The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-09
ORIGIN OF THE WHEEL.
Some fsets About the Bicycles Genesis
Net Generally Kuewn-lts lnvsnser
Was . FrcnSAnsn-ilOw IL Nss Been

Was . FrenSAnsn How Ii Mss Been
Improved.
From the Buffalo Courier.
The writers upon the history Of the
bicycle generally begin with the inven-
ton OF the draisine between 1916 and
1919 by Baron voN Drais Of Mannheim
whom some authorities describe as q
Frenchman. while others give his name
AZ Baron Drais de SeverbunB-al-
though vehicles with three or more
wheels propelled by hand power are
traced back In England to about 1857
The draisine or hobby horse had two
wheels and was propelled by the rid
er's touching his toes to the ground. and
the fashion OF using It was soon
laughed down by the caricaturists
Gavin Dalxell, OF Lanarkshire. Scot.
land. cooper and afterward q dry
goods merchant. who had already made
q tricycle. driven by . crank attached
to q sprocket wheel. constructed a
wooden horse" In 1874 which bore con-
siderable resemblance to the modern
bicycle. In that the rear wheel was
driven by levers worked by the feet.
This machine Is still In existence. and
two Of MIR. Dalxelrs sons are living In
P.ttsburg. 1t 10 said that Mr.. Dalzell
was preceded by Drumlanarig black
smith named Mcmillan. who contrived
q similar device in 1870 OF 1871. The
trouble with the Scottish inventors.
however. ~ has been the case with
many other clever men. 10 that their
ideas did net lead to anything.
In 1855 an old draisine was brought
to Michaux. q Paris carriage builder.
to be repaired. The idea occurred to
him to az . pin to one Of the spokes
and pass II through the end of q long
rod. 30 that the rider. after getting up
speed by touching HE feet to the
ground, could keep the, machine in mo-
ton with one hand. while he steered
with the other. Finding the feet In the
way. Michaux conceived the plan Of
using them. instead oe one hand, to
drive the front wheel. In 1868 Pierre
Lallement, another Frenchman, made
a better machine Of the same sort. but
1t is not believed that he knew anything
Of the experiments Of Michaux. Lalle-
ment entered into partnership with an
Englishman. named Carol, and the
two secured an American patent which
played an important part In the early
history Of the bicycle in the United
States. Under this patent. which was
sold to an American speculator. the
velocipedes or bone shakers" Of al
most thirty years ago were made here.
and later one Of the pioneer bicycle
firms Of the United States got hold Of
1t and by means Of 1t for some time ex-
torted $40 for every machine made by
rival houses. Lallement Ultimately se-
cured by q lawsuit $1,000, which was
about all that he ever got. A few years
ago ne was still working by the day
at bench in a bicycle factory.
The Last Of the Bous. shaker.
Michaux had gone on improving his
machine, and 1t had become known to
the world through the Paris exposition
Of 1857. In 1868 Louis Rivere. another
Frenchman, suggested q larger wheel
in front than behind. and the bicycle
was thus developed from the velocipede
or bone shaker" Some Englishmen,
whose Identity 10 disputed, devised the
rubber tire, perhaps the most impor-
tant step in the whole evolution Then
came the Suspension wheel, the princi-
pie of which Is that the rim supports the
hub, instead Of the hub the rim. as
with carriage wheels Gradually we
evolved the ball bearings, first applied
only to the front wheel, and numerous
other improvements. The kangaroo" a
dwarf front driving machine In which q
chain was used. excited great derision,
but when the Rover patent appeared
with the chain applied to the front
wheel the doom Of the high bicycle was
spoken. and the rear driving safety
upon the lines Of "Dalzells wooden
horse" came into vogue. In 1877 Her
bert 8. Owen, OF Washington, Invented
the drop frame or women's wheel. The
pneumatic tire which came In about
1850 was an old idea which had been
patented In 1s45 or 1846.
Only bare outline OF the story Of the
bicycle has been given here. The de-
tails Of the changes Of form until the
diamond frame was settled upon by all
makers, the various experiments with
the use Of wood until the American
manufacturers came to employ II ex-
cluBively for rims and the other move
ments 0f opinion would prove interest
Ing but volume could be made out Of
them. II u worthy Of note that pres
ent subject Of discussion 10 q device for
changing the gear. which was expert
mented with In the case Of the first
tricycle. made In the United States.