Bikerumor Monday Mystery Pic
Photo from the collection of Rustybicycle. If you think you know what this is, post your answer in ‘comments’ section– the answer will be posted there on Tuesday!
To send in your own Mystery Pic to be considered for the Monday feature, click here and attach your photo with all pertinent information.
Comments
It’s a quick release catch to keep the front wheel from coming off, pre lawer tabs…
Schwinn front wheel QR retainers instead of dropout “lawyer” tabs
Its a quick release hub retention device
from the patent – inventor is Frank P. Brilando for Schwinn Bicycle on 10/28/1976
Open-ended slots in lower ends of bicycle front fork legs receive front wheel axle in usual manner, but to prevent accidental separation of wheel from fork even if regular retaining means on axle became loose, safety means are provided comprising a pair of longitudinally flexible clips mounted at lower ends on axle with retainer means formed integrally therewith at upper ends, and receiver means adjacent lower end of each front fork leg for cooperatively receiving such retainer means, manual flexing of clips being required to effect disengagement of wheel axle from fork.
Open-ended slots in lower ends of bicycle front fork legs receive front wheel axle in usual manner, but to prevent accidental separation of wheel from fork even if regular retaining means on axle became loose, safety means are provided comprising a pair of longitudinally flexible clips mounted at lower ends on axle with retainer means formed integrally therewith at upper ends, and receiver means adjacent lower end of each front fork leg for cooperatively receiving such retainer means, manual flexing of clips being required to effect disengagement of wheel axle from fork.
Issued August 1, 1978
Patent Number 4,103,922
Wheel retainers from the dawn of the quick release era.
These handle pieces of metal can stock on Schwinn’s road on touring bike in in the mid-late 80′s. My 1986 Prelude had them! There would be 2 of these and the left end pictured above would be mounted onto the front wheel axle (between the cone nut and locknut). The was a little tab on the inner leg of the fork that the hole in the right side of the picture would just clip into. The arms are not flat and the slight bend acted like a spring keeping it clipped in and from rattling.
They did work but I never saw another company embrace this safety item and I think Schwinn stopped using them a few year later.
Lawyer tab for fork/qr.
Took a pair of these off a 1987 Schwinn LeTour.
Pre “lawyer tab” wheel retainers that attached to front axle and snapped to pegs on fork. Ralph Nader trying to slow down natural selection one bike at a time.
Pre lawyer tabs. More protection for the stupid….
Try something a little tougher, maybe something that doesn’t show the patent # right on it making it possible for those who don’t know the answer to Google it in about 4 seconds.
Well every one before me got this one right. As for “Brandon’s” comment;
http://www.google.com/patents/about/4103922_Quick_release_hub_retention_devi.html?id=JrIuAAAAEBAJ
What we used to call “loopy doos”, or “rabbit ears”, or “idiot clips” in the bike shop. Wheel retainers for those to forgetful or stupid to use a quick release properly.
@Spencer – these are from the ’70′s, dawn of the quick release began in ’27…
All the others above are probably right, but actually it is a Cold War era East German beer bottle opener. i believe I saw it in the 80′s hit Gotcha! when I was young.
We call those “Jewish Grandmothers” at my shop.
@Shawn–Nice Wikipedia search. Solid contribution…
@Cody As a jew, I can tell you without equivocation, only 4.375% of our grandmothers know what a quick release is, let alone how to nanny one for us.
Funny, I still see bikes come in the shop with these sometimes. Usually one or both is missing (I guess it was a little too complicated for people that don’t even know how to use a skewer!).
Other irony here is that this system worked even if the skewer were to split apart (potentially), where a “lawyer tab” would not!
Answer: It’s a “Schwinn patented wheel retension device. This was one of the simplest and best ever devised. This is a nice chrome example.”
Schwinn’s secondary quick release front wheel retainer. duh!