BICYCLES." "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hall at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1880.
JOSEPH HALL, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
BICYCLES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN
'This Invention relates to improvements in bicycles, and has for its object an
improved mode of, or mechanism for, imparting to the main wheel of the said
bicycle a speed greater than that of the crank shaft (or first motion shaft),
modifications of the said improvements admitting of the main wheel of the said.
bicycle being driven at the same or a less speed than the crank shaft or first
motion shaft.
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My improvements consist in extending each side of the fork of the bicycle
beyond the centre of the main wheel, the said extension of the fork being cranked,
raked, or set at an angle to the upper part thereof, or otherwise; the extended
portion of the fork being either solid, or being forked, or otherwise so formed as to
carry a wheel or wheels, pulley or pullies, with axle and crank.
On the axle of the main wheel is fixed one or more wheels corresponding to the
wheel or wheels on the crank axle carried in the extended portion of the fork, the
said wheels (in pairs) being of a size proportionate to the required variations in
speed between the crank (and pedal) and the main wheel of the bicycle.
The wheel or, wheels on the crank shaft can rotate the wheel or wheels which
are fixed on the axle of the main wheel by means of an ordinary strap, or by
means of a perforated. steel band working on studs or projections on the pair of
wheels, or the said pair of wheels may be ordinary spur wheels, or ordinary plain
or geared friction wheels.
In carrying my improvements into effect the main or large wheel of the bicycle
can be made smaller than the wheels of ordinary bicycles, and equal or greater
speed be attained therewith; the pedal and crank will be fixed on the axle of the
wheel in the extended portion of the fork and below the axle of the main wheel;"

page_text: the wheel on the pedal and crank shaft (rotated by the foot of the rider) will rotate
the wheel fixed on the axle of the main or large wheel, and by proportioning the
size of the driving wheels the main wheel can be made to rotate twice to the pedal
or crank shaft once, or any desired variation in the speeds thereof can be made, as is
done in ordinary gearing employed for other purposes.
If only one variation of speed between the pedal shaft and main wheel is
required, one pair of driving wheels only will be employed, and if two variations of
speeds are required two pairs of wheels will be employed, the one pair of wheels
being out of gear or disconnected whilst the second pair is in use.
As a further modification a spur wheel can be fixed on the crank shaft and drive
a spur wheel fixed on the shaft of the main wheel by means of an intermediate
spur wheel rotating freely in bearings on the fork, by which arrangement the main
wheel of the bicyclo will rotate in the same direction as the crank shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th November
1880.
JOSEPH HALL, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
BICYCLES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to improvements in bicycles, and has for its object an
improved mode of, or mechanism for, imparting to the main wheel of the said
bicycle a speed greater than that of the crank shaft (or first motion shaft),
modifications of the said improvements admitting of the main wheel of the said
bicycle being driven at the same or a less speed than the crank shaft or first
motion shaft.
My improvements consist in extending each side of the "fork" of the bicycle
beyond the centre of the main wheel, the said extension of the fork being cranked,
raked, or set at an angle to the upper part thereof, the extended portion of the
fork being either solid, or being forked, or otherwise so formed as to carry a wheel
or wheels, pulley or pullies, with axle and crank, the said wheel or pulley wheels
or pulleys driving the main wheel.
On the axle of the main wheel is fixed one or more wheels corresponding to the
wheel or wheels on the crank axle (carried in the extended portion of the fork), the
said wheels (in pairs) being of a size proportionate to the required variations in
speed between the crank (and pedal) and the main wheel of the bicycle.
The wheel or wheels on the crank shaft can rotate the wheel or wheels which
are fixed on the axle of the main wheel by means of an ordinary strap, or by
means of a perforated steel band working on studs or projections on the pair of
wheels, or the said pair of wheels may be ordinary spur wheels, or ordinary plain
or geared friction wheels.

