Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 31st May, 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, HOMER A. KING, a minister of the Gospel, of Springfield, in the County of
Hampden, State of Massachusetts and United States of America, do humbly declare
the nature of my invention for MOTOR CARRIAGES or more particularly, IMPROVEMENTS
IN VELOCIPEDES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, the accompanying
drawings making part of this specification
:-
My invention relates to an improvement in motor carriages, especially bicycles and
tricycles and quadricycles, and consists in a new construction of a hollow felloe rim
with an elevated portion giving space either side to hold the tangent spoke nuts, and
increased rigidity by parts standing more nearly perpendicular or edgewise to the hub
of the wheel; to an improved rubber tire, and improved means of securing the
rubber tire to the felloe; to shaft connection of the treadle levers and drums through
a tubular hub; to an improved tubular hub for vehicles with inclined openings in
each end and horizontal flange for the ratchet and tangent spokes and to inclined
adjustable bearings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of my velocipede when constructed with two wheels,
the driving wheel A, being controlled by lever E, and the fork B, with lever fulcrum
support B, and axle support B on each side of the wheel A, the strap D connecting
the drum B¹ to lever E. The wire mud-guard I is bent round to blunt it at the
outward end and the other end brazed into the fork B.
Fig. 2, is an enlarged view of the centre of Fig. 1, showing the fulcra support B¹
constructed of tubing brazed to B" and with the forked lever holder E" brazed into
the lower end of B₁. The axle support B" may be made solid, and the upper end
brazed into the lower end of B, and the axle opening slotted as shown to slip over a
slotted or sunken portion of the tubular shaft and hold it from turning. It also
shows the propelling drum B, propelling strap D, attached to drum B and to D¹
which hooks over each side of the lever E upon the ends of rod D", farthest from the
support B', for speed but may be hooked on nearer to B¹ for increase of leverage
power in sand, mud or for hill climbing.
Fig. 3, is a sectional rear view of the hub
anti-friction adjustable rollers w, held in place
collars w, which revolve in a circle with
with axle y, tubular shaft x, inclined
and apart by the case-hardened stee!
the rollers w, between the inclined

page_text: surface w, on the inside of the circle and the inclined surfaces W, on the outside
of the circle. The collar W¹ does not touch the inclined surface W1111, and having no
weight upon it, the drive wheel A, runs on the rollers W, with very little friction.
Part of the weight of the rider is borne by the rear wheel, a part by the levers is
thrown on drums B1, B1, and a part by fork B, B', on the stationary tubular
shaft, which is held in place by the nuts F and F¹. The collar or threaded tube H,
acts as a check nut to the inclined internal threaded adjustable collar W, by which
any looseness by wear in the bearing parts is taken up. The inclined collar at the
other end is preferably brazed or otherwise rigidly united to the tubular shaft 2, and
also to its extension on either side of the cog-wheels and over the central cog-
wheel K, thus uniting the two otherwise sundered parts of the tubular shaft. To
prevent dust getting into the cog-wheels a padded dust shield ¹¹ is secured to the
extension ¹. The collar K" is threaded on the outside to screw into drum B¹¹¹ and
cogs are cut on the inside to rest upon and match into the small cog-wheels. K¹.
Fig. 4, is a cross section of Fig. 3, at the left in the line S, S, showing how the
stool case-hardened pawl balls S by friction between the drum-B and the hub and
spoke flange T, causes the revolving drum to turn the driving wheel A, forward and
yet allow the drum to return back without friction, the balls dropping noiselessly upon
the leather or other soft substance v. The propulsion may be performed by ratchet
pawls or in
any other
way.
Fig. 5, is a cross section view of Fig. 3, in the line K¹, K¹ and shows how the
centre large cog wheel turning, with the shaft Y, and drum B₁₁, forward by the
depression of the lever to the left, at the same time by one or more small cog
wheels K¹ turns the drum B in the opposite direction and by the strap D raises the
other foot and lever simultaneously without the use of springs and enables the rider
to bear his whole weight upon the levers in dangerous coasting, thus preventing
taking "headers." Fig. 6, is a cross section of the extension r¹ on each side of the
cog-wheels but the ends of the axles of the small cog wheels should be as far apart as
in Fig. 5 and the central shafts should be proportionally smaller.
Fig. 7, is a sectional view of a portion of the tubular shaft a showing the connec-
tion outside the large cog wheel K between ., Fig. 6, on either side of the cog
wheels. In Fig. 3, the connection C, rigidly unites the central axle Y, with the
propelling drum B₁₁₁ on the same end, and when the lever at that side of the wheel is
depressed the strap D shown in Figs. 1 and 2, turns the propelling drum forward and
by the connection C the axle Y is turned in the same direction and this axle turns
the central cog wheel K, with it and also the inner sides of the small cog wheels while
the outer sides of the small cog wheels revolve in the opposite direction, carrying the
propelling drum B in the same direction and by its strap. D raising the foot and
lever on that side of the drive wheel.
Fig. 8, is a partially sectional view of the hub of the rear wheel with portions of
the rear fork, spokes, with the adjustable anti-friction rollers W, in one end and the
solid inclined surfaces without the rollers W, at the other end which must be in place
in order to adjust the roller tightly by threaded inclined collar W111 at the left and
the check nut L. The oil is kept in place by the oil guard i, and the dust out by the
shield with a pad j¹ between ; and the end of the hub.
Fig. 9, is an end view of the inclined collar W, just the same in construction as the
larger collar W in Fig. 3, and does not touch the hub but rests on the axle of the
roller W, holding them apart and in place.
Fig. 10 is an end view of the rollers showing seven in each end of the rear wheel
hub but more are used in the front wheel hub because the circle is larger though the
size and number can be varied.
Fig. 11 is a view in cross section of my hollow felloe rim with the inner sides
turned up at the edge and either brazed or riveted together or both, and then brought
down to form the rubber tire bed and rubber tire cemented in.
Fig. 12, a, is a view the same as Fig. 11, with the center extending up nearly as
high as the sides and with a tire holder a¹ which may be made in a circle & heated to
drop in place which may be secured by brazing. The opening either side of the

