CATALOG OF THE CYCLE COLLECTION 27 



To attain the utiiiost in simplicity and cleanliness a shaft-and-gear 

 drive was used in place of the usual chain drive of that period. It 

 operates through two pairs of bevel gears, one pair at each end of the 

 drive shaft, to a New Departure coaster brake incorporated in the 

 rear-wheel hub. The drive shaft is contained in the right member 

 of the lower rear fork. The elimination of sprockets and chain pro- 

 tected the rider from grease, while the enclosing of the gears protected 

 the mechanism from dirt. 



The wooden rims, 24 inches in diameter, mount single-tube, pneu- 

 matic tires. The front wheel contains 32 tangent ially laced wire 

 spokes, and the rear wheel contains 36. An oil hole with a sliding 

 cover is provided in the rear hub. The nonadjustable pedal throw is 

 7 inches. The rear wheel is turned approximately three revolutions 

 for each turn of the pedals. 



The frame is sprung, both front and rear, for easier riding. Each 

 side of the front fork is composed of several spring leaves, while the 

 upper end of the upper rear fork incorporates a telescopic section 

 containing a coil spring. The housing of the spring is marked 

 ''Pierce hj^gienic cushion frame, licensed by Hygienic Wheel Co.," 

 and bears patent dates ranging from July 21, 1896, to January 31,1899. 



The curved, tubular, nonadjustable handle bars are fitted with grips 

 which appear to be of leather. The saddle is a Christy Xo. 3 and 

 bears patent dates ranging from January 15, 1895, to June 21, 1898. 



On the steering head of the frame appears a nameplate marked "The 

 Geo. N. Pierce Co., iNIakers, Buffalo, X. Y., U. S. A.— Tried and True.'' 

 The name "Pierce" also appears, backed by the design of an arrow. 

 Patent dates on the plate range from April 28, 1885, to May 10, 1898, 



ANDERSON MILITARY BICYCLE, Ca. 1900 



U. S. N. M. Xo. 309686; original; gift of James C. Anderson, deceased, through 

 RusseU A. Conn in 1929 ; photograph No. 19997 ; plate 21, h. 



Patent Xo, 633745 for a "military bicycle" was granted to James 

 C. Anderson of Highland Park, 111., on September 26, 1899. Sub- 

 sequently such a machine was built, following closely but not exactly 

 the drawings of the patent application. The application says of it: 



In a machine for personal locomotion, propelled wholly by the liuman body, 

 whether used for transportation of the rider only or for the additional service of 

 a carrier, especially for carrying the necessary equipments of a soldier, it is not 

 only desirable that the machine should be compact and small as possible, but 

 it should, as it were, fit the rider mounted thereon in an upriglit soldierly 

 position, which position is manifestly best suited to the human anatomy and 

 best conserves the human force of the body in propelling the machine, as well 

 as in maintaining the proper equilibrium. In other words, the articulation 

 of the body of the rider and of the machine should compensate each other, and 



