Improvements in Carrier Velocipedes.
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Carrier Velocipedes.
We JOSEPH WHITE, of Earlsdon near Coventry in the County of Warwick
Watch Manufacturer, and JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore, Coventry in the County
of Warwick aforesaid, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIER VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to what are known as carrier velocipedes, or
velocipedes fitted with a basket or receptacle of considerable size for the rapid
conveyance of light but rather bulky articles, such as Newspapers, and the
invention consists in the adaptation to velocipedes of the Humber type, of a frame
for the support of the basket or receptacle suspended in front of the axle of the
driving and steering wheels by suitable stay rods and bracket arms secured to
the handle bar and stein, or it may be to the bearing bracket or axle as may be
most convenient, the said frame being fitted with a safety wheel affixed to a
suitably shaped rod or support, after the manner of a castor. By this arrangement,
full advantage is taken of the speed and handiness of this type of machine, while
the machine is prevented from tilting over when the rider dismounts and the load
happens to be heavy.-The front safety wheel also allows the machine to be readily
pushed or wheeled along in the tipped position.-The basket or receptacle in this
form of carrier velocipede may be of considerable breadth from side to side, and of
considerable height from top to bottom, and is conveniently made with a hinged
front exposing the entire contents when lowered, thereby affording great facilities
for loading and unloading.
The machine is ridden in a precisely similar manner to the Humber machine,
which is well adapted to support an extra weight on the steering wheels, as such
extra weight tends to steady the steering and renders it rather less delicate, thus
removing a drawback sometimes advanced against that class of machine.

page_text: •
We JOSEPH WHITE of Earlsdon near Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Watch Manufacturer, and JOHN ASBURY of Cheylesmore Coventry in the County
of Warwick, aforesaid Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIER VELOCIPEDES and in what manner the same 18
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The present invention relates to what are known as carrier velocipedes, or
velocipedes fitted with a basket or receptacle of considerable size for the rapid
conveyance of light, but more or less bulky articles such as newspapers, and the
invention consists in the adaptation to velocipedes of the Humber type, of a frame
for the support of the basket or receptacle, suspended in front of the axle of the
driving and steering wheels by suitable stay rods and bracket arms secured to
the handle bar and stem, or it may be to the bearing bracket or axle as may be
most convenient; the said frame being fitted with a safety wheel or runner affixed
to a suitably shaped adjustable rod or support.
Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a side
elevation of a Tricycle of the Humber pattern with a receptacle, adapted thereto
according to our invention.
Fig. 2 a plan view of the receptacle and its supporting frame and appurtenances
detached from the tricycle, and
Figs. 3 detailed views of a detachable connection which will be explained
hereafter.
The Humber machine is too well known to require detailed description, but in
order to fully explain the nature of our invention it is necessary to designate some
of the principal parts of the machine.
A is the axle of the driving wheels mounted to rotate in bearings carried by a
forked bracket B in which is secured the stem C. D is the handle bar, E the
trailing backbone mounted on centres in the socket F, and G is the saddle. His
the receptacle so shaped and arranged as to occupy the greater part of the open
space between the driving wheels in front of the axle A, and supported in a light,
readily detachable frame I. The receptacle H may be made of wood in the form of
a rectangular box with a sloping lid or cover at top as shown, or it may be of sheet
metal, leather, wicker-work or other material of suitable strength and rigidity.
On each side of the receptacle is formed or fixed a rib or shoulder h for
supporting it in the frame I. The frame is of a shape to suit the receptacle it is
intended to support and for strength and lightness we prefer to construct its main
members of tubular iron. The frame is provided in rear with a pair of rigid
arms KK pierced to receive the screws k k by which it can be readily attached to
the bracket B which is correspondingly tapped.
In front the frame I is fitted with a pair of stay rods L L hinged to the ends
of the side members of the frame, and terminating in eyes or hinged clasps
by which it can be securely attached to the ends of the handle bar D, or it
might be to the stem C. We prefer to attach the rods L L to the handle bar, just

