IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: We JOHN KEEN of Surbiton in the County of Surrey, Cycle Maker and
WILLIAM MOWILLIAM of 59 and 60 Chancery Lane, in the Parish of St. Andrews;
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Secretary do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES," to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to a method of gearing up the driving wheels of bicycles
and tricycles for increasing the speed of the wheel or wheels with respect to the
axle thereof. As our invention is more specially adapted for bicycles we will
describe it as applied to such. In its application to tricycles and other velocipedes,
the parts will require to be constructed and arranged to suit the various different
types of machines to which it may be applied.
In applying our invention to bicycles we proceed as follows:-We take a bicycle
constructed on the usual and ordinary lines, except as regards the driving wheel
and its axle, which are constructed and arranged as follows:-We mount in the
ordinary bearings at the fork ends a plain axle, carrying at its free ends cranks,
fitted with pedals, both of the ordinary type. On this axle we mount eccentrically,
the hub of the wheel which is constructed of a hollow sleeve carrying at each end a
flange to receive the spokes of the wheel, and in the centre of its length a circular
box or chamber carrying on its inner side two annular flanges, each provided with
a ring of external teeth. The two flanges do not meet by about of an inch,
for purpose that will presently be made clear. For convenience in construction
I prefer to make the hub of the wheel in two parts, joined together in the centre of
the circular box, or chamber, the box being provided with small external flanges by
which the two parts may be screwed together. On the centre of the axle is keyed
a disc carrying a circumferential flange on each side of it which flanges are each
provided with a ring of internal teeth, which gear with the external teeth on the
flanges on the box or chamber on the hub, due to the eccentricity. of the hub with
respect to the axle; the clearance between the two flanges of teeth allowing the
disc to pass between them.
To keep the wheel running eccentric with the axle, it is supported at each end
by three coned rollers one of which is loosely mounted on the axle and the other
two are carried on studs or pins from the sides of the forks and are adjustable

page_text: therewith so as to take up any slackness due to wear. The three rollers form
three points of a triangle the apex of which is the driving axle. The eccentricity
of the hub may be either above or below the axle as found most convenient, but
we prefer to place it above, in which case the weight of the machine is borne
principally on the two coned rollers at the top of each side of the hub, and in this
case we sometimes dispense with the rollers on the axle and allow it to be in
contact with the inner side of the hub, as the friction between them will be but
slight, owing to them both revolving in the same direction at very nearly the same
speed.
The amount to which the driving wheel will be geared up, depends entirely
upon the number of teeth, on the wheel fixed to the axle, and in the rings of teeth
on the hub of the wheel, which may be proportioned as desired.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: арготетени дани гегалц
We JOHN KEEN of Surbiton in the County of Surrey, Cycle Maker, and
WILLIAM MOWILLIAM of 59 and 60 Chancery Lane, in the Parish of St. Andrews,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Secretary, 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:-
Our invention relates to a method of gearing up the driving wheels of bicycles,
and tricycles, for increasing the speed of the wheel, or wheels, with respect to the
axle thereof. As our invention is more specially adapted for bicycles we will
describe it as applied to such. In its application to tricycles and other velocipedes,
the parts will require to be constructed and arranged to suit the various different
types of machines to which it may be applied.
In applying our invention to bicycles we proceed as follows:-We take a bicycle
constructed on the usual and ordinary lines, except as regards the driving wheel
and its axle, which are constructed and arranged as follows:-We mount in
bearings at the fork ends a plain axle carrying at its free ends cranks, fitted with
pedals, both of the ordinary type. On this axle we mount eccentrically, the hub of
the wheel, which is constructed of a hollow sleeve carrying at each end a flange to
receive the spokes of the wheel, and in the centre of its length a circular box, or
chamber, carrying on its inner side two flanges, each provided with a ring of
external teeth. The two flanges may either form part of the box, or chamber, or
they may be fixed thereto, and are arranged so that they do not come together,
but leave a space between them for a purpose that will presently be made clear.
For convenience in construction we prefer to make the hub of the wheel in two
parts, joined together in the centre of the circular box, or chamber, the box being
provided with small external flanges by which the two parts may be screwed
together. On the centre of the axle is keyed a disc having teeth formed on each
side of it which gear with the teeth on the flanges on the box or chamber of the
hub, due to the eccentricity of the hub with respect to the axle; the clearance
between the two flanges of teeth allowing the disc to pass between them.
To keep the wheel running eccentric with the axle it is supported at each end by
ball, or other suitable antifrictional, bearings which are adjustable so as to take up
any slackness due to wear. The eccentricity of the hub may be either above or
below the axle as found most convenient, but we prefer to place it above.
In order that our invention may be fully understood we will more particularly
describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which similar parts are
marked with like letters of reference.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation partly in section of our improved gearing as applied to
a bicycle, and Fig. 2, is a side elevation thereof half in section through the box or
chamber in the middle of the hub of the wheel.
Referring to these Figures, A designates the driving axle running in ball
bearings B. B. mounted on the ends of the prongs C. C. of the fork carrying the
driving wheel. This axle is fitted with cranks D. D. and pedals all of the usual
E designates the hub of the wheel, which is made hollow and is provided at
kind.

page_text: its outer ends with flanges e. e. to receive the spokes of the wheel, & in the centre
of its length with a circular box or chamber e¹. For convenience in construction
we make the hub E in two parts joined together in the centre of the box e¹ each
part of which is provided with a flange e' by which the parts are fixed together by
the screws e e³ etc. The hub E runs on ball bearings B¹ B¹ formed around the
bearings B. B. carrying the axle A. Both the bearings B and B¹ are provided with
suitable means of adjustment, by which any slackness due to wear may be readily
taken up. G. G. designate the rings of teeth fixed to the inner sides of the
chamber e¹ and H designates the disc keyed, or otherwise fixed, on the axle A and
carrying on each side of it pin teeth h. h. etc. which gear with the rings of
teeth G. G.
It will be seen that when motion is imparted to the driving axle, an increased
velocity will be imparted to the driving wheel, owing to the number of teeth in the
rings G. G. being less than those on the disc H & it will be obvious that the driving
wheel may be geared up to equal any size of wheel by proportioning the number of
teeth carried by the hub, and the axle.
We are aware that eccentrics have already been used on velocipedes for the
purpose of causing one toothed wheel to gear with another in order to vary the
speed of the driving wheels with respect to the driving axle, and we therefore do
not broadly claim such an arrangement, but having now particularly described and
ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, we declare that what we claim is:-
First Mounting the driving wheel of a bicycle, and connecting it to the driving
axle, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described and shown.
Second: Mounting the driving wheel, or wheels, of a velocipede eccentric with
the driving axle thereof and forming a driving connection between them by means
of toothed wheels mounted and arranged in the centre of the wheel, or wheels, as
herein before set forth.
Third: A gearing for permanently increasing the speed of the driving wheel, or
wheels, of a velocipede, consisting essentially of the hollow hub E, the eccentric
bearings B¹, the box e¹, the rings or flanges of teeth G. the toothed disc H, and the
axle A, all combined arranged, and operating, as herein before set forth.
AL
·
1000
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Agent for the Applicants.