IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND LIKE CARRIAGES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Adolphe Ducros, of Bordeaux, in the
Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
AND LIKE CARRIAGES."--A communication from Jean Robert, residing
at Bordeaux, in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 15th November 1872, and dated the 29th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th May 1872.
I, PIERRE ADOLPHE DUCROS, of Bordeaux, in the Republic of France,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ImpɛOVEMENTS IN
TRICYCLES AND LIke Carriages,” to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention consists in the application to tricycles and other like
carriages of the mechanism herein-after described for the purpose of
propelling such carriages.
The wheels of the tricycle or other carriage are placed on their axles so
as to move freely thereon as in the ordinary tricycle, and the axle of the

page_text: front or guiding wheel is connected to the axle of the driving wheels
and is furnished with steering apparatus as usual; the ordinary seat is
also employed.
The propelling mechanism consists of two steel springs similar to
clock springs, but of a size proportionate to the carriage to which they
are to be applied; each spring is placed in a barrel furnished with an
arbor or axle, the inner end of the spring being connected to the axle
and the outer end to the barrel; each barrel carries on the under side a
cog wheel which moves with the barrel when the latter is turned by the
spring; the barrels with their cog wheels and springs are suspended by
suitable means from the axle of the driving wheels of the tricycle, each
of which on the inner side carries a cog wheel into which the cog wheels
of the barrels gear. The arbor or axle of each barrel extends some
distance above the top of the barrel and is furnished with a winch
handle for winding up the springs. The springs are placed in the
barrels, so that when wound up the barrels shall move in opposite
directions. By this arrangement the springs being wound up the
carriage will be propelled forward by the unwinding of the springs a
distance depending on the size of the driving wheels and the number of
turns of the springs.
The speed of the carriage may be regulated by means of breaks which
act upon the barrels simultaneously, and are worked by the feet by
means of a wheel fitted with a double action screw.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 28th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
ADOLPHE DUCROS, of Bordeaux, in the Republic of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros, Her
special licence, that I, the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros, my executors, 3

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Pierre
Adolphe Ducros, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND LIKE CARRIAGES," (a commu-
nication from Jean Robert, a person resident at Bordeaux, in the Republic
of France), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Pierre
Adolphe Ducros, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists in the application to tricycles and other like
carriages of the arrangement of spring mechanism herein after described
for the purpose of propelling such carriages. The wheels of the tricycle
or other carriage are placed on their axles so as to move freely thereon
as in the ordinary tricycle, and the axle of the front or guiding wheel
is connected to the axle of the driving wheels and is furnished with
steering apparatus as usual; the ordinary seat is also employed.
The propelling mechanism consists of two steel springs similar to
clock springs, but of a size proportionate to the carriage to which they
are to be applied; each spring is placed in a barrel furnished with an
arbor or axle, the inner end of the spring being connected to the axle
and the outer end to the barrel; each barrel carries on the under side a
bevil toothed wheel which moves with the barrel when the latter is
turned by the spring; the barrels with their bevil wheels and springs
are suspended by suitable means from the axle of the driving wheels of
the tricycle, each of which on the inner side carries a bevil toothed
wheel into which the bevil wheels of the barrels gear. The arbor or

page_text: axle of each barrel extends some distance above the top of the barrel,
and is furnished with a winch handle for winding up the springs. The
springs are placed in the barrels, so that when wound up the barrels shall
move in opposite directions. By this arrangement the springs being
wound up the carriage will be propelled forward by the unwinding of
the springs a distance depending on the size of the driving wheels and
the number of turns of the springs.
The speed of the carriage may be regulated by means of breaks which
act upon the barrels simultaneously, and are worked by the feet or hands
by means of a wheel fitted with a double action screw.
To make the Invention communicated to me better understood, I will
proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing,
in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a
back elevation of a tricycle constructed according to this Invention.
a, a, is the front wheel, and b, b, are the back wheels of the tricycle
connected to the axles and framework in the usual manner; c, c, is the
steering rod of the front wheel a; d, d, are the barrels each containing a
spring of the required strength; e, e, are the arbors or axles of same fur-
nished with winch handles e¹ at the top for winding up the springs. On
the under side of each barrel is a bevil toothed wheel f; the barrels with
their mechanism are suspended from the axle of the back wheels by iron
brackets or stirrups g, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3; the lower ends or
pivots of the arbors e, e, work in holes in these stirrups g; the bevil
wheels ff gear into bevil wheels h, h, fixed on the inner sides of the
back wheels b, b; k, k, ratchet wheels and clicks applied to the arbors e, e,
to prevent them turning in the reverse direction when the springs are
being wound up.
The break shewn in Figure 2 consists of two levers i, i, connected to
screw nuts m, m, on a right and left handed screw j, which can be
actuated by the wheel 7, moved by the feet or by hand, the periphery of
the wheel being provided with projections by which it may be turned.
A band or strip of iron or steel n is bent into a circular form and placed
round each barrel, The ends of each band are formed into sockets or
tubes; two corresponding eyes are formed in each lever i; the outer eye
of the lever is connected by a pin (so as to form a joint) to one socket of
the band n, the other eye of the lever and ring of the band being jointed
at g' to the stirrups g; a number of small blocks o of hard wood are
fixed to the inner surface of the bands n. By this arrangement when

page_text: the wheel is turned in one direction the bands n will be tightened and
will press the blocks o against the barrels and stop their motion; to
relieve the barrels of the break the wheel must be turned in the opposite
direction.
Any suitable mechanical arrangement may be employed for winding
up the springs, preferably one by which both springs may be wound
up at once.
Having thus described the Invention communicated to me, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein laid down; but what I claim
is, the construction of tricycles and like carriages with the arrangement
of propelling mechanism, substantially as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Adolphe Ducros, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.