Folding Bicycle.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897.
Folding Bicycle.
:
We, MICHAEL BARTHOLOMEW RYAN, 106 South Avenue, Bridgeport,
Connecticut, United States of America, Inventor, and PATRICK OWEN DWYER,
1 Ives Street, Danbury, Connecticut, United States of America, Merchant, do
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 bicycles, and has particular reference to a.constructiou
which enables the frame to be folded to bring the front and rear wheels
substantially side by side.
The object of the invention is to produce a practical and reliable machine of this
type which will not materially differ in weight or appearance from the usual safety
bicycle, and which may be quickly reduced to a small compass in order that the
machine may be easily carried up or down stairs and stored in a small space, or
may be readily transported for use in military operations.
To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts
substantially as hereinafter described and claimed...
In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, .
ر.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation. of a machine embodying. the. invention and
ready for use.
Fig. 2 is.a side elevation of the machine when folded.
;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the hinge members when in the
position shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view hereinafter described.
Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same parts when the machine is folded.
Similar reference-characters denote the same parts in the several views.
The front and rear wheels, driving mechanism, fork, steering head, handle bar,
saddle post, saddle &c., are or may be of a common type and require no description,
the invention consisting solely in the means whereby the frame is so divided and
hingedly connected as to fold on a substantially vertical pivotal line.
The rear portion 1 of the horizontal bar of the frame has its front end bent
downward and receives the horizontal part of a coupling tube 2, the lower vertical
end of which receives the upper end of the vertical brace 3, these parts, as well as
others hereinafter mentioned, except those described as having relative movement,
being permanently united in the mauner common with the tubular parts of the
framing of bicycles.
Around the vertical portion of the coupling 2 is fitted the sleeve portion 5 of the
fulcrum-piece or binge member 4, (shown in detail in Fig. 4,) said member 4 being
adapted to turn on the vertical portion of the coupling 2 and having its front end
receiving and secured to the rear end of the front portion 6 of the horizontal bar.
The rear end 7 of the fulcrum-piece enters and is secured in the bolt casing 8, and
a nut 9 on the brace 3 abuts against the lower end of sleeve 5 to prevent vertical
movement of the fulcrum-piece on said brace.
The casing contains a bolt 10, which is normally pressed outward by a spring 11,
the bolt Leing provided with a knob or handle 12, projecting through a slot 13 in
the casing, said slot having an offset portion at one end to form a retaining-
shoulder 14 for the knob 12.

page_text: Secured to the bar 1 is a bolt socket or keeper 15, and the meeting ends of the
casing and keeper are preferably beveled in the same way as indicated at 16' in
Fig. 5, which figure illustrates the hinge construction of the lower frame-bar.
This latter construction is in all respects similar to the one just described, but
differing therefrom slightly to adapt the feature of the different relative angles of
the portions of the frame at the lower part thereof. It is briefly outlined in detail
as follows: 1' denotes the lower portion of the inclined bar or brace adjacent to
the crank-bearing of the machine, 2' the coupling, 4' the fulcrum-piece secured to
the upper or front portion 6' of the inclined bar or brace, said fulcrum-piece having
sleeve 51, adapted to turn on the lower end of brace 3, a nut 9 preventing
longitudinal movement.
The end 7 of the fulcrum-piece 4' has secured to it the bolt-casing 8', slotted
at 131 and containing bolt 10 and spring 11, and having a shoulder 14' for the
knob 12 of the bolt. A keeper 15' is secured to the main or center brace "a" of
the frame. The meeting ends of the bolt-casing and keeper are beveled at 16¹ to
form a stop when the casing is brought opposite the keeper and in alignment
therewith. Since the bolt-casings and keepers come into alignment with each
other and closely meet when the machine is unfolded for use, the bolts which then
connect the casings and keepers insure a rigidity of the frame that cannot be
obtained by the use of turn-buttons. Furthermore, accidental displacement of the
bolts is impossible.
This machine is but very slightly heavier than the common form of diamond
frame bicycles, and when in use can hardly be distinguished therefrom in
appearance.
When it is desired to fold up the machine for compact military transportation
or to enable it to be carried through difficult stairways to small quarters, the
bolts 10 and 10¹ are retracted and the knobs 12 12 engaged behind the
shoulders 14 14 The entire front section of the machine may then be swung on
the hinge centers from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in
Fig. 2., the fulcrum pieces 4 4 turning on the brace 3 and carrying the bolt
casings 8 8¹ to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6.
Owing to the keepers 15 and 151 being located at a distance from the hinged
connection and extending in a substantially horizontal direction to receive the
horizontally movable bolts, the two sections of the frame are locked firmly and
rigidly together when the machine is ready for use, there being no opportunity for
noticeable lost motion between the bolts and keepers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A bicycle comprising in its construction a frame formed in two sections
hingedly connected together, one of said sections being provided with a bolt and
the other section with a keeper for the bolt, the said bolt and keeper extending in
a substantially horizontal direction and located at a distance from the hinged
connection, and the bolt casing and keeper being adapted to closely meet, to insure
rigidity of the frame in use.
2. A bicycle comprising in its construction a frame formed in two sections one
of which is provided with a substantially vertical brace, and the other having
fulcrum pieces sleeved on the brace, and bolts and keepers carried by said sections,
the said bolts and keepers extending in a substantially horizontal direction and
located at a distance from the hinged connection; and the bolt casings and keepers
being adapted to closely meet, to insure rigidity of the frame in use.
3. A bicycle comprising in its construction a frame formed in two sections one
of which is provided with a substantially vertical brace, and with bolt keepers and
the other having fulcrum pieces sleeved on the brace, bolt casings carried by said
fulcrum pieces, and spring bolts in said casings, the said bolts and keepers extending
in a substantially horizontal direction and located at a distance from the hinged

page_text: connection, and the bolt casings and keepers being adapted to closely meet, to
insure rigidity of the frame in use.
4. In a bicycle, the combination with the bars 1, 1', the brace 3 and the coupling
tubes 2, 21, of the fulcrum pieces 4, 41, secured to the front frame sections 6, 61,
and sleeved on the brace 3, and bolts and keepers for locking the fulcrum pieces,
the said bolts and keepers extending in a substantially horizontal direction and
located at a distance from the hinged connection, and the bolt casings and keepers
being adapted to closely meet, to insure rigidity of the frame in use, substantially
as described.
5. In a bicycle, the combination with the bars 1, 11, the brace 3 and the coupling
tubes 2, 2', of the fulcrum pieces 4, 41, secured to the front frame sections 6, 6' and
sleeved on the brace 3, the bolt casings 8, 81 secured to the fulcrum pieces and
containing spring bolts, and keepers 15, 151 secured to the bar 1 and to the main
post "a" of the machine, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of October 1896.
MICHAEL BARTHOLOMEW RYAN.
PATRICK OWEN DWYER.