Improvements in Supports for Bicycles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May. 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDGAR FAY HATHAWAY, Manufacturer, of
Hornellsville, in the County of Steubeu and State of New York, United States
of America.]
Improvements in Supports for Bicycles.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a bicycle with arms controllable by a
lever near the steering handle, for the purpose of rendering the bicycle capable of
standing in an upright position when it is at rest.
This has heretofore been accomplished by various contrivances more or less
complicated and such that they must be applied to the bicycle during its
manufacture.
The means provided according to this invention are of a simple, efficient,
economical character which can be readily and easily applied to existing bicycles
enabling the rider to mount and pick up the supporting braces on starting the
machine, or to mount and dismount while the machine remains stationary.
For this purpose, the bicycle is provided with fittings such as will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle provided with braces according to this
invention, these being in position for holding the machine upright.
Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the bicycle frame, with one of the
supporting braces clamped thereto.
Fig. 3 is a back view of the same.
Fig. 4 shews part of the bicycle frame with the brace operating lever clamped
thereto.
Fig. 5 shews a modified arrangement of the lever.
Although the drawing represents one form of bicycle to which the invention i
applied, it is to be understood that, with suitable modifications, it can be applied to
bicycles of other forms.
1 is the frame of the bicycle having a horizontal arm 2 at each side of the rear
driving wheel 3.
4 is one of the supporting braces which is preferably composed of a round rod
having at its end a foot piece 5 with a countersunk portion 6 to prevent it from
sinking in soft ground. The top of the brace is attached to or made in one piece
with a shaft or axle 7 which is at right angles to the brace and is journalled in a
clip block 8 having a hole 10 to receive the portion 2 of the bicycle frame, on
which it is clamped by screwing up a bolt 12 pressing together the two elastic clip
arms 9.
The shaft 7 extends through the clip block 8 and has fixed on it a crank arm 13
with crank pin 15 to which is attached one end of a rod or wire 16 leading to a
pivotted lever 17 so placed that it can be conveniently moved by the rider.
The lever 17 is pivotted at 18 to a clip 19 which embraces the upper horizontal
portion of the bicycle frame, and has a clamping bolt or screw 20.
Instead of arranging the lever 17 upon the frame of the bicycle, it may be
mounted on the steering handle as shewn in Fig. 5, so that the supporting braces
can be operated by the hand of the rider grasping the steering handle in a manner
somewhat similar to the usual mode of operating the brake.
It is an important feature of this invention, that the supporting brace is carried
by a clip block which can be readily applied to or removed from the bicycle frame,
Pin 27

page_text: and that its actuating lever is likewise carried by a clip adapted to be clamped
upon the bicycle frame or upon the steering handle so that the invention can readily
be applied to existing bicycles.
Moreover, the supporting braces can be raised or lowered while the bicycle is in
motion, thus enabling the rider to mount and raise the braces after the machine has
been started. The invention is particularly suitable for machines used by females,
as it enables them to mount and dismount while the machine is notionless.
The rod or wire or other connection 16 extends through a hole in the arm of the
lever 17, and is provided with an adjustable nut 21 and spring 22. When the
upper end of the lever 17 is drawn backwards for the purpose of lifting the brace 4,
the lower arm of the lever compressing the spring rises above the horizontal plane
of the pivot 18, and thus, by its passing, as it were, a dead centre, the parts are
locked in position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.
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
1. For supporting a bicycle, a clip block adapted to the bicycle frame, a
swinging brace, having a shaft or axle journalled in the clip block and provided with
a crank, and an actuating lever mounted on a clip adapted to be clamped to a part of
the bicycle, and having a rod or other connection with the crank arm, substantially
as described.
2. The combination in a bicycle support, of a clip block having elastic clip arms
and bolt or screw to receive and clip a part of the bicycle frame, a swinging brace
having a shaft or axle journalled in the clip block and provided with a crank, and
an actuating lever carried by a clip arranged to be clamped to a part of the bicycle,
and a rod or other suitable connection between the actuating lever and the crank,
substantially as described.
Dated this 20th dor of May 1801
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.