IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- RIAGES OR VEHICLES TO BE PROPELLED BY MANUAL LABOUR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Inglis Mitchell, of 29, Devonshire Street, Islington,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
RIAGES OR VEHICLES TO BE PROPELLED BY MANUAL LABOUR."
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 12th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Inglis Mitchell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1876.
JOHN INGLIS MITCHELL, of 29, Devonshire Strect, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES TO BE PROPELLED BY
MANUAL LABOUR "
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages or vehicles to be
propelled by manual labour.
The strength of a man is more effectually exerted in rowing than in any other
way in which it can be exerted as a propelling force, but the application of the
propelling force in rowing is intermittent, and therefore a rowing action directly
applied is not convenient for propelling carriages on land.
According to my Invention I convert the force intermittently exerted by a man
working in the manner of rowing into a continuous propelling force operating upon
the axle of the carriage or vehicle which I desire to propel, and this I do by storing
up the force for a time by means of a spring or its equivalent, so that during the
return stroke or in the intervals of repose the spring gives out to the axle the force
which it has stored during the intervals of exertion.
One arrangement by means of which I carry my Invention into effect is as
follows-The carriage or vehicle is provided with three wheels, the front wheel is
a steering wheel, the hinder wheels are on the driving axle, which carries the
The seat is nearly
greater part of the weight of the carriage body and its load.
over the axle, and in front of it is a stretcher bar on which the ridor places his feet.
The carriage or vehicle is propelled by a movement. of the rider similar to the
movement in rowing, the oars being replaced by two lever handles, one on either
side, and which at their lower ends are mounted upon a transverse. bar or axis
carried by brackets beneath the main frame of the vehicle. The bar or axis above
mentioned has also upon it an arm to which at its upper end a connecting rod is
jointed, and this passes back beneath the seat, and is jointed to the rear end of a

page_text: rack, which is in gear with the upper side of a pinion mounted on an horizontal
transverse axis in front of and parallel to the main axis. The joint between the
connecting rod and the rack is supported and guided as it moves to and fro by an
horizontal guide bar fixed to the frame. The pinion above mentioned can turn
freely upon its axis, and it is fast to the side of a ratchet wheel with which a pawl
carried by a disc on the axis engages. The to-and-fro motion of the rack is com-
municated to the pinion, and when rotating in one direction it carries the axis with
it, but during the return stroke the pinion turns independently of the axis There
is also a spring box mounted on the axis containing a spring or springs. The
spring or springs are attached at one extremity to the interior of the spring box,
and at the other extremity to the axis. There are spur teeth formed upon the
spring box which gear with a pinion upon the axle of the driving wheel, which is
thus driven continuously by the springs, although the action of the rowing levers
is intermittent. A stop is provided to prevent overwinding of the spring or springs
by the rowing levers when any impediment prevents the forward movement of the
carriage or vehicle, and there is also a ratchet to relieve the spring or springs in
case the carriage should be pushed forward from behind, or in running down hill.
Immediately in front of the stretcher there is a lever mounted at its centre on a
vertical pin or axis. This lever is so placed that it can bo pressed by the feet of
the rider, whilst the heels are still kept firmly against the stretcher, and so the
lever can be moved on its axis The lever is connected to a band passing round
a horizontal pulley on the vertical spindle, at the lower end of which the steering
wheel is carried
Similarly carriages or vehicles may be constructed to be propelled by several
men rowing or working simultaneously; and in some cases I arrange the rowing
levers in a nearly horizontal position, so as yet more closely to imitato rowing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Inglis Mitchell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
March 1877.
JOHN INGLIS MITCHELL, of 29, Devonshire Street, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES TO BE PROPELLED BY
MANUAL LABOUR."
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages or vehicles to be pro-
pelled by manual labour on land and water.
According to my Invention I convert the force intermittently exerted by a man
working in the manner of rowing into a continuous propelling force operating upon
the axle of the carriage or vehicle which I desire to propel on land or water, and
this I do by storing up the force for a time by means of a spring or its equivalent,
so that during the return strokes or in the intervals of repose the spring gives out
to the axle of the wheel, or to the wheel itself, the force which it has stored during
the intervals of exertion.
One arrangement by means of which I carry my Invention into effect is shown
in the Drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: carried by brackets a¹ fixed to the main frame a; e³ is a horizontal rod connecting
the levers e, and this rod is connected to the front end of the bar or frame g. The
hinder end of this bar or frame is supported by a stirrup g¹, in which is a pulley,
and as the bai is moved to and fro by the lever handles e this pulley traverses
along the guide h, which is fixed to the frame a at both ends; is the axle of the
main wheels b; one of the wheels is fast on the axle, and the other can turn upon
it. The axle has on it a tube or sleeve forming part of the spring box l, m, m,
are two coiled steel springs within the spring box, and attached cach at one
extremity to the axle k, and at the other to the interior of the box ; n is a ratchet
on the sleeve of the spring box, between the teeth of which drop pawls carried
by the frame, so that the spring box is only free to revolve on the axle in one
direction, viz., that which tends through the medium of the parts above described
to propel the machine forwards; o is a barrel mounted on the sleeve of the spring
box, and motion is imparted to it by two cords of catgut or other material p, p,
which are pulled upon alternately, and wound and unwound from the periphery of
the barrel. On the end of the barrel o there are pawls which engage with the
teeth of a ratchet upon the end of the spring box l, so that when the barrel
turns in a forward direction it carries the spring box with it, but in returning the
barrel is independent of the spring box; is a stop wheel carried by a stud axis
on the spring box, and working with a notched disc on the axle k in a well-known
manner to prevent the springs from being overwound.
Separate views of the axle k with some of the parts thereon and of the parts
1, 9, and r are represented at Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 respectively.
The cords or bands p, p, pass away from the barrel in opposite directions around
the pulleys & and s¹ mounted upon the bar or frame g, and their ends are attached
to the extremity of the guide h, or if an easier action and less speed be desired they
may be attached to the reciprocating bar or frame g
In either case the to-and-fro motion imparted by means of the handles e to the
bar or frame g causes the barrel o to rotate, first, in one direction, and then in the
other, and thence motion is transmitted to the axle k and the main wheels b in the
manner already described.
The course of the carriage or vehicle is directed by the feet of the driver, which
press against foot boards or treadles t, t, which are connected to the frame by a joint,
so that the inclination can be varied by the pressure of the foot, and rods u, u,
pass from these foot boards to the cross head v. This cross head is fixed upon the
vertical spindle w carrying the wheel c in a fork at its lower end. For vehicles to
run on a railway steering gear is not required, and a pair of wheels is substituted
for the wheels c.
I apply a brake to the propelling wheel under the control of a hand lever within
easy reach of the rider, but this brake is not represented in the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to this
particular mode of carrying it out; but I claim,-
First. The construction of carriages or vehicles, such as are propelled by the
rider operating in the manner of rowing upon levels with springs so applied as to
store up the power of the backward or effective stroke, and expend it in rotating
the carrying wheels during the forward stroke, substantially as described.
Second. The construction of carriages or vehicles to be propelled by manual
labour, substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Inglis Mitchell, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
TNA TINATTC KIATIIAT T