AN IMPROVED BICYCLE LAMP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ryce Godsall and John Charles Crampin Read,
both of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, for an
Invention of "AN IMPROVED BICYCLE LAMP."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ryce Godsall &
John Charles Crampin Read at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 25th August 1881.
GEORGE RYCE GODSALL and JOHN CHARLES CRAMPIN READ, both of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers. "AN IMPROVED
BICYCLE LAMP."
Our improvements in bicycle lamps consists in the simple arrangement of the
parts in such a manner that the lamp may be more securely fixed to the axis of
the wheel, as also to facilitate its adjustment.
In carrying our improvement into effect we apply to the frame of an ordinary
bicycle lamp a hinged barrel, as in present use, for suspending the lamp in position
on the axis. One part or semi-cylindrical division of the said barrel is securely
connected to the top part of the body of the lamp, and to the under part of the
other division we affix a plate of sufficient depth to form a hasp to snap over a
projecting spring catch in a suitable position on the top part of the front of the
lamp. The front part of the lamp or door is hinged to the back (and by preference)
at the base.
In use the hinged barrel is passed around the axis, and secured by the plate or
hasp being snapped over the projecting spring catch. The door or front part is
then brought up and secured by the aforesaid projecting catch, and acts as an
additional security in fastening the barrel around the axis, thereby rendering the
lamp doubly secure when in position, and avoiding the possibility of its displace-
ment by the oscillation occasioned by the wheel when in motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Ryce Godsall & John Charles Crompton Read in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th February 1882.
GEORGE RYCE GODSALL and JOHN CHARLES CRAMPIN READ, both of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers. "AN IMPROVED
BICYCLE LAMP."
Our improvements in bicycle lamps consist in the arrangement of the parts in
such a manner that the lamp may be more securely fixed to the axis of the wheel,
as also to facilitate its adjustment.
In carrying our improvements into effect we apply to the frame of an ordinary
bicycle lamp a hinged barrel as at present employed for suspending the lamp in
position on the axis of the wheel between the discs of the hub. One part or semi-
cylindrical division of the said barrel is securely connected to the top part of the
body of the lamp, and to the under part of the other semi-cylindrical division we
affix a plate of sufficient depth to form a hasp to snap over a projecting spring
catch in a suitable position on the top part of the frame of the lamp. The front
part of the lamp or door is hinged to the back, by preference at the base.
We will, by the aid of the accompanying Drawings, proceed more fully to
describe our improvements. The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever
they occur.
Figures 1 and 2 shew respectively front and side elevations of a lamp embodying
our improvements. a is the frame or body of the lamp; b is the door of same,
carrying the cone g, and working on a hinge h at the base of the lamp; c and c¹
are semi-cylinders forming the barrel for suspending the lamp on the axis, the
semi-cylinder c being firmly secured to the frame of the lamp, and to which the
semi-cylinder c¹ is hinged, for convenience, at the top; d is a spring catch working
in the recess e; fis a plate forming a hasp to close over the spring catch d, for
which purposo it is suitably perforated, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be either
rigidly attached or hinged to the semi-cylinder c¹, which is correspondingly per-
forated or recessed for the spring catch d to work in; J, J, are guide screws for
keeping the lamp on the centre of the axis; & is the burner. Figure 3 is a side
elevation of the lamp, shewing the door b, and semi-cylinder c¹ with hasp f
partly open, indicating the direction and order in which they are opened and
closed.
When it is desired to place the lamp in position on the axis of a bicycle the
thumb or finger should be applied to the spring catch d, thereby freeing the door b
and permitting it to fall to a position of suspension on the hinge h; by the same
means the hasp fis passed over the said spring catch d, and turned to a vertical
position over the semi-cylinder c. The lamp is then passed through the spokes of
the wheel and placed in position on the axis, to which it is secured by closing the
semi-cylinder c around the axis until the hasp f engages the spring catch d. While
the lamp is in this position facility is offered for trimming, lighting, or other
partial adjustment. The door is then brought up until it is caught and secured
by the said projecting spring catch d, thus folding upon the hasp of previously
closed, and rendering the lamp doubly secure on the axis, and avoiding the pos-
sibility of its dislodgement by the oscillation occasioned by the motion of the
wheel
Having now fully described the nature and object of our Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it understood that what we claim
and desire to protect by Letters Patent is the combination of the semi-cylinder c¹
and hasp f, and the arrangement of the said semi-cylinder and hasp, and door,

page_text: folding and engaging the spring catch, as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Ryce Godsall and John Charles
Crampin Read, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty two.