GB2279925A - Stabilisers for cycles - Google Patents

Abstract

A stabiliser device (10) for a cycle comprises support means (11) for supporting a stabiliser wheel (26) or other rolling ground engaging means and mounting means (18, 20) for mounting the support means on a cycle, characterised in that the stabiliser wheel is adjustably locatable on said support means so as to achieve different lateral wheel spacings from the cycle without having to move the support means and whereby the stabiliser wheel remains or is adjustable to be substantially parallel with the cycle. <IMAGE>

Description

Title. Stabilisers for cycles DESCRIPTION This invention concerns stabilisers for cycles Stabilisers are often provided on cycles to assist balance of someone either learning to ride or who has difficulty in riding a cycle possibly due to a handicap. Such stabilisers generally comprise a support, a wheel on the support and means for mounting the support on the cycle. Such stabilisers are usually mounted on either side of a wheel, usually the rear wheel of a bicycle and the distance of each stabiliser wheel from said wheel is fixed. To facilitate learning to ride a cycle, it is advantageous to be able to reduce that distance gradually as the balance of the rider improves. These stabilisers can also form two of the wheels and part of the frame of a tricycle.

An object of this invention is to provide stabilisers for cycles, whereby the distance of a stabiliser wheel laterally from a cycle may be altered.

According to this invention there is provided a stabiliser device for a cycle comprising support means for supporting a stabiliser wheel or other rolling ground engaging means and mounting means for mounting the support means on a cycle, characterised in that stabiliser wheel is adjustably locatable on said support means so as to achieve different lateral wheel spacing from the cycle without having to move the support means and whereby the stabiliser wheel remains or is adjustable to be substantially parallel with the cycle.

Preferably the wheel or other rolling ground engaging means is on a mounting which separates the wheel or other rolling ground engaging means from the support means and said mounting is adjustably locatable on said support means.

According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided a stabiliser device for a bicycle or tricycle comprising support means supporting a stabiliser wheel or other rolling ground-engaging means and mounting means for mounting the support means on such a cycle, characterised in that the support means has a cross-section providing at least one pair of opposed substantially parallel support faces and said cross-section has breadth to depth ratio not exceeding 3s1* The support faces may be provided by flat faces of the support means or by regions of the support means which lie in a flat plane Thus, examples of suitable cross-sections for support means of the invention include rectangular, especially square, hollow section tubing, I-section bars, channel sections, solid rectangular, especially square, section bars and flat plates.

By having said opposed substantially parallel support faces, the support means may be more firmly and easily mounted on a cycle than a rounded support means.

Other advantages of such support means include resistance to twisting forces, strength, lightness appearance and when these faces extend laterally ease of mounting the stabiliser wheel.

In some forms, the support means has two pairs of opposed substantially parallel support faces, whereby the support means may be mounted in one of two positions normal to each other. That feature is particularly desirable when the support means has a lateral extension on which a wheel may be mounted n one of two planes at right angles to each other. Then in one position, the lateral extension would be in a plane corresponding to the length of the cycle and in the other position in a plane extending perpendicularly from the cycle. By altering the plane of the wheel appropriately, the wheel will in the one position be closer to the cycle than in the other pos lion The wheel will usually be maintained at a further distance from the cycle until the rider's balance has improved sufficiently for the wheel to be moved closer to the cycle Lateral wheel position adjustment relative to the cycle may be achieved in any suitable way. Lateral wheel position adjustment may be achieved in one form of the invention by mounting the wheel on a spindle.

The spindle which may be fitted to the support means in either of two opposed orientations, so that the wheel will be closer to or further away from the cycle when the support means is mounted thereon. An alternative may be to have the wheel mounted at one end of a spindle and the spindle to be repositionable laterally relative to the support means, whereby the wheel position may be adjusted over a range. Preferably the spindle has a screw threaded portion and may be repositioned using nuts on said portion on opposite sides of the support means to hold the spindle and hence the stabiliser wheel at a desired position. The above two lateral repositioning means may be used in combination. In another preferred alternative, the wheel may be on a mounting which is repositionable on the support means, which mounting may be clamped or locked at a desired position on the support means.

