AN IMPROVED TRICYCLE TO CARRY Two PERSONS.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William James Stevenson Strange, of No. 22, Saint Peter's
Green, in the Town and County of Bedford, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED TRICYCLE TO CARRY Two PERSONS.".
Sealed the 26th February 1878, and dated the 8th September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William James Stevenson
Strange at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th September
1877.
WILLIAM JAMES STEVENSON STRANGE, of No. 22, Saint Peter's Green, in the Town
and County of Bedford, Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED TRICYCLE TO CARRY TWO
PERSONS,"
My Invention consists of a tricycle to be propelled by two persons, the chief object
of my improvements being to admit of a lady riding on the said tricycle and assisting
in propelling it.
The said tricycle is constructed as follows:-The front wheel is similar to that of
a bicycle, being furnished with cranks and pedals, the bearings of the axle being
mounted in a steering fork furnished with a steering handle, the socket of which
fork is connected by a backbone of the usual kind with the rear part of the frame
which carries the bearings in which the axle of the two hind wheels revolves. One
of the said wheels is fixed on the axle, and the other runs loose to admit of turning
curves. On that part of the axle which is between the wheels are formed two cranks
which are connected by chains or connecting rods with two foot levers of the second
order which are jointed to the frame, and by means of which the said cranks are
worked. Over the said cranks is a seat for the person who drives them by depressing
the aforesaid levers with his or her feet, the said seat being suspended or mounted
on suitable springs with its back towards the fore part of the tricycle, so that the
The rider on the
rider can easily get into or out of the said seat from the rear.
fore part of the tricycle drives the fore wheel and steers the said tricycle, while the
rider on the rear part simply works the foot levers which drive the hind wheels.
The tricycle is furnished with a suitable break,

page_text: The essence of my Invention consists in the arrangement of the back seat and
levers herein-before described.
The advantages of the foregoing arrangement are that the tricycle can conveniently
carry a lady on its rear seat, that it is easy of propulsion, the front and back cranks
being seldom if ever at the dead point at the same time, and owing to the centre of
gravity being kept low great stability is attained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William James Stevenson Strange in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th March 1878.
WILLIAM JAMES STEVENSON STRANGE, of No. 22, Saint Peter's Green, in the Town
"AN IMPROVED TRICYCLE TO CARRY Two
and County of Bedford, Gentleman.
PERSONS."
My Invention consists of a tricycle to be propelled by two persons, the chief
object of my improvements being to admit of a lady riding on the said tricycle, and
assisting in propelling it.
On that
The said tricycle is constructed as follows:-The front wheel is similar in arrange-
ment to that of a bicycle, being furnished with cranks and pedals, the bearings of
the axle being carried by a steering fork furnished with a steering handle, the socket
of which fork (or the "rudder pin" where a "rudder" head is used) is connected by
a backbone of the usual kind with the rear part of the frame which carries the
bearings in which the axle of the two hind wheels revolves. One of the said wheels
is fixed to the axle, and the other runs loose to admit of turning curves.
part of the axle which is between the wheels are formed two cranks which are
connected by chains or connecting rods with two foot levers of the second order
which are jointed to the frame, and by means of which the said cranks are worked.
Over the said cranks is a seat for the person who drives them by depressing the
aforesaid levers with his or her feet, the said seat being suspended or mounted on
suitable springs with its back towards the fore part of the tricycle, so that the rider
The rider on the fore part
can easily get into or out of the said seat from the rear.
of the tricycle drives the fore wheel and steers the said tricycle, while the rider on
the rear part simply works the foot levers which drive the hind wheels. The tricycle
is furnished with a suitable brake.
The advantages of the foregoing arrangement are that the tricycle can conveniently
carry a lady on its back seat, that the said tricycle is easy of propulsion, the front
and back cranks being seldom if ever at the dead point at the same time, and
that owing to the centre of gravity being kept low great stability is attained.
Having now described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2 is a back elevation of a tricycle
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 3 is a plan of the frame of the said
tricycle.
A is the front wheel, and B1, B2, are the rear wheels, one of which is fixed on the
axle F. The other wheel runs loose on the said axle ; C is the frame which connects
the front and rear wheels; c³, c³, are foot plates or steps. The wheel A may be steered

page_text: "
either by means of a "rudder" head a' as represented, or by means of a "socket
head; a is the steering bar; a³, a³, are the pedals; D is the saddle; a* is a thumb
brake; E is the rear seat which is mounted on C springs e¹, e', screwed to the
frame C; F is the rear axle, in which are formed cranks f¹, f¹; the said axle turns
in bearings f, fs, affixed to the frame C; G, G, are the foot levers which turn on a
fulcrum c carried by the standards c³, c, affixed to the frame C. The said levers
carry pedals g¹, g¹, which are alternately depressed by the feet of the person riding
on the seat E. The levers G, G, are connected by chains g³, g³, and double
hooks g³, g³, to bearing blocks g', g, on the cranks f¹, f¹.
The length of the stroke of the levers may be altered when necessary by shifting
the hooks g³, g³, from one to another of the holes in their respective levers, and the
height of the pedals may be altered by hooking the said hooks higher up or lower
down in their respective chains.
A basket or other luggage may be slung to the frame C, as indicated in dotted lines
at c✶, c; H, H, are handles screwed to the frame C to assist the person using the
back seat to mount and dismount.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I claim as my Invention of "An Improved Tricycle to
Carry Two Persons," the general combination and arrangement of parts constituting
the said tricycle, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William James Stevenson Strange, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
W. J. S. STRANGE. (LS.)