Improvements in or relating to Brakes, Seat Pillars, and Handle Bars of Velocipedes, and in Fixing same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes, Seat Pillars, and Handle
Bars of Velocipedes, and in Fixing same.
HENRY ARTHUR LAMPLUGH, 135 Great Colmore Street, Birmingham in the
County of Warwickshire, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
1
I will describe my invention for improvements in brakes for velocipedes in
relation to the ordinary safety bicycle. Instead of making my rim with one
groove within which the tyre is situated I make the rim with two or more grooves,
the larger one about 1" wide and the smaller one about "wide, within this smaller
groove place a band of round steel wire (this arrangement is applicable to either
wheels but I will describe it in relation to the front wheel). I now fix one end of
the wire on to the crown or thereabouts of the front fork, the other end after
passing around inside the smaller groove is attached to a straight lever, which is
actuated by a second lever which communicates with the hand when this second
lever is actuated the moveable end of the wire is pulled, thereby the wire tightening
itself around the said smaller groove, causing it to act as a check and brake upon
the wheel.
The round wire can be covered by woven or other material to prevent squeaking
when applied.
This special rim, that allows the wire band to be used can be applied to either of
the wheels of bicycles, tricycles, or other velocipedes.
The tightening of the wire can be actuated by other means than the lever
communication, for instance by the turning of a screw nut upon a screwed rod
attached at one end to the moveable end of the wire band.
My invention further relates to the correct and quick fixing of the handle bar
of velocipedes at right angles with the machine and the seat pillar central with
the machine; to do this I draw a line down the vertical or down tube of the
handle bar and of the seat pillar, I also mark a line or make an indication on the
fixed sockets wherein the said handle bar and seat pillar are placed, in such a place
that when the line marked on the handle bar and seat pillar are placed over the
marks on their respective sockets, they are then in their correct position, as regards
the handle bar being at right angles and the seat pillar central with the machine,
and so in case of them being moved to adjust lower or higher, they are by these
marks quickly placed again in their correct position.
Dated this 1st day of January 1894.
HENRY ARTHUR LAMPLUGH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes, Seat Pillars, and Handle
Bars of Velocipedes, and in Fixing same.
I HENRY ARTHUR LAMPLUGH of No. 135 Great Colmore Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in brakes for
the wheels of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes and also in the means

page_text: hereinafter described of facilitating the adjustment in their proper position, with
respect to the frames of the velocipedes, of the movable handle bars and seat
pillars or pins of velocipedes.
I will first describe my improvements in the brakes of velocipedes and to
facilitate the description I will describe the said improvements in their application
to the front or steering wheel of a safety bicycle.
I provide the metallic rim of the front or steering wheel, on one or both sides,
with a supplementary narrow groove or trough in which is placed a steel or iron
wire gripping band which constitutes when tightened upon the wheel by the
mechanism hereinafter described the brake proper. The said brake wire may have
a non-metallic covering to prevent or reduce noise on the application of the brake.
One end of the brake wire is fixed to the steering wheel fork at or near the crown
of the said fork and its other end is fixed to the end of a short lever pivoted to
the said crown, the other end of the short lever being connected to the brake rod
which is operated through the brake lever in the ordinary way.
The brake wire may however be tightened by other mechanical means as
hereinafter described.
In order that my improvements in facilitating the adjustment in a proper position
of the handle bar and seat pillar or pin may be readily understood I remark
that in fixing the handle bar and seat pillar to the velocipede it rarely happens
that the rider fixes his handle bar at right angles to the frame of the velocipede
and his seat pillar or pin in such a position in its socket that the middle of his
saddle is in line with the frame of the velocipede in consequence of the absence of
any guide to the adjustment of the said parts. Consequently it frequently happens
that much inconvenience is occasioned to the rider because of the said parts benig
out of truth with respect to the frame of the velocipede.