Some stabiliser devices of the invention preferably further include spring or shock absorber means. Conveniently such spring or shock absorber means are provided as part of mounting means for the wheel In one preferred embodiment spring means are provided between a first wheel mounting part and the support part or second wheel mounting means thereon. Such spring means are preferably provided in or around support means and preferably at least two springs are provided In one preferred embodiment pre-compression of the spring means is adjustable Then, as balance of the rider of the cycle improves, the pre-compression can be reduced and hence stiffness of the spring means, so that less support is provided by the stabiliser. If this process is carried out in easy stages it may not be necessary with this arrangement to alter the wheel position as the balance of the rider improves. The staged reductions in pre-compression may be sufficient to teach the rider to ride a cycle.

It may also be feasible to interpose shock absorbing material between a wheel carrier and the support means. Such shock absorbing material may be of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material, which may be solid or have a closed or open cell structure. The shock absorbing material may conveniently be in the form of a block held between the wheel carrier and the support means or a part attached thereto.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a laterally adjustable cycle stabiliser; Figure 2 shows a cycle stabiliser with two wheel positions; Figure 3 shows a cycle stabiliser with two forms of wheel position adjustment; Figure 4 shows a cycle stabiliser with spring means; Figure 5 shows a variation on Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a wheel mounting for a cycle stabiliser; Figure 7 shows another mounting for a cycle stabiliser; Figure 8 shows another form of cycle stabiliser; Figure 9 shows a variation on the stabiliser of Figure 8; Figure 10 shows a spring form of stabiliser; Figure 11 shows a variation on the stabiliser of Figure 10; Figure 12 shows a simple form of stabiliser; Figure 13 is an elevation view of a stabiliser with an additional wheel; Figure 14 is a plan view of the stabiliser of Figure 13; Figure 15 is an elevation view of another simple form of stabiliser; Figure 16 shows a wheel bearing for a stabiliser; and Figure 17 shows another simple form of stabiliser.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a cycle stabiliser 10 which is bolted to, and through holes, in plate 12 uniting the chain stay and rear fork of a cycle. The stabiliser 10 comprises a support means 11 of square hollow section tubing bent in two places to form upper and lower parts 14 and 16 parallel to each other The support means 11 has two pairs of opposed faces and the upper part 14 has two sets of bolt holes 18 through each pair of opposed faces, so that the support 11 may be mounted as shown by means of nuts and bolts 20 or turned through 90 degrees.

The lower part 16 of the support 11 has two spindle holes 22 through each pair of opposed faces to receive a spindle 28 for a wheel 26. As shown with the support means in one orientation, the wheel may be transferred to the opposite side of the support 11 as shown in outline to be nearer to the cycle. The wheel may also be positioned on opposite sides of the support means when it is in its other orientation le turned through 90 degrees Therefore, in effect, the stabiliser has four possible positions for the wheel relative to the cycle Furthermore, the spindle may be repositionable laterally of the support means, using the nuts and threaded extensions of the spindle, to increase or reduce the distance of the wheel from the support means in order to increase the range of positions available for the wheel.

Figure 2 shows a relatively simple cycle stabiliser 30 made from bent plate to form a support means having upper and lower offset parts 32 and 34, the upper of which may be mounted on a bicycle in any suitable way and the lower of which has a spindle bolt 36 therethrough carrying a wheel 38. The spindle bolt may be reversed so that the wheel can be on either side of the lower part 34 of the support means to give two possible lateral wheel positions in relation to the cycle. As with the embodiment of Figure 1 of the drawings, a longer spindle bolt with a greater threaded length may permit greater variation of wheel position.

The bicycle stabiliser 50 shown in Figure 3 is similar to that of Figure 1 except that it is adapted for mounting on the tubes of a bicycle frame 52. Again the support means 54 is made from bent hollow square section tube and is positionable as shown or turned through 90 degrees as shown in broken lines. Also, the distance of the wheel 56 from the support means may be varied by repositioning of the nuts on the threaded extension of the wheel spindle 58.

The support means 54 is mounted on the cycle frame 52 by means of two plates 60 and U-bolts 62 between which the frame and the support means are trapped. Alternatively these U-bolts can each be replaced by an inner flat pate positioned behind the cycle tube opposite to plate 60 plus two screws. The screw heads are on the outside of the outer plate and the screw ends are tightened in their threaded holes in the inner plate.

