The Online Bicycle Museum

HISTORY: PATENTS

OLDBIKE_BICYCLE_MUSEUM_PATENT_WARS

In the early days of transportation, more money was often made from patents than from manufacturing and selling the invention concerned. But many early inventors also had to become specialists in litigation, as competitors would often copy their product surreptitiously, and sometimes it was difficult to prove. For example, the American patent-holder for ball bearings, Simmonds Rolling Machine Co, hired detectives to infiltrate the Pope Mfg Co: one got a job at the factory, while another pretended to represent a group of investors so he could inspect the accounts. When they presented their findings, Pope settled out of court. But Pope had been trading in the patent market for nearly two decades. He had bought Pierre Lallement’s original patent for the bicycle, and aggressively bought all other bicycle patents he could find, amassing a fortune by restricting the types of bicycles other American manufacturers could make and charging them royalties.

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Items in this Collection

FOR SALE FREE BOOK – Origins of the Cross Frame

* FREE BOOK: Origins of the Cross Frame

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1875-Wooden-Velocipede-Tricycle-05-1024×724

1870s Wooden Velocipede Tricycle (W. Quinn Patent)

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1871 Ariel Ordinary (Starley & Hillman patent) 0

1871 Ariel Ordinary (Starley & Hillman patent) Replica with Tangent spoked wheels

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1871 ARIEL – the first penny farthing 16 copy

1871 James Starley Ariel (Replica of the first penny farthing)

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1871-Ariel-penny-farthing-21

1871 Starley Ariel (Replica)

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1874-James-Starley-Queen-of-Hearts-Sewing-Machine-10-1

1874 James Starley ‘Queen of Hearts’ Sewing Machine

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Pope-Air-Rifle-Pistol-1

1876 Pope Brothers Rifle Air Pistol

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1878-Unzicker-Rowing-Tricycle-38

1878 Unzicker Patent Rowing Tricycle

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1884 Kangaroo safety bicycle 3 copy

1884 KANGAROO Safety Bicycle (Blue, replica)

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FOR SALE 1889 Quadrant Safety with Spring Wheel & Saddle 4

1889 Quadrant Safety with Spring Wheel & Saddle 

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1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Spring Saddle 5 copy

1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Suspension Saddle Spring

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1886-JB-brooks-saddle-patent-23

1889-1898 J.B Brooks Saddle Patents

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1890_Raleigh_40-copy

1890 Middlemore Hammock Saddle

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1890 Raleigh Roadster M Pattern 0

1890 Raleigh ‘M Pattern’ Open Diamond Frame

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1891 Northern X Safety 05 copy

1891 Northern X Safety ‘No 3’ 

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1893_Victoria_05

1894 Josselyn Tilting Saddle

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1894-Yost-Mfg-Co-Falcon-1-641×410

1894 Yost Mfg Co Falcon ‘No 1’

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1895 Crypto Bantam’ F.D Safety 5

1895 Crypto Bantam F.D Safety

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1895_CRYPTO_BANTAM_601

1895 Lamplugh Saddle

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FOR SALE Screenshot

1896 Simpson Chain D-I-Y Kit

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1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain 5

1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain

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1897 BSA Fittings Machine Simpson Lever Chain 05

1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain

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1899 Hatherley Cycle Stand 0

1899 Hatherley Folding Cycle Stand

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1901 BSA Gents Springframe 05

1901-1903 BSA Gents’ Springframe (with Patent Backpedal Brake)

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1901 Hortop X Frame (BSA Fittings) 89 copy

1910 BSA Fittings X Frame (F.J Hortop Patent)

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1910 Components Ltd X Frame 80 copy

1910 Components Ltd X Frame ‘Model C’

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1910 Lea-Francis 3-speed bicycle 4 copy

1910 Lea-Francis Men’s Cycle (with Lea Francis 3 speed gear)

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1910s ORIENT X FRAME New Imperial Girplex Patent 00 copy

1910 Orient Girplex X Frame (Renouf New Imperial Patent)

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1910 New Imperial ‘Girplex’ X Frame 5

1911 New Imperial ‘Girplex’ X Frame

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FOR SALE 1930s Chandeze curly cranks 1

1930 Chandeze curly cranks (as fitted to Selbach bicycles)

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1936 Triumph Moller Auto Cycle & Sidecar 5

1936 Triumph Moller Auto Cycle

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FOR SALE 1980 Lerun Skatebike 1

1980 Lerun Skatebike

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1980s Bowden Spacelander Replica‘Space Vello’ by Wolf of Nottingham5 copy

1980s Bowden Spacelander Replica: ‘Space Vello’ by Wolf of Nottingham

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OLDBIKE_MUSEUM_WATER_BICYCLE_2

AWHEEL on LAND & WATER

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1901-fagan-hub-patent-41

Fagan Hub & Patent & Other Early Variable Gears

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1899_March_George_Morris_Cross_Frame_Patent_0

PATENT WARS: CROSS (X) FRAMES

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1895_patent_Captain_Gerard_00

PATENT WARS: FOLDING BICYCLES

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selden_patent

PATENT WARS: INTRODUCTION

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1899_Travis_Cushion_Frame_Patent_1

PATENT WARS: THE CUSHION FRAME

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Iver_Johnson_Truss_Bridge_Frame_Patent_1901_1

PATENT WARS: TRUSS TUBE v ARCH BAR

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1882_clincher_tyre_patent

PNEUMATIC TYRE PATENTS

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