Improvement in Bicycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1895-Accepted, 3rd July, 1896
Improvement in Bicycles.
I, HANS BRINGS, Manufacturer of Appellhofplatz 14, at Cologne in the
Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia 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 :-
Manufacturers have for a long time endeavoured to produce a bicycle, which will
make it possible for the bicyclist to go uphill with a smaller expenditure of power,
and to go downhill on the other hand without using the treadles at all, i.e. without
any motion of the legs. Up to the present however all these attempts have failed
either because the constructions chosen were of too bulky a size, thus taking up
too much room and widening the bicycle too much and making it thereby or by
projecting parts uncomfortable for the bicyclist; or they became too heavy so
that the bicyclist had to do with a very heavy wheel.
My improvement which is represented in the annexed drawing, attains the object
aimed at, without showing any of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the whole of the construction,
coming into consideration, along the axle of the treadle-crank, Fig 2 shows a
cross-section hereto x-y, in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 the most essential parts of the
machine serving the object aimed at, are shown in detail, while in Figs. 8, 9
and 10 the position and situation of the chief parts with regard to each other
for the different motions of the chain driving wheel situated on the treadle-crank
shaft are drawn.
All the chief parts are mounted centrally and dust-tight in the bed D con-
taining the treadle-crank shaft A and with its radial-like joints B B₁ B,, the
different main-tube-joints C C, C, of the bicycle-frame. For this purpose the
shaft A is provided at the one end behind the pin a₁ for the treadle-crank E with
a band b, and at the other end with an exterior screw-thread c, behind the pin a
for the treadle-crank E,; then a box F is pushed over along the screw-thread end
as far as the band b. This box F forms by means of the flange d and the edges ei
and e, bearings for the balls k and k₁, namely one between b, d, and ₁ and one
between d, e, and the closing-ring G, which is screwed into bed D that is open on
this side. The driving chain-wheel H is screwed on to e₁. The bed D has at the
end lying near Ca receding bottom f, formed in the shape of a marginal ring, and
at the exterior side of which a bearing is formed for the balls k, by the screwing
on of a form-ring g which is secured by a lock-nut h.
The following parts are situated in the space formed by the bed D, its bottom f
and the closing-ring G. First of all a box J (Fig. 5) wedged in on the shaft A.
This box is provided at the one end with a massive collar m and touches the box F
serving as a stop and guide to it, and at the other end with a diminished exterior
screw-thread (Fig. 5). On the part of this box J, which is near to 1, there is
mounted with the inner ring-flange n a cylinder K, on the inner surface of which
there is formed on the one hand by the flange and on the other hand by the
ring L which is pushed in from the other side and then secured by screws or pins o
(or else by soldering on) a guide-groove p, which at one part of the circumference
(at p₁ in Fig. 4) approaches the rim of K, which is turned away from n, thus

page_text: forming a shaft with rounded point. The ring-collar m of the box J is provided
with a number (here 7) of perforations q (Fig. 5) in which fit pins (Fig. 6).
The pins terminate at the one end in a tooth-shaped point r, and have at the
other end a hollow t₁ (Fig. 6) into which a ball k, catches. (Figs. 1 and 4.)
Each pin M has at the one side a gap t corresponding to the breadth of the ring L
and catches with the exterior projection t₁, the edge of which is rounded off
towards t, and which remains over below t, into the groove p, while L lays itself in
the gaps t and thereby prevents each pin M from turning about its axis.
On the box F there is mounted so as to be able to rotate a form-piece N (Fig. 7)
which is provided with a number of teeth u (in this case 9) on the surface facing
the points of the pins M, the interstices of which can engage with the pins M, so
that in a certain manner a toothing coupling is formed. The peculiar feature of
this coupling is that only one tooth M at a time-i.e. the one which has its foot-end
in the point of the recess in the groove p,-catches into the gaps of the
toothed-rim on the form-piece N, and thus takes effect, and that one, according as
is desired, can always keep the same tooth M at the same place and make it engage
there, or one can make each tooth M one after the other enter into and engage
the recess of the groove p. On this rests the alternating effect of this arrangement.
If, for instance, the box J is turned with the shaft A, the former takes along with
it by means of that pin or tooth, which projects from it at the time, the toothed-
rim N and thereby also the box F together with the chain-wheel H fastened on it,.
if N and F are firmly connected together. But if by some suitable arrangement
the box K is held fast to the bed D, so that K cannot rotate along with the rest,
the pins M are forced to move by the rotation with their foot-projections t₁ in the
groove p so as to project alternately the one after the other, and engage one after
the other the toothed-rim of N and turn round the latter a little; now, on account
of the above-mentioned proportion of 7 pins M to 9 teeth u, the chain-wheel H
will only make of a revolution, in the time, that the shaft A makes a whole
revolution. The proportion of the number of teeth may be altered according to
the desired number of revolutions, and either more or less pins M and teeth u may
be arranged.
As a means for connecting N and F with each other, in the present case a
spring has been chosen, which, being secured at the one end to N by means of
a screw v or in some other suitable manner, catches with the hook-shaped turned
back other end W through an opening in the side of N and enters into a corre-
sponding opening of F and takes the latter along with it, which position is shown
by Figs. 2 and 7. The spring is arranged in such a manner, that it is raised out
of the opening in F by the engagement below of a diminished ring P (Figs. 1, 2, 7
and 8) which is attached to a moveable bolt Q (Figs. 1 and 7) guided in the bed D.
The mechanism is intended to have this position on going down hill, since then
'the connection between the chain-wheel H and treadle-axle A is severed, so that
the chain-wheel, which is driven round by the road-wheels can turn without the
axle A and with it the treadles E, E, moving, so that the bicyclist can keep his legs
still and rest.
This position is marked in Fig. 3, the rod R which is moveably guided on the
support-rod C, being raised, and the angle S being thereby diminished.
If the bolt Q is now pushed forward until P ceases to engage the spring O, the
latter will effect a connection between N and F. Then the angle S assumes the
position drawn in Fig. 1, when the rod R however does not yet with its lower end
reach as far as into the opening; of the ring-piece K.
In this position the chain-wheel H is turned round once at each rotation of the
cranks and this is the ordinary position and velocity.
If R is pressed downwards still further, it enters into the opening ; of the
ring-piece K and holds the latter fast, thus causing slower rotation of the
chain-wheel than of the crank-axle. This position drawn in Fig. 1 is used in going
uphill.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
Improvement in bicycles-consisting of the following four parts inside the
bed D.
1. The box F bearing the chain-wheel H loosely on the treadle-axle A.
2. The box J connected with the axle A, and in the holes of which are
tooth-pegs M.
3. The cylinder K moveably mounted about J and capable of being rigidly
connected by means of pin R with bed D when desired, there being a guide-
groove p for the lower ends of the tooth-pegs mounted in J, formed on the inner
surface of K.
4. The form-piece N, provided with a toothed-rim, which according to desire-
can be rigidly connected with F and be separated from it, and the teeth which.
engage the tooth pegs M.
Dated this 24th dow of Inno 1805
For HANS BRINGS,
Bernhard Brockhues.