Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
Improvements in Cycles.
I, WALTER BRIERLEY, of Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax in the County of
York Fatent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me by Johann Hirschmann, of 45 Johannisstrasse, Nurnberg,
in the Empire of Germany, Engine Maker, 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 improvements in bicycles, tricycles, and other cycles,
the object being to enable the rider to change the "speed" or driving wheel
without dismounting or stopping the machine, or altering the stroke of the crank,
or the number of treads, or revolutions of the said crank. By this means the
rider can use a small first driving gear wheel when ascending an incline, and
when greater power is required, and on reaching level ground the rider can,
without stopping or dismounting drive the cycle with a larger first driving gear-
wheel and thereby attain a greater speed, less propelling power being required.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, the following is a
complete description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of part of the cranks and driving parts of a
cycle constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is an end sectional view on line A. B of Fig. 1.
e.
Fig. 3 is a view of a modified form of levers to what is shewn in Fig. 1.
According to this my invention the crank axle a has a groove c, in which the
two levers d d move on the pivots These levers d d are provided with the
lugs or shoulders which fit in the recesses g g₁ of the first driving chain-
wheels bone wheel of which has a greater number of teeth, and is of larger
diameter than the other wheel 61. The pins are prevented in any known.
way from falling out but are movable in the crank rings and the sockets h. h.
The action is as follows:-Supposing (as shewn in Fig. 1) the large first driving
chain wheel is in action and there is an incline to be ascended, the rider with his
left foot must press (whilst riding) the pin i whereon the lug or shoulder is uncogged
or disengaged, from the recess g and the lug or shoulder f engages with one of the
recesses thereby removing the pin i¹. The reversal of the mechanism will
The levers d d' can also be
again take place when the rider comes to a level road.
On the
operated by hand (see the dotted lines in Fig. 1) in the following manner.
axle a is loosely mounted the collar with the beaks k k which by means of a lever n
engaging with the groove in the said collar can be moved to the left or right, so
that one of the beaks & bears on the end of one of the levers d or d' and the pins i i¹
are in this case dispensed with.
In Fig. 3 both lugs ff are on the lever d the lever d¹ being employed to give
motion in one direction to the lever d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
"
A contrivance for changing the "speed" or driving wheels of cycles having
chain gearing by the application of two different sized chain wheels b¹ both on
the crank and the driving-wheel axle and so arranged that by pressure of the foot
of the rider on the pins or (the levers d d' acting as a medium) either the

page_text: shoulder for f¹ engages with one of the recesses 9 g or g¹g₁of the chain-wheels b b¹
whereby the corresponding wheel is made to work, while the other is running
loose.
ul
"
1000
WALTER BRIERLEY.