page_text: inside the handles, as they do not then require to be bent as obliquely as if they
were led to the central stem C, and because a receptacle of larger size can be carried
when these stay rods are attached to the extremities of the handle bar.
We preferably form the hinged stay rods L L with clasps at their extremities, as
illustrated in side and plan views in Figs. 3, and thus we are enabled to attach or
detach the frame J by simply removing four nuts. The handles might however be
made detachable by unscrewing a nut countersunk in their ends, and in that case
the stay rods would terminate in simple eyes. The receptacle itself may be easily
lifted out of its supporting frame when the hinged stay rods are folded down.
It will be observed that these rods bear against the ends of the ribs or
shoulders h h on the sides of the box H and when in their fast position prevent its
displacement.
By the above described construction and arrangement of parts full advantage is
taken of the large space available between the wheels in front of the axle in
machines of this type and heavy loads may be carried with facility, the rider being
in a position to see over the receptacle and well in front of the machine, and their
respective weights being distributed on opposite sides of the driving wheel axle.
Moreover the load being suspended between the driving wheels and moving in
unison with them, tends to steady the steering, and does not detract from the speed
and handiness for which machines of this class are noted.
To prevent the weight of the load in the receptacle H from over-balancing, the.
machine, when the rider dismounts or when running down hill, we pivot to
the frame I a movable safety atrut or support M working against a quadrant spring
locking plate N fixed to the frame I and terminating above in a handle O, and
below in a runner or wheel P.
The full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 show the position of the safety strut when in
use, and the dotted lines in Fig. 1 indicate its position when the machine is being
driven.
This adjustable wheel or runner also allows the machine to be readily pushed or
wheeled along in a tipped position. The basket or receptacle in this form of carrier
velocipede may be of considerable breadth from side to side, and of considerable
height from top to bottom and may be conveniently made with a hinged front or
door exposing the entire contents when opened, thereby affording great facilities for
loading and unloading.
We are aware that luggage carrying frames have been fitted to the front of
Humber tricycles, but no provision exists in such arrangements for holding the
receptacle securely within or upon such frame and straps or cords have to be
resorted to in consequence; nor is the said frame constructed and arranged in such
a manner as to properly support a receptacle of the size we employ when fully
loaded.
The luggage carrying frames to which we allude have in fact merely been of a
kind suitable for supporting a light valisc, or knapsack, such as tourists require for
personal use, and no machine of the Humber type has to our knowledge been fitted
with a detachable frame and receptacle adapted to a variety of commercial purposes
and capable of bearing heavy loads and withstanding rough usage.
The adjustable safety strut and the simple mode of fitting our carrier frame to
the machine, are also important features of our arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
type,
1. The adaptation to a Humber tricycle or to a machine of the "Humber"
of a rigid frame constructed to receive and retain in position a box or equivalent
receptacle such as H, and provided with an adjustable safety strut within easy
control of the rider substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawing, whereby we are enabled to utilize the greater part of the open space
between the driving wheels in front of the axle for the carriage of heavy weights or

page_text: bulky goods without inconvenience to the rider by the tilting of the machine, and
to readily detach the said frame, or remove the said receptacle therefrom, when no
longer required, as set forth.
2. The combination with a machine having a pair of driving and steering wheels
controlled by a handle bar, as in tricycles of the Humber type, of the frame I fitted
with bracket arms K K and hinged stay rods L L, for securely and rapidly
attaching it to the said machine, the adjustable safety strut M or its equivalent and
receptacle H adapted to drop within or be slidden into and be supported by the
said frame and to be securely retained when in position by the said stay rods,
substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to the Drawing.
3. The combination with a tricycle of the Humber type and a luggage carrying
frame adapted to the front thereof between the driving and steering wheels and
provided with bracket arms for supporting its rear end, of hinged stay rods
connecting the outer ends or parts of the said frame with the handle bar or stem
of the machine, and an adjustable safety strut pivotted to said frame and
terminating above in a handle for the rider and below in a wheel or runner
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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