IMPROVE- MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES CONVERTIBLE INTO BICYCLES OR TANDEM SOCIABLES
Year: 1885

page_text: Tandem Sociables.
We, WILLIAM SMITH, of 3 Standard Hill, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire,
Machinist, and GEORGE HICKING, of Lenton Road, The Park, in the same town
Wine merchant do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VELOCIPEDES CONVERTIBLE INTO BICYCLES OR TANDEM SOCIABLES," to
be as follows that is to say:—
This Invention relates to velocipedes and it has for its object the improved and
novel construction or arrangement of such velocipedes whereby they are rendered
capable of carrying two three or four persons at once and also of being disconnected
from certain parts, and easily converted into one or two bicycles as may be
desired,
In carrying out the Invention two bicycles which may be of ordinary make are
connected together side by side, but a short distance apart by a metal fraining.
This framing comprises a horizontal cross-bar which is connected by each end
respectively to the stanley head or top part of the forked framing of each bicycle.
At the middle of this cross-bar between each bicycle there is rigidly fixed or
attached a downwardly extending bar or back-bone. This back-bone divides about
its middle into two legs one of which projects forward and the other backward
and each leg is provided with bearings and carries a crank axle and the usual
pedals of a velocipede. At about the same part of the backbone where it divides
into two legs it is also formed with two side curved arms or a fork having between
them two toothed wheels for chain gearing which wheels are keyed or fixed upon a
sbaft carried in bearings at the ends of the side curved arms. This shaft is formed
with or has fixed on each end a crank arm and these arms at each end correspond
with and are connected by pedals to the inside cranks of the bicycles at each side
respectively. The backbone carries also two arms having suitable seats at the
back and front for two riders. These seats may be arranged to be raised or lowered
to suit the size and convenience of the riders whose feet rest upon and work the
pedals at the ends of the legs. The crank axles of these pedals have toothed
DO.11

page_text: wheels upon them and are connected by chains respectively to the chain gear
wheels fixed on the shaft which is thus driven and by its connections assists in
propelling the whole velocipede. The velocipede may be arranged to be steered by
the rider of one of the bicycles forming part of the velocipede at one side. By
arranging the connections of the horizontal cross bar and the cranks on the ends of
the shaft in a suitable manner the central framing may be easily and speedily
disconnected or detached from the bicycles or one of them and they may then be
used singly as desired. When it is desired to use the compound velocipede for
only two persons the machine may be lightened by arranging the two contral or
tandem seats and the front and black legs with their cranks and pedals in a
convenient manner for speedy removal.

page_text: Tandem Sociables.
We, WILLIAM SMITH, of 3 Standard Hill, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire,
Machinist, and GEORGE HICKING of Lenton Road, The Park, in the same Town,
Wine Merchant, 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 said Invention relates to velocipedes and it has for its object the improved
and novel construction or arrangement of such velocipedes whereby they are
rendered capable of carrying two three or four and even eight persons at once, and
also of being disconnected from certain parts and easily converted into one or two
bicycles as may be desired.
In carrying out the Invention two driving wheels like ordinary bicycle wheels,
are connected together side by side but a short distance apart by a metal framing.
This framing is arranged to carry seats and driving gear for two persons who may
assist in the propulsion of the velocipede. This framing is so constructed that the
two driving wheels and their forks may easily be disconnected from it and by
placing a back bone having a trailing wheel, saddle and steering handle upon the
top of the fork of each wheel, the wheels are thus converted into bicycles.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing our improved arrangement or con-
struction of velocipedes. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used
to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The improved velocipede is shown in the drawings as arranged to carry four
persons at once all of whom may assist in propelling the vehicle. Figure, 1, on
the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of the improved machine, whilst
Figure, 2, is a rear end view of the same. In this machine there are two large
driving wheels, 1, fitted in bearings carried by forks, 2, in a well known manner
arranged side by side a short distance apart. The heads of these forks, 2, are
connected together by being inserted inside a tubular boss, 3, at each end of a cross
bar, 4, so as to be removable. This cross bar, 4, is of a length sufficient to leave
room between the two wheels, 1, for seats and gearing for two persons back to
back (or tandem fashion if required). Near the middle of this cross bar, 4, at a
short distance apart there are rigidly fixed two vertical bars, 5, extending down-
wards and connected together by a horizontal part at the lower end, which is
slightly below the level of the axles of the driving wheels. Through bearings
formed in each of these bars, 5, in a line with the axles of the wheels, 1, there is
passed a crank shaft, 6, formed on each side of the bars, 5, with a cranked part
fitted with an ordinary treadle and another cranked arm, 7. This cranked arm, 7,
is formed to correspond and fit to the crank arm, 8, of the crank axle which is
merely a straight piece without a treadle being formed with a feather or rib in its
outer face to fit into a recess made for it in the crank, 8, and the two crank