Turning to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings a cycle stabiliser 70 comprises an L-shaped support means 72 made from square hollow section tube. The support means 72 has, therefore, a first limb 74 which is attached to a cycle frame 76 in any suitable way and a second limb 78 which extends laterally of the upright cycle.

The second limb 78 carries a wheel mounting assembly 80. The assembly 80 has a pair of plates 82 which fit above and below the limb 78 and which are held together by screws 84. Extending through both plates 82 are a pair of bolts 86 which are screw-threaded over the lower part of their length These bolts screw into a block 88 which carries a spindle 90 for a wheel 92.

Extending upwards from the block 88 is a tube 94 which retains a compression spring 96 which at its other end is retained in -a hole formed in the lower plate 82 By turning the bolts 86, the block 88 can be raised or lowered to alter the pre-compression of the spring 96 depending on how much pre-compression is desired. Also by loosening the screws 84, the plates 82 can be moved along the limb 78 to alter the position of the wheel on the stabiliser. The position of the wheel may also be altered by refitting the spindle 90 on the opposite side of the block 88 to that illustrated. Nuts 98 on the bolts 86 are provided as stops and may be moved up or down as desired in order to alter the maximum amount of spring compression possible when the wheel touches the ground Figure 5 shows a variation of the stabiliser of Figure 4, wherein instead of a single compression spring, two compression springs 100 are provided on the bolts 86' instead. The lower part of springs 100 are located in tubes 102 on the block 88' to prevent over compression. Again adjustment of the compression of the springs is by turning bolts 86' to move the bloc 88' towards or away from lower plate 82'. In the embodiments of Figures 4 and 5 a second wheel may be provided on the opposite side of block 88 to the wheel shown.

Referring now to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a simple wheel mounting for a stabiliser support 110 of square hollow section tube such as of the type shown in the embodiments of Figures 4 and 5 A wheel 112 is mounted on a spindle bolt 114 through opposed sides of an inverted U-shaped bracket 116 The bracket 116 is fixed to a lower plate 118 by means of screws 120 with a rubber or synthetic elastomeric material block 122 sandwiched in between to provide springiness for the mounting. The lower plate 118 and an upper plate 124 are fastened to each other by means of screws 126 with the stabiliser support 110 clamped between the plates by the tightened screws.

The mounting can be moved along the support by loosening the screws 126 to allow the mounting plates 118 and 124 to slide together along the support. In addition the pre-compression of the block may be adjusted by means of the screws 120.

As an alternative, the screws 120 may be omitted and the block 122 bonded to the lower plate 118 and to the U-shaped bracket 116. This bracket may have a square hole to take the square of a cup square spindle bolt and prevent it rotating. A further alternative is to omit plate 118, screws 120 and block 122. The top of the inverted U-shaped bracket 116 would then be fixed directly against the bottom of support 110 by tightening screws 126 which pass through plate 124 and would screw into threaded holes in the top of bracket 116.

Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings shows a simple mounting 128 for a stabiliser wheel 130 which permits positioning of the wheel at different points along a limb 132 of a stabiliser support of rectangular section. The mounting 128 is a single moulding, casting or bent plate providing in effect a pair of Ushaped brackets 134 and 136 back to back and offset by 90 degrees relative to each other Lower bracket 134 has holes 137 through its side plates for spindle bolt 138 on which wheel 130 rotates The upper bracket 136 has side plates 140, 142 which locate either side of the stabiliser support limb 132 and have opposed holes 144 and 146 respectively for receiving a clamping bolt for securing the mounting in a desired position along the limb 132 In Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings, a stabiliser support 150 of hollow square section tube of L-shape has a laterally extending limb 152 on which is clamped a wheel mounting 153. The support will be mounted on a cycle by any suitable means such as have already been illustrated. The wheel mounting comprises an inverted L-section bracket 156 providing a web 158 of approximately triangular shape, which receives a spindle bolt 160 for carrying a wheel 162, and a second web 1649 The web 164 is retained under the limb 152 by a second clamping plate 166 and screws 168 which are perhaps screwed into tapped holes in web 164. The mounting 154 may be repositioned along the limb 152 by loosening the screws 168, sliding the mounting along the limb and re-tightening the screws.

