US693128A

US693128A - Railway-velocipede.

Info

Publication number: US693128A
Application number: US5073801A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Gorneman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1901-03-11
Filing date: 1901-03-11
Publication date: 1902-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1919-02-11

Description

N0. 693,l28. Patented Feb. ll, I902.

C. GUR-NEMAN.

RAILWAY VELUCIPEDEM (Application filed Mar. 11, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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N0. 693,l28. Patented Feb. ll, l902.

C. GORNEMAN. RAILWAY VELOCIP EDEQ (Applicatibn filed mar. 11, 1901. Modem 3 Sheets-Sheei 2.

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c. GOBNEMAN. RAILWAY VELOGIPEIJE.

' (Application filed Mar. 11, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GORNEMAN, OF CEDAR VALLEY, UTAH.

RAI LWAY-VELQCIPED E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,128, dated February Application filed March 11,1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GORNEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Valley, in the county of Utah andState of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to bicycles; and its object is to provide an attachment which can be readily attached to and removed from the ordinary safety-bicycle to adapt it to be ridden upon a railroad-track.

Other objects of my invention are, first, to construct a frame which can be collapsed when attached to the bicycle, so as to occupy as little space as possible when riding upon the highway; second, to provide means for keeping the supporting-wheel in contact with the rail, and, third, to arrange the flangewheels so as to avoid derailment of the vehicle when crossing a switch or cross-rail.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle mounted upon railroadtracks and provided with the attachment and embodying all the objects of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of the bicycle and its attachment mounted on the railroad-tracks. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the supporting-wheel, showing the manner of mounting its flange-roller. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of the clamps for clamping the attachment to the frame of the bicycle. Fig. 7 isa detail perspective of the hanger for the flangeroller. Fig. Sis a perspective of the bicycle, showing amodified form of flange-rollers, the supporting-rods'being broken away. Fig. 9 isa longitudinal section of the flange-rollers shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2 an ordinary pneumatic-tire safety-bicycle is shown mounted on the rail and supported .2, and 3.

Serial No. 50,738. (No model.)

thereon by means of a frame comprised of three telescoping transverse rods 1, 2, and 3, which converge and carry the axle of the supporting-wheel 4, mounted on the opposite rail. Mounted upon a depending hanger 5, which is attached to and disposed at right angles to the axle of the supporting-wheel, is a rubbertired flange-wheel 6, which extends a slight distance below the supporting-wheel 4and inclines slightly, from the horizontal, so as to give it a tendency to roll downward when in contact with the edge of the rail, thereby keeping the supporting-Wheel in contact with the rail. As shown, the transverse rod 1 is clamped to the handle-bar at a, by a clamp shown in Fig. 4 and prevents the head of the bicycle from turning, while the same clamp is used to attach rods 2 and 3 to the front and rear forks of the bicycle, as shown at a and I). These clamps are specially constructed for the attachment, so that they can be readily detached from the frame of the bicycle when it is desired to travel upon the highway. They consist of a hooked member A, externally screw-threaded at its shank end and screwing within the member B, which is attached to the end of the transverse rods 1,

As it is screwed down the clamping-bolt O, which extends centrally through the shank of the hook, engages the bicycleframe or other support, as willbe easily understood from Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Depending fromthe frame of the bicycle are hangers 7. and 8, carrying the guide-wheels 9 and 10, which run beside the rail and extend a slight distance beneath the'wheels of the bicycle to prevent the derailment of the same. However, they do not contact with the rail only upon curves and when there is a slight deviation in the gage of the track, as when crossing switches, &c. The hanger 8 is hung from the axle of .the rear wheel and is further braced by a bar 11, which extends from the axle of the guide-wheel 10 to the rear forks of the bicycle and is clamped thereto by means clamping-collar e, as'shown in Fig. 5. The hanger 7 is secured to the bar 2 by means of this same clamp, Fig. 5, and is indicated at e in Fig. 1, the end of the hanger extending upward and engaging the foot-rest on the front fork of the bicycle. The guide-wheel 9 is further supported by a brace 7, having the clamp shown in Fig. 4 upon its end, as shown atf, Fig. 1.

To prevent the handle-bars from turning, the clamp shown in Fig. 5 is attached to the bar 1 and engages the upper bar of the bicycleframe at g. It will be seen that these clamps are easily operated and insure facility in attaching and detaching the device from the bicycle. By pivoting the clamp to the top bar of the frame it prevents the head of the bicycle from turning, and the front wheel is always kept straight.

