jections kkk the steering apparatus will be locked in its mid-position and steering
of the machine prevented.
The discs may be rotated in the usual (by the fingers) or by means of a key or
wrench.
To prevent the discs from rotating when the machine is in use the spring d
may press against the discs has shewn at Fig. 1 and force them against the
end of the cylinder which may be reduced in diameter where the discs rotate
see Figs. 1, 2, & 3.
A slot or slots is or are formed in the small end of the cylinder to allow the discs
to be rotated.
Suitable letters or numbers may be formed on the discs as in letter locks.
Or any other suitable device may be used for preventing the rotation of the
discs for example the discs may be hexagonal or octagonal externally and a spring
or springs bear on the flat portions of the discs.
Apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described may be used to lock the wheels
of velocipedes instead of locking the the steering gear either by the end e' of the
piston or plunger rod entering holes or recesses in the hubs of the wheels or by
locking the brake mechanism when the brake is " on."
When the apparatus is used for other purposes than for locking the steering
gear we prolong the piston or plunger rode through the end of the cylinder
and attach thereto a button as shewn in dotted lines at Fig. 1 (or a ring) by
means of which the piston or plunger may be drawn back against the pressure
of the spring d and be retained in that position by turning one or more of the
discs h.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A locking attachment for velocipedes consisting of a piston or plunger
working in a cylinder the said piston or plunger being normally forced to one end
of the cylinder by a spring, a grooved plate or collar attached to the steering rod
engaging with one end of the piston or plunger rod which projects beyond the end
of the cylinder and a device for preventing the piston or plunger from being forced
inwards all substantially as herein before specified.
2. In a locking attachment for velocipedes the combination of a cylinder a
having a piston c therein normally forced to one end of the cylinder by a spring d,
a piston rod e attached to the piston c having projections k thereon slotted flanged
dises h adapted to engage with the said projections or with the spaces between
them and a collar plate or quadrant having a recess 9 therein to receive the
end e¹ of the piston rod e all substantially as hereinbefore specified.
3. Locking attachments for velocipedes constructed as shewn by the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated thi 7th day of i 1907
T. E. HALFORD,
11 Furnival Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicants.