Improvements in Self-propelled Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-propelled Vehicles.
We, JOHN HENRY HAMILTON and ARTHUR ROLLASON both of Sandiaore in,
the County of Derby Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention'
to be as follows:-
We propose to use a motor worked by gasoline or benzoline or other easily
evaporated oil or spirit and it may have one or more cylinders but we shall first
describe a single cylinder engine applied to a bicycle. The engine may be of the
side crank type the crank and connecting rod being completely enclosed in a casing:
in one side of which is formed the crank-shaft bearing. The opposite side of the
casing may be removable. We propose to form bearings in this side for two axles,
to one of which is attached a gear wheel on the inside and a cam on the outside of
the crank case. And to the other is secured a pinion gearing into the wheel
and a crank arm having a hole at the end into which fits the end of the engine
crank pin which thus gives motion to this axle which is concentric with the
crankshaft.
The gearing is one to two as in other four stroke motors.
The exhaust valve has a long spindle and a disc at the end of it and the cam
above mentioned comes in contact with the flat face of this disc near the circum-
ference thus opening the exhaust valve and partially turning it round.
The admission valve is preferably placed in line with the exhaust valve and in a
separate casing which may be screwed into the cylinder end in which the exhaust
passage is formed.
The admission valve opens automatically and may have one or more holes in its
seat for the admission of oil as used in some oil motors or it may when sucked open
operate a separate oil valve delivering oil into the air pipe leading to the
admission valve or the air may be carburetted in any other known way such as
causing it to pass over surfaces moistened with the oil or spirit or itself passing
through the oil or spirit in small bubbles.
To the projecting end of the crankshaft we secure a small flywheel which has
cast along with it a ring or pulley arranged so as to be brought in contact with the
rubber tyre of one of the bicycle wheels.
For the purpose of allowing the motor to be put in gear with the vehicle the
former may be hung on a pivot or mounted in slides so that the pulley or ring
above described may be brought into contact with the tyre or kept clear of it at
will and a cam with a handle in a convenient position may be used to effect this
movement of the motor and to hold it secure in either position. The tyre may be
furnished with a non-slipping band or have a corrugated surface and the pulley
above described may have a roughened surface or be covered with a rough material
such as canvas belting etc. to increase the adhesive power.
The speed of the engine may be partly regulated by an adjustable valve in the
oil supply or in the air pipe near the admission valve but for emergencies such as
slowing down to pass other vehicles etc. a brake acting on the flywheel of the engine
and operated by a handle conveniently situated, may be used.
The bicycle may be fitted with the usual pedals and chain driving gear and when
the rider desires to use this only he may throw the pulley out of contact with the'

page_text: tyre and shut off the oil supply and he will not then have to overcome the
friction of the engine in addition to that of the bicycle.
We may arrange a valve which shall shut off the oil or oil vapour and air the
said valve may be operated by the motion of the engine when it is being put in or
out of gear with the vehicle.
The engine may drive on to either the front or back wheel and in the former
case a convenient position is in front of the steering head the front fork being
made extra strong and with a strong cross-head to which is cast a lug through
which may pass the pivot upon which the engine swings.
The cam for throwing it in and out of gear as also the brake acting on the
flywheel can then be conveniently situated on the handle bar with which the top of
the cylinder may be nearly level.
The oil reservoir may also be fixed to the handle bar or the latter, may be of
large diameter and itself form the oil reservoir.
For use with a tricycle the crank that drives the pinion may be, prolonged and
a friction pulley arranged to come in contact with the tyres of each of the hind
wheels and in this case instead of having the engine movable on a pivot it may
be fixed in the centre of the vehicle and the crankshaft may be connected by
universal joints to a short shaft at either side, the other ends of these short shafts "
carrying the friction pulleys and being supported in bearings in a frame which.
may be swung so as to bring the pulleys into or out of gear.
The ignition may be effected by an electric spark or by a hot tube.