In order to facilitate the adjustment referred to I provide the handle bar column
with a line and the steering socket with a corresponding line or indicator so that
when the two lines or line and indicator coincide the handle bar is at right angles
to the frame of the velocipede. Similarly in order to facilitate the adjustment of
the pin or seat pillar in its proper position I mark the said L pin or seat pillar
and its socket so that when the marks are coincident the said L pin or seat
pillar is in its true position.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation and Figure 2
in front elevation the front or steering wheel of a bicycle provided with a brake
constructed according to my invention; Figure 3 represents a part of Figure 2
drawn to a larger scale; Figure 4 represents the brake wire detached and Figures 5
and 6 represent the sections of rims which I employ in connection with the said
brake, the said Figures 5 and 6 being drawn to a large scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6.
a is the rim of the wheel having at one side the supplementary trough a² and bis
the gripping band of iron or steel wire situated in the said trough . The said
gripping band 6 is connected at the end c to the crown of the steering fork and its
other end is connected to a lever d pivoted to a bracket e on or near the said crown.
The short or bent end of the lever d is connected to the brake rod which is
operated through the brake lever g in the ordinary manner.
The action of the brake is as follows;-On the rider operating the brake
lever g, the brake rod fis depressed and the lever d is turned in the direction
proper to tighten the gripping band 6 in its trough, whereby the wheel a is rapidly
brought to rest the brake wire bearing upon the whole or nearly the whole periphery
of the wheel.
The brake may be applied to both sides of the wheel by providing the rim of
the wheel with two supplementary grooves or troughs a², a³ and two gripping
bands b, bas represented in Figure 6. The lever d in this case has a forked end
for operating simultaneously the two brake wires.
Instead of operating the brake by means of levers, the brake rod ƒ may have a

page_text: quick threaded screw on its lower end and be connected to the gripping band
directly so that by turning a handle at the top of the brake rod an angular motion
may be communicated to the brake rod so as to raise it, thereby drawing up the
end of the gripping band b and tightening the said band on the wheel.
The brake described and represented may be applied to the driving wheel of the
bicycle instead of to the steering wheel. The application of the said brake to the
wheels of velocipedes other than safety bicycles differs in no essential respect from
its application to safety bicycles as hereinbefore described and illustrated."
Figure 7 represents in side elevation and Figure 8 in back elevation a portion of
the handle bar and steering socket of a bicycle provided with my improvements
and Figures 9 and 10 represent the L pin and portion of the seat post of the frame
provided with my improvements.
h is the handle bar and he is the handle bar column and i is the steering socket
of the velocipede. I engrave or otherwise mark a line on the handle bar
column 2 and provide an indicator on the steering socket i in such a position
that when the point of the indicator is opposite the line ³ the handle bar is in its
true position with respect to the frame of the velocipede, that is to say, it is
crossing the said frame at right angles. A line on the steering socket may be
substituted for the indicator 2.
By the use of the line and indicator, or the two lines described, the adjustment
of the handle bar in the steering socket is facilitated and the rider is provided
with a guide to indicate when the handle bar is in its true position with respect to
the frame of the velocipede.
The improvements in facilitating the adjustment of the handle bar described are
applicable to the adjustment of L pins and seat pillars in their sockets as will be
readily understood by reference to Figures 9 and 10 where k is the seat post of
the frame having the indicator k³ and is the L pin having upon it the line 12.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in and relating to brakes seat pillars and handle
bars for velocipedes and in fixing the same
"
First. The improvements in brakes for the wheels of bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of
the accompanying drawings, the said improvements consisting in providing the
metallic rim of the wheel with a supplementary trough or groove on one or on both
sides and fitting in the said supplementary trough or groove or troughs or grooves,
a gripping band or bands by the tightening of which on the wheel the brake is
applied to the whole or nearly the whole of the periphery of the wheel substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly. Facilitating the true adjustment of handle bars and ↳ pins or seat
pillars of velocipedes in their sockets by providing the handle bar columns and the
vertical branches of the L pins or seat pillars and their sockets with lines or
indicators substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9
and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 25th day of September 1894.