MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Gordon at the Office of the
.Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1878.
CHARLES GORDON, of South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDES."
" IMPROVE-
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction of velocipedes,
whereby the force producing the necessary rotary motion of the driving wheel,
instead of being communicated to the said wheel by means of a revolving treadle
attached to the axle thereof, is obtained by treadle bars not revolving round the
axle, but having an up and down action of about forty five degrees, more or less,
and whereby the force for producing such motion is imparted to the periphery of
the wheel and to a disc or plate attached to the axle thereof, or to the last men-
tioned disc or plate, or to the periphery only. By these means the amount of power
required to be exerted by the rider is greatly reduced. The said improvements can
be applied to machines having two or more wheels.
In the following description I refer to my said Invention as applied to that class
of velocipedes having two wheels, and which are commonly termed bicycles. On
each end of the axle and outside the ends of the fork is fixed in such a manner as
to revolve therewith a small disc or circular plate, on the outer surfaces of which
are two ridges with inclined surfaces, each of such ridges extending nearly half
round the disc or plate. On the axle and outside the last mentioned discs or plates
the treadle rods or bars are mounted in such a manner as to work freely on the
said axle, being pressed against the before mentioned ridges by a suitable spring.
The before mentioned treadle-bars extend to the periphery of the wheel, at which
part they are slightly bent or cranked so as to bear against the tyre or periphery
of the wheel, friction being avoided by means of a friction roller placed on the
bearing part of the treadle bar. A small pin or sliding plate projects from the said
bar in such a manner and to such an extent as in its downward action to come into
contact with the thick end of small wedge shaped projections formed on or attached
to the inner surface of the periphery of the wheel, whilst in the upward stroke of
the treadle bar such pin either passes up the inclined surfaces of the wedge shaped
projections, or. is moved clear of the same, thus offering no resistance to the free

page_text: revolution of the wheel. The treadle-bars are connected together by means of a
cord or chain, which passes over or through a ring, pulley, or other suitable contri-
vance attached above the top of the wheel, and they are by preference formed in
two parts so connected together as to allow of being slightly bent downwards in
order to ensure the pressure being brought to bear on the periphery. Springs may
also be employed near the axle to assist in bringing the outer end of the treadle-
bar into contact with the periphery. The wedge-shaped projections may be placed
continuously round the inner part of the periphery of the wheel, or at any desired
intervals (or the inner surface of the said periphery is corrugated), and so arranged
that the pins on the respective treadle bars come alternately into contact therewith.
The foot rests, which are placed on that part of the treadle-bars between the centre
and periphery of the wheel, may be fixed so as to be capable of moving on a pivot
in order always to maintain their relative positions with regard to the feet on the
alternate depression and elevation of the said bars.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When pressure is exerted on one of
the treadle-bars the same descends and turns a certain distance on the axle, the pin
coming into contact with one of the before mentioned wedge-shaped projections or
the corrugations on the periphery, and the part of the treadle-bar near the axle
also in some cases bearing against the raised end of one of the before mentioned
inclined ridges on the disc. On the pressure being continued the wheel is forced
round, the other treadle which has been raised by. the action of the first on the cord
is then depressed, and is caused to act in a similar manner, thus imparting the
desired travelling motion to the machine. When desired the before mentioned
wedge shaped projections may be dispensed with, or the pins on the treadle-bars
placed out of gear therewith, and the instrument actuated by means of the inclined
ridges on the discs, as will be well understood.
The nature of this Invention permits of the smaller wheel being placed in front,
the rider being seated over that portion of the larger or driving wheel which is
nearest the former wheel, thus greatly reducing the labor required for ascending
hills, lessening the liability of the machine to overturn, and also facilitating the
steering or guiding thereof.