Improvements in Electric Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
Improvements in Electric Velocipedes.
I, HOSEA WAITe Libbey of 55 Rutland Square, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Physician, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The object of my invention is to produce a bicycle to be propelled by
electricity.
The invention consists of a front wheel, and a rear steering wheel, having a
double tread connected together by a suitable frame work, to which frame, between
the wheels is secured an electric battery and below the same an electric motor
which drives a cross shaft having a crank ou each end which cranks are connected
by pitmen to the crank on the axle of the front wheel as hereinafter fully
described.
The vehicle has a front or driving wheel, and a rear or steering wheel which is
formed with a duplex tread so that the vehicle will have three points of rest
whereby it will be maintained in a vertical position.
The front wheel is mounted in a vertical fork secured to or formed in one with
the back bone which is preferably of the loop pattern, and at its rear end is made
double or forked the prongs of which extend over the centre of the rear wheel and
embrace the upper end of the steering post of the fork in which the rear or steering
wheel is mounted. An electric battery is supported by a cross bar secured to end
in the centre of the loop of the back bone and under the battery is secured an
electric motor the driven shaft of which is fitted at each end with a large cog
wheel in gear with cog wheels on a cross shaft which shaft is at one end fitted with
a crank that is by a connecting rod or pitman connected to a crank on the axle of
the front driving wheel.
The
I prefer to employ a battery each cell of which consists of two perforated positive
elements and one negative element separated by a slotted ring of insulating
material and enclosed at each end by an insulating disk having a rim or flange
projecting inwards for holding the positive elements, the spaces between the
elements and between them and the outer disks being filled with suitable absorbent
material, all the parts being held together by bolts or other suitable means.
tube connecting the front and rear forks forms a tank for holding the exciting
fluid (such as diluted sulphuric acid) and pipes are connected to said tank for
conducting said fluid to the absorbent material between the positive and negative
elements, a small nozzle is fitted on the upper side of the tube through which it is
filled with the exciting fluid, this nozzle is closed by a screw cap.
The negative wire of the battery is connected to an electrical controller from
which a wire runs to the motor and the positive element is in connection with the
motor by a wire, the circuit being formed or broken by means of an arm upon an
upright rod fitted at its upper end with a wheel that stands just in front of the
driver's seat.
On each side of the front portion of the frame is secured a foot rest which are
at their inner ends connected together by a cross bar that forms a brake which is
held away from the front wheel by spiral springs when used as a foot rest, and
when the rider desires to apply the brake all he has to do is to press the foot rests
forward.

page_text: It will be seen that by this construction the vehicle is as compact as an ordinary
bicycle the battery and motor being within the loop of the frame and by the
employment of a rear wheel having a double tread three points of rest are obtained
so that the vehicle will maintain a vertical position and by employing a battery of
the construction described all the objectionable features of a liquid battery are
obviated by the liquid being held in the absorbent material.
The battery and motor would be enclosed in a light iron casing to keep dust and
dirt from them.
Dated this 8th day of October 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Electric Velocipedes.
I, HOSEA WAITE LIBBEY, of 55 Rutland Square, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Physician, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to produce a bicycle to be propelled by
electricity.
The invention consists of a front wheel and a rear steering-wheel, having a
double tread, connected together by a suitable framework, to which frame, between
the wheels, is secured an electric battery and below the same an electric motor
which drives a cross-shaft having a crank on each end, which cranks are connected
by pitmen to the cranks on the axle of the front wheel, as hereinafter fully
described, and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a side view of a bicycle embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan, or top view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the cells of the batteries.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line a, a of Fig. 3.
A, represents the front, or driving wheel, and B, the rear or steering wheel,
which is formed with a duplex tread, so that the vehicle will have three points of
rest, whereby it will be maintained in a vertical position. I prefer to employ a
wheel constructed according to a Patent granted me and dated March 6th, 1893,
No. 4,851.
The front wheel is mounted in a vertical fork C, secured to or formed in one
with the backbone D, which is preferably of the loup pattern, and at its rear end
is made double or forked, the piongs d, d' of which extend over the centre of the
rear wheel B, and embrace the upper end of the steering-post E, of the fork E', in
which the rear or steering wheel is mounted.
F, is an electric battery supported by a cross-bar f, secured to and in the centre
of the loop of the backbone D. Under the battery is secured an electric motor G,
the driven shaft of which is fitted at each end with a large cog-wheel H, in gear
with cog-wheels I, on a cross-shaft J, which shaft is at each end fitted with a
crank K, that is by a connecting rod or pitman L, connected to a crank M, on the
axle of the front driving wheel A.
I prefer to employ Lattery, each cell of which consists of two perforated
positive elements a, and one negative element 6, separated by a slutted ring or
case c, of insulating material and inclosed at each end by an insulating disk g,