page_text: central elevation leaves room for the spoke heads or nipples and the central rib
makes a very strong rim. The projection a¹ holds the rubber tire in place without
cement.
Fig. 13 is another form of my invention for constructing the hub shown in Fig. 3,
the cog-wheels being beveled and used in the centre thus securing the raising of one
foot and lever by the depression of the other as is evident, for when the propelling
strap D, Fig. 1, connects the lever E with the propelling drum in Fig. 13, the
depression of the lever turns the drum forward and by the connection C, turns one of
the central horizontal half shafts and its rigidly attached cog-wheel in the same
direction turning the cog wheels on the perpendicular shaft and thus turning the other
half shaft and its propelling drum backward by connection C, and raising the lever
by strap D. The revolution of a propelling drum forward causes the pawl balls S,
Fig. 4, to bind against the hub T causing it to revolve with the drum thus propelling
the velocipede forward.
Fig. 14 shows another possible variation of my invention with only two straight
cog-wheels instead of the beveled cog-wheels in Fig. 13, but with the central
shaft Y connected to the half shaft of said cog-wheels by a ball and socket joint.
Fig. 15 shows still another form of my invention by using one more tubular shaft
and two pairs of connections C instead of cog-wheels, thus reaching the same result,
the depression of one lever, by the flexible connection attached to propelling
drum Bto turn it and the wheel forward in the usual manner by clutch or ratchet
connection with hub T and at the same time without springs by the use of retracing
druns Band flexible connection from their rear to the lever to simultaneously
raise the other lever. This is done without cog-wheels or springs by shaft con-
nection C, Y, C¹, between the propelling drum B on the left to the retracing drum
on the right and by connection C, Y₁ and C¹ between propelling drum B on the
right and retracing drum B on the left.
Fig. 16 shows my new motor applied to a tricycle using two double drums on the
axle with four straps or other flexible connection to propelling levers, as shown
enlarged in Fig. 19, or with but two single drums as shown in Fig. 17, with flexible
connection down to levers and with cog wheels inside one drum, to raise one lever by
the depression of the other lever as in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, or without cog-wheels by
attaching straps in the middle, one to each drum, with the front ends of the straps
extended directly downward and connected each to a lever while the straps at the rear
of the drums are crossed and the strap from the right drum attached to the lever at
the left and the strap from the left drum attached to the right lever as shown in
Fig. 18, where it is evident that the depression of one lover will raise the other foot
and lever but there is friction between the rear straps where crossed; this is avoided
as shown in Fig. 19, by extending the rear straps or flexible connection of the central
retracing drums directly downward without crossing and attaching them to projections
from the levers, O and O¹. A roller could be used on the rear projection 0¹ to lessen
friction with the retracing strap in front but it is better to have the projection
O' and O, farther apart and increase the size of the retracing drum with the strap
attached to O enough to compensate for the projection o¹ being nearer the fulcrum
and thus equalize the length of the stroke of the levers as shown in top view in
Fig. 20.
It is evident that my new motor can be adapted to other styles of velocipedes.
I do not limit myself to exact construction but shall claim all that fairly comes
within the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A hollow felloe rim with elevation, substantially as described, between the outer
sides of the side flanges and with protuberant portion towards the hub, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. An endless rubber tire moulded with outer protuberant surface and with an

page_text: inner open surface with projections to fit on either side of an elevation between the
flanges of a felloe rim, substantially as set forth.
3. A fastener, a¹, for securing rubber tire to felloe rims having an elevation
between the flanges of the rubber bed, the fastener being brazed to the central
elevation and projecting outward to hold the rubber tire in place, substantially as set
forth.
4. A bicycle propelled by levers, with flexible connection to a set of propelling
drums with shaft and cog-wheel connection through the hub of the driving wheel,
and with a seat for a rider back of the fork and directly over the rear part of the
driving wheel so that the depression of a lever on one side simultaneously raises the
other foot and lever.
5. A velocipede propelled by levers, each having flexible connection to a set of
propelling drums, substantially as described so that the depression of one lever raises
the other lever.
6. A velocipede propelled by levers with flexible connection to propelling drums,
one lever being on each side of the drive wheel with the fulcrum in front of the wheel
center and the pedal end of the lever in the rear of the center of the drive wheel, and
with connection through the hub so that the depression of one lever raises the other
lever.
7. A drum propelling mechanism in combination with shaft or axle connection,
through a tubular hub of a driving wheel of a vehicle, connecting a propelling drum
on one side of the driving wheel with a drum on the other side of the driving wheel
and with connection to levers, causing the depression of a lever on one side of the
driving wheel to simultaneously raise the lever on the other side of the driving
wheel.
8. A tubular hub with the annulars for the spokes, and inclined surface in each end
for the inclined bearings, substantially as set forth.
9. The inclined anti-friction adjustable bearings W and W¹, between the inclined
surface W in the end of the hub and the inclined collar or surface W111.
10. Inclined, anti-friction, adjustable bearings, moving in a circlo between inclined
surfices on the inside of the circle and inclined surfaces on the outside of the circle,
and held apart so that they cannot roll together, substantially as set forth.