Please help ID this circa 1899 bicycle

[jg2112]

I recently found a patent filed by my great grandfather in 1899 for a bicycle brake. Some months later I was restoring an old photo of his family and realized that the brake he designed is actually on the bicycle that he is proudly standing near in the photo.

I am trying to identify the make of the bicycle but so far have not found an image that looks similar. The year of the family image is also about 1899 because the baby in the photo was born about then. It was taken in West Virginia. The image is not reversed.

If you can help, me and my family would appreciate it.

 

[Craig Allen]

Are you sure it's a bike manufacture or an attachment that could be added to any bike?

 

[jg2112]

Are you sure it's a bike manufacture or an attachment that could be added to any bike?

I am wondering who made the bicycle, not who made the attachment.

 

[Drosentreter]

Welcome to the Cabe! Hopefully you’ll find some info on the bike. If you were to decide to rebuild a replica of the bike, The Cabe is the place to find it. Awesome story!

 

[Major Taylor Archive]

The wheels appear to be two different sizes. 26" front, 28" rear. Orient made a bike this way called the 1:30. Fork crown looks like Orient also.

 

[locomotion]

not the correct Orient fork or chainring
bikes looks earlier than 1899, maybe closer to 1895 ..... could be wrong
almost looks like an early 1895 Pierce model (fat fork crown, no lugs, similar chainring)

about the "brake", cool idea, but friction braking directly on the chain like this would probably put so much tension on it that it would get ruined in a short time.

cool family history!

 

[Rambler]

not the correct Orient fork or chainring
bikes looks earlier than 1899, maybe closer to 1895 ..... could be wrong

about the "brake", cool idea, but friction braking directly on the chain like this would probably put so much tension on it that it would get ruined in a short time.

cool family history!

Look closely at the patent image and the photograph. It appears the friction brake attachment uses a separate ring on the sprocket to apply the braking force to. The braking force is not applied directly on the chain.

 

[locomotion]

Look closely at the patent image and the photograph. It appears the friction brake attachment uses a separate ring on the sprocket to apply the braking force to. The braking force is not applied directly on the chain.

you are right, i had not noticed that!

 

[Rambler]

I am wondering who made the bicycle, not who made the attachment.

I don't know who produced the bicycle in your photograph however bikes with different size wheels 26" front 28" rear were often called "stayer-pace-following-bicycle" which might help in your search. These bikes often followed a pace vehicle such as a motorcycle which I believe helped with wind resistance. The terms "stayer-pace-following-bicycle" in some combination may help with your search.

 

[Myron]

A very interesting post,especially because of the West Virginia connection.Considering the terrain and very rural nature of that part of the state it was a place with very little paved road and few bicycles.Walnut Grove is not far from my farm.Assuming it arrived in Walnut Grove by rail,that bicycle traveled through my farm to get there.