Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left 14th Oct. 1899-Accepted. 18th Nov., 1899
Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left 14th Oct. 1899-Accepted. 18th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Cycles.
We, WILLIAM ARTHUR PRICE, of 9, St. Paul's Square, in the City of Birming-
ham, Manufacturer, and SIDNEY PHILIP LEWIS, of 40, Armoury Road, Small
Heath, near Birmingham, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has relation to the driving mechanism of cycles, and has for its
object, to provide a simple, efficient and easily operated form of variable or two-
speed gear, which admits of either a high or a lower gear being employed accord-
ing to circumstances, and also of the pedals being held stationary (when a machine is
travelling down hill) to form rests for a riders feet, the driving wheels meantime
running free.
In carrying out one form of my invention as applied to a safety bicycle, I
propose to mount within the ordinary bottom bracket or crank axle bearing, a
spindle, having ordinary driving cranks at its opposite ends, and with the middle
part of the same being made of a square or other angular cross section, to receive a
clutch collar adapted to slide to and fro upon the said middle part of the spindle
in order to connect the same to either one or the other of a pair of loose cones,
encircling the spindle and having connected to their outer ends respectively a
large toothed driving wheel of the high gearing and the smaller toothed driving
wheel of the lower gearng, both the said wheels being in connection-by means
of ordinary drive chain-with suitable toothed wheels made fast to the opposite
ends of the rear or driven wheel hub, so that complete driving gear is provided
in duplicate upon each side of the machine. The inner faces of the loose cones
which carry the driving chain wheels run on suitable bearings in the casing of
the bottom bracket, and are recessed or gapped at their inner ends to receive
tongues or other projections on the opposed faces of the sliding clutch, it being
understood that sufficient clearance is left between the inner ends of the said
cones to admit of the said clutch being placed in an intermediate position and
clear of both of them.
The traversing of the clutch upon the spindle may be effected by the employ-
ment of a bell-crank lever pivoted to a member of the framing or other suitable
support, having at one end a rollered stud or equivalent passing through a slot
in the casing of the bottom bracket and engaging with the clutch, whilst the
other end is connected to a rod proceeding upwards to within convenient reach
of the rider and having upon it, a series of three notches, adapted to be engaged
by a spring or other catch for holding the rod in one or other of three positions.
When the clutch is in its intermediate position, clear of the cones, then on
rotating the spindle by the cranks no driving effort is imparted to either of the
chain wheels, which are free and by holding the pedals stationary, the machine
may run free down hill or along the level. By now traversing the clutch along
the spindle, it is made to engage the cone of, say, the low gear driving wheel,
to which the spindle is operatively connected and driving takes place through
the said wheel, the chain and the corresponding toothed wheel on the rear hub.

page_text: Motion is also communicated through the other hub wheel and chain to the high
gear driver, which however simply rotates idly around the spindle. Assuming the
rider requires to utilize his high gearing, the clutch is transferred from the low
gear cone to the high gear cone, whose driving wheel is thereby made fast to the
spindle and transmits the driving power whilst the low gear wheels are idle.
We wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact clutch
mechanism herein described for bringing either of the chain wheels into operative
connection with the spindle, nor to the means for traversing or otherwise operating
the clutch, as such movement may be imparted by screw, toothed or like
gear or suitably arranged levers or links.
Dated this 17th day of January 1899
WILLIAM ARTHUR PRICE,
SIDNEY PHILIP LEWIS.
By Henry Skerrett, Agent for Applicants.
We, WILLIAM ARTHUR PRICE, of 9, St. Paul's Square, in the City of Birming-
ham, Manufacturer, and SIDNEY PHILIP LEWIS, of 40, Armoury Road, Small
Heath, near Birmingham, aforesaid, Engineer, 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:-
This invention has relation to the driving mechanism of cycles, and has for its
object, to provide a simple, efficient and easily operated form of variable or two-
speed gear, which admits of either a higher or a lower gear being employed accord-
ing to circumstances, and also of the pedals being held stationary (when a
machine is travelling down hill or on the level) to form rests for a riders feet,
the driving wheels meantime running free.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a safety
bicycle provided with a two-speed change gear constructed, arranged and
operated in accordance with our invention.
Figure 2 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a transverse section of the bottom
bracket, showing the arrangement of the mechanism by which either the high
or the slow speed gear is thrown into operation, or both of them made inoperative
to disconnect the pedals from the driving gear when the machine is to run free.
The mechanism is shown in this view in the intermediate position in which it is
placed for freeing the pedals altogether from the driving gear.
Figure 3 is a similar view to that represented by Figure 2, but showing the
parts in the positions they assume when the high-speed driving wheel is opera-
tively connected with the crank axle and the low-speed gear is out of action.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
In carrying out this form of our invention as applied to a safety bicycle, we
propose to mount within the ordinary bottom bracket or crank axle bearing a, a
spindle b, having ordinary driving cranks c, at its opposite ends, and with the
middle part 6', of the same being made of a square or other angular cross section,
to receive a clutch collar d adapted to slide to and fro upon the said middle part
of the spindle in order to connect the same to either one or the other of a pair of
loose cones e, f, encircling the spindle and having connected to their outer ends
respectively, a large toothed driving wheel of the high-gearing g, and the smaller
toothed driving wheel h, of the lower gearing, both the said wheels being in

