Apparatus for Independently Propelling and Increasing the Propelling Power of Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Independently Propelling and Increasing the
Propelling Power of Cycles.
I, MARTIN VAN Look, manufacturer of 85 Mauristinswall street, Cologne, on the
Rhine in the Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia, Germany do hereby,
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
It is well known fact, that a skillfull rider employs his breech in order to assist to
the best advantage the motion of the horse.
The cyclist makes also spontaneous movements with his body or breech which
corresponding with the movements of his feet, are directed alternately to the right
and to the left, but which remain in consequence of the construction of the cycles
hitherto known without influence to the impulsion of the cycles. These movements
which cause a simultaneous dislocation of the centre of gravity of the body to the
right and left sides of the cycle respectively will, with the present apparatus, be
utilized to bring about an increase of the propelling power and to serve as a pro-
pelling power, if the cyclist mounts upon the cycle without making use of the
pedals, and to make more healthy than hitherto the use of cycles and in such a
manner, that the movements will be conveyed from the saddle, which receives these
movements by suitable connections to the axle of the treadle.
The accompanying drawing represents one method of carrying out this inven-
tion; Fig. 1 showing a partial view of the cycle with the mechanism adjusted,
Fig. 2. showing a section through the saddle with drawing-dods attached, Fig. 3
a diagram of the oscillations of the saddle and Fig. 4 the same in detail.
The saddle a is firmly fastened on its under side to a longitudinal axle b, both
sides of which are mounted in ball-bearings xx. In this way, the saddle can make
swinging movements according as the cyclist moves his body to the right or to the
left. In the middle of this axle b a second axle c is placed, that is firmly connected
at a right angle to it. At both its ends are attached by means of ball and socket
joints, drawing-rods d d, which are connected by a hinge with a rod f f¹, on each
side of the back wheel fastened, so as to be movable to the axle of the latter. The
front free end of the rod f f is formed into a segment g g¹ toothed on its inner
side.
In connection with the teeth of the segment there is firmly wedged into the pedal
axle a disc h¹, the half of its circumference furnished with teeth, connected in
such a manner, that the teeth of the segment catch at each half-rotation of the disc,
which takes place during the descent of the segment into the teeth of the disc,
while at the raising of the segment no gearing takes place. This mechanism effects
an increase of the propelling power in the following way:
When the rider mounts the cycle, and touches the saddle, the weight of his body
presses upon the latter before he has even put his feet on the pedals, inclining it
on its longitudinal axle to which ever side the weight of the body tends, for
instance to the right side. Owing to the oscillation of the saddle to the right,

page_text: the drawing rod in its weighted side is pressed downwards and consequently the
rod also in connection with it, which carries the toothed segment the teeth of the
latter gear meanwhile into the teeth of the disc which is fixed on the treadle-axle,
turning it together with the treadle-axle half-round, thus giving to the cycle a
lokomotion of several meters. At the same time the other (the left) half of the
saddle is elevated raising likewise by means of the drawing-rod, the rod, having
the segment, the teeth of which are during this time opposite the smooth or
untoothed portion of the edge of the disc. The segment is now, by the movement
of the cycle spontaneously thrown into.gear with the teeth of the disc attached to
its end comes in consequence of the oscillations of the saddle now following
spontaneously at first in horizontal position and then performs to the left side the
same labour as already described.
It is in this manner possible to set in motion the cycle without using the pedals
and to keep a going so that a learner does not want to take anxiously the pedals, but
may take them at pleasure.
Owing to the movement of his feet the cyclists body sways regularly to the right
and left alternately; thus the saddle also oscillates regularly and the toothed
segments in connection with it turn the discs appertaining to them and with them
tl treadle-axle continuously.
As already mentioned at the commencement only one method of carrying out.
the invention is explained here. Besides being suited for chain-wheel propulsion
it can, of course, be applied equally well to chainless cycles of all kind, the necessary
small changes in construction have to be determined in each case by the kind of
propulsion employed.
Of course the toothed segments and half toothed wheels can be provided with an
appliance to put them out of gear, thus checking the action of the whole apparatus
and stopping the oscillation of the saddle at the will of the cyclist.
With the help of this new apparatus cycling is rendered materially easier; the
movement of the cyclists feet are, if hilly ground is to be frequented, assisted by the
alternating dislocation of the centre of gravity and for that reason cyclists, who
are in possession of cycles, provided with the new appliance have great advantage
over cyclists with other cycles.
The construction of the new cycle makes it also very useful for the health of the
cyclist, because the whole body is continually in motion and not only the legs
alone as it has been the case till now.
It is to be stated, that the saddle can also be arranged on a cross bar, mounted.
in ball-bearings, so that it can oscillate from before to behind, but this con-
struction is not advantageous enough.
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:
(1.). An apparatus for independently propelling and increasing the propelling
power of cycles of all kind, in which the weight of the body is utilised through the
movements of the cyclist, characterised by the arrangement of the saddle swinging
on a longitudinal or cross-axle connected by drawing-rods or levers with the pedal-
axle or also with the hind-wheel axle of the cycle in such a manner, that according
to the movements of the cyclist the apparatus to the right and left of the frame
respectively turns the treadle-axle or also the hind-wheel axle round the half of its
circumference.
(2.). A method of carrying out the apparatus characterised by the arrangement
of the saddle a swinging on a longitudinal axle b, of the rods ff connected with
it by the drawing-rods dd, which on each side of the hind wheel are attached to
the latter in such a way as to be movable, which are furnished at their free end with
a segment toothed on the inner side, in which the discs h h which are pro-
vided on half their circumference with teeth and firmly connected with the pedal-
axle are so disposed that when the saddle oscillates, the one segment goes up and

page_text: the other goes down, whereby with the help of the toothed discs which gear into the
teeth of the segments as soon as the latter descend, the pedal axle is set into
rotation.
W. VOGELER.
For Martin van Look.