# 1898 King Chainless or ?



## oldspoke (Feb 8, 2021)

Hello Folks,

I have a rather odd chinless bicycle that I am trying to identify. It has a strong resemblance to the King Chainless that was offered by Featherstone in their 1898 catalog. There is no head badge nor a decal nor any evidence of it having had either. The paint and plate appear to be original. I haven't found a serial number on the frame. The drive is unusual - like a locomotive. It has two forward speeds, high/low, and a neutral position where the cranks freewheel for coasting actuated by a shift rod.

I've enclosed a page from _The Wheel_ of February 25 1898 describing the King Chainless offered by Featherstone. The lower bottom bracket area on my bike (pictured) is different than the _Wheel _advertisement. My bike has a triangular bb as compared to the add bike which is circular. The add bike,the King by Featherstone, appears to have a head badge. 

More photos can be seen here www.velocipedegallery.com . It's an odd bird. Perhaps an earlier model year or ???

Thanks for any thoughts.

Glenn


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## catfish (Feb 8, 2021)

Beautiful machine !!!!!


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## fordmike65 (Feb 8, 2021)




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## fordmike65 (Feb 8, 2021)

@New Mexico Brant 
@hoofhearted 
@Blue Streak 
@Jesse McCauley


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## New Mexico Brant (Feb 8, 2021)

What an amazing machine Glenn!  I think my heart stopped for a few moments.  A stunner!

I am glad I had my portable oxygen bedside when I saw this post!


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## MNLonnie (Feb 8, 2021)

WOW is all I can say!


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## David Brown (Feb 8, 2021)

Whats that piece of what looks like a broke nail on the centre part of rear hub? curious minds. very neat machine


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## pedal4416 (Feb 8, 2021)

I swear it’s the pleating in these pants! That’s hot!!!!


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## cr250mark (Feb 8, 2021)

I’d like a 36”x 36” for my wall !
Black and white would be great ,
Wow is that a sweet shot , looks like gearing off a steam train . 

Great looking bicycle


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## oldspoke (Feb 8, 2021)

David Brown said:


> Whats that piece of what looks like a broke nail on the centre part of rear hub? curious minds. very neat machine



Hello Dave,

That is a locating pin. I believe it may be a replacement piece ( a bit long ) or has slipped out slightly. I have not done anything to this bike. The bike sat in a museum for a bit.


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## oldspoke (Feb 8, 2021)

Thank you everyone for your comments.

This bike dates to a time when technology was rapidly changing.


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## Blue Streak (Feb 8, 2021)

Glenn,

The 1898 book _The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories_ has a description of the Featherstone Chainless that states its design is based on a recent patent (March 15, 1898) by Michael McAneny of Denver. The patent information below looks similar to your bicycle.













*US Patent No. 600,839 (Patented March 15, 1898, Application Filed September 14, 1896)*
























From March 24, 1898 issue of _The Wheel:_


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## oldspoke (Feb 8, 2021)

Blue Streak said:


> Glenn,
> 
> The 1898 book _The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories_ has a description of the Featherstone Chainless that states its design is based on a recent patent (March 15, 1898) by Michael McAneny of Denver. The patent information below looks similar to your bicycle.
> View attachment 1354387
> ...



BINGO ! You've done it again Mr. Blue Streak !

I wonder how many cycles McAneny produced for the Columbine Cycle Co. ? Did Featherstone secure the patent ?

Is "The Modern Bicycle" available as a reprint ?

Thanks


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## Blue Streak (Feb 8, 2021)

From February 24, 1898 issue of _The Cycling Age and Trade Review:_


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## Blue Streak (Feb 8, 2021)

_The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories_ can be found at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58444

I cannot find anything on Columbine Cycle Company in Denver CO in late 1890's.

This is the only bicycle related patent I can find for Michael McAneny. He has lots of other patents for a wide range of things up into the 1940's. 

Your fork crown is distinctive. Looks similar to the Liberty Fork shown in _The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories.


_


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## locomotion (Feb 9, 2021)

WOW ..... this is incredible
beautiful machine, awesome engineering
congrats on the find and if you need a new caretaker, PM me 
Max


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## Jesse McCauley (Feb 9, 2021)

@oldspoke @Blue Streak 
Excellent machine and legwork on both parts! 
I remember the first time I saw this bike, its like the first time every time  

As a supplement here is a photo of the fork on my Liberty ladies - as Jeff mentioned it does appear to be a very similar profile.


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## bikejunk (Feb 9, 2021)

Hey Glen !! beautiful bike !! Question when you roll it do the pedal spin or is their a free wheel somewhere in the drive train


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## oldspoke (Feb 9, 2021)

bikejunk said:


> Hey Glen !! beautiful bike !! Question when you roll it do the pedal spin or is their a free wheel somewhere in the drive train



Hello "Bikejunk" !

When one of the gears is engaged, and the bike is rolled along, the cranks rotate as normal on a chain drive and the rods to the rear wheel are active like an old steam locomotive.

In the neutral mode the cranks don't spin and float or freewheel.

Glenn


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## oldspoke (Feb 9, 2021)

Here are images of the transmission internals in the crank hanger. 

