Improvements in Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 28th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
Date of Application, 1st June, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 28th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
I, JOHN BARB, of 39, Dundonald Road, Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object to provide bicycles and the like with means
for storing power when running down hill or on a level and for applying the stored
power to help the riders when going up hill.
In carrying out my invention in the case of a bicycle I arrauge on the frame
two small pumps with connections for working them by cranks or eccentrics on
the axle of the rear or driven wheel. The pumps are arranged to compress air
into a reservoir which may consist or portly consist of the interior of the tubular
framing of the bicycle. Or the reservoir may consist of one or more tubes or
vessels fixed to the framing in any convenient way. The passages and valves
of the pumps are arranged so that the rider can, by means of one or more con-
veniently placed levers or rods acting on the valves put the pumps in action to
compress air into the reservoir, when going down hill or on a level road, or put
the pumps out of effective action by means of a by-pass valve or otherwise, or cause
the pumps to be worked by the compressed air as motors to apply auxiliary power
to the driving axle, when going up hill.
1007
EDMUND HUNT,.
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Bicycles and the like.
I, JOHN BARR, of 39, Dundonald Road, Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object to provide bicycles and the like with means
for storing power when running down hill or on a level, and for applying the stored
power to help the riders when going up hill.
In carrying out my invention, in the case of a bicycle I arrange on the frame
two small pumps with connections for working them by cranks or eccentrics on
the axle of one of the wheels. The pumps are arranged to compress air into a
reservoir, which may consist or partly consist of the interior of the tubular framing
of the bicycle. Or the reservoir may consist of one or more tubes or vessels fixed

page_text: to the framing in any convenient way. The passages and valves of the pumps
are arranged so that the rider can, by means of one or more conveniently placed
levers or rods acting on the valve mechanism, put the pumps in action to compress
air into the reservoir when going down hill or on a level road, or put the pump
out of effective action by means of a by-pass valve or otherwise, or cause the
pumps to be worked by the compressed air as motors to apply auxiliary power
when going up hill.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
showing an example of the application of my improvements to a bicycle.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of the bicycle, and Figure 2 is on
enlarged sectional elevation of one of the pumps with its valve details and gear.
Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged sections of the pump valves. Figures 5 and 6 are
views as at right angles to each other of parts for engaging the pump mechanism
with the wheel axle. Figuro 7 is a small-scale elevation showing an arrangement
for increasing the reservoir capacity of the tubular framing. In these drawings
the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In a bicycle such as is shown in Figure 1, I find it more convenient to arrange
the pumps in connection with the front wheel than with the rear wheel when
the latter is driven in the ordinary way; the pumps may however be arranged in
connection with the ordinarily driven wheel or the pedal axle if desired in any
case.
Fixed to the forked swivelling frame, A, of the front wheel there is at each side
an open-bottomed single-acting cylinder, B, the piston, B1, of which is connected
by a rod, C, to a crank, C1, on the wheel axle, the two cranks being diametrically
opposite. At the top of the cylinder, B, there are fitted a spring air inlet valve, D
Figure 4) opening inwards and a spring check valve, E, opening outwards and
enclosed in a box, E1, which is connected by a branch, E2, to the compressed-air
reservoir. When pumping air into the reservoir these valves, D, E, nct auto-
matically as inlet and discharge valves like those of an ordinary pump; but
when the compressed air is to be used for driving the valves, D, E, are acted on
by mechanism hereinafter described.
When using the cylinders, B, as motor cylinders the action for working the
valves is derived from the swinging motion of the connecting rod, C, this rod passing
between antifriction rollers on a bent lever, F. This lever, F, is centered on a
block, G, fitted in a groove in a small plate or block, H, which is movable in a
transverse groove in a bracket, J, fixed or formed on the cylinder, B. A short
arm, I 1, on the lever, F, acts on a projection, K, on a spindle, K 1, passing through
the valve box, E1; and this spindle by a small lever, K2, inside the box acts on
a spindle fixed to the valve, E. The valve, D, is acted on by a lever, D1, which
is itself acted on by one arm, D2, of a lever the other arm, D3, of which is forked
and acted on by a pin on the lever F. When the compressed air is not used for
driving, the lever, F, F1, is moved a littlo aside by means of a hand lever, H 1,
which shifts the transversely movable plate or block, I carrying the block, G,
on which the lever, F, is centered. A screw, G1, is provided for adjusting the
block, G, and the point of the small lever arm, F 1, is jointed so as to yield when
moving from the under to the upper side of the projection, K.
The cranks, C1, are put out of gear when it is wished neither to pump air
nor to use the compressed air for driving. The cranks are fixed on an axle, C2,
fitted so as to be capable of turning in the wheel hub, L: and made with key ways
in which work keys fixed to flat rings, M, one at each side. Each key ring is
movable by means of a forked lever, N, fitted with pairs of pins between which
the ring passes; and when the ring is moved inwards it makes its keys engage
in sockets formed in the hub, L, locking the crank axle, C2, thereto. The
levers, N, extend upwards to a position for being conveniently handled.
For enlarging the reservoir capacity of the tubular framing, parts of it may be

page_text: connected by additional tubes, P, as shown in Figure 7, and in addition or instead
of such additional tubes, the mud guards, Q, may be made hollow and be connected
to the framing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
.
Providing a bicycle or like vehicle with pumping and motor apparatus arranged
to be worked from one or more of the wheels so as to compress air into a reservoir
such as the interior of the tubular framing of the vehicle, and so as to be usable
for employing the compressed air in driving, the parts being arranged, combined,
and operating substantially as herein before described.
.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of February 1898.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.