Improvements relating to Sounding Horns for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Sounding Horns for Cycles.
I, SAMUEL BÄNDEL, of No. 4, Kaiserstrasse, Königshütte, in the German Empire,
Merchant, 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 sounding horns for cycles for alarming bodies of men,
such as firemen, for giving signals, and similar purposes; the horn is also designed
to supersede the cycle bells at present in use.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters referring to like parts throughout
the figures.
By reference to the drawings it will be seen that
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sounding horn and mechanism mounted upon
an ordinary safety bicycle.
Figure 2 is a full size view of the clutch mechanism.
Figure 3 is a detail view of one part of the clutch.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of the handle and connecting mechanism for operating
the clutch.
The sounding horn consists of the air pump A and the horn B branching there-
from. It is situated in the space formed by the rods or tubes 81 82 83 and 4 of the
frame, so that it cannot inconvenience the rider in any way. It is conveniently
fixed in a suitable manner to the upper and lower rods or tubes 82 and 8. The
movements of the cycle operate the air pump whereby the horn is sounded. The
motion of the cycle is transmitted to the piston of the air pump of the horn by
means of an eccentric e arranged on the crank axle, the devices k, m a n connected
therewith and the piston rod, hereinafter described. The axle a rests in the divided
bearing o, Figures 1 and 2, fixed to the rear rod or tube s³. In order to prevent
the rotation of the bearing on the round tube or rod it is connected with the rear
fork by a rod or tube t.
The devices ma n act as or are equivalent to an angular lever in the ordinary
meaning of the word, but the parts thereof are not connected rigidly with one
another. When it is not intended to sound the horn, the short arm n connected to
the eccentric is disconnected from the longer part m and consequently the sounding
horn is at rest.
The horn is sounded when the rider presses or pulls the lever which is fixed to
one of the arms h of the steering bar. By this operation the two levers m and n
are coupled at a certain definite angle by means of a clutch x, Figures 2 and 3 which
is adapted to be automatically disengaged and by a system of lever transmission
acting on the axle a of the two levers m and n consisting of the rod b and the two
evers g and c, the end of the latter being guided in a slot u and pivotted near its
centre to a projection r from the air pump cylinder. When the pressure on the
and lever ceases, the connection between the two levers in and n is discontinued

page_text: and they act no longer as an angular lever, the eccentric operating only the shorter
of these parts. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate this clutch full size.
This clutch consists of an arm or link loosely mounted on the axle a, from one
side of which projects a pin z which engages with a sleeve formed on the lever
arm m, which is surrounded by a spring which reacts against the clutch x,
On the same side of the clutch x
normally forcing it away from the lever arm n.
as the pin there are also two other pins or studs ii which engage with recesses q q
in the lever arm n when the clutch is pressed up against the lever arm n against
the pressure of the spring y by means of the lever c which is forked at the axle a.
While the recesses q q are engaged by the studs ii the motion of the lever arm n is
transmitted to the lever arm m by means of the clutch and consequently the motion
When however the lever / is
of the eccentric e is transmitted to the pump piston.
no longer pressed the spring y disengages the studs ii from the recesses q q and
no motion is transmitted to the lever arm m.
By opening a valve or cock w situated on the front of the cylinder, the sound of
the horn is decreased the air being pressed partly through such orifice and partly
through the horn B. The sound thus reduced is suitable for the ordinary warning
signals for which a bell is used at present.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. A sounding horn B adapted to be operated by compressed air from an air
pump A operated by the driving mechanism of a cycle when the rider is riding,
substantially as described.
2nd. A sounding horn as claimed in Claim 1 in which levers m and n are adapted
to transmit the movement from the crank axle to the piston of the air pump by
means of a clutch device, substantially as described.
3rd. A sounding horn for a cycle as claimed in Claim 1 in which a clutch x
situated on the axle a of the levers in and permanently connected by means of a
pinto one lever, is adapted to engage at the will of the rider during the journey
by means of a lever c with the other lever, and is disengaged by a spring y when
the lever c is set free, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of August 1898.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.