Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY FAWCETT of Kidderminster in the County of Worcester, Carpet Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide velocipedes or other vehicles with
means of storing up a reserve power which can be brought into play in ascending
hills or at other times at the will of the rider and the invention consists in the
employment of one or more springs which when wound up or put into a state of
tension constitute a power which will begin to act whenever the rider or driver
releases a suitable retaining device. In the preferred arrangement of my invention
the springs are connected with the brake so that the latter when in action winds
up the spring or springs or puts them in tension, the springs themselves being
practically the brake or retarding power; the force which has hitherto been wasted
or dissipated in the use of the brake is therefore utilized. Instead of or in addition
to the use of the brake when in action to wind up the spring or springs or put
them in tension, I provide for winding them up or putting them in tension by hand
or any available power when the vehicle is at rest or by hand or other motion of
the body when the vehicle is running.
The spring or springs are preferably placed upon the main axle of the vehicle.
A suitable arrangement is one in which several springs are so connected with or
placed contiguous to each other that when the first has been wound up to a
sufficient degree the next begins to wind and so on. The unwinding can be
prevented by means of a ratchet wheel and paul or other convenient device until
released by the rider or driver. Another suitable arrangement consists of a series
of spring blades or plates on one portion of the axle tree which is made double and
of a corresponding series of wedges or inclines on the other portion of the axle
these wedges or inclines when put into action gradually force out or other-
wise act upon the spring blades so that these tend to return to their normal
position and will gradually do so as soon as released, thus giving out a power to be
utilized according to my invention.
tree;

page_text: I HENRY FAWCETT, of Kidderminster in the County of Worcester, Carpet Manu-
facturer 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 object of my invention is to provide velocipedes or other vehicles with
means of storing up a reserve power which can be brought into play, in ascending
hills.or at other times, at the will of the rider and the invention consists in the
employment of one or more springs which, when wound up or put into a state of
tension, constitute a power which will begin to act whenever the rider, or driver,
releases a suitable retaining device. In the preferred arrangement of my invention
the springs serve as a brake and, when put in action as such, they become wound
up or put in tension; force which has hitherto been wasted or dissipated in the use
of the brake is therefore utilized. Instead of or in addition to winding up the
spring or springs or putting them in tension by using them as a brake I may
provide for winding them up or putting them in tension by hand or any available
power when the vehicle is at rést or by hand or other motion of the body when the
vehicle is running.
A suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention is one in which several
springs are so connected with or placed contiguous to each other that when the
first has been wound up to a sufficient degree the next may be caused to wind and
so on. The unwinding can be prevented by means of a ratchet wheel and paul, or
other convenient device, until released by the rider or driver.
This arrangement is represented in Figures 1 to 6 of the annexed drawings
which show as much of a tricycle as is necessary for the purpose of illustrating the
invention. Figure 1 is a vertical section of part of the tricycle in the line of the
main axle. Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 a section on the line 1----1 of
Figure 1. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are detail views.
a is the fixed axle of the machine b is the wheel thereon. The driving wheel
is on the other end of the axle. The boss or nave c of the wheel b is formed with
a sleeve or extension d which rotates with the wheel upon the axle a. On the
sleeve d are keyed three double pinions e¹e that is to say, pinions each com-
bining in itself two concentric pinions of different diameters; mounted loosely on
the same sleeve are three boxes f¹ f' f³ containing springs g (see Figure 4); these
boxes are formed externally as toothed wheels, and they have also internally
toothed flanges ¹³. In gear with the larger diameters of the pinions e¹, e³ ³
respectively are three pinions k¹ (see Figure 5) carried by arms h¹ h³ h³ extending
from collars mounted on the rod j; these collars can be moved by means of
levers a short distance on the rod j so as to put the pinions k¹ into or out of
gear with the internally toothed flanges as required; these levers lead to
points within reach of the rider. On the boxes f¹ få f³ respectively are ratchet
wheels m¹ m³ m³ into which the ends of spring bolts or pauls n¹ n² n³ take; these
bolts or pauls are connected by rods or otherwise with handles within reach of the

