Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
I, ALEXANDER MAURICE DAVID DE GROOT, of 11 The Avenue, Blackheath,
London, S.E. Gentleman, do hereby declaro the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to cycle frames and is designed to greatly improve and
especially to strengthen such frames especially in the case of ladies' bicycles, and
for the sake of example I will proceed to describe a frame for a lady's bicycle
according to my present improvements.
The back wheel forks are secured to the spindle or axle or bearings of the back
wheel in the usual or any suitable manner but the said back wheel forks instead of
terminating as usual at the bottom bracket extend according to my present
invention forwardly (and horizontally or thereabouts) for some distance past said
bottom bracket (to which latter however said forks are rigidly connected or secured
in any suitable manner-advantageously just below same) towards the front wheel
and such forwardly extending end of said forks may be connected together or have
a crosshead or union or any other suitable means for connecting the same together
and to the other part of the frame (hereinafter described) or said forks may con-
verge into a single tube in front of the bottom bracket or be arranged in any other
suitable manner.
To the head part of the frame a tube is fixed low down on same (i.e. near to the
front wheel fork crown) and extends rearwardly and downwardly advantageously
curved downwardly following the circle of the front wheel only rearwardly of
and quite clear of same and of the mud guard (if used) thereof or such tube may
descend in a straight line or other suitable direction and the lowermost end thereof
is rigidly fixed (brazed or otherwise suitably secured) to the foremost end of the
aforesaid extension of the back wheel forks or if desired such tube and such
extension on the back wheel forks may be formed integrally.
Above the said lower tube (which thus meets the said back fork extension to
which it is secured instead of being secured to the bottom bracket as heretofore)
another or upper tube is fixed to the head part of the frame and extends rearwardly
and downwardly (either following the usual form or shape of the frame of a lady's
bicycle or following the direction of the aforesaid lower tube etc. or of any other
desired curve or form) and the rearmost end of this upper tube is fixed as usual
or in any suitable manner to the bottom bracket or other adjacent or convenient
part of the frame.
The rest of the machine may be as usual-or modified (if required) in any desired
manner to adapt same for use in conjunction with my improved frame.
This part of the frame forms a direct connection from the back wheel to the head
of the frame abovo the front wheel fork orown and such rigid connection
advantageously passes just under the bottom bracket or in such manner as to
thereby form a very strong support for said bottom bracket to which latter same
is firmly secured.

page_text: Thus a greatly improved frame is formed for ladies' bicycles (ample space or
oponing in said frame between the steering head and the saddle pillar being
provided) and it will be obvious that such frames may be constructed in any
suitable manner (or may if desired be cast all in one piece) and my present
improvements may be used for any other form of bicycle or velocipede to which
same may be applicable as for instance a tandem bicycle for lady and gentleman.
Duled this 20th day of Amonal 1800
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
improvements
Суотев.
I, ALEXANDER MAURICE DAVID DE GROOT, of 11 The Avenue, Blackheath,
London, S.E. Gentleman, 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:
This invention relates to cycle frames and is designed to greatly improve and
especially to strengthen such frames more especially in the case of ladies' bicycles
or so-called "drop-frame" bicycles and for the sake of example I will proceed to
describe with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings-a frame (for
a "drop-frame" bicycle) constructed according to my present invention.
The back wheel forks a are secured to the spindle or axle or bearings of the back
wheel in the usual or any suitable manner but the said back wheel forks a
instead of terminating as usual at the bottom bracket extend according to my
present invention forwardly (and horizontally or thereabouts) for somo distance
past said bottom bracket (to which latter however said forks a are rigidly connected
by socket or sockets collars or straps such as d on said bottom bracket c or may
he otherwise secured to said bottom bracket & in any suitable manner) towards the
front wheel and such forwardly extending end A (of each of said forks a) may
advantageously converge at A or may he connected together or havo a crosshead
or union or any other suitable means may be adopted for connecting the same
together at A' and to the other part B of the frame (hereinafter described) or said
forks a may convergo into a single tubo just in front of the bottom bracket c or
be arranged with the forwardly extending end A in any other suitable manner.
To the head parte of the frame a tube B is fixed advantageously low down on
same (i.c. near to the front wheel fork crown f) and is curved downwardly
advantageously concentric with the rim of the front wheel g only rearwardly of
and quite clear of same and of the mud-guard-if used thereof (or such tube may
descend in a straight line or other suitable direction) and the lowermost end thereof
1s rigidly fixed (brazed or otherwise suitably secured) to the foremost end A¹ of
the aforesaid extension A of the back wheel forks a or if desired such tube B and
such extension A on the back wheel forks may be formed integrally.
Above the said lower tube B (which thus meets the said back fork extension A
to which said tube B is secured instead of being secured to the bottom bracket e as
Leretofore) another or upper tube his fixed to the head part e of the frame and
extends rearwardly and downwardly (either following the usual form or shape of
the frame of a lady's or drop-frame bicycle or following tho direction of the
aforesaid lower tube B or of any other desired curve or form) and the lower end
of this upper tube is fixed as usual or in any suitable manner to the bottom
bracket or other adjacent or convenient part of the frame for instance to a

page_text: Bockot (see Fig. 2) fixed to or formed on the bottom bracket c for the purpose
of receiving therein the lower end of said tube h as shown in Fig. 2.
The rest of the machine may be as usual--or modified (if required) in any desired
manner to adapt same for use in conjunction with my improvements.
This part of the frame A B forms a direct councction from the back wheel to
the head of the frame above the front wheel fork crown f and such rigid con-
rection advantageously passes close under the bottom bracket cor in such manner
as to thereby form a very strong support for said bottom bracket to which latter
Sine is very firmly secured as before mentioned.
Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified construction riz.: the back forks a are bent
downwards at a (or other hending or formation may be adopted) whereby the
forks and tho extension A thereof beyond the bottom bracket care brought
nearer to the horizontal line than in the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1.
Thus a greatly improved frame is formed for "drop-frame" bicycles (ample
space or opening in said frame between the steering head and the saddle pillar
being provided) and it will be obvious that such frames made according to my
present invention may be constructed in any suitable manner (or may if desired
be cast all in one piece) and my present improvements may be used for any other
form of bicycle or velocipede to which same may be applicable as for instance a
tandem bicycle for lady and gentleman.
Each back fork a and extension A is advantageously formed in one part from a
single continuous tube that is a and A are advantageously integral.
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. Constructing the back forks of frames for ladies' or drop-frame bicycles with
a part such as'A extending forwardly of the bottom bracket and bending the lower
tube such as B so that the lower end thereof meets and joins the foremost end A'
of said back forks extension A substantially in the manner and for the purposes
bereinbefore described.
2. The herein described improved construction of frames for ladies' or
drop-frame" bicycles combined arranged and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purposes set forth and as illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.