Improvements in or relating to Cyclometers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cyclometers.
We, JAMES HENRY PRATT of No. 27 Vincent Street, Printer and WILLIAM
JAMES GIBBONS of No. 47 Butts, Watchmaker both in the City of Coventry, in
the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to cyclometers for those velocipedes in which the peda
crank axle is situated outside the driving wheel or wheels, and has for its objects
the production of an efficient instrument at small cost and the mounting of the
sane in such a manner that it shall be protected against the intrusion of dust into
the working parts and against other injuries.
The
According to our invention, we attach to the crank axle or to some other
convenient part of the machine, on the same side thereof as the driving gear and
between the said gear and the adjacent pedal crank, a short radiating arm.
said arm may consist of a nearly complete circle of clock spring with one end
turned out radially, and it may be attached to a suitable part of the crank axle
by springing the curved part around the same; one or more collars of india rubber
or the like material may be interposed between the two parts to ensure the arm
rotating firmly with the axle.
On
The arm is adapted to drive the mechanism which is attached to the inside of
the gear case; it operates directly on a star wheel mounted on an arbor which is
carried in a cock fitted in a convenient position to the walls of the gear case.
the same arbor as the star wheel is a pinion and accidental rotation of the wheel
and pinion is checked by a spring pawl acting on the said pinion.
A train of wheels, the number of whose teeth is proportioned to the gearing of
the velocipede, communicates motion to a wheel the arbor of which carries an
index hand on the dial. The dial is fixed on or forms part of the exterior of the
gear case where it may be readily seen; the circumference of the dial is divided
into eight parts marked by figures and representing furlongs, and may be divided
into thirty two parts marked by dots and representing distances each equal to
55 yards. The above mentioned index hand is adapted to turn in the same
direction as a watch hand and to make one complete circuit of the dial for each
mile travelled by the velocipede. The wheel carrying the index hand has a pin
projecting at right angles from its surface which on the completion of each
revolution (corresponding to one mile) engages with a ratchet wheel having ten
teeth and rotates it to the extent of one tooth. This ratchet wheel carries a figure
plate, the figures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0,) on which appear one at a time through
the right aperture of a series of these apertures made in line across the upper part
of the dial.
This (first) ratchet wheel with its figure plate revolves once in ten miles and
shows the units of miles travelled.
The unit figure plate carries on its periphery a single tooth which on the
completion of each ten miles engages with a second ratchet wheel mounted loosely
on the arbor carrying the index hand rotates it to the extent of one tooth. This
(second) ratchet wheel has ten teeth and carries a figure plate bearing the same
figures as the unit plate, which figures appear one at a time in the middle aperture
in the dial. The said second ratchet wheel revolves with its figure plate once in
one hundred miles, and shows tens of miles. The second or tens figure plate

page_text: also carries a single tooth which upon the completion of each distance of one
hundred miles, engages with a third ratchet wheel and rotates it to the extent of
one tooth. This third ratchet wheel has ten teeth and carries a figure plate
bearing the same figures as the other two plates, which figures appear one at a time
in the left hand aperture in the dial. The said third ratchet wheel revolves with
its figure plate once in one thousand miles and shows hundreds of miles. Thus
the figures appear through the apertures in their proper order, hundreds, tens,
units, and indicate the number of complete miles travelled, while the hand shows
the fractions of a mile in addition. Upon the completion of one thousand miles
the cyclometer registers 000 having registered at 999 at the completion of the
previous mile. The three ratchet wheels are prevented from rotating except at
the right times by spring pawls engaging with their teeth. The second ratchet
wheel preferably has a separate spring pawl, but the pawls for the other two
wheels may conveniently be united and have a body and screw common to both of
them. The screws holding the said pawls may pass through into the bezel and help
to hold the said bezel in place.
The arbor carrying the star wheel may be carried through to the exterior of
the gear case and be squared for the reception of a key or handle whereby it may
be quickly rotated for the purpose of setting the index hand to zero when
required.