We, JOHN HENRY HAMILTON and ARTHUR ROLLASON, both of Sandiacre in
the County of Derby, Engineers, 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:-
We propose to use a motor worked by gasoline, or benzoline, or other easily
evaporated oil or spirit, and it may have one or more cylinders, but we shall first'
describe a single cylinder engine applied to a bicycle. The engine may be of the
side crank type, the crank. and connecting rod being completely enclosed in a
casing, in one side.of which is formed the crankshaft bearing. The opposite side
of the casing may be removable. We propose to form bearings in this side for
two axles, to one of which is attached a gear wheel on the inside, and a cam on
the outside of the crank case, and to the other is secured a pinion gearing into the
wheel, and a crank arm having a hole at the end into which fits the end' of
the engine crank pin, which thus gives motion to this axle, which is concentric
with the crankshaft, The gearing is one to two as in other four-stroke, motors.
The exhaust valve has a long spindle and a disk at the end of it, and the cam-
above mentioned comes in contact with the flat face of this disk near the circum-
ference, thus opening the exhaust valve, and partially turning it round. The
admission valve is preferably placed in line with the exhaust valve, and in a separate
casing, which may be screwed into the cylinder end, in which the exhaust passage
is formed. The admission valve opens. automatically and may have one or more
holes in its seat for the admission of oil; as used in some oil motors,, or it may,
when sucked open, operate a separate oil valve, delivering oil into the, air pipe,
leading to the admission valve, or the air may be carburetted-in any other known

page_text: way, such as causing it to pass over surfaces moistened with the oil, or spirit, or
itself passing through the oil or spirit in small bubbles.
To the projecting end of the crankshaft, we secure a small fly wheel which has
cast along with it a ring or pulley, arranged so as to be brought in contact with
the rubber tyre of one of the bicycle wheels.
For the purpose of allowing the motor to be put in gear with the vehicle, the
former may be hung on a pivot or mounted in slides, so that the pulley or ring, as
above described, may be brought into contact with the tyre or kept clear of it at
will, and a cam with a handle in a convenient position may be used to effect this
movement of the motor, and to hold it secure in either position.
The tyre may be furnished with a non-slipping band, or have a corrugated
surface, and the pulley above described may have a roughened surface, or be
covered with rough material, such as canvas, belting, etc. to increase the adhesive
power.
The speed of the engine may be partly regulated by an adjustable valve in
the oil supply, or in the air pipe near the admission valve, but for emergencies
such as slowing down to pass other vehicles, etc., a brake acting on the fly wheel of
the engine and operated by a handle conveniently situated may be used. The
bicycle may be fitted with the usual pedals and chain driving gear, and when the
rider desires to use this only he may throw the pulley out of contact with the tyre,
and shut off the oil supply, and he will then not have to overcome the friction of
the engine in addition to that of the bicycle.
We may arrange a valve which shall shut off the oil or oil vapor and air, the
said valve being operated by the motion of the engine, when it is being put in or
out of gear with the vehicle.
The engine may drive either on the front or back wheel, and in the former a
convenient position is in front of the steering head, the front fork being made
extra strong, and with a strong cross head to which is cast a lug, through which
may pass the pivot upon which the engine swings.
、
The cam for throwing it in and out of gear, as also the brake acting on the fly
wheel, can then be conveniently situated on the handle bar, with which the top of
the cylinder may be nearly level.
The oil reservoir may also be fixed to the handle bar, or the latter may be of
large diameter and itself form the oil reservoir.
For use with a tricycle, the crank that drives the pinion may be prolonged and
a friction pulley arranged to come in contact with the tyres of each of the hind
wheels, and in this case instead of having the engine movable on a pivot, it may be
fixed in the centre of the vehicle and the crankshaft may be connected by universal
joints to a short shaft at either side, the other ends of these short shafts carrying
the friction pulleys and being supported in bearings in a frame, which may be
swung, so as to bring the pulleys into or out of gear.
The ignition may be effected by an electric spark, or by a hot tube.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, represents a section, Fig. 2, a side elevation of our engine, and Fig. 3, a
side elevation of the engine and parts of the bicycle to which it is attached.
The engine is of the usual four-stroke type, furnished with an admission valve A,
and an exhaust valve B. The former opens automatically by the suction of the
piston, and the latter is operated by a cam C driven by one to two spur gearing
from the crankshaft, as shewn. The cam C comes in contact with a disk D
attached to the exhaust valve spindle, and in lifting it causes the valve to turn
round, thus tending to prevent unequal wear. To the crankshaft is fixed a fly
wheel F, having attached to or cast with it a pulley P, which pulley may be covered
with non-slipping material G, such as canvas, belting, etc. for the purpose of more
effectively driving the tyre of one of the wheels T, which is shewn in contact
with it.

