MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES.
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Nobbs at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 8th May 1876.
JOHN HENRY NOвES, of Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES.
"
" IMPROVE-
This Invention consists in constructing velocipedes in the following manner :-
The velocipede is constructed with two wheels of the bicycle kind, namely, one
large wheel in front and a small one behind; and the feature of novelty in this
Invention consists in propelling the velocipede by mechanism arranged, combined,
and actuated as follows:-
At each side of the ordinary fork-shaped piece which carries the seat of the
velocipede, and also the axle of the large front wheel thereof, I fix a ratchet wheel,
into the teeth of which a pawl takes, the said pawls being attached by one end to
two separate circular plates or discs of metal mounted loosely on the axle of the
before-mentioned large wheel, close against the outermost side of each of the afore-
said ratchet wheels, with which they should be kept in contact to ensure the
aforesaid pawls taking into the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels at the
proper times. A projecting cranked arm or stirrup is fixed to or formed upon the
outer side of each of the aforesaid discs of metal for the feet of the rider to press
upon for propelling the velocipede, and there are springs connected to the said
arms or dises for lifting up the said arms when the pressure of the fect is removed
therefrom. Guts or strings are fixed by one end to the edges of two other discs
placed by the side of the former discs, and the other and upper ends of the said
guts or strings are connected to a metal loop, which passes over a pin forming a
part of the framing, to which the seat of the velocipedo is affixed. This scat, unlike
other velocipedes, is mounted on an upright pivot fixed to the ordinary curved
piece of metal which carries the back wheel of the velocipede.
The intention of this Invention being that the seat should rock or move up and
down on the said pivot by the action of the rider, who for that purpose is required
to rise from his seat after the manner of riding on horseback in trotting.
The steering of the velocipede may be effected in the ordinary wny.
To propel a velocipedo constructed as above described the rider in the first
instance presses his feet upon the stirrups or cranked arms before mentioned, at the
samo time rising from his seat, thus throwing the weight of his body on the
stirrups or arms, which descend and advance the wheel of the velocipede only part
of a revolution, say, a few inches, during this time tho front of the seat will descend
Price 2dl

page_text: on its pivot; this done the rider lowers himself in his seat and ceases to press
with his feet, the effect of which is to press down the seat and pull up the aforesaid
guts, and thus assist in turning round the axle and wheel of the velocipede, and
impart rotatory motion to the wheels thereof, and so on successively.
By this Invention it will be seen that the stirrups or arms on which the rider
presses his feet to propel the velocipede do not rotate as in ordinary velocipedes,
but simply move up and down, as before described.