The figures may also be set in the same way if desired.
The arm and the star wheel with its pinion and spring pawl are so arranged that
running the velocipede backwards or turning the key or handle in the corresponding
direction does not alter the indication of the register, nor injuriously affect the
parts.
Our instrument being made of few easily constructed and readily adjusted parts
is inexpensive to produce.
.
The works are protected against dust by the gear case and as no part of the
instrument projects materially from the velocipede it is not likely to be accidentally
injured.
A separate cover may be fitted to the working parts if desired.
Dated this 1st day of November 1895.
Improvements in or relating to Cyclometers.
We JAMES HENRY PRATT, Printer and WILLIAM JAMES GIBBONS, Watch
Maker, both now of No. 48 Butts in the City of Coventry in the County of
Warwick, 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 relates to cyclometers for those velocipedes in which the pedal-
crank axle is situated outside the driving wheel or wheels, and has for its objects
the production of an efficient instrument at small cost and the mounting of the
same in such a manner that it shall be protected against the intrusion of dust into
the working parts and against other injuries.
According to our invention we prefer to attach the action of the cyclometer to
the interior of the gear casc and to operate it by a projection from the pedal
crank axle or some part of the velocipede revolving therewith. If the gear case
be of sheet metal or other suitable material the action may be attached directly
thereto but if the case be constructed of leather or the like it is preferred to
mount the action on a metal plate which may be attached to the gear case in any

page_text: convenient manner.
In all cases we arrange that the dial shall be readable from
outside the gear case.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood we will, in describing
it, refer to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, wherein the invention
is shown as applied to the "lever lid" part of the well known "Harrison Carter "
fixed gear case, but we do not confine ourselves to this application nor to the
details shown in the drawings as modifications may be made without exceeding the
scope of our invention.
Figure I shows the external appearance of the cyclometer and
Figure II is an interior view showing the construction of the instrument.
Like numerals refer to like parts in both figures.
Attached to the crank axle 2 on the same side thereof as the driving gear and
between the said gear and the adjacent pedal crank is a short radiating arm 3.
The said arm may consist of a nearly complete circle of clock spring 5 with one end
turned out radially, and it is attached to a suitable part of the crank axle by
springing the curved part around the same; one or more collars 4 of india rubber
or the like material are interposed between the two parts 2 and 5 to ensure the
arm rotating firmly with the axle. The arm, which may be constructed & fixed
in any other suitable manner if preferred, is adapted to drive the mechanism which
is attached to the inside of the gear case; it operates directly on a star wheel 6
mounted on an arbor 7 which is carried in a cock 8 fitted, in this instance, to the
inside of the lever lid 9 of the gear case. On the arbor 7 we also fix a pinion 10
and accidental rotation of the wheel 6 and pinion 10 is checked by a spring
pawl 11 acting on the said pinion. A train of wheels, the number of whose teeth
is proportioned to the gearing of the velocipede, communicates motion to a wheel 13
the arbor 14 of which carries an index hand 15 on the dial 16. The dial is fixed
on to or forms part of, the exterior of the gear case where it may be readily seen ;
the circumference is divided into eight parts marked by figures and representing
furlongs and may be divided into thirty two parts marked by dots & representing
distances each equal to 55 yards, or, be otherwise divided as convenient. In the
train of wheels shown, the star wheel 6 has six arms, & its pinion 7 has 6 teeth;
the wheel 34 has 16 teeth and its pinion 35 has 6 teeth; the wheel 36 has 24 teeth
and its pinion 37 has 6 teeth; the wheel 13 has 32 teeth. This rate of gearing is
suitable for a bicycle in which the driving wheel is geared to 64", that is the
driving gear of the machine is so arranged that for each revolution of the pedal
cranks and crank axle the bicycle is propelled forward a distance equal to that
which a wheel of 64" in diameter would cover in one revolution. To adapt the
cyclometer for bicycles geared to other usual even gears than 64", it is only
necessary to change the wheel 13, which should in each case have the number of
teeth equal to half the number of inches in the gear. The index hand 15 is
adapted to turn in the same direction as a watch hand and to make one complete
circuit of the dial for each mile travelled by the velocipede. The wheel carrying
the index hand has a pin 17 projecting at right angles from its surface which on
the completion of each revolution (corresponding to one mile) engages with a
ratchet wheel 18 having 10 teeth and rotates it to the extent of one tooth. This
ratchet wheel carries a figure plate 19, the figures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0,) on
which appear one at a time through the right aperture of a series of three apertures
made in line across the upper part of the dial. This (first) ratchet wheel 18 with
its figure plate 19, revolves once in ten miles and shows the units of miles travelled.