In Figure 9 there is shown a variation on the embodiment of Figure 8. In Figure 9, a stabiliser support 170 is not formed by bending square hollow section tube as in Figure 8 but by welding together two lengths of square hollow sections tube using a mitre joint to form an L-shape Furthermore, an additional stabiliser wheel 172 is provided at or near the end of the support 170. The additional wheel 172 is provided on a mounting of the same type as for the main wheel.

This additional wheel is normally attached as laterally far away from the cycle as possible and is such that its base is higher above the ground than the base of the main stabiliser wheel. This may be achieved by using a smaller wheel (as shown) or by having the spindles of the two wheels mounted at different levels. The object of having the additional 'emergency' wheel is to prevent the cycle from tipping right over when the cycle tilts over so far that it would otherwise overturn, despite the inner or main wheel.

In the illustrated embodiments only one stabiliser has been shown but in practice it will be usual to mount a pair of stabilisers one on each side of the cycle.

Turning to Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings1 a stabiliser 190 for a cycle comprises a generally L-shaped support 192 made of a vertical square section member 194 and a horizontal U-shaped member 196 having its free ends welded onto opposite sides of the vertical member. The U-shaped member 196 allows for movement of a wheel mounting means 198 therealong.

The wheel mounting means comprises a top plate 200 and a boom plate 202 above and below the U-shaped member 196 and coupled together by bolts 204.

Slackening of the bolts will allow the plates to be moved along the U-shaped member for lateral repositioning. Both plates 200 and 202 have through holes 206 and 208 respectively therein which are aligned with each other. The lower plate 202 has welded thereto around the hole a depending tubular member 210, which has a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 212 for receiving a spindle 214 on each end of which is a wheel 2loo. The spindle passes through a circular block 218 in the tubular member 210 which is urged downwards by a spring 220 in the tubular member The pre-compression of the spring is adjustable by means of a screw member 222 which extends through the plates and has a slot 224 in its head for rotation thereof by means or a screw-driver for adjustment of the pre-compression of the spring. The lower plate 202 is actually tapped for screw threaded engagement with the screw member, whereas the through hole 20S of the upper plate 200 is wide enough to allow access to the head of the screw member with a screw driver. The spindle 214 is held in the correct lateral position by, and holed split pin 222 which also passes through holes in washer 221. An identical washer and split pin assembly is provided on the opposite side of tubular member 210 In Figure 11 a variation of Figure 10 is shown in which stabiliser wheels 230 are arranged in line rather than parallel. The wheels are mounted between plates 232 which are secured in spaced parallel relationship by fixing rods 234. The plates have a centrally located spindle 236 mounted between them whereby the assembly is attached to a tubular member 238 of a similar arrangement to that shown in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.

Regarding Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings, a stabiliser 300 for a bicycle comprises a flat support plate 302 bent to form two parallel but offset parts 304,306, one of which (304) is attached to chain stay plate 308 of a cycle and the other (306) has a wheel 310 on a spindle 312 attached thereto. The first part 304 has a hole therethrough to take rear wheel spindle 314 of the bicycle and has a tab 316 bent back to fit into slot 318 of the plate 308.

The spindle 312 through the second part is threaded along part of its length and carries locking nuts 320 on both sides of the support plate so that it may be repositioned laterally of the support plate or on the opposite side thereof for adjustment of the stabiliser wheel position relative to the bicycle.

The stabilisers 400 of Figures 13 and 14 comprises an L-shaped support t02 of square section tubing having a vertical limb 40 which is coupled to a cycle flame in any suitable way and a horizontal limb 406 having mounting 407 thereon for a main stabiliser wheel '08 The mounting 407 is movable along the length of limb 406. A secondary stabiliser wheel 410 is mounted on a depending plate 412 welded to the end of the limb 406. The secondary wheel is of the same size as the main wheel but is arranged to have a higher axis of rotation than the main wheel. The mounting for the main wheel is of the type described with reference to Figure 8 or the accompanying drawings except that the wheel spindle is welded to the wheel mounting bracket and a wheel retaining cap 413 is fixed onto the free end of the spindle. The secondary wheel '10 serves the same purpose as the emergency wheel shown in Figure 9.

