Improved Epicyclic Speed Mechanism for Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Epicyclic Speed Mechanism for Velocipedes.
1, GEORGE HUGHES of 38 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me
from abroad by Abraham Johan Pierre Saamans Vader of 22 Rue le Peletier
Paris, France, Engineer, to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to an improved epicycloidal speed mechanism for increasing
the speed at which velocipedes may be driven & consists mainly in the arrange-
ment of two toothed wheels geared & working together in the manner following
The first of these wheels are keyed on the main axle & receives its movement
from the second of the toothed wheels, which, whilst having a movement of rotation
around the said first is capable of a sidewise displacement movement, the result of
which disposition affords variation of speed which will depend upon the relative
number of teeth of the said toothed wheels.
In applying this principal to velocipedes I proceed as follows:-
The driving wheel is keyed upon a hollow axle, carrying at each of its
extremities a clutch boxing and one of the aforesaid first toothed wheels. The
framing of the machine rests upon this by means of two ball bearing boxes & thus
the hollow axle may receive a movement of rotation around & upon a solid
supporting axle which carries two clutch cones. This arrangement forms two
ordinary clutch boxes which allows to the hollow axle and the interior supporting
axle complete independence of rotation,
Each of the extremities of the supporting axle carries a crank arm, which carry
centers or axes of length requisite for the special construction, & said centers may
turn freely or upon ball bearings. On the ends of the said side centers are keyed,
the second toothed wheels of the epicycloidal movement each capable of a paralle)
side motion by means of an arrangement hereinafter described so as to permit of
the engagement and disengagement of these second toothed wheels, and of the first.
toothed wheels together so connecting or disconnecting the hollow shaft of the
framing & driving wheel. The said centers of the crank arms carry one end of
coupling links, & the other ends of said link turn freely or on ball bearings on the
axis of a connecting bar keyed on the pedal axis. or if preferred upon the axis of
the pedal movement. This arrangement is reproduced on the other side of the
machine the connecting bar on this side making an angle of 90° with the other one
to avoid, dead centers, the pedals, as usual in ordinary velocipedes being placed
diametrically opposite.
By means of this invention two or three different rates of speed may be obtained
by modifying the levers, connecting links, clutch boxes & toothed wheels whilst
retaining the epicycloidal principle.
1001
MESSRS. HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Epicyclic Speed Mechanism for Velocipedes.
I, GEORGE HUGHES of 38 Chancery Lane London in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me
5 from abroad by Abraham Johan Pierre Saamans Vader, of 22 Rue le Peletier
Price &T

page_text: Paris France Engineer and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in an epicyclic speed mechanism to be applied to the
connecting of the pedal shaft to the driving wheel or rotary axle thereof and by
means of which the former may be adjusted to operate the latter with one of three
different ratios of speed.
The improved mechanism is suitable to safety bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes in which the pedal cranks and driving wheel or wheels are on different
shafts, the following description therefore will not extend to the general framework
and the various parts of such velocipedes, but only to the pedal or motive shaft,
the wheel or driven shaft or axle and the mechanism connecting these.
.
In the drawings accompanying this Specification-
Fig. is a view in the nature of a plan showing the wheel axle with its
accessories, the connecting rods (broken) and the pedal shaft.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of a double ball bearing used in this mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the lever arm providing a bearing
for the shaft of the wheel which is geared with that on the wheel axle.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the mechanism on the one side.
Fig. 5 is a similar elevation on the other side.
Fig. 6 is a section through the wheel hub and its accessories.
Fig. 7 illustrates the excentric and strap by which the pedal shaft operates the
connecting rods.
Fig. 8 is a section through the excentric and strap on a larger scale.
