IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph White of Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Watch Manufacturer and John Asbury of the same place Machinist, for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph White and John
Asbury at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December
1883.
JOSEPH WHITE of Coventry in the County of Warwick, Watch Manufacturer
and JOHN ASBURY of the same place, Machinist "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES.”
This invention relates to Velocipedes fitted with balance gear through which
rotary motion is imparted to the main carrying wheels, and it consists in applying
thereto means for reducing or increasing the driving speed as circumstances may
require, without changing the speed of the treadle shaft.
The main carrying wheels are fitted to a common axle, the one being fast and
the other loose thereon. The axle passes through a sleeve shaft which runs freely
in bearings carried by the velocipede frame. In one arrangement we use two
driving chains, and, in the other, one, for transmitting the motion from the pedal
shaft to the carrying wheels. When two driving chains are use, we employ the
balance gear for transmitting the slow motion to the carrying wheel axle, and the
superior speed we obtain by driving through a chain wheel loose on the carrying
wheel axle. The sleeve shaft is fitted at one end with a chain wheel, which,
with its side flange, constitutes a gear box, as it encloses a bevel wheel carried
on the main axle and a bevel wheel facing that wheel, and attached to the
loose carrying wheel on the main axle. This box also serves to carry on
radial studs a pair of pinions in gear with the bevel gear enclosed in the
box. On the opposite end of the sleeve shaft slides a break wheel, which
is furnished with clutch teeth for engaging with the loose chain wheel on
the main axle. This clutch wheel is free to slide on a feather on the
sleeve, when acted upon by a hand lever. So long as the clutch is out of action,
motion will be transmitted to the main axle through the balance gear, the second
chain and chain wheel running idly, but when the sliding clutch is made to engage
with the loose chain wheel, the driving power will be transmitted through that

page_text: wheel to the sleeve shaft, and thence through the balance gear to the main axle.
The chain wheel on the pedal shaft that transmits the motion directly to the
balance gear, is fitted with a Cheylesmore clutch to allow of its overrunning when
the increased speed gear is in action. A similar result we obtain by employing
reduced speed gearing in place of increased speed gearing, and throwing this out of
action when the normal speed is required. In this case, the balance gear will not be
provided with a chain wheel, and only one driving chain will be employed. This
chain will serve to actuate a loose chain wheel on the sleeve shaft, which carries a
bevel wheel for transmitting the slow motion to the sleeve shaft, and in gear with
it is the smaller diameter of a double pinion mounted on a radial pin carried by a
brake wheel fast on the sleeve shaft. The larger diameter of this pinion gears
with a loose bevil wheel on the sleeve shaft, which wheel is capable of being
locked either to the brake wheel or to the carriage frame at the pleasure of the
rider.
Supposing now, it is desired to drive at the normal speed, this wheel is locked to
the brake wheel, which being fast on the sleeve shaft, will transmit motion through
the balance gear to the main axle as before explained. When, however, it is desired
to reduce the speed and increase the driving power, the bevil wheel is released from
the brake wheel and locked to the carriage frame by the rider. The effect of this
will be to transmit rotary motion from the chain wheel through the smaller
diameter of the pinion of the brake wheel to the sleeve shaft on which the brake
wheel is keyed, and thereby to reduce the travelling speed of the vehicle
proportionately to the relation between the bevel wheels and pinions of the power
gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph White and John Asbury in the Patent Office on the 5th June
1884.
"
JOSEPH WHITE of Coventry in the County of Warwick, Watch Manufacturer
and JOHN ASBURY of the same place, Machinist "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
This Invention relates to velocipedes fitted with balance gear through which
rotary motion is imparted to the main carrying wheels, and it consists in applying
thereto novel means for reducing or increasing the driving speed as circumstances
may require without changing the speed of the treadle shaft.
In the accompanying drawings we have shewn two arrangements of mechanism
for carrying out the object of our Invention; two driving chains one on either side
of the tricycle being employed in one arrangement, and a single driving chain
being used in the other arrangement.
Figures 1. 2 and 3 Sheet I represent the arrangement with a pair of driving
chains, Fig 1 being a plan view of a two-speed tricycle having two chains, the
brake lever and strap being removed in order to expose the underlying parts,
Fig 2 being a side elevation of the same, and Fig 3 a partial transverse section of
the tricycle taken in the line of the travelling wheel axle.
A A' are the travelling wheels, fitted to a common axle B, the wheel A being fast
and the wheel A loose thereon. The axle B passes through a sleeve shaft C which
runs freely in bearings carried by the velocipede frame D, E E are the driving
chains for transmitting motion from the pedal shaft F through the chain wheels ffi
to the travelling wheels. G is the well-known arrangement of balance gear through
which we drive the travelling wheels when we desire to transmit the slow motion
to the travelling wheels, and H is the gearing through which we drive for the
purpose of transmitting the su, erior speed to the travelling wheels.
The sleeve shaft c is fitted at one end with a chain wheel g, which, with its side
flange g¹ constitutes a gear box as it encloses a bevil wheel 92 carried on the main
axle B, and a bevil wheel g³ facing that wheel, and attached to the loose travelling
wheel A'. This box also serves to carry on radial studs a pair of pinions g* in gear
with the bevil wheels g² and g³ enclosed in the gear box. On the opposite end of
the sleeve shaft c slides a brake wheel h which is furnished with clutch teeth for
engaging with a chain wheel h¹ loose on the axle B. This clutch wheel his free
to slide on a feather on the sleeve when acted upon by a lever I, as will be
presently explained, but by reason of the spring i acting on this lever the clutch h
will be held in contact with the chain wheel. So long as the clutch is out of action
motion will be transmitted to the axle through the balance gear, the second chain
and chain wheel running idly; but when the sliding clutch is allowed to engage
with the loose chain wheel, the driving power will be transmitted through that
wheel to the sleeve shaft, and thence through the balance gear to the travelling
wheels. The chain wheel f¹ that transmits the motion directly from the pedal
shaft F to the balance gear G, is loose on the shaft and is fitted with a Cheylesmore
clutch to allow of its overrunning when the increased speed gear is in action, and
the chain wheel F which serves to drive the speed gear H is keyed upon its axle F.
The lever I used for throwing the clutch h out of action is pivotted on the main
framing and is forked to enter an annular groove in the periphery of the clutch.
The tail end of this lever lies in the plane of a cam k carried by the stem K of one
of the "pull up" handles. This stem is capable of receiving an axial motion which
by bringing the cam k to bear on the tail of the lever I will rock that lever and
cause it to disengage the clutch / from the chain wheel h'. When this takes place,

