AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS of Clapham Road in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDE, to be as follows:―
My Invention relates to an improved construction of velocipede on which two
or more persons may ride abreast, all of whom work at the same time to propel
the vehicle, thereby obtaining a greatly increased power..
In carrying out my Invention I mount two or more driving wheels, side by side,
upon a cranked shaft or axle, and I provide said shaft or axle with pedals, one
on each side of each of the driving wheels. These driving wheels are embraced
by forks as is usual in bicycles, and these forks, at their upper ends, are secured
together by a cross bar which forms a handle bar common to all the riders.
Each driving wheel is provided with a back bone and a saddle, as in ordinary
bicycles, but for the purposes of my Invention the back bones converge towards a
central point where an attachment is provided in which a guiding wheel is
mounted. This guiding wheel is worked by a lever in connection with a toothed
segment or arc and pinion, or by other suitable mechanical means.
The crank shaft and handle bar may be constructed in two or more portions,
so that, if desired, the vehicle may be converted into two or more ordinary bicycles,
and when so constructed the back bones. would be of the ordinary shape, but
jointed together by a cross bar in which the guiding wheel would be mounted ;
these back bones are so arranged that when disconnected each would receive its
trailing wheel.
Doted thin 7th 001

page_text: "
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF VELOCIPEDE, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to an improved construction of velocipede, on which two
or more persons may ride abreast, over the driving wheels, as on an ordinary
bicycle, and all of whom can work at the same time to propel the vehicle, thereby
obtaining a greatly increased power.
In carrying out my Invention I mount two or more driving wheels, side by side,
upon a cranked shaft or axle, and I provide said shaft or axle with pedals, one
pair for each rider. These driving wheels are embraced by forks, as is usual in
bicycles, and these forks, at their upper ends, are secured 'together by a cross bar
passing through or attached to "necks" or pillars on the forks, and which bar forms
a handle bar common to all the riders.
↑
│
Each driving wheel is provided with a back bone and a saddle, as in ordinary
bicycles, but, for the purposes of..my Invention, the back bones are connected
together by a cross .bar in the centre of which an attachment is provided to receive
a guiding wheel. This guiding wheel' is worked by a lever in connection with a
toothed segment or arc and pinion, or by other suitable mechanical means.
The. crank shaft and handle bar may be constructed in two or more portions
so that, if desired, the vehicle may be converted into two or more ordinary bicycles,
and when so constructed the back bones would be of.the ordinary shape but jointed
together by a cross bar, in which the guiding wheel would.be mounted; these back
bones are also so arranged that when disconnected each would receive its trailing
wheel.
J
4.
1+£
And in order that my Invention may be readily understood I proceed to describe
the same with. reference to the accompanying drawing, which shews, in perspective
view, a velocipede constructed in accordance with my invention and destined to
carry two persons abreast over. the driving wheels.
A, is a cranked shaft or axle, on which the, driving wh
ing wheels B, are mounted.
This cranked shaft or axle is common to all the driving wheels, and is provided
with pedals a, a, a, a, one pair for each rider. C, C, are the back bones which are
connected together by the cross bar C*. At its centré this cross bar carries a fork
which embraces the trailing wheel B. The fork is provided with a pivot or rod,
furnished at its uppermost end with a bevil wheel b, which is in gear with another
bevil wheel bx. This bevil wheel bx is mounted on one end of a rod c, which is
held in a bearing 6, and extends upwards to the handle bar where it is also held
in another bearing. b, and is provided with a handle c*, capable of a partial
rotation to the right or left. This arrangement serves for guiding or steering the
velocipede. d, d, are tie bars for imparting rigidity to the machine.
D, is the handle-bar common to all the riders, it passes through, or is attached
to the "neck" of the fork in any suitable manner. e, e, are the saddles, and f, f,
the breaks.
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. Constructing velocipedes in the manner substantially as herein described and
shewn in the drawings, that is to say, providing one cranked shaft or axle on

page_text: which any number of driving wheels are mounted, said wheels being each provided
with a fork, and with a back bone, said back bones being connected together and
furnished with a trailing wheel, whereby two or more persons may ride abreast,
and all of whom may work, at the same time, to propel the machine.
2. The improved construction of velocipede, having its parts arranged and
combined as herein described and as shewn, by way of example, in the drawing,
as arranged to carry two persons abreast at the same time, over the driving wheels.
3. Constructing velocipedes in the manner herein set forth, so that the same may
be converted into two or more ordinary bicycles.