IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY JOHN LAWSON of Coventry in the County of Warwick Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the application to machines known as low or safety
bicycles of a portable stand attached to and part of the machine which may be
raised or lowered and reaches out at each side towards the ground.
By preference it is arranged that by winding the handle it is lowered and a
spring causes it to rise in a backward direction when released.
The pieco which may be the shape of the inverted letter 1 is arranged at the
upper part to swing or hook in a socket brazed on the backbone or frame. By
arranging it to swing against the wheel it is obvious that it acts as a brake.
The stand when lowered holds machine and rider steady and firmly at any part
when in combination with a low or safety bicycle.
In cases where the front wheel drives and a fork is used the arrangement passes
down the sides of the fork on each side.

page_text: Improvements in Velocipedes.
I HENRY JOHN LAWSON, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES," 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 application to machines known as low or safety
bicycles, of a portable stand attached to and part of the machine, which may be
raised or lowered, and reaches out at each side towards the ground.
By preference it is arranged that by winding the handle it is lowered, and a
spring causes it to rise in a backward direction when released. The piece, which
may be the shape of the inverted letter 1, is arranged at the upper part to swing
or hook in a socket brazed on the backbone or frame. By arranging it to swing
against the wheel it is obvious that it acts as a brake.
The stand, when lowered, holds machine and rider steady and firmly at any part
when in combination with a low or safety bicycle.
In cases where the front wheel drives and a fork is used the arrangement passes
down the sides of the fork on each side.
I will now by reference to the accompanying drawing more particularly describe
the nature of the said invention. A is the inverted I piece, it is constructed of
steel or other suitable material by preference hollow. The centre of it may be
rendered solid or have attached to it a solid piece suitably shaped as a skid to fit
the tire of wheel when swung up against it. C, C, are two rollers made to run
upon a suitably coned axis, well known in the trade, for adjustment; E is the
small spring to assist in pulling up the skid or stand into its place. This spring
is attached to frame at D. The whole of the stand swings in a suitable
aperture at B.
This swing stand or brake is moved backwards and forwards by the handle
situated at suitably connected by means of connecting and small bell crank
connections. Each connection is an universal joint to allow of independent action
in each direction. A small projecting pin is fixed about B to act as a stop and
prevent the stand from coming forward beyond the perpendicular line.
When desired to give it both forward and backward action to press it against
the back wheel. The handle bar is made to turn in a socket, and a cam with
universal jointed connecting rods is fitted, it is obvious that the simple chain
connection may be used when it is only required to move in one direction, one end
of chain being fastened to the handle which turns in its socket and the other to
the stand so that by turning the handle the chain may be wound up and draw the
stand downwards on to the ground. In this case a front brake would be used.
The object of the invention and its advantages are obviously to make a firm
portable stand for bicycle so that the rider can mount and dismount while it is
stationary and enjoy the advantages of a tricycle and bicycle combined, without
the interference fatal to this kind of projection. By the stand being arranged to
swing backwards the forward movement of machine naturally releases it and stones
and obstacles do not so seriously obstruct it.

page_text: It is also that the same stand may with slight variation be modified to slide or
swing on the same principle with a frame differently shaped to suit other
constructions of safety bicycles.
I am aware that attempts have been made with props to form a stand attached to
the machine in the case of the machine known as the high bicycle or ordinary
bicycle but in every case they have proved unsuccessful and not to the public
utility or benefit, for various reasons which do not exist in my invention which
possesses greater rigidity with increased lightness and portability while it more
effectively and safely holds the machine without danger in starting.
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. The application to and combination with the modern construction known as
low and safety bicycles, having small wheels with multiplied speed, of a portable
stand which may be raised and lowered at will and has for its object.the immediate
fixing of the machine in a stationary position for mounting dismounting or resting
substantially as described and shewn on the drawing.
2. The particular method and arrangement for the automatic swinging of the
stand on its rollers backwards out of the way when starting, substantially as
described.
3. The general combination and arrangement of parts together forming my
improvements in velocipedes or any mere modification thereof."