Glenn


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## bikejunk (Feb 9, 2021)

much more straight forward than I thought it would be ===love to see a video==John in New Jersey


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Feb 9, 2021)

This is so cool! Thank you for sharing with the Community!


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## Blue Streak (Feb 9, 2021)

Here is another locomotive drive-like chainless design similar to Glenn's. It is a single speed design that was patented by Almy Le Grand Peirce (of Boston or Pittsburg depending on source) on September 8, 1896 (one and one half years before Michael McAneny' patent used on Glenn's bicycle) and assigned to U. S. Cycle Improvement Company, of Pittsburg PA. The bicycle was called the Loco or the 20th Century and was initially manufactured by Driscoll and Fletcher in Buffalo NY. By 1898 the design was used for the Dayton Chainless as described in 1898 book _The Modern Bicycle._ Has anyone seen a Dayton Chainless like this? It may have only been sold in 1898. Descriptions of Dayton's 1899 models do not list a chainless. A side note, Peirce had three other bicycle related patents and many other objects including the invention of the paper cup in 1892.

October 12, 1895 issue of _The Pittsburgh Post Gazette:_








January 16, 1896 issue of _The Courier:_
















January 23, 1896 issue of _The Bearings:_




January 23, 1896 issue of _The Referee:_




January 26, 1896 issue of _The New York Times:_










January 30, 1896 issue of _The Bearings:_




*US Patent No. 567,160 (Patented September 8, 1896, Application Filed September 27, 1895)*







November 21, 1897 issue of _The Sun (NYC)_




From 1898 _The Modern Bicycle_ book:
















April 29, 1898 issue of _The Fitchburg Sentinel (Fitchburg MA)


_


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## oldspoke (Feb 9, 2021)

Fantastic find. Interesting to see variations on a similar design. I'd love to see a Dayton or Featherstone if they exist. 

Many thanks again for sleuthing this out and sharing !


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## Blue Streak (Feb 9, 2021)

Glenn,

Your frame lugs and fork crown look 1897 Crescent-like. Not sure who else used cut out stamped steel upper and lower head lugs. Fork crown is similar except Crescent has an upside down V cut out on sides of crown stamping.

Jeff

A few images from 1897 Crescent catalog and some photos of Crescents from Copake Auction:


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## dnc1 (Feb 10, 2021)

bikejunk said:


> Hey Glen !! beautiful bike !! Question when you roll it do the pedal spin or is their a free wheel somewhere in the drive train




The first patent shown explains how the gear system works.
A High gear, a Low gear, and a Neutral for coasting purposes. 
What a wonderful machine!


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## bricycle (Feb 10, 2021)

I cried out, I drooled, I pee'd, still trying to put my lower jaw back in place... will you be holding a raffle for this? *sigh*


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## oldspoke (Feb 10, 2021)

Blue Streak said:


> Glenn,
> 
> Your frame lugs and fork crown look 1897 Crescent-like. Not sure who else used cut out stamped steel upper and lower head lugs. Fork crown is similar except Crescent has an upside down V cut out on sides of crown stamping.
> 
> ...





Blue Streak said:


> Glenn,
> 
> Your frame lugs and fork crown look 1897 Crescent-like. Not sure who else used cut out stamped steel upper and lower head lugs. Fork crown is similar except Crescent has an upside down V cut out on sides of crown stamping.
> 
> ...




This is interesting Jeff. Thank You .

I am going out on a limb to suggest that Michael McAneny ,the inventor and Patentee, was unlikely the manufacturer. He would likely have sought out an experienced manufacturer to build his bicycles. Perhaps there is a direct connection with Western Wheel Works. For example, I believe that the Ames Mfg. Co. built bikes for Overman, Springfield Roadster, and others. Maybe this was the case with McAneny - Columbine Cycle Works and the makers of the Crescent. The date of 1897 lines up too.


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## MEKANIXFIX (Feb 10, 2021)

oldspoke said:


> Here are images of the transmission internals in the crank hanger.
> 
> GlennView attachment 1354576
> 
> ...



Hola congrats for this bike! It's more than a simple machine,it's a fine art piece! Very well designed,a group of gears aligned to accomplish the final porpoise,moving forward*!* Enjoy your machine*!*


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## Ed Minas (Feb 10, 2021)

wow.  That is an amazing machine


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## dnc1 (Feb 11, 2021)

bricycle said:


> I cried out, I drooled, I pee'd, still trying to put my lower jaw back in place... will you be holding a raffle for this? *sigh*



Can I buy all of the tickets if you do?


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## Blue Streak (Feb 26, 2021)

Here is another variation of the multi-speed locomotive drive (chainless) system.

From August 30, 1897 issue of _The Kansas City Star:_









From July 20, 1899 issue of _The Wheel_











*US Patent No. 628,839 (Patented July 11, 1899. Application Filed August 4, 1898)

















*


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## brwstrmgmt (Feb 26, 2021)

THAT is a VERY interesting bicycle!  Thank you for sharing!!!


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## oldspoke (Feb 26, 2021)

Thanks again Jeff for this interesting discovery !

Was an example ever built ? 

Where is it now ???


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## Velo-dream (Feb 27, 2021)

killer machine....thanks for sharing....


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