IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
A communication from abroad by Nahum Simeon Cary Perkins, of
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES." A communication from abroad by Nahum Simeon
Cary Perkins, of Norwalk, Ohio, United States of America.
The Invention relates to an improvement in velocipedes, the object being to
make provision for causing the wheel on the inner and smaller circle described by
the velocipede to be automatically disengaged from the crank shaft as the guide
wheel is turned, and thereby permit the velocipede to be readily turned without
undue friction or strain on the wheels or crank shaft, the wheel on the inner or
smaller circle serving as an idler, while the wheel on the outer or larger circle is
locked fast to the crank shaft, thereby serving as the propelling wheel in describing
a circle.
To this end the Invention consists in the combination with suitable clutches on
the crank shaft of a velocipede for locking the wheels rigidly to the crank shaft,
of shipper rods attached at their rear ends to the opposite ends of the oscillating
arm with which the steering handles are connected, the opposite ends of said shipper
rods being connected with the clutches in such a manner that when the velocipedo
describes a circle the outer wheel will remain locked fast to the crank shaft, while
the inner wheel will be automatically disengaged from the crank and revolve
independently thereof.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
December 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES." A communication from abroad by Nahum Simeon
Cary Perkins, of Norwalk, Ohio, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in velocipedes, the object being to
make provision for causing the wheel on the inner and smaller circle described by
the velocipede to be automatically disengaged from the crank shaft as the guide
wheel is turned, and thereby permit the velocipede to be readily turned without
undue friction or strain on the wheels or crank shaft, the wheel on the inner or
smaller circle serving as an idler, while the wheel on the outer or larger circle is
locked fast to the crank shaft, thereby serving as the propelling wheel in describing
a circle. To this end my Invention consists in the combination with suitable
clutches on the crank shaft of a velocipede for locking the wheels rigidly to the
crank shaft, of shipper rods attached at their rear ends to the opposite ends of the
oscillating arm with which the steering handles are connected, the opposite ends
of said shipper rods being connected with the clutches in such a manner that when
the velocipede describes a circle the outer wheel will remain locked fast to its
crank shaft, while the inner wheel will be automatically disengaged from the crank
and revolve independently thereof. This Invention further consists in certain
details of construction and combinations of parts, as will hereinafter be described
and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a velocipede
embodying this Invention; Figure 2 is a plan view showing the velocipede
describing a circle, the outer wheel being locked to the crank shaft and the inner
wheel being disengaged therefrom; Figure 3 is a detached view in vertical section
of the hub of one of the wheels and the clutch and fingers of the shipper rod
showing the wheel locked to the crank shaft; Figure 4 is a similar view showing
the wheel disengaged from the crank shaft, and Figure 5 is a detached view of the
fingers of the shipper rod.
By
A represents the frame, and B the seat of a three wheeled velocipede; C is the
guide wheel, and D the guiding mechanism. A detailed description of the guiding
mechanism is unnecessary in this Patent, as said parts are fully shown in Letters
Patent of the United States, No. 223,421, granted to the inventor January 6, 1880,
and form no part of this improvement. Further, the improvement in question may
be applied to velocipedes provided with different forms of guiding mechanism, and
hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to its application to a
velocipede provided with any particular form of guiding mechanism. To the
opposite ends of the oscillating or swinging guide box E are rigidly secured the
guide handles F, F1, the attachment being made in any desired manner.
moving the handles laterally in either direction the rider may turn the guide
wheel either to the right or left, and thus turn the velocipede in any desired
direction or curve. The opposite ends of the crank shaft are provided with
collars a, a, and with sliding clutches G, G¹, the latter being furuished with
recesses b for the reception of springs c. One end of the spring c rests against the
collar a, and the other end against the clutch G, hence it will be observed that the
springs serve to move the clutches outwardly or toward the wheel. Each clutch
is provided with any desired number of pins d, which pass through holes in the
collar H, the latter being made fast to the spindle of the crank shaft by means of a
set screw I or other suitable device. The collar is further secured against rotary
movement on the spindle by means of a pin or lug c secured to the spindle of the
crank shaft, said pin or stud entering a recess c¹ in the collar and preventing the
latter from rotary displacement. The hubs K of the crank shaft wheels L, L, are

page_text: secured upon the spindles by screws S, or in any other manner desired. The inner
faces of the hubs are formed with any number of pockets or holes f, into which
the ends of the pins d enter, and thus lock the wheel to the collar H, thereby
causing the wheel to turn with the crank shaft. The adjacent ends of the collars H
and sliding clutch G, G¹, are grooved to form an annular groove M. Shipper rods N
are pivoted at their rear ends by bolts or screws O to the opposite ends of the
guide box E, the opposite ends of each shipper rod being provided with the
fingers P, P¹, which fit into the annular groove M, and thus embrace the opposite
sides of the stationary collar and sliding clutch. Fingers P, P', are made tapering
from their outer ends rearward, or, in other words, are wedge shaped. When the
velocipede is travelling straight forward or backward the narrow portion g of the
fingers engage in the groove M, and thus both wheels of the crank shaft remain
locked thereto, the springs acting against the sliding clutches to retain the pins
secured thereto in engagement with the wheels. When the guide box E is turned
either to the right or left by moving the guiding handles laterally, and thus the
guide wheel shifted to cause the velocipede to describe a circle, the shipper rods
on the outer side of the curve will be moved away from the crank shaft, and thus
not disturb the clutch mechanism, and allow the wheel on the outer side of the
curve to remain locked fast to the crank shaft, while the shipper rod on the inside
of the curve will be forced toward the crank shaft and cause the wedge shaped
fingers to force the sliding clutch away from the collar next to the wheel hub,
and thus withdraw the clutch pins from the hub, thereby freeing the wheel
from its axle. Thus the inner wheel is loose on the crank shaft and the outer wheel
fast thereto when the velocipede is made to describe a curve in either direction.
A velocipede provided with my improvement can be readily and easily turned
within a large or small circle, and when running forward or backward in a straight
line the wheels are automatically locked to the crank shaft. It is evident that
many slight changes in the form and construction of the clutch mechanism and
the shipper rods might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this
Invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to
the exact construction and relative arrangement of parts shown and described.
Having fully described this Invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,―
1st. In a velocipede the combination with the crank shaft and wheels connected
therewith of clutch mechanism on opposite ends of the crank shaft, and shipper
rods pivoted at one end to the guiding mechanism and engaging at their opposite
ends with said clutch mechanism, whereby the velocipede when describing a
curve will have its outer wheel locked to the crank shaft and its inner wheel
automatically disengaged therefrom, substantially as set forth.
2nd. In a three wheeled velocipede the combination with sliding clutches on the
opposite ends of the crank shaft for locking the wheels thereto of shipper rods
provided with fingers which engage with said clutch mechanism, the opposite ends
of the shipper rods being pivoted to the guide box, substantially as set forth.
3rd. In a velocipede the combination with sliding clutches, on the opposite ends
of its crank shaft, of shipper rods provided with wedge shaped fingers which engage
with said clutches, the ends of the shippers rods being pivoted to the guiding
mechanism, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set
my hand and sool this First day of Decembar 1880
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)