Improvements in Tandem Bicycles, applicable also to other Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tandem Bicycles, applicable also to other
Machines.
We, HARRY KING & ALBERT WILLIAM KING, both of back of 55, Samspon
Road North, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Fitters, do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object-Improvements in Tandem Bicycles applicable
also to other Machines-and which enables us in the case of the former to make
the machines much shorter and more compact and more suitable to turn round
corners as well as being more compact.
In tandem bicycles instead of using two independent crank pedal shafts, we
construct the centre of back or driving wheel in such a manner that it is not
only a pivot for the wheel, but the pivot itself is hung in bearings in the fork
instead of being fast as is now the custom. Mounted upon one end of the
revolving pivot is a chain wheel communicating by a chain with the pedal shaft of
the front rider say on the left side of the machine whereas the chain of the front
rider communicating with the chain wheel fast to the driving wheel is on the right
side of the machine and the driving wheel runs loose on the loose axle just in a
similar manner to the arrangement at present on the fast axle.
The part of the frame carrying the back saddle and the back handle may be
detached when the machine is used for a single rider. The same arrangement may
be attached to ordinary bicycles at the front wheel when desired.
Dated this 6th day of February 1891.
JOHN
KENDRICK,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tandem Bicycles, applicable also to other
Machines. .
We, HARRY KING and ALBERT WILLIAM KING, both of back of 55, Sampson
Road North, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Fitters, 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 :-
Our invention has for its object Improvements in Tandem Bicycles applicable also
to other Machines and which enables us in the case of the former to make the
machines much shorter and more compact and more suitable to turn round corners,
as well as being more compact.
In tandem bicycles instead of using two independent crank pedal shafts we
construct the centre of the back or driving wheel in such a manner that it is
not only a pivot for the wheel but the pivot itself is hung in bearings in the
fork instead of being fast as is now the custom. Mounted upon one end of the
revolving pivot is a chain. wheel communicating by a chain with the pedal shaft
of the front rider say on the left side of the machine whereas the chain of the
front rider communicating with the chain wheel fast to the driving wheel is on
the right side of the machine and the driving wheel runs loose on the loose axle
just in a similar manner to the arrangement at present on the fast axle. The part
of the frame carrying the back saddle and the back handle may be detached when
Price 621

page_text: the machine is used for a single rider. The same arrangement may be attached to
ordinary bicycles at the front wheel when desired.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect we have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which we have illustrated the same shewing its application to tandem bicycles.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the right hand side of a tandem bicycle with our
invention applied thereto.
Figure 2, is a plan of the same machine as shewn by Figure 1 but with the
saddles and other parts removed so as to allow the driving mechanism to be more
clearly seen.
Figure 3, is a section through the boss of the back or driving wheel W and the
spindle B so as to show on a larger scale more distinctly the details of this spindle
which forms an important part of our invention.
The three figures illustrated a tandem bicycle with the saddle M for the front
rider and the saddle N for the back rider but the latter saddle with its framework
and mechanism may be so designed in any convenient manner as to be removable
from the machine thus leaving the saddle M with the front steering arrangement
and its driving parts and back wheel W practically just the same in their general
proportions as they would be for a single machine which is a most important
advantage. That is to say the single machine would'not have the parts N, n', n², n³, n
as they would be removed. The chain and cranks might also be removed or they
might remain, but it is best to remove them. 'Of course the machine may be made
permanently a double one and not convertible.
The back wheel W is not only constructed to run loosely upon the back spindle B
but the spindle B is also free to revolve in the back fork E which allows us to
mount pedals upon this spindle with their chain wheel 12 transmitting the power
through the chain to the front pedal spindle A which carries the pedal wheel a¹
by preference on the right side this transmitting the whole of the power whether
with one or two riders through the chain a³ to the chain wheel a³ which is fast with
the back driving wheel W. It will be seen that this arrangement reduces the
length of the machine very considerably and enables us to practically and effectively
to successfully make a tandem bicycle which will be compact in its parts in both its
double and single condition. The application of our principle to ordinary bicycles
is by hanging the front wheel as before described and by fixing a supplemental
chain wheel to another frame at the edge of the wheel but we make no special
claim to this.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that.what
'we claim is :-
The improvements in tandem bicycles, of the back pedals mounted to revolve
loosely in the back or driving wheel so as to shorten the wheel base and whether
convertible or not-substantially as herein set forth and as shewn upon the
drawings.
Dated this 25th day of February 1891.
JOHN
KENDRICK,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.