page_text: arms, 7, 8, are screwed together face to face by screws which can be easily removed
when required. In the space between the bars, 5, there are fixed on the crank
shaft, 6, two wheels, 9, for chain gearing. Above the bearings for the crank
shaft, 6, and leaving room for the diameter of the wheel, 9, there is a cross piece, 10,
fixed between the bars, 5, upon which cross piece, 10, there is fixed about the
middle a metal plate or piece, 11, having on it three tubular bosses. In the middle
one of these three bosses there is rigidly fixed one end of a downwardly extending
bar, 12, which has a tubular boss, 13, fitted at its lower end so as to be easily
raised or lowered if required. This boss, 13, has a forked piece projecting forwards
which carries in bearings, a toothed wheel, 14, on a crank axle having treadles.
This wheel is a short distance from the ground and is geared by a chain, 15, with
one of the two wheels on the shaft, 6. A seat, 16, is provided at a convenient
height above being carried at the end of a short bar, 17, fixed to the cross piece, 10.
In the two side holes in the plate, 11, there are rigidly fixed the two ends of a fork
forming the upper end of an inclined bar, 18, projecting towards the front. This
bar, 18, extends downwards of a length equal to the bar, 12, and then it is curved
upwards and is formed with a tubular boss, 19, at its end in which there is fitted
the upper end of the fork, 20, holding a wheel, 21, which may be used for steering.
There is fitted at the lower part of the bar, 18, a boss, 13, and forked piece
carrying a crank axle with wheel for chain gearing and treadles. This forked
piece on the boss projects backwards and the wheel is geared by a chain with one
of the wheels, 9, on the crank shaft, 6. A seat is likewise provided over this
bar, 18, being carried by a bar, 17, similar to the seat at the back and both
seats, 16, are provided with arms or handles, 22, fixed on the bars, 5. The riders
on these seats, 16, sit back to back in the machine shown in the drawings but it is
obvious that they may be arranged to sit facing both the same direction by fitting
a change wheel to the back gearing. To the bosses, 3, at each side of the cross
bar, 4, there are attached in any convenient way at the back of each a back bone
This back bone piece is
piece, 23, having a saddle, 24, similar to a bicycle.
connected together at the back, at about on a line with the crank shaft, 6, by a
At about the middle of
horizontal piece extending between the two wheels, 1.
this horizontal piece there is fixed (or formed) a short backward extension or
bar, 25, having a tubular boss, 26. Inside this boss, 26, there is fitted so as to
turn, the head or upper part of a fork, 27. The lower ends of this fork, 27, are
fixed a short distance apart to the middle of a horizontal shaft, 28, which carries
at each end of it a small wheel each of which is arranged to follow in the trail of
the driving wheel. A rod, 29, is attached to this shaft, 28, near one of the ends of
the fork, 27, and its other end is attached to the outer end of a cross bar, 30, at
'the lower end of a vertical or nearly vertical steering rod, 31. This rod, 31, is
fitted so as to turn in bearings on a short arm or projection, 32, fixed to the
horizontal part at the bottom of the boss, 5, the end of the rod, 31, having the cross
bar, 30, being below the bearings. The rod, 31, is fitted at the top to about the
middle of the cross bar, 4, the rod passing up in the middle of the machine and
between the forked ends of the bar, 18. The rod, 31, has a cross handle or arms
at the top which extend to each side of the machine so that either rider at the side
over the driving wheels, 1, may steer. The other end of the cross bar, 30, may be
connected by a rod, 34, to an arm or angle piece, 35, on one side the fork, 20, of
the front wheel, 21, so that all the small wheels may be employed for steering the
machine. With the machine arranged substantially as hereinbefore described four
persons may ride conveniently at once all of whom may assist in propelling the
machine. And when it is desired to convert the velocipede into one or two
bicycles the inner cranks 8, are unscrewed and the cross bar, 4, tubular boss, 3, and
framing lifted off the the fork of the wheels, 1, and the wheel and fork being thus
released there is a back bone having a stanley head, saddle and trailing wheel
connected to it placed over the top of the fork and the stanley head fitted with
thandles secured with a screw and each wheel thus forms a bicycle ready for use.
Additional removable seats may be provided on the velocipede to accomodate four

page_text: more persons if required so that the machine may carry eight persons. These seats
are fitted two upon the horizontal part between the two back bones, and the other
two at the front of the machine at each side of the bars, 5. These front seats are
fitted on a cross bar connected by curved bars to the boss, 3, the cross bar being
stayed by rods to the bars, 5.
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. The combination and arrangement of parts formning a velocipede for carrying
one to eight persons four of whom may assist in propelling such inachine substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination or arrangement of two driving wheels, 1, connected together
by a framing carrying seats and gearing for two persons to assist in driving
the whole velocipede, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
=
.
3. The construction and arrangement of a velocipede for carrying one to eight
persons so that its driving wheels may be detached from the framing and fitted
with a back bone and its usual relative parts, so as to form one or two bicycles,
substantially as herein before described.
4. The method of steering by back and front wheels or by either arranged and
operating substantially as herein before set forth.
5. The arrangement of the cranks, 7, 8, on the axle of the wheel and the crank
shaft, (6), for securing them together so as to be detachable substantially as berein-
before described.