Folding Bicycle Frame.
Year: 1896

page_text: WILLIAM HUGH EVANS, 3 Edward Terrace Cardiff JOHN THOMAS LINDSLEY The
Wharf Cardiff do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improved Bicycle Frame whereby by means of Knuckle or hinge joints adjustable
and secured in position by means of a metal sleeve, or sping catch or other method
giving regidity when in use and also allowing the frame to be folded thus bringing
the front and back wheels of the Bicycle together parallel to each other thereby
ensuring greater safety in transit and storage as well as economising of space the
lessening of the risk of injury and greater facility in handling the. Bicycle when
carried by rail Sea Cab or other conveyance.
W. HUGH EVANS.
J. T. LINDSLEY.
Folding Bicycle Frame.
We, WILLIAM HUGH EVANS, of 3 Edward's Terrace, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Proprietor of Printing Works, and JOHN THOMAS LINDSLEY, of The Wharf,
Cardiff, aforesaid, Registrar of Marriages, 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 construct or fit bicycle frames in such a way that
they are adapted to be folded so as to bring the front and back wheels together side
by side and practically parallel to each other thereby effecting economy of space for
the purposes of storage, facility in handling and the lessening of risk of injury to the
machine during transit.
. Briedy stated the invention consists in making the lower member of the frame in
two parts jointed together near the pedal axle the front end being detachably
connected to the steering pillar so that said lower member can be rotated in a vertical
plane, and in making the upper member also in two parts which are jointed together
so as to be rotated in a horizontal plane.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle the frame of
which is constructed according to this invention and Fig. 2 is a view of the same
when in the folded position; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side elevation and plan of
the detachable connection for the front end of the lower member; Fig. 5 is an
elevation of the joint for the two parts of the upper member the sleeve being off, and
Fig. 6 is a plan of same with the sleeve in position thereon; Figs. 7 and 8 are similar

page_text: views of the joint for the lower member; and Fig 9 shows in longitudinal and cross-
section a spring clip suitable for holding the sleeves on the joints. The same letters
of reference where they occur are used to denote the same or corresponding parts in
the various figures.
Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the bicycle there shown is of the ordinary
character but the frame is jointed at three parts, the joints being marked A, B and D)
respectively. The joint A is shown separately on an enlarged scale in Figs. 5 and 6.
The ends of the two parts at of the upper member A of the frame are connected
together by a link M turning on pivots N passing through the ends a³ as shown in
Fig. 5. This link lies in a central longitudinal slot m formed one half in each of the
ends a¹, and cut only partially through the material so that the upper member A¹
can only be folded in one direction; for the same purpose and also to afford greater
rigidity when in the open position, the extreme ends of the parts al are butted at one
side as shown at L in Fig. 6. This long slotted link joint may be made either hollow
or solid, the link M giving the necessary length to enable the wheels to be folded
quite close together without strain on the top tube or, joint. The ends a may be
integral with the two parts of the upper member A' or they may be separate pieces
brazed or otherwise rigidly secured in or to the ends of the parts of the upper
member A'.
When in the open position the joint is made rigid by a sleeve O, which is
constructed to fit tightly over the joint covering the whole of it, and is secured in
position by a spring clip P, such for example as that shown in Figs. 6 and 9, which
consists of a pair of spring levers pivotted at diametrically opposite parts of the upper
member A¹ and having noses p which engage in a collar, flange or projection 01 on
the end of the sleeve 0. Any other suitable fastening device may however be
adopted for holding the sleeve O in position on the joint.
The joint B at the bottom of the lower member C (Fig. 1) is made in the form of a
groove and tongue joint, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the tongue r on one of the ends R
being received in a slot s in the other end S to which it is pivotted by the pivot S.
T is a sleeve, similar to the sleeve O already described, and Û is a fastening to hold
same secure when covering the joint. This joint is also butted so that it will only
open in the desired direction and may be made integral with or be rigidly secured to
the lower member C as with the joint in the upper member.
The joint D at the front end of the lower member C is a separable joint and is
shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It is also a tongue and groove joint, the tongue H
being preferably formed on the lug E on the steering pillar and provided with
bottom flanges or small projections or enlargements on each side to serve as a
rest or stop for the cheeks c of the grooved end c of the member C, when the
parts of the joint are in proper position. A square hole is bored through the
cheeks e and the tongue H, through which said hole a square bolt J is passed
and secured by lock-nuts K. To prevent loss of the bolt J its head is attached
to a chain or other flexible connection F the other end of which is secured by a
spring fastening to a ring on the member C. When the nuts are undone this
spring fastening may be released, the nuts threaded on the chain or connection F,
and the latter secured again to the ring f. The nuts and the bolt are then
secure against loss.
f
When the two parts of the joint D are separated, by removing the nuts and
bolt, the lower member C can be turned on the joint D through an arc of a circle
about the pivot S, represented by the dotted are DZ in Fig. 1. A spring or other
clip or fastening device may be fixed to the saddle pillar at Z, to which the lower
member C may be secured when the machine is in the folded position (Fig. 2) to
prevent breakage or damage and to facilitate the handling of the folded machine, and
for the same purpose, when folded, the two wheels may be secured together by a
simple strap or clip or other device.
If desired the frame may have two joints only instead of the three as above described,
namely the link joint A and the separable joint D, in which case when the frame is
folded the lower member projects from the pedal crank axle at the original angle. To

page_text: make such a frame ready for folding it would only be necessary to release the link
joint A and to remove the bolt from the joint D, then the parts of the frame could be
rotated in a horizontal plane about the joint A. It will however be evident that the
form already described and shown in the drawings i.e., with the three joints A, B
and D is preferable as it ensures greater compactness and is very little more expense
or trouble.
It is obvious that the invention may be applied to bicycle frames in course of
construction or it may be applied to bicycle frames at present in use.
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 bicycle frame in which the upper member thereof is made in two parts
secured together by a link joint, which is held rigid by a moveable sleeve, the lower
member being also made in two parts secured together by a pivot, the joint being
also held rigid by a moveable sleeve, the front end of said lower member being
secured to the steering pillar by a separable joint substantially as herein described
and for the purposes stated.
2. In a bicycle frame making the upper member in two parts and joining them
together with a link joint, which is held rigid by a moveable sleeve, making the lower
member also in two parts and joining them together with a pivot, the joint being also
held rigid by a moveable sleeve, and fitting the front end of said lower member
to the machine frame with a separable joint as and for the purpose herein
described.
3. A bicycle frame the upper member of which is made in two parts secured
together by a link joint, which is held rigid by a moveable sleeve, the front end of the
lower member being secured to the steering pillar by a separable joint substantially
as herein described and for the purposes stated.
4. The improvements in or relating to the frames of bicycles substantially as and
for the purpose herein before set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings,
F. W. GOLBY,
36 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.