Improvements in Cycles, for Utilizing the Pressure of the Wind.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1836-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles, for Utilizing the Pressure of the Wind.
I, CARSTEN HINRICH OTTO VÖLCKNER of Dauenhof, in the German Empire,
Postal Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The comparatively great amount of power required to propel a cycle, if the
wind blows against the rider or at an acute angle towards him is well known to
cyclists and felt by them as a great disadvantage.
The object of this invention is to obviate the disadvantage and further to utilize
this wind pressure, which has hitherto been a disadvantage for the propulsion of
the cycle.
This invention consists essentially of vanes arranged on spokes, so that they pivot
around the latter and may be adjusted as desired.
This adjustment is preferably effected from the steering post or from the saddle
according to the construction of the cycle to which this arrangement is to be
applied.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention applied to a cycle, and Figures 2
to 7 are details, shewing details of various modes of carrying out my invention.
As shewn in Figure 1 vanes a of thin wood, ebonite, aluminium, or similar
material are arranged on the spokes so that the latter serve as axes on which the
vanes turn. The vanes a are all fixed by hinges 6 to a common ring o which is
movable on the axle d, so that the vanes a can be adjusted more or less with
reference to the wind. According to the way in which the ring c has been moved
on the axle, a rod e is pivotted on a fork f for the purpose of moving the ring c
on the front axle. The lower end of the rod e engages around a boss g to which
is fixed the ring c, see Figure 2. The vanes b close or open according as to
whether the lever rod e is moved to the right or to the left, see Figure 1.
The arrangement for adjusting the vanes on the hind wheel may be modified.
The boss gl Figure 4, to which the ring adjusting the vanes is fixed may be
provided with a rack h into which engages a toothed segment carrying a lever
arm i. If now a rod is pulled which preferably ends in a handle near the
saddle, the boss and the rack h are pulled outwards by means of the lever
arm i and the toothed segment k. Instead of the rack and segment k an angular
lever m n may be arranged, Figure 5, one end of which m engages around the
boss g ring like and the other end of which may be also pulled by means of a
rod l. Figure 6 shews the latter arrangement as applied to a hind wheel.
However besides the latter arrangement, the arrangement shown in Figure 7 is
also indicated in Figure 6 and is as follows. In order to allow of the simultaneous
adjustment of the vanes on the front and hind wheels by means of a single
operation from the rod e Figure 1. a chain p is attached to the rod e which is
carried around the pedal axle and engages on the boss g¹ Figure 7. so that the
movement of the lever e pulls the boss towards the wheel fork q, thus changing
the position of the vanes. If the movement of the lever e be reversed, the spring
ensures that the vanes are returned into their former position.

page_text: It will be thus seen that during a strong head wind, or still more during a side
wind the cycle may be propelled by this arrangement or at least a considerable
expenditure of power may be saved to the rider. It is quite immaterial from
which side the wind strikes the cycle, because the arrangement may be made so
that a single operation suffices to change the position of the vane while riding, if
the change in the direction of the wind or of the journey should make this
desirable. As the vanes are conveniently made of very light material such as
wood, ebonite, aluminium, the increase of weight will be hardly felt, the power
gained by the wind being much greater than the extra power necessary to deal with
the extra weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. Au arrangement on cycles for utilizing the pressure of the wind consisting
of vanes, pivotted on the spokes, which can be adjusted in accordance with the
direction and strength of the wind.
2nd. In an arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 vanes a pivottally supported on
the wheel and connected by hinges to a ring c which is adapted to be moved on
the axle of the wheel by a lever e on the handle bar substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In a vane-adjustment mechanism as claimed in Claim 2 a rack harranged on
the boss of the ring c engaging a toothed segment k, actuated by a rod 1,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4th. In a vane-adjustment mechanism as claimed in Claim 2 in which an angle
lever m n, one end of which, m, engages the boss g¹ and the other end n engages
with the operating rod-l, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 5 of
the accompanying drawings.
5th. In a vane-adjustment mechanism as claimed in Claim 2 a boss g! adapted to
be moved sidewards by a chain p connected to it and a rod e operated from the
steering post against the compression of a spring to effect the return movement
of the boss g, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 7 of the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 23rd day of October 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.