page_text: In carrying my improvements into effect the main or large wheel of the bicycle.
can be made smaller than the wheels of ordinary bicycles, and equal or greater
speed be attained therewith; the pedal and crank will be fixed on the axle of the
wheel in the extended portion of the 'fork and below the axle of the main wheel;
the wheel on the pedal and crank shaft (rotated by the foot of the rider) will rotate
the wheel fixed on the axle of the main or large wheel, and by proportioning the
size of the driving wheels the main wheel can be made to rotate twice to the pedal
or crank shaft once, or any desired variation in the speeds thereof can be made, as
is done in ordinary gearing employed for other purposes.
If only one variation of speed between the pedal shaft and main wheel is
required, one pair of driving wheels can or will be employed, and if two variations of
speeds are required two pairs of wheels can or will be employed, the one pair of
wheels being out of gear or disconnected whilst the second pair is in use.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a part
end view in elevation of a bicycle constructed according to my Invention. A is the
main axle; F is the fork extended beyond the main axle A, as shown at F1; B is
the crank or pedal axle, and C an intermediate axle, both carried by and rotating
in the extended fork F'; the main axle A'carries a spur wheel D, the intermediate
axle C carries a spur pinion H, and the crank axle B carries a spur wheel G; the
wheels G and D and the pinion H being geared into one another, and being so
proportioned in size as that the main wheel J will be driven by them at a greater
speed than the crank axle B and wheel G, which are rotated by the foot of the
rider. The use of the intermediate pinion H allows of the main wheel J moving in
the same direction as the pedal and foot of the rider.
Fig. 3 shows a modification of my improvements as firstly described, in which
the intermediate axle C carries a second, pinion K, and the main axle A carries a
second spur wheel L, the spur wheels D₁ and L being made to slide on a key or
feather so as to be geared alternately into the pinion H and pinion K (D into H and
L into K), by which two variations in the relative speeds of the crank or pedal
axle B and main wheel J (fixed on the axle A, as Fig. 1) can be attained.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of my improvements as firstly described, in
which the main axle A is driven by a pulley D', strap or band M, and pulley G₁
on the pedal or crank axle B; the pulleys D¹ and G₁ and the band M may be plain,
or the said pulleys may have projections, and the strap or band M may havo
corresponding perforations, the one fitting into the other.
Fig. 5 shows a further modification of my improvements, in which an internal
spur wheel N is carried by the pedal or crank axle B, and a pinion O carried by
the main axle A, the said wheel and pinion being geared into one another and
driving the main wheel J (on the main axle A, Fig. 1).
The wheels and pinions G, D, H, G, H, K, N, O, and pulleys G¹, D¹, are fixed
securely to their axles, and the wheels D" and L slide laterally on keys or feathers,
and are so fitted as that they rotate the main axle A when they are themselves
rotated by the pinions H¹ and K. Any ordinary arrangement of mechanism to
controll the position of the sliding wheels D and L can be employed, as now used
for similar gearing for other purposes.
In the above descriptions one side only of the bicycle is referred to as being
fitted with my improvements, but the same arrangement of mechanism is fitted to
both sides of the bicycle.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly,―
Driving the main wheel of the bicycle indirectly by the pedal through a spur
wheel on the axle of the said pedal, an intermediate pinion on an intermediato
axle, and a spur wheel on the main axle, the said wheels and pinion being carried

page_text: in or on an extension of the bicycle fork, as herein before described in reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, and for the purpose of driving the
main or large wheel of the bicycle at a speed greater than, and in the same direction
as, the pedal or crank axle.
Secondly,―
A modification of.the above firstly described improvements, in which two wheels
of varying diameter are fitted to the main axle, on which they slide so as to gear
into pinions of varying diameter on the intermediate axle, so that two variations in
the relative speeds of the pedal and main wheel are attained, as herein before
described in reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly,―
A modification of the above firstly described improvements, in which the main
wheel is driven by a plain pulley on the pedal axle and a strap or band rotating a
plain pulley on the main axle of the bicycle, as described in reference to Fig. 4 in
the accompanying Drawings, and as a further modification the employment of
similar pulleys with projections and a strap or band with corresponding
perforations..
Fourthly,
A modification of the improvements above firstly described, in which the main
wheel is driven by an internal spur wheel fixed on the pedal axle which rotates an
ordinary external pinion on the main axle, as described in reference to Fig. 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
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