Improvements in connection with Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1897
Improvements in connection with Cycles.
I, ALFRED RICHARDS, of 1, Clift Terrace, Wood Road, Pontypridd, in the County
of Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in connection with cycles by which
I dispense with the usual bottom bracket cranks and driving chain and bring the
rider directly over the pedals.
In carrying my invention into practice I mount a spur wheel on each side of the
back wheel axle, each of which gears into an internally toothed wheel or its equiva-
lent mounted on an axle secured to that part of the frame of the machine which
supports the back wheel and pivotted to these internally toothed wheels are two
levers. On one end of each of these levers the pedals are mounted, the other ends
being pivotted to two short levers. The other ends of these short levers are pivotted
to the ends of the frame which support the back wheel, these ends being cranked
upwards for that purpose. I secure the top tube of my frame to the ball head by the
usual lug which tightens or holds the handle bar; the other end of this tube is left
open so as to form a receptacle for the inflater or the like, and that part of the frame
which is attached to the bottom part of the ball head I form fork shape for the wheel
to pass between, and bend it round the ball head to which it is secured. The back
part of the frame which supports one end of the top tube is formed so that one
portion telescopes into the other so as to raise or lower the saddle which is fixed
on the top tube and is held in position by a suitable lug attached to the back stays.
The stem of the handle bar which fits into the ball head I crank or bend outwards
or forwards which gives the rider better control over the steering wheel.
Dated this 14th day of June 1897
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.
Improvements in connection with Cycles.
I, ALFRED RICHARDS, of 1, Clift Terrace, Wood Road, Pontypridd, in the County
of Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object improvements in connection with cycles by which

page_text: I dispense with the usual bottom bracket cranks and driving
rider directly over the pedals.
In carrying my invention into practice I mount a spur wheel on each side of the
back wheel axle each of which gears into an internally toothed wheel or its equiva-
lent mounted on an axle secured to that part of the frame of the machine which
supports the back wheel and pivotted to these internally toothed wheels are two
levers. On one end of each of these levers the pedals are mounted the other ends
being pivotted to two short levers. The other ends of these short levers are pivotted
to the ends of the frame which support the back wheel, these ends being cranked
upwards for that purpose. I secure the top tube of my frame to the ball head by the 10
usual lug which tightens or holds the handle bar the other end of this tube is left
open so as to form a receptacle for the inflater or the like and that part of the frame
which is attached to the bottom part of the ball head I form fork shape for the wheel
to pass between and bend it round the ball head to which it is secured. The back
part of the frame which supports one end of the top tube is formed so that one 1
portion telescopes into the other so as to raise or lower the saddle which is fixed
on the top tube and is held in position by a suitable lug attached to the back stays.
The stem of the handle bar which fits into the ball head I crank or bend outwards
or forwards, which gives the rider better control over the steering wheel.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried 2
into practical effect I have appended hereunto two double sized sheets of drawings
upon which I have illustrated my improvements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a velocipede made according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 shewing a modification of my invention.
In carrying my invention into practice I mount a spur wheel W (the teeth of
which may be formed of balls or rollers mounted on pivots fixed to the flanges
of the wheels or the teeth may be ordinary sprocket teeth) on each side of the axle
of the back wheel W¹ and these spur wheels gear into two internally toothed
wheels W mounted on separate axles on either side of that portion of the frame
of the machine which supports the back wheel W¹. Pivotted eccentrically at a¹ to
the outer face of each of these internally toothed wheels are the levers or driving
The other ends of
cranks A. to the ends a² of which the pedals P are mounted.
these levers or driving cranks are pivotted to the ends of the short connecting
levers B and the opposite ends of these connecting levers are pivotted to the ends fl
of that part of the frame which helps to support the back wheel these ends being
cranked upwards as shewn for that purpose. The top tube f2 of the frame of my
velocipede is fixed to the lug s¹ of the ball head or steering socket S by the
screwed pin which tightens the lug for holding the handle bar in position and the
bottom tube f3 or that part of the frame which is attached to the bottom part of
the ball head or steering socket S I form fork shape at the part where the back
wheel passes between, from a single piece of tube and bend it around that part of
the ball head or steering socket and secure it by brazing or other means.
back stays of my frame are formed in two parts f* and f5 and the parts f³ telescope
into the parts + and are held in position by the clips for their equivalents by
which means I am enabled to raise or lower the saddle H which is secured to the
top tube by the clip h¹. The stays f" which support the ends f¹ of the tube f³ are
fixed at their other ends to the clip f. The back end of the top tube f is lef
open so as to form a receptacle for the inflator or the like. The stem n¹ of the
handle bar N which fits into the steering socket is cranked or bent forwards o
outwards by which means the rider obtains better control over the steering wheel
At Figure 2 I have shewn a modified form of my velocipede. In this case
form the frame of wood and metal instead of metal tubing. The top rail which
slightly cranked for strengthening purposes is fixed to the steering socket
in the same manner as previously described and the bottom rail which is straigh
and not cranked and the lower ends as shewn at Figure 1 is fixed by suitable cli
to the bottom lug of the steering socket. I also provide the strengthening stay
The

page_text: one end of which is fixed to the steering socket and the other end to another
strengthening stay which is fixed to the bottom bar and to the back stays.
These back forks are connected at their upper ends to the rear end of the top bar j¹
and at their lower ends to the bracket K to which the fork ends of the bottom rail
are also secured. These back stays may be formed in two parts as shewn at
Figure 1 and telescope one into the other for regulating the height of the saddle.
The strengthening bars j are connected to the back stays by the brackets k¹ and
at their other ends by the brackets to the stays to which the connecting
levers B are pivotted, these stays 7 also support one end of the mudguard L the
other end of which is supported by the stay 4. The levers or driving cranks A are
pivotted eccentrically to the internally toothed wheels W2 but these toothed wheels
are mounted at the rear of the spur wheel W instead of in front as shewn at
Figure 1.
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:-
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements in connection with cycles consisting essentially in
the levers for driving cranks such as A pivotted at their ends to the connecting
levers B and pivotted eccentrically to the internally toothed wheels such as W
gearing with the spur wheels W mounted on the spindle of the wheel in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before described and as shewn
on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Second: In cycles connecting the bottom tube f3 which is fork shaped at its
lower end to the steering socket in the manner substantially as herein set forth
and as shewn at Figure 1.
Third In cycles forming the back stays such as f* and fō so as to telescope one
into the other in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth
and as shewn upon the drawings.
Fourth In cycles cranking or bending the stem of the handle bar, outwards
or forwards in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth
and as shewn at Figure 1.
1000
ALFRED RICHARDS,
By George Barker,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.