page_text: the chain wheel h¹ will run idly, and the travelling wheels will be driven directly
through the balance gear G. In Sheet II of the drawings the arrangement for
driving at different speeds through one chain is shewn at Figures 4. 5 and 6, Fig 4
being a plan of a two-speed tricycle having one chain, the brake lever and strap
being omitted to shew the parts below. Fig 5 is a sectional side elevation showing
the relative position of the pedal and travelling wheel axles with their fittings,
including chain wheels, speed gear casing, and clutch arrangement. Fig 6 is a
partial transverse section of the tricycle on the line of the travelling wheel axle,
showing the arrangement of balance and speed and power gear, and Fig 7 is a plan
view of the disengaging and locking catch.
In this arrangement we obtain a similar result to that afforded by the
arrangement above described with the employment of reduced speed gearing in
place of increased speed gearing, throwing this reduced speed gearing out of
action when the normal speed is required. [G, as in the first arrangement indicates
the balance gear and H the reduced speed gear. The chain used for driving the
balance gear is now superseded, there being but one driving chain employed. This
chain E passes from the chain wheel f. of the pedal shaft F. and drives a chain
wheel h. which is loose on the sleeve shaft C. Formed in, one with this chain
wheel is a bevil wheel ¹. for transmitting motion to the sleeve shaft, and in gear
with this bevil wheel is the smaller diameter h³. of a double pinion, which is
mounted on a radial pin carried by the brake wheel . made fast to the sleeve
shaft. The larger diameter 13. of the double pinion gears with a bevil wheel h³
loose on the sleeve shaft, and is capable of being locked either to the brake
wheel h, or to the carriage fraine D, at the pleasure of the rider. For this purpose
there is pivotted to the disc which forms part of the bevil wheel h³, and closes the
end plate of the speed gear box, a locking lever . which is intended to enter
notches made in the edge of the brake wheel, and lock the loose bevil wheel h³
thereto. This locking lever is held in action by means of a spring h³ fitted to the
disc of the wheel ³, and bearing upon the inner or cranked end of the lever. For
disenging the lever, or throwing it out of action, we employ a curved finger
projecting from the lower end of a vertical rod L fitted with a pull-up handle, and
capable of sliding in a guide provided for it in the main framing D. On the
curved face of this finger l. bears the turned-in end of a looped spring . (see the
detached view Fig: 7). This turned-in end is formed with a retaining catch, which
comes into use when the curved finger has been caused to act upon the lever h
and force it out of action. Supposing it to be desired by the rider to disengage
the bevil wheel h³ from the brake wheel, he presses down the handle of the rod L
and thereby brings the curved finger 7. within the path of the revolving lever he
As the lever comes into contact with the curved face of this finger, it will be
forced out of the notch of the brake wheel in which it was held by the spring h.
The power applied to the pedal shaft gives the lever a backward motion and it will
be caught and held by the catch of the spring 11. To release this locking lever,
and allow it to reengage with the brake wheel, it is only necessary to pull up the
handle of the rod L, when the spring and the curved finger to which it is fitted will
be lifted clear of the locking lever.
Supposing now it is desired to drive at the normal speed, the wheel h. will be
locked to the brake wheel, which brake wheel being fast on the sleeve shaft C will
transmit motion through the balance gear G to both travelling wheels, as before
explained. When however it is desired to reduce the speed and proportionately
increase the driving power, the bevil wheel *. is released from the brake wheel
and locked to the carriage frame D by the rider forcing down the handle L, and
causing the curved finger l. and its spring catch . to act as above explained. The
effect of this disengagement of the locking lever he is to transmit rotary motion
from the chain wheel h. through the smaller diameter of the pinion of the brake
wheel to the sleeve shaft C on which the brake wheel is keyed, and thereby to
reduce the travelling speed of the vehicle proportionately to the relation between
the bevil wheels and pinions of the power gearing. It will be understood that by

page_text: arranging the combinations of balance gear, and speed and power gear as above
described with reference to the Drawings, we not only simplify the construction of
the mechanism, but we balance its weight by disposing the gearing at opposite
sides of the vehicle, while at the same time, both travelling wheels are made
independent drivers.
Having now setforth the nature of our Invention of " Improvements in
Velocipedes" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent We
claim:-
Firstly-The arrangement of mechanism described with reference to Sheet I of
the drawings, for transmitting motion at a greater or lesser speed, at the option of
the rider, to the travelling wheels, without varying the speed of rotation of the
pedal shaft.
Secondly: The arrangement of mechanism described with reference to Sheet II
of the drawings, for transmitting motion at a greater or lesser speed, at the option
of the rider, to the travelling wheels, without varying the speed of rotation of the
pedal shaft.
In witness whereof I the said John Asbury have hereunto set my hand and
seal the third day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.