The apparatus consists essentially of two pinions A and B, of which the one Bis
keyed or fixed on the axle or shaft of the driving wheel, and the other meshes
therewith and is also keyed on its shaft. The pinion A is caused to move circularly
around the pinion B but preserves its orientation or parallelism of its parts in
different positions so that it causes the pinion B to revolve. The speed of the
pinion B bears a proportion to the speed of circular movement of the pinion A
which is also the speed of rotation of the pedal shaft 1. 11., dependent on the
difference in the number of teeth in the pinions A and B. If the number of teeth
is equal in each pinion the pinion B will revolve twice for each circular completed
movement of the pinion A, and if the teeth on the pinion A are in number double
those on pinion B the ratio of movement will be as three to one.
The construction employed is as follows: The shaft of the driving wheel is
composed of two distinct parts, that is to say of the shaft L which may be termed
the motive shaft, and of the hollow axle O. P. O' made up of separate parts but so
fastened and secured together as in effect to form one solid whole.
The parts O and 01 (Fig. 1) are each constructed of separate parts HK X (Fig. 6)
in order to form an adjustable ball bearing so that the axle OP O may revolve
without friction on the shaft L and the latter within the axle O P O¹ Around
the bearing just described is a second. ball bearing formed of parts I Y. Fig. 6
which serves to connect the axle to the frame of the velocipede. The axle () PO
carries the driving wheel hubs made as one part with it.
The pinions B B₁ are respectively fixed on the prolongations of the parts H of
the axle PO' and are therefore at one with the axle. They, by this construction
also form means for adjustment of the ball bearing between the axle and shaft L.
To render them immoveable after adjustment they are fixed by screws 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6
(Fig. 2). The crank arms E E' are keyed on the ends of the shaft L and have in
their ends ball bearings D D' respectively to receive the shafts C C₁ of the
pinions A A which always are in gear with pinions B B
The cranks E E' are
preferably fixed on the shaft L so that one is at right angles to the other.
On the pedal shaft II are the usual pedal cranks III. III and also two
excentrics R. R¹ the straps S S' of which are carried on ball bearings and are
connected by rods F F to the shafts C C. Set screws G G are arranged to
connect the rods F F with the shafts C C respectively.

page_text: The two sets of pinions cannot both act at the same time. The screws G G
cannot therefore both be fixed at the same time. When either of these screws is
left loose the respective rod F F¹ simply causes the pinion A or A' to revolve
idly on the pinion B or B' and consequently remain without any action on the
latter.
•
The shaft I II is revolved by the pedals and consequently turns the
excentrics R R and gives a back and forth movement to the rods F F which
through the cranks E E¹ transfer the rotary movement of the shaft 1 II to the
shaft L in equal measure. The pinions A A' follow the circular movement of the
cranks E Ebut if either of these pinions is fixed with regard to its rod For Flas
is done by screwing up the coupling screw G or G so that the pinion no longer
turns idly, its circular displacement while maintained rigid with the rod F or F1
will cause a rotary movement of the corresponding pinion B or B' on the
axle O P O which causes the driving of the wheel.
Therefore by choosing two different ratios for the pinions A and B and for A'
and B', a choice of two speeds is obtained in the relative velocities of transmission
between pedal shaft III and driving wheel.
A third proportion of speed in transmission is obtained by unscrewing both
screws G G and fastening the shaft L with the axle OP O' for instance by a set
screw G. This transmission is as 1 to 1-or equal.
The gear therefore herein described gives a choice of three speeds of transmission
of which one is 1 to 1 and the other two any other convenient proportions for which
the relative diameter of the pinions A B, A' B' have been chosen.
It is obvious that this invention may be applied equally to velocipedes in which
some or all of the bearings are other than ball bearings by simply altering the
construction of the parts according to the bearings used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The transmission mechanism between pedal and driving shafts in velocipedes
in which a choice of two or three speeds of transmission is obtained in the manner
herein described.
2. In a velocipede having a pedal shaft distinct from the driving wheel axle, a
gear consisting of an excentric or excentrics, connecting rod or rods and geared
pair or pairs of pinions arranged for action substantially as illustrated and
described.
1003
HERBERT & Co.,
Patent Agents.