Improvements in Stands or Supports for Safety Bicycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stands or Supports for Safety Bicycles.
We, ISAAC HUDSON SAPP, and WILLIAM THOMSON STUART, both of Papeete,
Tahiti, Society Islands, South Pacific Ocean, Gentleman and Importer re-
spectively, 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 improvements in stands or supports for safety bicycles,
and the object that we have in view is to provide a support which will be carried
directly by the front steering fork of the bicycle in a manner without interfering
with the free adjustment of the fork or the running of the wheel journalled
therein, and which is adapted to be brought into position for use by a simple
reversal of the position of the fork in its bearing in the steering head of the
bicycle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap construc-
tion which may be easily and quickly applied to any ordinary construction of
safety bicycle and which obviates the necessity for adjustment of the support or
stand by hand on the bicycle when it is desired to bring the stand into the
position for service to support the bicycle in an upright position without leaning
it against a street curb, a tree or other object.
With these ends in view, our invention consists in the combination with a
steering fork of a bicycle and the non-rotatable axle of the front wheel, of a
stand or support attached to said axle to normally occupy a position at an angle
to or in alignment with the curved members of the steering fork to be carried
directly thereby without contact with the wheel and adapted to be brought into
service by a reversal of the steering fork in the head of the bicycle.
And the invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of
parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.
To enable others to understand the invention, we have illustrated the pre-
ferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this
specification, and in which-
Figure 1 is a side view of part of a bicycle illustrating the improved stand or
support in its relation to the steering fork and front wheel when the machine is
in use.
Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the steering fork reversed in its bear-
ing in the steering head to bring the improved stand or support into position
for service.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the parts in the position illustrated by Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the stand or support detached from
the steering fork of a bicycle.
Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of
the several figures of the drawing.
The improved support or stand is especially designed for use on bicycles of
that class in which the front steering fork, 1, has its members curved longi-

page_text: tudinally as at 2, toward the axle 3, which receives the hub, 4, of the front
steering wheel. It is well known to those skilled in the art that the steering
fork of the ordinary safety bicycle is journalled in the steering head to be turned
therein a distance equivalent to a half revolution, and when a curved steering
fork is thus turned in the steering head of the machine frame the extremities
thereof will assume a substantially vertical position with relation to the street
surface or the ground line.
We utilize this adaptation of the steering fork in the application of the
improved stand or support to said fork. We have so arranged and combined the
stand with relation to the fork that it will project in a substantially horizontally,
inclined position beyond the periphery of the wheel; 5, when the fork is adjusted
to its normal position for service of the machine, thus disposing the support in
a manner to entirely avoid interference with the proper rotation of the front
wheel, but a reversal of the steering fork in its head serves to adjust the support
or stand to a substantially vertical position and bring the foot or base of said
stand into contact with the ground, whereby the stand is adapted to sustain the
front end of the bicycle in a raised position when its front wheel, 5, is free from
the ground, and also prevent the machine from falling sidewise.
Our support is indicated, in its entirety, by the numeral 6 in the drawing, and
it consists of a foot, 7, and the arms, 8. In the practical construction of the
stand, we employ a single length of tubing, a bar or a rod which is bent at two
points to form the foot, 7, and the arms 8. The arms are inclined inwardly to-
ward each other, and the extremities thereof are flattened or otherwise constructed
to provide the parallel ears, 9, which are perforated transversely, as at 10, and
are spaced apart a distance equivalent to that of the extremities of the fork
members 1. It will be seen that the foot 7 of the support is much broader than
the distance between the parallel ears, 9, thereof, and when the support is
adjusted into position for service, the broad foot, 7, thereof serves to sustain the
bicycle steadily in place and wholly overcomes any tendency to fall sidewise.
In applying our improved support to a bicycle the axle nuts II are removed
from the ends of the axle and the support is adjusted to have the ears 9 thereof
fit on the axle against the extremities of the fork members 1 after which the
nuts 11 are screwed on the axle to clamp the extremities of the support firmly
against the steering fork 1. In applying the improved support to a fork it is
necessary to exercise care in positioning the support on the axle and with relation
to the fork previous to tightening up the clamping nuts 11. The support should
have it arms 8 arranged at a slight angle to the curved line of the fork members
substantially as represented by Figure 1, and in this position of the support it
will be made to assume a substantially vertical position when the steering fork
is reversed in the head of the bicycle frame.
Our improved support is clamped rigidly on and carried wholly by the axle of the
front steering wheel without in any way touching or interfering with the free
rotation of the front wheel 5 journalled in said fork and said support normally
extends along the sides and in advance of said front steering wheel.
is desired to bring the support into service the operator dismounts from the
When it
wheel, lifts the front end thereof slightly and turns the steering fork a half
revolution in its bearing in the machine frame. This reversal of the steering
fork brings the support to a substantially vertical position, and when the operator
lowers the machine, the foot 7 of the support rests directly upon the ground or
street and sustains the bicycle in a slightly raised position against falling over
sidewise.
It may be desirable, under some circumstances, to provide the foot 7 of the
support with the teeth or prongs 12 represented by dotted lines in Figure 3 of
the drawing, but we do not limit ourselves to the employment of these prongs,
because the foot of the support may be provided with a friction surface 13, which
may consist of a length of tubing or a strip of suitable material.
We may also construct the stand for application pivotally to the axle of the

page_text: steering wheel so that it may swing loosely upon the axle and be raised or lowered
by the operator, in which case a spring catch or other detent should be provided
to hold the stand in its raised position.
The stand may also be constructed with a spring on each side thereof, or the
arms 8 of the stand may be made of elastic material to cause the arms to resume
their original shape should they be bent in event of injury to the machine.
Our improved stand possesses the following practical advantages: It holds the
bicycle firmly in an upright position without the assistance of extraneous means
for supporting the bicycle, it is always in position for use, easy of operation
and adjustment, sustains the front wheel from contact with the ground, holds the
machine steady when oiling or cleaning the same, presents a neat and attractive
appearance, is out of the way of the wheel and the operator when not in use,
prevents injury to the finished surfaces of the bicycle and obviates the necessity
for finding a support to lean the wheel against while the operator is dismounted
therefrom.
It is evident that changes in the form and proportion of parts may be made
by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advan-
tages of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination with a steering fork and an axle supported thereby, of a
stand clamped rigidly to said axle and fork, substantially in alignment with the
fork and adapted to be brought into a vertical position for service by reversing
the steering fork in its bearing in the machine frame, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
2. The combination with a steering fork and an axle, of a substantially tri-
angular support clamped rigidly to the axle to be carried wholly thereby and
arranged substantially in alignment with the members of the steering fork, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination with a curved steering fork and a non-rotatable axle, of
a triangular support having its arms rigidly clamped on the axle and against
the steering fork, said support arranged to embrace the steering fork, and disposed
at an angle to the length of the steering fork, whereby the support is carried
wholly by the axle and fork and is caused to assume a vertical position by giving
the steering fork a semi-turn in its bearing in the bicycle frame, substantially
as described.
4. A bicycle stand or support comprising a foot, the inwardly inclined arms
terminating in parallel ears, and holding devices attached to the exposed face
of the foot and adapted to prevent the support from slipping on the street surface
or ground, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 27th day of August 1898
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.