An Improved Mud Guard for Cycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1893-Accepted, 6th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mud Guard for Cycles.
We, JAMES HUBBARD, of 56 Greenville Terrace, South Circular Road, Dublin,
Ireland, Tinsmith, and FRANCIS FURLONG BYRNE Civil and Mechanical Engineer
of 37, College Green Dublin and Drogheda do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
A spring mud-guard for cycles, to be used in place of ordinary mud-guard.
Much smaller and lighter. Composed of rubber taper disc, to fit wheel, enclosed
in tin frame, and fastened by wire rods to mount. Hinge action; two springs, so
as to admit of rubber yielding and of non-use. It does not allow any slush or dirt
to pass on wheel, and keeps the rider free from mud, &c.
Dated this 4th day of July 1892.
JAMES HUBBARD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mud Guard for Cycles.
We JAMES HUBBARD, Tin Smith of 56 Greenville Terrace, South Circular
Road, Dublin and FRANCIS FURLONG BYRNE Civil and Mechanical Engineer of
37 College Green, Dublin and Drogheda 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 for an improved mud guard for cycles has for its object to
dispense with the usually clumsy mud guards which partially surround the tires of
the wheel and greatly retard the progress of the rider by catching the wind, and in
lieu thereof to scrape the mud off the tires so as to prevent it being carried round
with them and thrown about; and consists essentially in arranging in the rear of
each wheel and slightly above the ground an adjustable or self-adjusting scraper
preferably shaped to the contour of the tire and situated or adapted to be forced
close to or pressed lightly on the tire.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle fitted with the improved mud guard.
Figure 2 is a plan of the mud guard and Figure 3 is an elevation of the same.
Each mud guard or scraper a is hinged by the pieces to a frame b situated
behind the wheel and secured to the frame of the bicycle by means of the rods c
themselves secured to the frame in the usual manner of fixing ordinary mud guards.
The springs & bearing on extensions of the pieces h tend to force the scraper a on
to the tire of the wheel. A spring catch e serves to hold the scraper off the wheel
when not desired to use the same.
As shown the scraper a is of rubber secured in a frame but it can be moulded
entirely of rubber or it may be made of leather or other suitable material or even
of thin metal.
The scraper may be arranged to be operated from the handle bars or other
convenient place by cords or levers f so that it can be put into or out of
operation without the rider dismounting and in this case the spring catch e is
dispensed with.
The scraper acts on the tire so as to remove the mud from the tire immediately.
after it leaves the ground and so prevents the mud being thrown about. It also by
keeping the tire clean tends to prevent side slip on greasy roads or thick muddy
roads.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we would have it understood
that we are aware it is not novel to fix a brush in close proximity to the tire to
catch and brush the mud of the tire immediately after it leaves the ground and do
not desire to claim any such device but we declare that what we claim is :-
1. A detachable and self regulating mud guard or scraper situated in close
proximity to the tire at the rear of the wheel to catch or scrape off the mud
substantially as described.
2. A self-regulating mud guard or scraper situated in close proximity to the tire
at the rear of the wheel and adapted to be put into or out of operation without the
rider dismounting substantially as described.
3. A mud guard or scraper situated in close proximity to the tire at the rear of
the wheel and adapted to be forced by springs against the tire or be retained by a
spring catch off the tire substantially as described.
4. An improved mud guard substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.
Dated this 8th day of May 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.