page_text: rider. On a shaft x supported by brackets y from the axle a are keyed three
wheels o¹ o os in gear respectively with the smaller diameters of the pinions e¹ e es
which therefore normally drive the said wheels, and on the same shaft are three
pinions pl p² p³ which can be moved to a certain extent lengthwise on the shaft by
means of clutches q'q³ ³ actuated by a sliding barr so as to put these pinions.
into and out of gear, as required, with the external teeth of the boxes fi f2 fs
respectively. The bar is connected by rods or otherwise with a handle within
reach of the rider; by moving the handle to a certain extent the pinion p¹ is first
put into gear; by moving the handle to a further extent the pinion p³ is next put
into gear and by moving it still further the pinion p³ is next put into gear.
↑
Normally the pinions are not in gear with the internal teeth or wheels ¹¹³
and the pinions p² p³ p³ are not in gear with the external teeth on f¹ƒ ƒ³. When
the rider wishes to wind up the springs so as to store power and also at the same
time use the springs as a brake he first moves the first pinion into gear with the
wheel or toothed flange ¹; the pinion k', which receives motion from the larger
diameter of the pinion e¹, thus imparts rotation to the box f¹ and thereby winds
up the spring;, rotation of the box f¹ in the reverse direction is prevented by the
bolt or paul n¹ taking into the ratchet wheel m¹. When the spring in the box f¹
has been wound up the first pinion ¹ is moved out of gear with the wheel &¹ and
the next corresponding pinion is put into gear with the wheel whereby the
box f is caused to rotate and the spring therein wound up; in like manner the
spring in box f is in turn wound up, and the three springs are thus ready to give
out their stored power when required. When this reserve power is to be brought
into play the pinion p¹ is put into gear with the external teeth of f1 and. the
bolt n is freed from the ratchet wheel m¹. The box f¹ being now free to be
rotated the spring g therein causes it to turn in the reverse direction to that in
which it turned while the spring was being wound up. This rotation or power is
transmitted by the wheels and pinions p¹, o and e' to the sleeve d and therefore to
the wheel b. In like manner the power of the springs in the boxes f' and f' is in
turn utilized through the corresponding gearing.
Another suitable arrangement consists of spring blades or plates on the axle and
of corresponding excentrics or cams which when put into action gradually force out
or otherwise act upon the spring blades so that these tend to return to their normal
position and will gradually do so as soon as released thus giving out a power to
be utilized according to my invention.
This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 7 to 10. On a sleeve or collar d
forming an extension of the nave or boss c of the wheel b I key a toothed wheel e.
On a shaft x supported by brackets y from the axle a is keyed a pinion o which
can be put into gear with the wheel e as required by shifting the pinion by means
of a clutch and lever. On the shaft x is also keyed a wheel p which is in gear
with a pinion f on the axle a. Cast with or fixed to the pinion f is a double cam
or excentric 8 (see Figures 9 and 10) grooved at its periphery and in the groove
ride anti-friction rollers t t on the ends of spring blades or plates g, g whose other
ends are fixed to a boss u on the axle a. Normally the wheels and pinions e and o
are not in gear and the rollers t, t lie in the parts of the excentrics that are nearest
the centre. When it is required to put the springs in tension the wheel e and
pinion o are put into gear and then the rotation of the wheel b will be transmitted
to the excentrics which gradually force the springs into the position seen in
Figure 8. The wheel e and pinion o are then put out of gear and a bolt n drops
into a tooth or recess m on the excentric. The springs g, g are thus ready to give
up their stored power when required. When this reserve power is to be brought
into play the bolt n is freed from the recess m and the wheels and pinions put into
gear; the springs will now apply their power to turn the excentric in the same
direction as before and this power will be transmitted to the wheel b. I have
shown only one pair of spring blades or plates g g and one set of toothed gearing
but if desired and as I prefer another similar pair of springs and set of toothed
gearing would be arranged at another part of the axle a to be put into and out of

page_text: tension respectively either at the same time as those described or preferably either
before or after them.
It is not intended to dispense with the ordinary brakes.
I have not thought it necessary to describe any special means for winding up
the springs or putting them in tension except by motion obtained from the wheel b
but it is obvious that arrangements can readily be provided for winding them up
by hand or otherwise when the vehicle is at rest or by hand or other motion of the
body when the vehicle is running. Other forms of spring than those shown may
be employed.
Although specially applicable to tricycles it is obvious that my invention can be
applied to other vehicles.
A characteristic feature of my invention is that the mechanism is so arranged
that the several springs are wound up or put into tension one after another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. Fitting velocipedes or other vehicles with two or more springs and with
mechanism so arranged in connection therewith that the springs are wound up or
put in tension one after another, the said springs when thus wound up or put in
tension constituting a reserve power which can be brought into use by releasing
suitable retaining devices, all substantially as set forth.
2. The arrangement substantially as represented in Figures 1 to 6 and herein-
before described.
3. The arrangement substantially as represented in Figures 7 to 10 and herein-
before described.