IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR ASSISTING VELOCIPEDES IN STARTING AND IN ASCENDING HILLS AND FOR ASSISTING GAS ENGINES IN STARTING to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD ALFRED NORRINGTON of Kensington in the County of Middlesex,
Clerk do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS FOR ASSISTING VELOCIPEDES IN STARTING AND IN ASCENDING HILLS AND
FOR ASSISTING GAS ENGINES IN STARTING to be as follows:-
"
By this invention I materially facilitate the starting of velocipedes such as
tricycles and bicycles and especially materially assist them in ascending hills. The
invention consists in a fusee spring applied to one or more of the driving wheels,
such spring or springs being encased in a barrel or barrels and having the inner
end fixed to the spindle of the wheel while the other or outer end is fixed to the
barrel which is fixed in or on the wheel the latter being loose on the spindle. By
the action of the feet on the treadles or by the application of hand power or partly
by one and partly the other the motion communicated to the spindle is applied to
the winding up of the spring as far as it will wind up; a pawl being fitted to
prevent its unwinding. When it is desired to use the stored up power the pawl is
released, and the power given out, the rate of speed and power being regulated by
a brake. Precisely the same arrangement is applicable to gas engines, the inner
end of the spring being fixed to the crank shaft and the other end to the flywheel
which is loose on the shaft.
BREWER & JENSEN,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, EDWARD ALFRED NORRINGTON of 49 Abingdon Villas Kensington in the
County of Middlesex, Clerk do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR ASSISTING VELOCIPEDES IN STARTING AND IN
ASCENDING HILLS AND FOR ASSISTING GAS-ENGINES IN STARTING" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
By this invention I materially facilitate the starting of velocipedes such as
tricycles and bicycles and especially materially assist them in ascending hills. The
invention consists in a fusee spring applied to one or more of the driving wheels,
such spring or springs being encased in a barrel or barrels and having the inner
end fixed to the spindle of the wheel while the other or outer end is fixed to the
barrel which is fixed in or on the wheel the latter being loose on the spindle. Or
according to a modification of my invention the spring might be connected to the
crank shaft instead of directly to the road wheel axle. By the action of the feet
on the treadles or by the application of hand power or partly by one and partly
the other the motion communicated to the spindle is applied to the winding up of
the spring as far as it will wind up, a pawl being fitted to prevent its unwinding.
When it is desired to use the stored up power the pawl is released, and the power
given out, the rate of speed and power being regulated by a brake. Precisely the
same arrangement is applicable to gas-engines, the inner end of the spring being
fixed to the crank shaft and the other end to the flywheel, which is loose on the
shaft.
Figure 1 is a sectional side view and Figure 2 is a part sectional plan of a
bicycle on the so called "Humber" principle but showing my improved spring
power storage arrangements applied to the pedal shaft.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a Tricycle also constructed and arranged
somewhat on the "Humber" principle and with my improved spring power storage
arrangement applied to the axle of the driving wheels. Figure 4 is a part sectional
plan of same, Figure 5 a section through the spring box on the "off" side wheel
and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail of the mechanism.
Figure 7 is a part plan view shewing my power storage appliance applied to the
crank shaft of an ordinary front steering tricycle.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, the pedal
shaft a carried as usual by the lower fork a¹ also shown in plan is slightly longer
than usual and is provided with a spring box b which is loose on the shaft a but is
connected thereto by a coiled spring, one end of which is fixed to the spring box
and the other end to the pedal shaft a. The outer periphery of the spring box b is
provided with teeth for the chain connecting it with the ordinary sprocket wheel c
on the main axle; so that the machine may when desired be propelled through the
medium of the coiled spring.

page_text: d is a clutch sliding on a feather don the pedal shaft a by means of which the
spring box 6 may be fixed directly to the pedal shaft a; this clutch is or may be
operated by a forked rode the fork of which embraces the clutch whilst the rod is
pivotted at f to the framework carrying the pedal shaft and continued upwards to
within reach of the rider where it might work in a sector for keeping it steady.
The pedal shaft a is prevented from reversing by any convenient ratchet arrange
ment such for example as shown at g.
The spring is wound in such a manner that when the machine is driven the
pedal axle a will have a tendency to wind the spring and when the clutches are
out of gear the machine will be driven through the medium of the spring.
