Van Anden Dexter Velocipede, 1869
date: label: date made
content: 1869
notes: label: Description
content: William Van Anden of Poughkeepsie, New York was granted patent no. 88238 on March 23, 1869, covering "improvement in velocipedes." This improvement consisted of a "ratchet device" or free-wheeling unit in the hub of the front wheel. This improvement, well ahead of its time, enables the rider's feet to remain motionless while the velocipede continues to move by momentum, as will a bicycle equipped with a coaster brake. Use of the device is optional, however, for the movement of a small plunger in the hub joins the pedal cranks fast to the axle, as in the conventional velocipede.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Associated Place
content: United States: New York
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
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content: Bicycling
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content: America on the Move
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content: Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. William M. Van Anden
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.310206
label: catalog number
content: 310206
label: accession number
content: 112749
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Bicycle, Van Andan
label: Other Terms
content: Bicycle, Van Andan; Road