Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 7th day of May 1896.
Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
line 1-1 of the succeeding figure,
Figure 2, a plan view of the raft having parts thereof in horizontal section,
Figure 3, a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of the preceding figure,
Figure 4, a detail elevation having parts thereof in section on line 4-4 of the
second figure,
Figure 5, a transverse section on line 5-5 of said second figure, the bicycle
being in working position,
Figures 6 and 7 detail sectional views respectively taken on lines 6-6 and 7—7
of the fifth figure, and
Figure 8, a detail sectional view illustrating one of a pair of adjustable supports
involved in said invention.
According to this invention, in its broadest sense, we provide a raft, of any
suitable construction, with a suitable propulsion-mechanism, such for instance as the
propeller-wheel A herein shown, and gear the same with a friction drum B arranged
to rotate on said raft. We then mount a bicycle, of the safety type, in fixed
position on the raft and have the rear wheel C of said bicycle in contact with the
friction drum whereby a person astride of the bicycle-saddle D and working the
Various means, under
crank-pedals E in the usual manner may propel the whole.

page_text: the control of the operator, may be employed to steer the craft above specified, and
provision may be made for raising and lowering the propulsion-mechanism at the
will of said operator.
In order to provide a raft that may be readily taken apart and packed together
in small compass for transportation on a bicycle or by the rider thereof, we utilize
a main-frame embodying a series of detachably united posts, plates and tube-sections
of light metal, inflatable floats of sufficient flexibility to permit of their being
folded or rolled up when deflated, and various braces, supports and stays. In
addition to these raft-elements we utilize an auxiliary frame attachable to the main
one, a propeller-wheel having its shaft in bearings in the auxiliary frame, a friction-
drum capable of being positioned to turn on said main-frame, and gear-wheels for
connecting the propeller-wheel and friction-drum. In case the auxiliary-frame is
designed for raising or lowering in order to regulate the submergence of the
propeller-wheel we shall also employ suitable means for controlling the same by a
person mounted on the bicycle when the latter is in fixed position on the
collapsible raft.
The following description refers particularly to the accompanying drawings and
defines the structural detail embodied in one form of this invention.
A series of horizontal tube-sections 6 are in screw-connection with couplings cat
the lower ends of posts d and reduced upper ends of a majority of these posts
engage eyes in overlapping longitudinal plates e, the latter being held on said posts
by nuts f, or other suitable means. The end tube-sections are curved upward after
the manner of the bow of a boat and engaged with eyes in the end-plates, nuts g or
other suitable means being employed to maintain the union. By means of the con-
struction and arrangement of parts just specified we provide a knock-down truss
and in the construction of the raft we employ two such trusses parallel to each
other any suitable distance apart, cach of said trusses being preferably in two
sections having hinge-connection with each other, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, an
additional post d¹ being employed to stiffen the forward truss-section adjacent to its
hinge-joint.
Inflatable floats F consisting of water-proof canvas sheaths containing inflatable
rubber tubes are connected in pairs by a web i having openings engaged by the
truss-posts d d and collars j on said posts oppose the under side of the web.
Transverse plates on the truss-posts d d' under the plates e overlap the twin-
floats to hold the same so that their connecting-webs will be held down against the
collars on said posts as herein shown.
Transverse tubular braces G G have eyes in their ends engaged with the truss-
posts d d between the plates e and nuts fand one of the braces G¹ is elevatel for
the most part above the others in the series. This elevated brace and the one
immediately in its rear are coupled to a pair of longitudinal stays H and in practice
the front-wheel I of the aforesaid bicycle is held on said braces between the stays,
by means of a yoke J having the ends thereof extended through eyes in said stays
and secured by nuts m or other suitable means.
The trusses being in hinge-jointed sections and the front-wheel of the bicycle
held between the stays H connecting the braces G G joining the forward sections,
the raft may be steered by manipulation of the bicycle handle-bar.
To one of the tubular braces connecting the rear sections of the trusses, we
couple tubular stanchions K and stiffen the latter by means of tubular stays as best
illustrated in Figure 5. Engaging the upper ends of the stanchions K are the
screw-threaded shanks of eyes M held in vertical adjustment by means of set-nuts n,
these eyes being for the engagement of steps p on the rear axle of the aforesaid
bicycle. By means of the vertically adjustable supports just specified, the pressure
of the rear bicycle-wheel C on the friction-drum B may be regulated and
compensation afforded for wheels of variable diameter within certain limits.
Fore-and-aft stays N joined by turn-buckles r are detachably connected to the
bicycle-stens p and transverse braces G of the raft, the rigidity of these stays
being regulated by the adjustment of their turn-buckles.

page_text: The friction-drum B has its hub keyed to a sleeve O in ball-bearing connection
with a shaft P having squared-ends engaging the corresponding bores of lateral
sockets s on the stanchions K and a bevel gear-wheel R is also keyed on said
sleeve.
Loose on the sockets s extending laterally from the stanchions K are eyes in the
ends of a tubular yoke S having a transverse brace t and constituting a frame
auxiliary to the main frame comprising the trusses, braces, said stanchions and the
various stays above specified.
The pivotal auxiliary-frame is provided with ball-bearings u for the shaft T of a
propeller-wheel U, and fast on the inner end of the shaft is a bevel gear-wheel V
in mesh with the one R aforesaid.
The submergence of the propeller-wheel is governed by a suitable hanger W in
hook or clamp-connection with a reach-member of the bicycle-frame as shown
in Figure 1, this connection being in easy reach of the operator astride of the
bicycle-saddle.
Various changes may be made in the matter of structural detail of the collapsible
raft, and whether the raft be collapsible or otherwise we do not wish to be
inderstood as limiting ourselves to the particular means herein set forth for
communicating motion from the bicycle to the propulsion-mechanism of said raft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we wish it to be
understood that we are aware that the use of a friction roller, such as B, as a
power-transmitting device from the road wheel of a bicycle, has been previously
patented, and we lay no claim thereto, but we declare that what we claim is :
1. A portable raft comprising parallel knock-down trusses each of which has a
hinged forward section, transverse braces joining the trusses, bicycle-supports and
propulsion-mechanism in connection with the frame embodying said trusses, braces
and supports; inflatable flexible floats secured to the trusses, suitable means for
transmitting power from a bicycle on the raft to said propulsion-mechanism, and
other suitable means for insuring deflection of said forward portion of the raft
incidental to movement of the handle-bar of said bicycle.
2. A raft provided with pivotally adjustable propulsion-mechanism, a bicycle
arranged on the raft, suitable means for communicating motion from the bicycle to
the propulsion-mechanism, and a hanger for this propulsion-mechanism in adjustable
connection with said bicycle adjacent to the saddle of the same.
3. A. raft comprising a main-frame, an auxiliary-frame in pivotal connection with
the main one, a propeller wheel having its shaft in bearings on the auxiliary-frame,
suitable means for communicating motion from a bicycle on the raft to the
propeller-wheel shaft, and other suitable means for regulating the adjustment of
said auxiliary-frame.
4. A portable raft comprising a knock-down frame consisting of hinged-joined
sections and inflatable flexible floats in detachable connection with the frame,
bicycle supports and stays on the frame, a propulsion-mechanisin attachable to said
frame, and suitable means for communicating motion from a bicycle on the raft to
said propulsion-mechanism.
5. A raft provided with propulsion-mechanism, a friction-drum in gear with the
propulsion-mechanism, stanchions on the raft, and supporting devices having
vertical adjustable connection with the stanchions, whereby a portion of a bicycle
engaged with the supports may be raised or lowered to regulate the contact of its
driven wheel with said friction-drum.
6. A portable raft comprising a knock-down frame and inflatable flexible floats,
a pair of parallel longitudinal stays connected to transverse forward brace-members
of the frame, a clamping-yoke joined to the stays, stanchions rising from said frame,
a propulsion-mechanism for the raft, and suitable means for communicating motion
to this mechanism from a bicycle mounted on the stanchions and front brace

page_text: members of said frame, the stays and clamping-yoke serving to secure the front
-wheel of said bicycle.
Dated this 8th day of October 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.