IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO WHEELED VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

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I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO WHEELED VELOCIPEDES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to velocipedes having a pair of wheels on one axle, between
which the riders seat is situated, and it consists mainly in so arranging the seat
that the load is situated directly under the vertical centre line of the axle, while
the steering is effected by the application of a brake to the one or other of the
wheels.
The construction is shewn on the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shews
a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of the velocipede and Figs. 3 to 9 shew
detached details to an enlarged scale.
The wheels A A¹ which are constructed in the usual manner, carry firstly brake
discs a a¹ covered either with caoutchouc, leather, or wood, and secondly, driving
pulleys bb that are also provided with a similar covering.
The axis c is cranked at its middle, the wheels A A' being made to run loose
thereon; the cranked part forms a back rest for the rider, and may for this purpose
be provided with a cushion. The axis also has two rods mm suspended from it
at d d which serve to carry the bearings for the treadle shaft C, as also the seat D
and the gear for working the brakes and driving belts E. The treadle shaft C is
arranged to be vertically moveable to a limited extent, for which purpose the rods m
are formed tubular at their lower ends, as at o Figs. 2 aud 5, into which fit stems q
on the bearings of the shaft, these stems being retained and guided by pins passing
through slots in the tubes as shewn. The bearings are maintained in their lowest
position by means of springs s inside the tube.
The hearings p can be of the ordinary kind, or preferably formed with a
projecting rib fitting into a circular groove on the treadle shaft as shewn at
Figs 5 and 9, in order to reduce the friction as much as possible.
The ends of the treadle shaft carry pulleys xx similar to those b b', round which
pass the driving belts E E, consisting either of thin metal bands, or of a band or
cord formed of woven wire; or they may be of leather or of suitable fabric.
The shaft C is formed with a second circular groove y, Fig 5, as near as possible
to the bearing, into which takes the angular rib of the loop Z attached to the rod j
so as to be rotatable thereon. On raising the rod j the shaft C is lifted so as to
slacken the driving bauds E on the pulleys bb₁ and xx and thus prevent the
shaft C from being rotated by the motion of the wheels A A' when running down
hill. The rods j are guided in bearings T Figs 1 and 4 so as to be capable of both

page_text: up and down and rotary movements, the bearings being attached to the suspension
rods m. The rods j have handles P Figs 3 and 4 at their upper ends by which
they are manipulated. For working the brake strap R this is attached at one end
to the suspension rod m by means of an angular piece v, while its other end is
connected by a hinge-joint to a double ended lever W actuated by the steering
. rod w connected to the lower eni thereof; as shewn at Figs 4, 6 and 8. This
lever W is pivotted to a pin Q on the rod m.
The steering rod wis hinge-jointed to a lever fixed on the rod j, so that by
turning the latter by means of the handle P the lever W is actuated so as to tighten
or slacken the brake strap. The rod j also carries a ratchet wheel t into which
takes a pawl as shewn at Figs. 4 and 7, so that when the rod j has been turned so
as to apply the brake strap R, this is kept on by the pawl.
The manipulation of the velocipede is as follows. On the rider taking his seat,
this will shift into the dotted position at Fig. 1, as will also the rods m and
treadleshaft. The machine being put in motion by the driver, the steering is
effected by applying the brake to the one or other wheel by turning the rod j by
means of the handle P., If both brakes are applied at the same time the machine
is retarded or stopped.
The seat being suspended below the axle of the running wheels, the rider does
not require to keep his balance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In velocipedes having two wheels mounted on the same axle, arranging the
seat so that the centre of gravity of the load is situated under the said axle in
the vertical centre line thereof, the seat together with the driving and steering
mechanism being carried by rods suspended from the said axle substantially as
herein described.
2. In velocipedes arranged as set forth in the preceding claim, effecting the
steering by applying a brake to the one or other of the running wheels substantially
as herein described.
3. In velocipedes arranged as set forth in the first claim, driving the running
wheels by means of metal or other bands E passing over pulleys 6 b¹ on the wheels
and over other pulleys & mounted on the treadle shaft C, substantially as herein
described.
4. The arrangement for actuating the brakes referred to in the second claim
wherein the brake strap R acting upon brake discs a on the wheels has its one end
actuated by the rotation of a rod j through lever L, steering rod w and lever W,
substantially as herein described.
5. The arrangement for throwing the treadle-shaft C out of gear when running
down hill, wherein the bearings carrying the treadle shaft are capable of vertical
movement upon the suspension rods m by means of the rods j so as to slacken the
driving bands E sufficiently to prevent the notion of the running wheels being
imparted to the treadle shaft thereby, substantially as herein described.
6. The described arrangement of the rods j whereby they are made to effect both
the throwing out of gear of the treadle shaft and the application of the brakes.
Dated this twelfth day of December 1884.