Improvements relating to Driving Gear for Cycles and Motor Cars.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Driving Gear for Cycles and Motor Cars.
We, ALFRED ROBERT JARDINE, of Fairholme, Motherwell, in the County of
Lanark, and JOHN KENNEDY MURRAY, of Caldergrove, Motherwell, aforesaid,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to driving gear for cycles and has for its object to
secure a greater leverage in the application of the driving force and greater ease
in the propulsion of the cycle than is procured by the ordinary gears now in
use.
The invention consists in means for effecting the rotation of the ordinary
pedal axle by a system of pedal levers and links as hereafter described.
In carrying the invention into effect in its application to a safety bicycle,
the ordinary means of effecting the rotation of the driving wheels such as an
endless chain or a rotating shaft are employed, and the rotation of the driving
axle is effected on the depression of pedal levers. These pedal levers are arranged
upon each side of the machine and preferably pivotted at the rear of the frame
of the machine in the lugs on the frame which carry the rear wheel spindle. The
front extremities of these pedal levers are disposed in convenient position for
pedalling beneath the saddle, and their extremities are preferably downwardly
diverted, and links are connected thereto whose other extremities are connected
to cranks or discs, or to the chain wheel provided upon the pedal axle in such
a manner, that on the depression of the pedal levers, the links are drawn back-
ward, and so effect the rotation of the driving axle in a forward direction.
Instead of effecting the rotation of the driving axle by a pull or tension on the
driving links, the pedal levers and links may be so disposed and formed as to
effect the propulsion by a thrust of the links, and this may be conveniently
effected by pivotting the pedal levers at a position lower than would otherwise
be necessary and upwardly diverting the rear extremities thereof which are con-
nected to the respective rear extremities of the links.
All the joints may be provided with ball or roller bearings so as to secure
perfect ease in operation. Means may be provided for the adjustment of the
extremities of the links to the cranks, discs, or chain wheel, to which they may
be connected, while means for adjustment may be provided upon the pedal lever
or elsewhere so that the leverage may be adjusted.
It is obvious that the invention is not confined in its application to cycles
driven by an endless chain, neither is it confined to any particular disposition
or mounting of the pedal levers, nor to the means of connection of the driving
links to the pedal axle.
By means of the invention a greater leverage can be obtained and greater ease
of propulsion than results in the use of ordinary cranks upon chainless or chain
gear as employed upon safety bicycles and cycles.

page_text: The invention is applicable to motor cars in which case the levers employed
may be raised and depressed by eccentrics provided upon the shaft of the driving
engine.
Dated this 4th day of January 1899
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements relating to Driving Gear for Cycles and Motor Cars.
We, ALFRED Robert Jardine, of Fairholme, Motherwell, in the County of
Lanark, and JOHN KENNEDY MURRAY, of Caldergrove, Motherwell, aforesaid,
Engineers, 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:-
This invention relates to driving gear for cycles and motor cars, and has for
its object to secure a greater leverage in the application of the driving force
and greater case in the propulsion of the cycle or car than is procured by the
ordinary gears now in use.
The invention consists in means for effecting the rotation of the ordinary
pedal or driving axle by a system of pedal levers and links as hereafter described.
In order that our invention may be the more readily understood we have
appended hereto the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of a bicycle having our mechanism attached thereto.
In carrying the invention into effect in its application to a safety bicycle,
the ordinary means of effecting the rotation of the driving wheel A such as an
endless chain B or a rotating shaft are employed, and the rotation of the driving
axle is effected on the depression of pedal levers D D. These pedal levers
are arranged upon each side of the machine and preferably pivotted at the rear
of the frame of the machine in the lugs E E¹ on the frame which carry the rear
wheel spindle. The front extremities of these pedal levers are disposed in con-
venient position for pedalling beneath the saddle, and their rear extremities D³, D³
are preferably downwardly diverted, and links F, F are connected thereto whose
other extremities are connected to cranks G G¹ or discs, or to the chain wheel
provided upon the pedal axle in such a manner that on the depression of the
pedal levers D, 1) the links F, F are drawn backwards, and so effect the rotation
of the driving axle C in a forward direction. Instead of effecting the rotation
of the driving axle C by a pull or tension on the driving links F, F¹, the pedal
levers D, D and links F, F¹ may be so disposed and formed as to effect the
propulsion by a thrust of the links F, F¹, and this may be conveniently effected
by pivotting the pedal levers D, D at a position lower than would otherwise be
necessary and upwardly diverting the rear extremities D2, D3 thereof which are
connected to the respective rear extremities of the links F, F¹.
All the joints may be provided with ball or roller bearings so as to secure
perfect ease in operation. Means may be provided for the adjustment of the
extremities of the links to the cranks, discs, or chain wheel to which they may
be connected, while means for adjustment may be provided upon the pedal lever
or elsewhere so that the leverage may be adjusted.
It is obvious that the invention is not confined in its application to cycles

page_text: driven by an endless chain, neither is it confined to any particular disposition
or mounting of the pedal levers, nor to the means of connection of the driving
links to the pedal axle.
By means of the invention a greater leverage can be obtained and greater ease
of propulsion than results in the use of ordinary cranks upon chainless or chain
gear as employed upon safety bicycles and cycles.
The invention is applicable to motor cars in which case the levers D, D¹ em-
ployed may be raised and depressed by eccentrics or the like provided upon the
shaft of the driving engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The improved lever or link driving mechanism for cycles or motor cars
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The improved driving mechanism for cycles consisting of pedal levers con-
nected by links to cranks or discs on the chain driving axle and arranged to
operate the said cranks or discs either by a pull or thrust of the connecting links
substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The improved driving mechanism for motor cars consisting of levers, con-
nected by links to cranks or discs on the chain driving axle and arranged to
operate the said cranks or discs either by a pull or thrust of the connecting links,
the said levers being in turn suitably connected to the shaft of the driving
engine or motor substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of October 1899
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.