AN IMPROVED SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLES
Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLES
" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a device attachable to any bicycle
of the crank pattern for the purpose of preventing the liability to that class of
accidental falls known as headers, such as are caused by stones, bricks, sticks and
other small obstacles liable to be encountered on ordinary highways.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bicycle with my attachment in
position thereon.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same with the wheel in section.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line x Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several Figures.
A represents the fork, B the head, C the perch or backbone, and D the brake,
E the felloe or rim of the driving-wheel, and H the rubber tire of an ordinary
crank bicycle; I is a clip bent as shown around the vertical portion of the brake D
and pressed tightly against the sides of said brake, so as to prevent its slipping
thereupon, by means of the bolt J and nut L.
N is a bifurcated frame of substantially the shape shown, perforated so as to
allow the bolt J to pass through it, and hung upon said bolt between the outer
sides of the clip and the head of the bolt on one side and nut L upon the other.
The horizontal portion N¹ of this frame is provided at its forward end with a
hook n from which a spring or rubber band n¹ extends to the spoon portion D¹ of
the brake. The legs N¹ of the frame, extend down on opposite sides of the brake,
bending rearward as shown, and are provided at their lower ends with vertical
rods P which form bearings for the rolls R made externally preferably of india-
rubber or similar material. These rolls are prevented from dropping off the rods P
by nuts S, said rods being threaded for the purpose.
The clip I is placed at such a point on the brake as to bring the rolls R on
opposite sides of and on a level with the felloe E, and the spring n¹ by pulling

page_text: down the portion N¹ of the frame forces said rolls back lightly until they touch
the fork A. When the bicycle is travelling, the revolutions of the driving wheel,
whose felloe is in contact with the two rolls, cause said rolls to rotate and in
practice hold them a fractional part of an inch forward of and away from the
fork A. It is evident that when that kind of a fall termed a header is taken, the
head and frame of the machine advance more rapidly than the wheel, which may
or may not come to an actual stop, until the rider has passed forward so as to
bring the centre of gravity in front of a vertical line drawn through the axis of
the driving wheel. When my attachment is on the bicycle and an obstacle is
struck which hinders the advance of the wheel sufficiently to throw the rider
forward, the fork, in attempting to advance relatively to the felloe of the driving-
wheel, is instantly checked by the rolls R crowding between said felloe and said
fork so that the centre of rotation is transferred from the axis of the wheel to the
points of contact of the wheel and the obstacle. Of course as long as the centre of
gravity is behind a vertical line through the axis of the driving-wheel, the rider
will not fall forward. My device, by lowering the centre of rotation carries the
vertical line forward with the rider and causes the wheel to mount and pass over
the obstacle, if it be not too large, before the rider has reached a position in advance
of this line.
A minor advantage of the device is that when the bicycle is resting against an
object it is less likely to roll and fall, as the driving-wheel can turn in but one
direction.
In handling the machine the frame should be lifted in order to allow the
driving-wheel to turn in both directions.
To render the attachment inoperative, the spring n¹ can be removed from under
the brake and caught over the head, thus swinging the frame on its pivot until the
rolls are above the wheel.
I do not confine myself to the exact shape shown in the drawing, nor to any
especial material in the construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. An automatic safety attachment for crank bicycles consisting essentially
of a frame pivotted to a stationary portion of a bicycle and provided with stops
hanging on opposite sides of the felloe of the driving-wheel next the front edges of
the fork, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
Second. An automatic safety attachment for crank bicycles consisting essentially
of a frame pivotted to a stationary portion of a bicycle and provided with friction
rolls hanging on opposite sides of the felloe of the driving-wheel next the front
edges of the fork, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
Third. The hereinbefore described autoniatic safety attachment for crank
bicycles, consisting essentially of the clip I secured to the brake, bifurcated
frame N pivotted to said clip, and provided with the rods P and friction rolls R
and a spring extending from the upper portion of said frame to the brake-spoon
for the purpose of holding said rolls against the fork, substantially as, and for the
. purpose, set forth.
"
1000