provements in Means for Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion applicable to Velocipedes and other Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1897- Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
D
VICIONAT
ONAL
AL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Means for Converting Reciprocating into Rotary
Motion applicable to Velocipedes and other Machines.
We, JOSEPH EDWARD LILLEY, and JAMES WESTAWAY, both of Shirley House,
Throgmorton Avenue in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention we fix a ratchet wheel to the shaft to be driven (which
in the case of a velocipede may either be the pedal axle or the axle of the rear
wheel) and we enclose this ratchet wheel in a sheath or case free to turn upon the
shaft. The sheath carries an arm on which is mounted a pawl engaging with the
ratchet teeth and is oscillated in one direction by a spring and in the other by a band
or cord one end of which is fixed to it, the other end being fixed to an oscillating
lever actuated by a treadle or otherwise. The cord is led over a pulley between the
sheath and the treadle so that it is always tangential to the former. In order to
prevent noise the arm on which the pawl is mounted carries an elastic roller so
placed that when the ratchet wheel is rotating relatively to the sheath its teeth first
come against the roller so lifting the arm and carrying the pawl out of reach of the
teeth but when rotating in the other direction the pawl comes against and engages
with a tooth when the roller is in a space between two teeth.
In order to give the power of varying the leverage we employ two cords and lead
these over pulleys pivotted to the frame of the machine. The cords are fastened to
the underside of the treadle and pass through an eye or over a roller on the lever
thence over the pulley and to the groove on the periphery of the sheath where the
ends are fastened to the arm carrying the pawl.
The hack of the treadle is formed L shape and at each point of the L a loop is
provided through one of which one of the cords is passed, the ends of the cords are
tied together, or they may be connected by a suitable spring. a cross bar, or knot, is
tied to the cord near its forward end so that the bar shall not pass through the loop
and thus bring the cord in action.
By turning the treadle half a turn in a forward direction the "second
gear cord is drawn tight and the low gear put into action.
or low
On returning the treadle to its former position (which the rider can do with his
foot without stopping the bicycle) the low gear cord is released and the "first"
high gear is brought into action.
or
By placing the pulleys a little distance apart other changes of gear can be arranged
by giving each cord a complete turn around the pulley which brings it down on the
opposite side and nearer to the pivot of the lever, thus two other changes of gear are
effected and carried out by the cords being continued through other eyes or rollers
provided at suitable positions on the lever.
To lock the cord and secure it before the pressure is applied to the treadle, the
L shaped back of the treadle is grooved around and through the central point
underneath its pivot, when, by completing the turn of the treadle, the cord is drawn
behind the pivot, and is thus self-locking.
The position of the eyes, or rollers, on the lever determines the gear or leverage
to be obtained

page_text: Instead of changing the gear, or leverage, by means of the treadle the pulleys may
be connected to a lever worked by the hand or foot and their position changed by
bringing them together, this movement will put the "second" or low gear into
action and release the "first" or high gear, then, by pushing them further apart the
"second" or low gear is released and the first or high gear put into action.
In another way the cords may be "widened" or "brought together" in a similar
manner by passing them through pulleys and blocks and these are operated by a
lever provided for the purpose.
To multiply the speed the cords are cut into two parts and an extra pulley and
block is used, to which the ends of the two front cords are fastened, at a convenient
position between the fixed pulleys and the sheath of the toothed wheel. The sheath
cord or cords which are attached to the pawl arm are carried through this pulley
block and the end or ends fastened to the frame of the machine. It will be seen that
by means of this extra pulley the pull of the cord over the sheath is doubled and the
speed or rate of travel of the toothed wheel is doubled accordingly.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896.
JOSEPH EDWARD LILLEY.
JAMES WESTAWAY.
Improvements in Means for Converting Reciprocating into Rotary
Motion applicable to Velocipedes and other Machines.
We, JOSEPH EDWARD LILLEY, and JAMES WESTAWAY, both of Shirley House,
Throgmorton Avenue, in the City of London, 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:-
According to this invention we fix a ratchet wheel to the shaft to be driven (which
in the case of a velocipede may be the axle of the rear wheel) and we enclose this
ratchet wheel in a sheath or case free to turn upon the shaft. The sheath carries an
arm on which is mounted a pawl engaging with the ratchet teeth and is oscillated
in one direction by a spring and in the other by a band or cord one end of which is
fixed to the arm, the other end being fixed to an oscillating lever actuated by a
treadle. The cord is led over a pulley between the sheath and the treadle so that it
is always tangential to the arc described by its point of attachment to the lever. In
order to prevent noise the arm on which the pawl is mounted carries an elastic roller
so placed that when the ratchet wheel is rotating relatively to the sheath its teeth
first come against the roller so lifting the arm and carrying the pawl out of reach of
the teeth but when rotating in the other direction the pawl comes against and
engages with a tooth when the roller is in a space between two teeth.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of this arrangement applied to a bicycle, Figure 2 is a
transverse section, and Figure 3 a sectional side elevation on a larger scale than
Figure 1 showing the way in which we apply the spring for turning the sheath in one
direction.
a is a shaft fixed to the frame b of the machine. c is the hub of the driven wheel
running on ball bearings c'. d is a ratchet wheel fixed to the hub c. e is a casing
surrounding the wheel d and running on ball bearings e¹. e is a drum on which is
wound a cord f whose end is attached to a helical spring f inside the frame. is
an arm pivotted at g' to the casing e and carrying a pawl and an elastic roller g.
g is a spring lifting the arm off the ratchet wheel d. When the motion of the
casing relatively to the ratchet wheel is from right to left the pawl g comes into
contact with the face of one of the teeth and the wheel and casing revolve together

page_text: but when the relative motion is from left to right the roller g³ comes against the backs
of the teeth lifting the arın g and preventing the pawl g2 from striking the teeth.
h is a cord which winds onto a second drum e³ on the casing e and is secured at its
end to the army. The cord is led over a guide pulley k and then downwards and is
connected to a lever j carrying the pedal j. j is a spring tending to raise the pedal
lever.
In order to give the power of varying the leverage we employ two cords and lead
these over guide pulleys pivotted to the frame of the machine. The cords are
fastened to the two arins of an L piece forming part of the treadle and one of these
is passed through an eye or over a roller on the lever thence over its guide pulley
and to the drum forming part of the sheath.
At each point of the La loop is provided through one of which one of the cords is
passed, the ends of the cords are tied together, or they may be connected by a
suitable spring, a cross bar or knot is tied to each cord near its forward end so that
the bar or knot shall not pass through the loop-and thus the cord can be brought
into action.
By turning the treadle half a turn the "second" or low gear cord is drawn tight
and the low gear put into action.
On returning the treadle to its former position (which the rider can do with his
foot without stopping the bicycle) the low gear cord is released and the "first" or
high gear is brought into action.
This arrangement is shown at Figures 4 and 5.
In Figure 4 the high speed gear is shown in action and in Figure 5 the low-speed
gear-e is the drum on the sheath- the treadle lever- the pedal- the two
arms of the L piece fast on the pedal. h h¹ are the two cords passing from the
drum-they are led over guide pulleys k k and then downwards to the treadle lever-
here the low speed cord his led under a guide pulley and then through an eye in
one arm of the L piece whilst the high speed cord is led down directly through an
eye in the other arm of the L piece. is a spring or other connecting piece
connecting the ends of the two cords.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a modification which in some respects is preferable to that
above described.
In this modification the cord his fixed to the lever j and the cord h¹ to the curved
arm o pivotted at 2 to the pedal. When this arm is in the position shewn at
Figure 6 the cord h¹ is tight and operative whilst h is slack and out of use whereas
when o is in the position shown at Figure 7 h is tight and slack.
Other changes of gear can be arranged by giving each cord a complete turn
around its guide pulley which brings it down on the opposite side of this pulley and
nearer to the pivot of the lever, thus two other changes of gear are effected.
This arrangement is shown at Figures 6 and 8. In Figure 6 the pulley is
pivotted at j and the cord h is fixed at n the cords h and h¹ only going a quarter
round the guide pulleys whilst in Figure 8 the pivot and point of attachment are
at and n and the cords h h go completely round".
Instead of changing the gear, or leverage, by means of the treadle the pulleys may
be connected to a lever worked by the hand or foot and their position changed by
bringing them together, this movement will put the "second" or low gear into
action and release the "first" or high gear, then, by pushing them further apart
the "second" or low gear is released and the first or high gear put into action.
In another way the cords may be "widened" or "brought together" in a similar
manner by passing them through pulleys and blocks and these are operated by a
lever provided for the purpose.
This arrangement is shown at Figure 9 where the pulley is mounted on a slide
which can be moved in the groove o by the lever p.
To multiply the speed the cords are cut into two parts and an extra pulley and
block is used, to which the ends of the two front cords are fastened, at a convenient
position between the fixed pulleys and the sheath of the toothed wheel. The sheath
cord or cords which are attached to the pawl arm are carried through this pulley

page_text: block and the end or ends fastened to the frame of the machine. It will be seen
that by means of this extra pulley the pull of the cord over the sheath is doubled
and the speed or rate of travel of the toothed wheel is doubled accordingly.
This arrangement is shown at Figure 10 where q is the additional pulley.
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 :-
1. In mechanism for driving the back wheel of a bicycle the combination of a
ratchet wheel fixed to the hollow spindle or hub of the back wheel, a sheath or case
free to turn on the spindle, a pawl carried by the sheath or case and engaging with
the ratchet wheel a spring tending to turn the sheath or case in one direction a
treadle lever turning at its rear end on a fulcrum below the spindle and a cord or
band fixed to the lever near its forward end and carried upwards and over a guide
pulley to and partly around the sheath or case so that when the treadle is depressed
it tends to turn the sheath in the other direction.
2. The combination with a ratchet wheel, pawl lever and pawl of a roller carried
by the lever and keeping the pawl out of contact with the ratchet teeth when the
ratchet wheel is moving in one direction relatively to the other parts.
3. Connecting the sheath or case to a lever by means of two cords so arranged
that either one or the other can be tightened and made operative and the leverage
thereby varied.
4. Means for converting reciprocating into rotary motion substantially as described
and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of Sentember 1807
JOSEPH EDWARD LILLEY.
JAMES WESTAWAY