Figure 15 shows an elevation of a simple stabiliser 450 for a cycle which is intended for attachment by manufacturers to their own models of small childrens' bicycles. The stabiliser comprises a square section hollow support arm 452 welded to a plate 454 at one end and having a protective cap 456 at its other end. The plate 454 is bolted to spindle plate 458 at the rear of the bicycle as shown. The stabiliser has .a wheel 460 carried b a mounting means, on the stabiliser support arm, of the type described with reference to Figure 13 of the accompanying drawings. The length of the vertical leg of the wheel mounting can be varied to suit the size of the bicycle and the stabiliser wheel diameter Figure 16 shows particularly a wheel bearing 500 whereby a stabiliser wheel 502 may be mounted onto a square section support arm 50 of a stabiliser. The bearing 500 is in two halves 500A, 500B in the form of clamps which may be independently tightened at a desired lateral position on the support arm by means of a bolt 506 and trapped nut The bearing will probably be made principally of plastics material. Slackening of bolts 506 will allow the bearings and hence the wheel to be moved laterally along the support arm.

Finally, in Figure 17, a stabiliser 600 for a cycle comprises a support of circular section tube 602 bent into an L-shape. Local tube flattening at 604 and two holes 606 therethrough are provided for bolting the support to the rear wheel spindle plate of the bicycle.

A wheel 608 is mounted on the support on split bearing 610, which is fixed in position by means of bolts or screws through each bearing part and through one of a series of holes 61t along the length of the horizontal limb of the support.

The embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings could be adapted so that a pair of the stabilisers form, in effect, two of the wheels and part of the frame of a tricycle. This would allow those wheels to be laterally adjustable The horizontal legs of the supports in Figures 8 to 9 could, for example, become a horizontal member of the tricycle frame.

Claims (1)

1. A stabiliser device for a cycle comprising support means for supporting a stabilise wheel or other rolling ground engaging means and mounting means for mounting the support means on a cycle, characterised in that the stabiliser wheel is adjustably locatable on said support means so as to achieve different lateral wheel spacings from the cycle without having to move the support means and whereby the stabiliser wheel remains or is adjustable to be substantially parallel with the cycle.

2. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the wheel or other rolling ground engaging means is on a mounting which separates the wheel or other rolling ground engaging means from the support means and in that said mounting is adjustably suitable on said support means; 3 A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the support means has a crosssection providing at least one pair of opposed substantially parallel support faces and said cross section has a breadth to depth ratio not exceeding 3:1.

4. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that a support face is provided by a flat face of the support means 5 A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterised in that a support face is provided by regions of the support means that lie in a flat plane 5. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims i to 5, characterised in that the support means is of rectangular hollow section tube.

7. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the support means has a solid rectangular cross-section.

8. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the support means is mountable on a cycle in either of two positions normal to each other 9. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the support means has a lateral extension on which the wheel is mounted.

10. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the wheel is on a spindle mounting which is fitted to the support means in either of two opposed orientations.

11. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the wheel is at one end of a spindle mounting, which is repositionable laterally relative to the support means.

12. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the wheel is on a mounting repositionable on the support means.

13. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised by inclusion of spring or shock absorber means.

14 , A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that said spring or shock absorber means are provided as part of mounting means for the wheel 15. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that spring means are provided between a first wheel mounting part and the support means or a second wheel mounting part thereon 16 A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15 characterised in that said spring means are provided in or around support means.

17. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16 characterised in that pre-compression of the spring means is adjustable.

18. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterised in that shock absorbing material is interposed between a wheel carrier and the support means.

19. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein a part of a cycle frame and the stabiliser support means are clamped together using two plates and connecting screws or using a single plate and U-bolts and nuts.

20. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support means comprises a substantially horizontal. limb on which a stabiliser wheel is mounted via a bearing on which the wheel rotates, the bearing being laterally adjustable and locatable along the limb.

21. A stabiliser device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the limb is of circular or rectangular section.

22. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21 having an additional wheel mounted on the support means beyond the stabiliser wheel relative to the mounting means for the support means 23. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the support means includes an inclined portion along which the stabiliser wheel is laterally repositionable 24. A stabiliser device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the height of the stabiliser wheel relative to a cycle to which the stabiliser is attached is adjustable in a substantially vertical plane.

25. A stabiliser device for bicycles or tricycles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings