6 FEBRUARY, 1886: PATENT ILLUSTRATION
for Hillman, Herbert & Cooper’s new Cross frame Safety Bicycle
1886 Hillman, Herbert & Cooper
‘Premier’ Cross frame Safety, 2nd Pattern
‘Mudguard Frame’ design, patented in June, 1886
28″ Wheels
This historic 1886 Premier cross frame saw the light again in 2019 after a long time in storage, and I’ve left it ‘as found’.
Its 28″ wheelset appears to have been on it for a long time, but it should have 30″ wheels. Its bolt-on rear step is missing, and the chainwheel needs moving over to the left side (the bottom bracket appears to allow the chainwheel to be mounted on either side).
It lacks any chain adjustment, apart from perhaps 1/4 inch or so by tightening the bottom frame stay. You can see the first pattern of the Premier cross frame safety in the patent drawing above. This example is the second development, patented in June, 1886 (see below), using the rear mudguard as part of the frame.
1886 CHAINWHEEL PATENT ILLUSTRATION
1886/1887 PREMIER MILITARY MODEL
TO SEE THE
1886/87 PREMIER MILITARY MODEL
PLEASE CLICK HERE
THE SHELTER HALL
PHOTO LOCATION: Concorde 2 Club, Madeira Drive, Brighton. Its building was originally the ‘Shelter Hall’ for the cliff lift –
1890 Under the Brighton Improvement Act of 1884, Madeira Terrace [sheltered walk or ‘Colonnade’ and ‘Max’s Walk’], Madeira lift and shelter hall [now Concorde 2] were built. Terrace designed by borough surveyor Phillip Causton Lockwood, who also designed the Brighton (Birdcage) Bandstand, built in 1884. The shelter hall was designed as a cafe and waiting room.
“…each bay of the entirely cast-iron arcade has an identical elevation: round arches carried on single columns of a fanciful marine order; scalloped-arch intrados; spandrels formed by concentric rings of quatrefoils, forming a pierced sun screen; keystone cast to resemble either a female or a bearded male deity, perhaps Venus and Neptune.” (From English Heritage listing)
The terraces were also designed with a gap to allow the Japanese spindle plants to continue their climb up the cliff face. Seating was designed on the upper terrace, to sit proud of the ‘green wall’. The shelter hall lift was originally powered by water pressure, with the current electro-mechanical lifting mechanism fitted in 1930. The western terrace was added later.
[https://building-green.org.uk/2015/09/08/timeline-madeira-drive-through-history]
