28 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 04 



in such a wheel it is also desirable that the rider should be able to mount in 

 front, and when occasion requires to dismount forwardly or in the direction of 

 the motion of the wheel, and hence it is important that his movements should 

 not be obstructed by the usual arrangement of handle-bars in front of him. 



Actually the machine is somewhat like a small Star bicycle designed 

 to go backwards, as the tubular, triangular frame has two wheels of 

 different sizes, with the small one mounted in a fork for steering- 

 purposes. However, the fork and steering wheel are at the rear of 

 the machine, rather than at the front as on the Star. The upper 

 end of the steering post is fitted with a small gear sector worked by a 

 similar sector fitted to the axis of the curved, tubular handle bars, so 

 that turning the handle bars will turn the small wheel. Adjustable 

 cork-covered grips are fitted to the handle bars. 



A Christy saddle, bearing patent dates ranging from January 15, 

 1895, to April 19, 1898, is located directly above the gear sectors. The 

 saddle is made of leather and horse hair on a metal frame, and faces 

 in the direction of the larger wheel. A rider, seated on the saddle, 

 would find his hands on the handle bars at a level slightly below that of 

 the saddle. On the patent application appears the suggestion that 

 the saddle post be geared to the steering post, so that by swinging 

 the body and saddle the machine could be steered. The example, how- 

 ever, does not employ this interesting feature. 



The wheel rims are made of laminated wood and are fitted with 

 single-tube, pneumatic tires. Tangentially laced wire spokes are 

 used. The front wheel is 20 inches in diameter and the rear, 11 inches. 

 Each is marked "Fairbanks Boston laminated wood rim, Bradford, 

 Penn., Bedford, Mass., Pat. May 9, 1893." The tires, which show 

 signs of age, barely reveal the patent date of May 23, 1893, and the 

 words "Newton Upper Falls, Mass." 



The front wheel is driven by means of pedals and gearing, three 

 revolutions of the wheel occurring for each turn of the pedals. The 

 pedals are made of metal with rubber pads, and were a product of the 

 Lavigne and Scott Manufacturing Co., of New Haven, Conn. They 

 bear the patent date July 21, 1896. The pedal throw, which is not 

 adjustable, is 61^4 inches. A small spoon brake, actuated by the foot, 

 is mounted to the rear of the front wheel. 



Within the triangular frame is a sheet metal hanger for carrying 

 a rifle pointed in the direction of travel of the machine, presumably 

 so that it could be siezed and used by the rider. 



A framework of tubes and braces is attached to the upper rear of 

 the frame, and was apparently intended to carry equipment. A 

 leather tool bag marked "Eclipse" is located beneath the framework. 

 Correspondence in 1929 with the Eclipse Machine Co., Elmira, N. Y., 

 revealed that the tool bag and a few other components of the vehicle 

 were of the type supplied by them before the turn of the century. 