page_text: having a rim or flange g', projecting inward for holding the positive elements, the
spaces between the elements and between them and the outer disks being filled with
suitable absorbent material h, all the parts being held together by bolts g* or by
other suitable means.
The outer edges of the ring c, and the edges of the rims or flanges g₁ are each
formed with a shoulder in which the disks a, a, fit so as to form suitable com-
partments, between said disks and the insulating disks g, to contain the absorbent
material, and centrally between the disks a, a, is arranged the divided disk b, which
is held in place by two rings 6x of insulating material the space in the centre of
the disk b as well as the spaces between said disk and the disks a, being filled with
a suitable absorbent material.
The disks b, a, are formed with a number of holes which are countersunk on their
outer edges, thus presenting a larger amount of surface for contact with the
absorbent material through which holes the exciting fluid passes from the
absorbent material between the disks b, and disks a, to the absorbent
material h.
To each of negative disks a is secured a binding post a', which are connected by
a wire a², and to one of the disks a, is also secured a second binding post a³ to
which the wire S, is connected and to the disk b, is secured a binding post a', to
which the wire P is connected. By this construction the exciting fluid is in contact
with both sides of the positive and negative elements as well as the surface of the
holes therein. Thus a very large amount of electricity is generated and as the
exciting fluid is held by the absorbent material on both sides of the plates and in
the holes therein which absorbent material is kept in the required condition (after
it has been saturated) by the fluid that escapes from the tank, the pipes between the
tank and the absorbent material being of such size as to supply the said fluid drop
by drop, the absorbent material being forced into the countersunk holes is held so
that it cannot be displaced by any jar or motion. It will be seen that by this
construction a very powerful cell is produced and there is not any fluid that can be
spilled or shaken up so as to interfere with the action of the same and with a
further advantage that the fluid is so supplied to the absorbent material as to
compensate for any loss and by means of the absorbent material polarization is
almost if not entirely prevented.
The tube M, connecting the front and rear forks forms a tank for holding the
exciting-fluid (such as diluted sulphuric acid), and m, represents pipes for
conducting said fluid to the absorbent material h, between the positive and negative
elements a, b.
n, is a small nozzle on the upper side of the tube, through which it is filled with
the exciting-fluid. This nozzle is closed by a screw-cap.
The negative wire P, of the battery is connected to an electrical controller Q,
from which a wire R, runs to the motor G, and the positive element is in connection
with the motor by a wire S, the circuit being formed or broken by means of an
arm t, upon an upright rod T, fitted at its upper end with a wheel t', that stands
just in front of the driver's seat. On each side of the front portion of the frame is
secured a foot-rest U, which are at their inner ends connected together by a cross-
bar that forms a brake which is held away from the wheel A, by spiral springs
when used as a foot-rest, and when the rider desires to apply the brake all he
has to do is to press the foot-rests forward.
It will be seen that by this construction the vehicle is as compact as an ordinary
bicycle, the battery and motor being within the loop of the frame, and by the
employment of a rear wheel having a double tread three points of rest are
obtained, so that the vehicle will maintain a vertical position, and by employing a
battery of the construction described, all the objectionable features of a liquid
battery are obviated by the liquid being held in the absorbent material. The battery
and motor should be inclosed in a light iron casing to keep dust and dirt from them ;
but I have not shown this casing, as it would conceal the parts.¸

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 :-
1. A bicycle consisting of a front driving wheel and a rear double tread steering
wheel connected together by a loop frame, an electric battery and an electric motor
secured to said frame between the wheels, the motor being under the battery and
gears, cranks and connecting rods to transmit motion to cranks on the axle of the
driving wheel, substantially as set forth.
2. In a bicycle the combination with a frame of an electric battery and an electric
motor secured to said frame, a longitudinal tube extending from the front to the
rear fork and forming a tank to hold exciting fluid for the battery, substantially as
Eet forth.
3. In a bicycle the combination with a frame of an electric battery and an electric
motor secured to said frame, a longitudinal tube extending from the front to the
rear fork for holding the exciting fluid for the battery, an electric controlling
device, suitable connections between the battery, motor and controlling device, and
suitable mechanism for transmitting motion from the motor to the driving wheel,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.