page_text: connection by means of ordinary drive chains g, h, with suitable toothed
wheels g, h, made fast to the opposite ends of the rear or driven wheel hub i,
so that complete driving gear is provided in duplicate upon each side of the
machine. The loose cones which carry the driving chain wheels run on suitable
bearings e, f, in the casing of the bottom bracket, and other bearings ef, are
introduced between them and the spindle to minimise the friction set up when
the said spindle is rotating within the out-of-action cone at a differential rate,
whilst the said cones are recessed or gapped at e³, f³, upon their inner ends to
receive tongues or other projections d', d, on the opposed faces of the sliding
clutch, it being understood that sufficient clearance is left between the inner
ends of the said cones to admit of the said clutch being placed in an inter-
mediate position and clear of both of them, as represented in Figure 2.
The traversing of the clutch upon the spindle may be effected by the employ-
ment of a double-armed bell-crank lever j, pivoted at j, to a member of the
framing or other suitable support, having at the end of one limb, a rollered
stud, or equivalent passing through a slot a', in the casing of the bottom
bracket and engaging with a circumferential groove ³, formed around the clutch,
whilst the arms, are respectively connected to suitable guided rods k proceeding
upwards to a suitable distance and terminating in plates disposed within con-
venient reach of the feet of a rider, each rod also having upon it, a series of
three notches j, adapted to be drawn by a spring j³, onto the edge of the guide
hole 6, through which it passes for holding the rod in one or other of three
positions.
When the clutch is in its intermediate position, clear of the cones as represented
in Figure 2 then on rotating the spindle by the cranks no driving effort is
imparted to either of the chain wheels, which are free and by holding the pedals
stationary, the machine may run free down hill or along the level. By now
pressing the foot against the plate of the right hand rod, the limb of the swinging
lever is rocked across towards the left hand end of the bracket and moves the
clutch along the spindle, thereby causing the clutch teeth to engage
the
cone of the low gear driving wheel h, to which the spindle
is operatively connected and driving takes place through the said wheel h,
the chain, and the corresponding toothed wheel h², on the rear hub. Motion
is also communicated through the other hub wheel and chain to the high gear
driver, which however simply rotates idly around the spindle. Assuming the
rider requires to utilize his high gearing by depressing the other rod, the lever
is rocked in the opposite direction and the clutch is transferred from the low
gear cone to the high gear cone e, whose driving wheel is thereby made fast
to the spindle and transmits the driving power whilst the low gear wheels are
idle.
We wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact clutch
mechanism herein described for bringing either of the chain wheels into operative
connection with the spindle, nor to the means for traversing or otherwise operating
the clutch, as such movement may be imparted by screw, toothed or like
gear or suitably arranged levers or links.
Instead of operating the rock lever or clutch shifting device by rods worked
by the feet, we may arrange for an actuating rod or rods to proceed to within
convenient reach of the riders hand, to be operated by him manually.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
A two-speed or change gear for cycles, comprising a high speed driving wheel
loosely mounted upon one end of a crank axle and a low speed driving wheel
loosely mounted on the other end of the said axle, whose middle part is made of a
square or angular section and fitted with a sliding clutch which rotates with the
said axle and has projections or teeth on its opposite ends, which by means of a

page_text: rocking lever operated by hand or foot, is made to engage with a cone or equiva-
lent part connected with the high speed gear, or with a cone or like part con-
nected with a low speed gear, or to assume an intermediate position clear of both
the said wheels, which then run free of the pedals, the whole of the said clutch
mechanism being enclosed within the bottom bracket of a cycle,substantially
as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 13th day of October 1899.
WILLIAM ARTHUR PRICE,
SIDNEY PHILIP LEWIS.
By Henry Skerrett, 24, Temple Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicants.