Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I JOHN THOMSON LANCASTER of Jubilee Terrace Margate in the County of
Keut and of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of the invention is to utilize the power exerted in.stopping or checking
the velocipede in descending a hill by absorbing the waste energy expended in the
form of a spring accumulator and then when the hill has been descended to utilise
the accumulated energy by expending it in aiding ascension of the next acclivity.
In carrying out my invention I provide foot holds or treadles each mounted so
as to give rotation to small wheels, or their equivalents, mounted on a suitable axis
carried in the framing, each such small wheel is faced inwardly with india rubber,
or equivalent frictional surface and into contact with one wheel during descent of
a hill is brought one of a set of say three frictional gear wheels and this one wheel
acts by its friction, to check the rotation of the velocipede wheels geared to the
small pedal wheels and this frictional wheel becomes rotated itself and gives
rotation to the second frictional wheel which is mounted on a shaft carrying a gear
wheel which engaging other gear wheels, rotates the barrel of the spring contained
in it and connected to the shaft is a suitable catch preventing the spring unwinding
until by means of suitable levers and hand parts said catch is released and the third
friction wheel is caused to rotate by said spring and said third wheel is brought
into contact with the opposite small wheel causing it to be rotated and so aid in
driving the machine in ascending a hill.
In place of frictional clutch wheels to transform the power accumulated in
descending into power in aid of ascending I may employ gearing connected by
bands and engaged and disengaged by clutch gear, in equivalent manner.
Dated the 2nd day of May 1893.
WM. BROOKES & SONS,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I JOHN THOMSON LANCASTER, of Jubilee Terrace, Margate, in the County of
Kent, and of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mining
Engineer 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 :-
The object of the invention is to utilise the power exerted in stopping, or
checking the velocipede in descending a hill by absorbing the waste energy
expended in the form of a spring accumulator and then when the hill has been
descended to utilize the accumulated energy by expending it in aiding ascension of
the next acclivity.
In carrying out my invention I provide foot holds or treadles each mounted so
as to give rotation to bevel toothed wheels; or their equivalents, mounted on a
suitable axis carried in the framing, each such bevel toothed wheel is faced
inwardly and into contact with one of these bevel toothed wheels during descent of
FD

page_text: a hill is brought another, bevel toothed wheel and this one wheel acts, by its
engagement, to check the rotation of the velocipede wheels geared to the small
bevel toothed pedal wheels and this engagement wheel becomes rotated itself and
has mounted on its axis a small toothed wheel which gives rotation to another
toothed wheel which is mounted on a shaft carrying a small bevel gear or mitre
wheel which engages another mitre wheel, which, being affixed to a sprocket wheel,
by means of a chain and another sprocket wheel on the axis of the barrel of the
springs, rotates said barrèl, the springs being wound on it; and, acting on a ratchet
or stop wheel on the first mitre wheel shaft is a suitable catch preventing the
backward rotation of that shaft and thereby stopping springs from unwinding until
by means of suitable levers and hand parts said catch is released and the engage-
ment bevel toothed wheel is caused to rotate by said springs, and said engagement
wheel is brought into contact with the opposite bevel toothed wheel causing it to
be rotated and so aid in driving the machine in ascending an incline.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews by side view my invention as applied to the framing of a bicycle
by way of example.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the same, looking at the back, part of the framing
being removed.
Figure 3 is a partial side view of the hand parts for putting the mechanism in
and out of gear.
Figure 4 is a plan view shewing diagrammatically the gear wheels and attached
parts, drawn to a larger scale than the previous figs.
The axis a is carried by the framing A, and has mounted upon it cranks bb to
receive suitable footholds or treadles at ', which give rotation to bevel gear
wheels C, c', also mounted upon said axis.
.
Upon descending a hill, in order to store up the surplus energy by means of the
spring accumulator d; the hand lever e, upon its axis or fulcrum el is pushed
forward so as to bring the catch part e from the middle notch e' into the forward
notch e. This actuates the small L levers 7, by means of the connecting rods
or wires e, e, see full lines Fig. 3. These levers in turn move the clutch part f
upon its axis f' by means of the connecting rods f³ and f* connected to the clutch
band Attached to the part f is a plate g the upper portion of which forms a
cam g' to operate a stud / upon a rod or lever h' carried by a brucket fixed to
the framing A. When the lever e is in its forward position the stud h is resting
on the part of the cam, being kept down upon the cam surface by the spiral
spring attached to one end of the rod and having its bottom end connected to
the framing. The catch or finger at the other end of the lever or rod A', is then
engaged with the teeth of a ratchet wheel ¹ upon the spindle í, thus preventing the
mechanism returning when the spring is wound up.
z
At the lower end of the plate g is a finger go which pushes the part ; to the left,
the latter turning upon the spindle being supported thereon by its sleeve; and
carries with it the spindle having mounted upon it the bevel gear wheel with a
pinion Thus the wheel c is put into gear with the wheel c and.is rotated by it,
its attached pinion c* in turn gearing with another wheel e rotates the spindle i and
with it the bevel gear wheel which rotates a similar wheel carried by a stud i
attached to the framing. Attached to the wheel is a sprocket wheel which
rotates a suitable chain passing over another sprocket wheel upon the spindle.d
of the spring accumulator d. The inner ends of the spiral springs d d are connected
to the spindle ; and the strap or band ď, carried by the spring support d³,
prevents the springs from unwinding too far.
To put the mechanism out of gear the hand lever e is put in middle position as
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 thus bringing the wheel out of reach of the wheel c;
and the cam being in the position shewn in these figs., the catch holds the
ratchet wheel thus preventing the springs d from becoming unwound.
Upon ascending an incline, in order to bring into use the energy stored up in the

page_text: accumulator d, the hand levere is brought backward so that the catch part e³ is in
the rear notch e. This causes the part g; of the cam g¹ to be pushed under the
stud thus raising it and turning the lever h¹ so as to lift the catch h' free from
the ratchet wheel thus allowing the springs d to unwind. At the same time the
wheel is pushed into contact with the gear wheel c', so that when the energy of
the springs causes the chain to set in motion the wheels and and those in
turn rotating the wheels c and c the wheel c' communicates the motion to the
wheel c' and from thence to the bicycle wheels, 2 being the chain wheel.
The spindle d¹ has mounted upon it a small pulley d which gives motion to a
cord & passing over a loose pulley k', a imark on the cord serving to indicate the
extent to which the springs are wound. The mechanism may be suitably covered
to keep out dirt.
In place of toothed or engagement wheels to transform the power accumulated
in descending into power in aid of ascending I may employ gearing connected by
bands and engaged and disengaged by clutch gear in equivalent manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination or arrangement and use of the parts of apparatus adapted for
stopping or checking the rotation of the wheels of a velocipede in descending an
incline, taking up the waste energy expended, by means of spring accumulators, and
for utilizing the accumulated energy in effecting the ascension subsequently of an
incline, substantially as shown and described.
Dated the 1st day of Febuary 1804
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chaucery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.