Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec, 1895-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
IRUVIDIONAL
Improvements in Cycles.
I JAMES KEOHANE, of Rosscarbery, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in cycles, and is designed chiefly to
allow of a high rate of speed being attained by a cycle possessing a small
driving-wheel, at a minimum exertion of power, and with less risk of accident
than heretofore.
In carrying my invention into practice, I fashion the axle of the front or driving
wheel of a safety bicycle, of hollow or barrel construction, within which hollow
axle works a spindle to the ends of which are keyed the cranks.
A chain-wheel is rigidly mounted upon this said spindle near one end, (that is
to say, is situated between one of the forks and the respective crank) over which
chain-wheel passes a driving-chain which also passes over a smaller chaiu-wheel
mounted above in suitable bearings in the fork, the spindle to which this latter
chain-wheel is keyed, passing through the said forks and having a large
chain-wheel mounted upon its other end, which chain-wheel gears by means of
a chain with a small chain-wheel fixed integral with, or rigidly mounted upon the
aforesaid hollow axle, immediately to the outer side of the hub.
The cranks are preferably provided with stirrup-pedals. The gear may be
modified if desirable, as for instance-I may dispense with the driving-chains, and
provide a large toothed-wheel upon one end of the spindle which works in the
hollow-axle, and cause such toothed-wheel to gear with a small spar-wheel upon
one end of the spindle which passes through the fork, such spindle having at its
other end a large toothed-wheel which gears with the toothed periphery of the
hollow axle.
I may also if desirable, in lieu of the beforedescribed forms of gearing, rigidly
mount upon the crank-spindle, a wheel of comparatively large diameter, flanged
and toothed upon its inner periphery, which is caused to gear with a small spur-wheel
mounted upon the spindle passing through the fork, the wheel at the other end of
such spindle gearing by means of a chain, with a larger chain-wheel rigidly mounted
upon the hollow axle.
If desirable, the handle of the cycle can be of dropped form and so attached
to the head, as to be capable of being reversed or turned up and secured in that
position, when desirable.
For hill-climbing, the gear wheel mounted upon the crank-spindle, may be so
arranged upon the latter, as to be capable of being loosened so that the said
spindle will revolve without revolving such gear-wheel, a set-screw or its
equivalent being provided to rigidly unite the said spindle and the hollow axle in
which same normally works.
By these means the mechanism can be readily thrown out of gear, and the
driving-wheel revolved direct.
Data in 20th day of March 1895
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: The other end of the spindle 4 carries a sprocket-wheel k larger than the
wheel, over which sprocket-wheel k passes the driving-chain, which also
passes over the usual sprocket-wheel upon the hub of the driving-wheel (not
shewn) of the bicycle. This form of gearing may be provided with a suitable
chain-tightening arrangement such as that shewn by Fig. 7, and which will
hereinafter be referred to.
Turning to Fig. 8, which illustrates the manner in which the mechanism is
applied to a bicycle driven by a vertical motion, the cranks m which are keyed
to the spindle b are pivoted at in' to connecting-rols m² which are in turn pivoted
at m³ to bent levers m' fulcrummed at m to the forks m°.
The levers are forked at their extremities m³ so as to carry the pedals of suitable
form between such forked ends.
The driving-mechanism proper, may consist of any of the forms hereinbefore
described.
The pedals may be of substantially the form shewn by Fig. 2, or may be of
stirrup or any other convenient form.
If desirable the handles n may be of dropped form, and so attached to the head, as
to be capable of being reversed or turned up and fixed in that position, when
desired.
For hill climbing, the gear-wheel mounted upon the crank-spindle may be so
mounted upon the latter as to be capable of being loosened, so that the said spindle
can revolve without affecting the gear-wheel.
A set-screw or its equivalent is provided to rigidly unite the said spindle and the
hollow axle in which same normally works. By these means the mechanism can be
readily thrown out of gear, and the driving-wheel revolved direct.
Referring to the chain-tightening arrangement illustrated by Fig. 7, the numeral 1
designates a set-screw having a square shaped or approximately shaped head 2, which
set-screw passes through and works in a screw-threaded opening in the end 3 of the
frame 4.
The spindle (Fig. 6) has its bearings in the head 2, and the adjustment of the
chains k² and k is effected by tightening or loosening the nut 5 upon the end of
the screw 1, (Fig. 7) as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In driving mechanism for cycles, the hollow axle in which works the crank
spindle on which is rigidly mounted a sprocket-wheel gearing by a chain with a
second sprocket-wheel keyed to a spindle carrying a third sprocket wheel gearing
by means of a chain, with cogs upon the hollow-axle, substantially as described and
illustrated by Fig. 1. of the drawings.
2. The modified form of driving mechanism comprising a wheel rigidly mounted
upon the crank spindle working in the hollow axle, said wheel having a flanged and
toothed inner periphery which gears with a spur-wheel keyed to a spindle mounted
in the bearings in the forks and carrying a sprocket-wheel gearing by means of a
chain, with a cog-wheel keyed to, or formed integral with the hollow axle,
substantially as specified, and as illustrated by Fig. 3. of the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of December 1895.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.