As stated before, the guide-wheels 9 and 10 do not engage the rail only where there is a slight deviation in the gage, and this is accomplished by providing upon the supporting-Wheel i a flanged rubber tire at, which engages the outer edge of the rail; but when crossing frogs or other breakage in the track the supporting-wheel will slide laterally and allow the guide-wheels 9 and 10 to engage the rail, While the flange-wheel 6 will be disengaged from the rail and free to pass the frog or switch, thus preventing derailment of the velocipede.

The inner end of the axle of the supporting'wheel is provided with a face-plate 12, to which all three of the transvere supportingrodsare attached, and which also carries the flange-roller 6, hereinbefore described. I have shown a detail perspective of this plate and the hanger for the flange-roller in Fig. 7.- As stated before, the roller is inclined slightly from the horizontal, caused by bending the hanger 5 rearwardly, and thus should it contact with an obstruction on the track it would easily ride over the same rather than drag it.

In Figs. 8- and 9-1 have shown a modified form of a flange-roller, which may be used when the tracks are covered with snow or ice. The objects of these additional attachments are to cut the snow and ice from the track and prevent the derailment of the bicycle and to obviate the liability of the bicycle leaving thetrack .when there are variations of gage in the same-namely, at switches, crossings,- and the like. In this modiflcationI have shown the flange-rollers extending forward of the front Wheel and rearwardly of the hind Wheel, as shown in Fig. 8. This is accomplished by throwing the hangers 8 and 7outwardly and divergently from the frame, the brace-bar 11 necessarily being longer to permit its engage mentwith the supporting-rod 3. I employ an axle 14, carrying the guide-wheels 9 and 10, mounted thereon, and which axle extends across the rail, having mounted upon it the sleeve 16, provided with the flaring flange l7 and which is held upon the axle by the washer 20 and nut 18. The nut 18 may either be screw-threaded to engage the axle or may be keyed thereto by the pin 19. Sand 11 ofFig. 9 indicate the hangers and brace-bars, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) which support the axle carrying the guide-wheel and flange-roller. Mounted upon the forward end of the axle is a roller 15, which tapers inwardly and which is adapted to engage and roll upon the wing of the frog While the guide-wheel 10 crosses the point of the frog, thus preventing derailment of the vehicle. The flaring flange 17 serves to cut the ice or snow from the track and at the same time insures smoothness in its course, for should the meeting ends of the rail be uneven the outward flare of the flange will easily ride the projection.

The advantages of this construction will be apparent to any one familiar with this class of devices in that it is extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, effective in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a railroad-bicycle, the combination with a bicycle, of a frame detachably con nected thereto and carrying 5. supportingwheel, and a horizontally-disposed flangeroller depending below the supporting-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-bicycle, the combination with a bicycle, of a frame connected thereto and carrying a supporting-wheel, the outer ends of the bars of the frame being .secured to the axle of the supporting-wheel, a de pending hanger carrying a flange-roller for the supporting-wheel, said roller being disposed slightly from the horizontal to insure a downward rolling tendency to the same, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a bicycle, of a frame composed of three transverse bars, two of which are detachably connected to the front and rear forks of the bicycle respectively and the third detachably connected to the upper bar of the frame and extending into engagement with the handle-bar to prevent the front wheel of the bicycle from turning, a supporting-wheel carried ,by the frame, a plate to which all three of the bars are connected, said plate having a depend ing hanger and a horizontal flange-wheel journaled thereon, and guide-wheels supported from the front and rear forks of the bicycle, substantially as described.

4. In a railroad-bicycle, the combination with a bicycle having guide-wheels suspended from its frame, of a frame connected thereto, said frame consisting of transverse bars detachably secured at one end to the bicycle-frame, a plate secured to the other ends of the bars, an axle carried by said plate, a supporting-wheel provided with a flanged rubber tire journaled on said axle, a flange-wheel suspended from the plate, and

means whereby the flange-wheel is caused to horizontal to insure a downward rolling tend- :0 keep the supporting-wheel in contact with ency to hold the supporting wheel in conthe top of the track, substantially as specified. tact with the rail, substantially as described. l 5. Inarailroad-bicycle,the combination with In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 a bicycle, of a frame comprising converging, in presence of two witnesses.

telescoping, transverse bars detachably se- CHARLES GORNEMAN. cured thereto, said frame carrying a sup- Witnesses: porting-wheel and a depending flange-roller, JOHN F. CORKER,

the latter being disposed slightly from the MARETTA BURNHAM.