Parcel-carrier for bicycles.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 190Q.) (No Model.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. O. C.

United States Patent Office.

JOHN E. ROTHAERMEL, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

PARCEL-CARRIER FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming· part of Letters Patent No. 657,135, dated September 4, 1900.

Application filed January 10,1900. Serial Bo. 966. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, John Emanuel Rothaermel, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, 5 have invented a certain new and useful Improved Parcel-Carrier for Bicycles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The principal objects of my invention are io as follows: First, to produce a parcel-carrier which can be readily attached to or detached from aiiy style of handle-bars and head-post on a bicycle and which when placed in position thereon will be firmly supported by said 15 handle-bars and head-post; second, to produce a parcel-carrier the shape of which can be altered to suit different sizes and shapes of parcels and which when formed to a certain shape will retain the same until such 20 times as it is desired to change it again, and, third, to provide for the folding up of the carrier when same is not in use.

Simplicity and cheapness of construction are also features of my invention.

For full comprehension of my invention and the manner in which same is constructed reference must be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate 30 like parts throughout the different figures, and to the following detailed description and claims.

. In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my parcel-carrier attached to the 35 front of a bicycle and opened to its full extent. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the shape same assumes when it is completely folded up. ' Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing one of the many positions into which the car40 Tier may be opened. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail showing a manner of hinging the divided bottom of the carrier.

are the two ends of the carrier. 2 is the front side, 3 is the rear side, and 4 is the bot45 tom, of same.

I will now describe the manner of constructing the two ends 1 1.

The ends 1 1 are formed of a number of bars or strips loosely riveted together. The 50 bars 5, 6, and 7 are placed so that two of them, 5 and 6, form the vertical extremes of the ends 1 1, while the third bar 7 occupies a position midway between the other two. Loosely riveted to the bar 5 are a number of bars 8. These bars 8 connect the outer bar 55 5 with the middle bar 7, while running from the outer bar 6 (and loosely riveted thereto) are a similar number of bars 9. These bars 8 and 9 overlap each other at the center bar 7, and the ends of same are loosely riveted to 60 the said bar 7.

I will now describe the construction of the front and rear sides of the carrier.

The front side 2 of the carrier is formed from woven wire, which is attached to a suit- 65 able framework. The lower and upper sides of such framework are composed of two rods or wires 10 and 11. The ends of these rods and wires 10 and 11 are slightly reduced in diameter, and the ends of the rod 10 pass 70 through the lower bars 8 of the ends 1 1 and the bars 5 thereof and form the rivets for these bars at these points and at the same time connect the front side with the ends. The ends of the rod 11 are secured to the upper 75 bars 8 and bars 5 in a similar manner. 12 and 13 are two rods or wires which connect the rods or wires 10 and 11 together, and these complete a framework for the front side 2, to which the woven wire may be attached. 80 The rear side 3 is made in a similar manner. Here the lower and upper rods or wires 14 and 15 pass through the lower and upper bars 9 and bar 6 in the same way as those of the front side, and thus connect the rear side 85 3 with the ends 1 1; but in the rear side 3 the wires 16 and 17, which correspond to the wires 12 and 13 of the front end 2, extend above the upper bar 15 and have their ends formed into hooks, which latter are adapted 90 to catch over the handle-bars of the bicycle, and thus support the parcel-carrier on the machine. These hooked ends are preferably covered with rubber tubing or similar material, so as to prevent the handle-bars from 95 being scratched and also to prevent rattling on the part of the carrier. Between the upper and lower rods or wires 15 and 14 and running parallel with the rods or wires 16 and 17 is connected a rod or bar 18, which 100 carries on it a strap 19. This strap 19 is free to move in an upward and downward direction on the bar 18 and is provided with a suitable buckle or fastening device, by means

657,135 of which said strap may be secured to the head-post of tbe bicycle, and thus serve to steady the carrier on the machine.

I will now describe the construction of the 5 bottom of the carrier.

Between the middle bars 7 7 of the ends 11 is a rod or wire 20, which has its ends slightly reduced in diameter to pass through both the lower bars 8 and 9 and the middle bar 7 of io said ends and form the rivets for these bars at these points. The bottom 4 of the carrier is formed in two parts, each similar to the other, and made of woven wire attached to a suitable framework. The front part of the 15 bottom is hinged to the lower rod 10 of the front side 2 and the rod 20, while the rear part is hinged to the rod 14 of the rear side 3 and the bar 20. A simple manner of hinging these two parts of the bottom, as above 20 described, is shown clearly in Fig. 4, and .1 will describe the hinging of the front part, it being understood that the rear part is treated in a similar manner. A wire 21 encircles the rod or wire 10 of the front side of the carrier.

It is then carried under and around the near side of the framework of the bottom and then carried along to the opposite side of the framework and under and around same and from there is carried over to and encircles 30 the rod or wire 20. This wire 21, forming the hinge, may be soldered to the framework of the bottom along its end, and thus strengthen said framework; but it is free to turnon the rods or wires 10 and 20. Two of these hinges 35 are provided for each half of the bottom, one at each end.

From the above description and from the drawings it will readily be seen that I provide a parcel-carrier which can be adjusted 40 to any bicycle, and as the bars forming the ends 1 1 are free to partially rotate on their rivets and as the two parts forming the bottom are free to partially rotate on their hinges my carrier may be pressed or pulled 45 into a number of different shapes and sizes, the resistance to turning of the rivets being sufficient to allow of the carrier retaining any shape into which it may be pressed until same is desired to be changed.

The manner of attaching my carrier to a bicycle is as follows: The hooks on the rods 16 and 17 are caught over the handle-bars and the strap 19 is passed around the headpost and secured in such position by its fas55 tening device.

Although I have shown the front and.rear sides and bottom made from woven wire, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself in any way to the use of this particular material in all or any of these 60 parts of the carrier, as other material—such as netted twine, leather, rubber, &amp;c.—may be substituted for the above in any.or all sides without departing from the principle of my invention. 65