IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND IN WHEEL VEHICLES WHETHER FOR USE ON COMMON ROADS TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE TRANSMISSION OF MOTIVE POWER FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Rowland William Brownhill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1882.
ROWLAND WILLIAM BROWNHILL of Walsall in the County of Stafford
Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
AND IN WHEEL VEHICLES WHETHER FOR USE ON COMMON ROADS TRAMWAYS OR
RAILWAYS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE TRANSMISSION
OF MOTIVE POWER FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES."
"
When bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes and tramcars and other wheel
vehicles descend inclines whether on common roads tramways or railways the
descent of the vehicle generates motive power which is ordinarily wasted being
absorbed or neutralized by brakes.
When wheel vehicles lightly loaded travel on level or horizontal roads and are
driven by the application of animal or other power sufficient for drawing them
when heavily loaded there is also a waste of motive power.
The object of my invention is to collect store and utilize the motive power
which in the cases hereinbefore referred to and in other like cases is wasted
This I effect in the manner hereinafter described and for convenience of description
I will describe my invention as applied to a tricycle.
To a crank on the principal or wheel shaft of the tricycle I connect the piston
rod of a piston working in a hollow cylinder provided with a series of valves by
acting on which valves by means of gearing operated by a hand lever the rider can
cause the advancing motion of the tricycle to work the piston in the cylinder so as
to make the said piston and cylinder operate as a condensing air pump or as a
motive power engine to be worked by condensed air or throw the apparatus
altogether out of action. I provide the tricycle with a reservoir for storing the
condensed air from the condensing pump or cylinder. The framing of the vehicle
may be made hollow and thereby converted into the said reservoir without
increasing the weight of the vehicle.
In descending a hill the rider by operating upon the gearing described causes the
pump to collect and condense air and force it into the reservoir where it is stored
until wanted In travelling on level ground the rider can throw the pump out of

page_text: gear with the shaft of the travelling wheels when the pump becomes inoperative.
On ascending a hill the rider by operating on the gearing can connect the pump
with a motive power engine actuated by the condensed air from the reservoir and
thereby facilitate the ascent of the hill.
As the condensed air escapes from the reservoir its pressure diminishes and in
order to maintain a nearly uniform action of the motive power engine I provide
gearing of the following kind whereby a nearly uniform power may be obtained
from the condensed air while its pressure is diminishing.
Motion is communicated from the motive power engine to the principal or wheel
shaft of the tricycle by means of two conical rollers driven by the motive power
engine bearing on opposite sides of a disc carried by the said shaft. The said
conical rollers are pressed upon the said dise and communicate thereto the rotatory
motion of the shaft of the motive power engine.
These conical rollers are capable of sliding on their shafts so that they can be
made to act either on the central or marginal portions of the said disc or on any
intermediate part By causing the rollers gradually to approach the marginal
portions of the disc as the pressure of the condensed air diminishes the motive
power engine may be made to communicate a nearly uniform power to the
tricycle.
The application of my improvements to vehicles other than tricycles differs in
no essential respects from their application to tricycles herein before described.
The last described part of my invention is applicable to the transmission of
motive power for various purposes