The unit figure plate carries on its periphery a single tooth 21 which upon the
completion of each distance of ten miles engages with a second ratchet wheel 22
mounted loosely on the arbor 14 carrying the index hand and rotates to the
extent of one tooth. This (second) ratchet wheel 22 has ten teeth and carries a
figure plate 23 bearing the same figures as the unit plate, which figures appear one
at a time in the middle aperture in the dial. This (second) ratchet wheel 22
revolves with its figure plate 23 once in one hundred miles and shows tens of miles.
The second or tens figure plate 23 also carries a single 'tooth 25, which upon the

page_text: completion of each distance of one hundred miles engages with a third ratchet
wheel 26 and rotates it to the extent of one tooth. This (third) ratchet wheel 26
has ten teeth and carries a figure plate 27 bearing the same figures as the other
two plates (19 and 23) which figures appear one at a time in the left hand aperture
in the dial. The third ratchet wheel 26 revolves with its figure-plate 27 once in
one thousand miles and shows hundreds of miles. Thus the figures appear through
the apertures in their proper order,-hundreds, tens, units, and indicate the number
of complete miles travelled, while the hand 15 shows the fractions of a
mile in addition. Upon the completion of one thousand miles the cyclometer
registers 000, having registered 999 at the completion of the previous mile.
The three ratchet wheels are prevented from rotating except at the right times
by spring pawls engaging with their teeth. The second ratchet wheel 22
preferably has a separate spring pawl 29; the pawls 30, 31 for the other two
wheels may be separate, or be united and have a body and screw common to both
of them. The screws 32 holding the said pawls may pass through into the
bezel 33 and help to hold it in place. The arbor 7 carrying the star wheel 6
may be carried through the exterior of the gear case and be squared for the
reception of a key or handle whereby it may be rotated for the purpose of quickly
setting the index.hand to zero when required. The figures may also be set in the
same way if desired. The arm 3 and the star wheel 6 with its pinion 10 and spring
pawl 11 are so arranged that running the velocipede backwards or turning the key
or handle in the corresponding direction does not alter the indication of the
register nor injuriously affect the parts.
Our instrument being made of few easily constructed and readily adjusted parts
is inexpensive to produce. The works are protected against dust by the gear case
and as no part of the instrument projects it is not liable to be accidentally injured.
A separate cover may be fitted to the working parts if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The manufacture and use of a cyclometer, for a velocipede in which the pedal
crank axle is situated outside the driving wheel or wheels, substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. A cyclometer the action of which is attached directly or indirectly to the gear
case of a velocipede, the indications of which may be read from the exterior of
such gear case, and the operation of which is effected by a projection from the
pedal crank axle or some part of the velocipede revolving therewith, substantially
as set forth.
3. In a cyclometer adapted to be attached to the gear case of a velocipede and
operated by a projection from the crauk axle or some part revolving therewith, the
construction and arrangement of the action substantially as herein described.
Dated this 14th day of May 1896. •
.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18 Hertford Street, Coventry, Patent Agent for the Applicants.