By applying the brake (for example in going down hill) and the driving power
being continued the spring may be wound up, the clutch may then be thrown in
gear by moving the handle on the rods (or if a helical spring were provided on the
pedal axle at the back of the clutch the handle would only have to be released)
and the clutch be thrown into gear and the machine would then be driven as if no
spring gearing intervened. By withdrawing the clutch out of gear the stored
power would be expended in driving the machine.
Referring to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying drawings which illustrate
my invention applied to the axle of the driving wheels instead of to the crank
shaft there are two spring boxes B B fixed to the wheels A A¹ which run loose
on their axles each box containing a coiled spring CC, the outer end of each spring
being attached to its box the inner end to the tubular axle D which axle is driven
in the ordinary manner for example by chain and sprocket wheels E E¹. B' shews
the position of the double driving gear. The axle is provided with a ratchet and
pawl arrangement at F to prevent the motion being reversed any suitable ratchet
arrangement might be employed; the pawl might as shown be fixed to one of the
bearings on the fork G which also carry the brackets H and I through which
rods K K pass to operate sliding clutches L L' sliding on feathers 11.
The outside edge of the spring boxes B B are provided with ordinary band
brakes actuated and supported by a tubular rod N turning in bearing brackets M
fixed to fork G the brake being operated by means of lever n, link n' and lever n³
actuated by ordinary break lever on handle bar. Where the rods K K¹ pass
through the bracket H they are each formed with a toothed rack (somewhat
similar to the arrangement in use for steering wheels of ordinary tricycles.)
Between the toothed racks h h' is provided a spur pinion h³ having its bearing
in the bracket H and keyed onto a rod h³ which rises upwards to the handles
where it is carried by a bracket h' and provided with a handle or its equivalent.
The springs are wound in such a manner that on the machine being driven in
the ordinary direction the axle D will have a tendency to wind the springs and the
clutches being in the position shewn in the drawings the wheels A A' will be
driven through the medium of the springs which will thus and at this time be in a
semi-tensional state.
By applying the brake to both spring boxes B B¹ and the driving power being
continued the springs may both be wound up thereby storing power and when
wound up in this way, if the clutches L L' are then thrown in, connecting the
drums B B with the axle D, the power thus stored may be expended at any
desired moment for driving the machine by simply withdrawing the clutches L L¹.
When the clutches are in contact with the boxes B B¹ the machine may be driven
in the ordinary way as if no springs C intervened.
"
If the spring boxes B B¹ were connected to the driving wheels say at X by a
clutch such as a ball or roller and incline recess clutch that would allow the
wheels A A¹ to run at a greater speed or over run "the spring boxes B B¹; then
while running down hill, or where there was no necessity for using all the power
for propelling the machine the surplus power might be stored in the spring. That
is to say that if the brakes were applied to the spring boxes B B thus discon-
necting the latter from the wheels and the axle turned, the spring would be wound
while the drums B B¹ were held by the breaks and at the same time without

page_text: "
stopping the machine which would be carried on by its own impetus or be running
down a slight incline.
In applying my invention to the crank shaft of an ordinary front steering
tricycle illustrated by Figure 7.
a a are the spring boxes, b b sliding clutches sliding on feathers on crank axle c.
dd are rods for actuating the clutches b b. e is a ratchet and pawl arrangement
for preventing the crank axle c from reversing its motion. The spring boxes a a
are provided with teeth on the periphery for chains, gearing to sprocket wheels ff
on main axle, g g are brake drums fixed on to sprocket wheels ff. hh are brake
bands which may be operated in any suitable manner.
The interior ends of the springs in the spring boxes a a are fixed to the crank
axle c and the exterior ends to the spring boxes a a which boxes run loose on the
crank axle a As shown the machine may be driven through the medium of the
springs which act on the periphery of the spring boxes a a; when the clutches bb
are thrown into gear, fixing the spring boxes to the crank shaft, the machine will
be driven as an ordinary tricycle, and by keeping in the position shown in the
drawing and applying the brakes, the springs would be wound up (the pedal shaft
being actuated as usual) the stored power thus retained could be used at pleasure
by releasing the clutches. The forked levers d actuating the clutches may be
provided with a fulcrum at d¹ and be carried up to the main axle; onto the main
axle is mounted a bracket supporting a vertical rod d' on which is keyed a double
armed lever d; to the lever d³ the forked levers d are connected by rods d*. By
turning the handle on the vertical rod d' the clutches may be shifted either in or
out of
gear.
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
The combination of fusee or coil spring boxes, clutches, ratchet gear and brakes
for storing up power and for applying it when desired or required, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BREWER & JENSEN,
For the Applicant.