page_text: We prefer to mount the engine in front of the steering head of the bicycle, as
shewn in Fig. 3, the engine being supported on a pivot O passing through lugs
formed on the fork cross head which is made extra strong, the forks also being
extra strong and securely fastened to the cross head.
For the purpose of pressing the pulley against the tyre, we provide a handle H
fixed to a spindle, to which is also fixed a crank arm I, which is connected by a
rod R to the upper end of the cylinder, which is provided with an arm K, sliding
in guides attached to the steering head.
The handle H is arranged so that it can turn through a semi-revolution, being
supported by stops in each extreme position. When it is pushed full forward,
that is, away from the rider, it presses the pulley hard against the tyre, and when
pulled full back, or towards the rider, it lifts the pulley clear of the tyre. The
weight of the handle tends to keep it in whichever position it may be placed, and
it may be further steadied by coming in contact with sloping faces formed on the
arm K, thus wedging it in each extreme position.
The benzoline or gasoline is preferably carried in a vessel L into which may
dip a small tube, the opening of which can be adjusted by a screw valve M. The
air may be admitted to the tube U through a box V containing some filtering
material, such as cotton wool and the quantity of the air may be regulated by
another valve N. The tube U leads the vapor and air to a slide S in which is an
opening, which is arranged so that it shall come opposite another opening leading
to the admission valve (see Fig. 1) when the handle H is pushed full forward and
the pulley is in contact with the tyre, but which shall be closed by the blank face
formed on the admission valve casing, when the handle H is full back and the
pulley out of gear, thus automatically shutting off the oil and vapor supply when
out of gear.
The speed of the engine may be controlled by the brake J adapted to come in
contact with the fly wheel F, and having a handle conveniently situated near one
of the steering handles of the bicycle. The ignition may be effected by an electric
spark in any of the well known ways, the battery and induction coil being carried
in a waterproof case W. We prefer to time the sparks by a contact maker con-
sisting of a piece of insulated metal attached to the cam C and arranged to bridge
over the gap between two buttons connected to the secondary circuit of the coil.
The contact between the insulated metal and the buttous being preferably a rubbing
contact and arranged so that it will commence somewhat before the crank arrives
at the dead centre, and will terminate shortly after the crank has passed the dead
centre on the explosion stroke. We may also insert another circuit breaker which
will be operated by the movement of the handle H in such a way that the primary
circuit shall be open when the tyre and pulley are not in contact, but shall be
closed when they are in contact.
The mode of operating, is as follows:-
Should the rider desire to use the engine he pushes forward the handle H thus
bringing the pulley in contact with the tyre, and opening the passage supplying air
and vapor and continues to pedal till the engine shall have got up sufficient speed
to suck in and ignite the charges. The engine then commences to drive the
machine and continues to do so while the pulley is in contact with the tyre. The
rider may assist with the pedals, which are geared to the back wheel in the usual
manner, or if on a level road, he may put his feet on foot rests and allow the
engine to drive the machine alone. Should he not wish to use the engine, or
should the latter be out of order, he can pull the handle H back, thus bringing
the pulley out of gear, shutting off the oil and vapor supply and breaking the
primary circuit. He can then use the machine as an ordinary bicycle and will not
have the disadvantage of having to keep the engine running and overcoming its
friction. If he desires to ride the machine without the engine, the latter can be
readily taken off by withdrawing the pivot, unclamping the clamps that hold the
oil reservoir, and taking out the handle H.
The exhaust may be led through the tube X, Fig. 2. thence to the pivot which

page_text: may be hollow, thence to the hollow mudguard Z, Fig. 3, and so discharged near
the ground; the mudguard being preferably turned backwards at its lower end to
give a backward direction to the exhaust products.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner it may be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
(1.) The general arrangement of the motor mounted, as described, on the
machine, and adapted to have its driving pulley brought into contact with the tyre
of the machine, or kept clear of same at the will of the rider, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(2.) The general arrangement and combination of parts shewn on Fig. 3 of the
accompanying drawings, and substantially as described.
(3.) The method of operating the exhaust valve by a cam and disk, substantially
as described.
Dated this Ninth day of November 1806
J. H. HAMILTON.
A. ROLLASON.