AN IMPROVED BICYCLE LAMP, APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lucas, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Lamp Manufacturer, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED BICYCLE
LAMP, APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lucas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th Juno 1880.
JOSEPH LUCAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Lamp Manufacturer.
"AN IMPROVED BICYCLE LAMP, APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
My Invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described, and consists
in the construction of a lamp for a bicycle, also applicable to other analogous
purposes, being that class of lamp which is affixed and suspended to the axis of the
vehicle immediately between the two discs of the hub.
The difficulty hitherto existing has been in so constructing a lamp that it shall
pass between the spokes for arrangement upon the axis. To effect this a com-
plication of parts have been necessitated, so as to reduce the bulk of the body, such
as the employment of single and double hingeing or jointing to the front part of
the lamp. The barrel, being that part employed for connecting and suspending the
lamp to the axis, has been arranged with the ordinary hinge or joint to allow its
opening for adjustment upon the axis; a folding clip has then been employed for
locking the same. The said barrel is again hinged to the upper portion of the
lamp. In other cases springs have been employed for securing the barrel of the
lamp to the axis, but all have been expensive in manufacture and difficult in
application.
I will now describe my Invention thus:-I construct the lamp of any design
suitable to my requirement. To the upper portion of the body of the lamp I
arrange two semi-cylindrical forms, in commerce designated a barrel, in an hori-
zontal line, and extending the width of the lamp, or nearly so. These are connected
together by means of a hinge or joint at the top. One of the said forms is securely

page_text: connected to the body, the other is securely connected to the door, which is the
front of the lamp, the door being locked by engaging in two lamina springs at the
base of the body of the lamp.
When desirous of affixing and suspending this lamp to the axis of a bicycle or
other vehicle the spring is first depressed, and the door released and elevated until 5
reaching a vertical position. The lamp is now double its original height, but 'the
body is reduced in breadth or bulk to one half. It will now pass between the
spokes with ease, and the semi-cylindrical forms or barrel being also vertical and
open can be arranged with facility upon the axis, and a folding or downward
movement will bring it to its normal position, securely locking the barrel to the 10
axis and door by means of the spring as beforo described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Lucas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th December
1880.
JOSEPH LUCAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
BICYCLE LAMP, APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
" AN IMPROVED.
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described and illustrated
in the construction of a lamp. for a bicycle, also applicable to other analogous
purposes, being that class of lamp which is affixed and suspended to the axis of the
vehicle immediately between the two discs of the hub.
The difficulty hitherto existing has been in so constructing a lamp that it shall
pass between the spokes for arrangement upon the axis. To effect this a com-
plication of parts have been necessitated, so as to reduce the bulk of the body, such
as the employment of single and double hingeing or jointing to the front part of
the lamp. The barrel, being that part employed for connecting and suspending the
lamp to the axis, has been arranged with the ordinary hinge or joint to allow its
opening for adjustment upon the axis; a folding clip has then been employed for
locking the same. The said barrel is again hinged to the upper portion of the
lamp. In other cases springs have been employed for securing the barrel of the
lamp to the axis, but all have been expensive in manufacture and difficult in
application.
I will now proceed to describe my Invention, aided by a reference to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the Figures and letters marked thercon (that is
to say):—
Fig. 1 represents a side view in elevation closed, Fig. 2 a front view elevation
also closed, Fig. 3 a sido view elevation open.
a is the body of the lamp; b, the door; c, the bell or conc, and into which the
glass & is fitted; e is a cylindrical barrel, but divisiblo at the line e¹; ff, are.
brackets or clips, and are employed for connecting e, e, respectively to a and b by
means of the rivets g; h is a spring engaging b; is the oil reservoir with wick
tubes j, j; is a joint or hinge, the position of which facilitates my improvements.
For imparting steadiness and obviating noise caused by the friction of axis,
semicircular washers of leather o have hitherto been employed, but these have
always been permanently affixed, so that when worn a difficulty arose as to
replacing. I propose to employ the form & pierced from sheet metal with the
upturned edges bent or closed at the dotted lines, thus forming a semicircle with
two sides, the leather washer o being arranged between. It is passed into the
rimp of the barrel e by a partial rotary movement, and thus firmly secured. The
action can be reversed for replacing the said washers. The screw r will assist in
bringing the washers up to the axis when worn.
When desirous of affixing and suspending this lamp to the axis of a bicycle or
other vehicle the spring his depressed, and the door b released and elevated until
reaching a vertical position, as illustrated by Fig. 3. It will now be perceived
that the breadth or bulk of the body a is reduced one half or nearly so, thus
allowing the lamp to be passed between the spokes, and upon the downward or
return movement of the barrel e can be arranged with facility upon the axis ;
when reaching its normal position it is locked, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2.
Having now described and ascertained the nature, object, and purposes of any
Invention, and shewn how the same may be carried out into practical effect, what
I claim as my Invention and desire to be secured to me by Letters Patent is, the
construction and arrangement of a lamp for bicycles and other analogous purposes,

page_text: consisting of the combination of the divisible barrel e with its rim p for receiving
the form e² constructed to hold the washer o, and regulated by the screw r and its
joint or hinge k in its relation to a and b, substantially as herein before described
and shewn on the accompanying Drawings, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Lucas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.