IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hix at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1882.
JAMES HIX of 47 Park Road, New Wandsworth in the county of Surrey,
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES.
An improved mechanism for propelling, and improvements in the parts forming
bicycles, tricycles, and other similar machines.
.
The driving mechanism is particularly applicable to bicycles for purposes of
promoting safety and speed. In one mode of its application to bicycles I attach to
each side of the fork of the front wheel a projection of metal, preferably hollow
steel, or such projections may be in one with the fork, at the further end of each of
.such projections or at any other suitable point in them I attach a lever, the point
of attachment forming the fulcrum of such lever, to the levers I attach the treadles,
each lever is united to its respective crank by means of a connecting rod, the levers,
connecting rods, cranks, and projections, are proportioned, and constructed in a
novel manner, namely, each of the parts work in close proximity to one another,
the levers and projections being constructed of or about the same length, which
length doubles or thereabouts the lengths of the connecting rods and cranks, which
are also constructed of or about the same length, whereby; I altogether avoid a
dead centre, I hold control over the cranks at any point, and, I obtain power over
a larger portion of the radius of the crank than heretofore; which results have
hitherto been unaccomplished without the aid of cog-wheels, chains, straps, pulleys,
or other such arrangements; this mechanism is applicable to bicycles in various
other ways to suit the size of the driving wheel, it is also applicable to tricycles,
and other similar machines, when modified either by adding further connecting
rods, or otherwise, to suit their special construction.
The second part of my invention refers to improvements in the parts, forming,
bicycles, tricycles, and other similar machines These improvements may be
enumerated as follows;-firstly, a section of metal for making the rims or felloes,
forks, and backbones; secondly, a section of wire for spokes; thirdly, an improved
spring.
Firstly, The section of metal for making the rims or felloes of the wheel, is
constructed, after the pattern of the ordinary hollow rim or felloe, or modifications

page_text: thereof, of one piece of sheet metal steel by preference, and I overlap the joint at
the base of the rim or felloe, and I drill holes through the overlapping for the
insertion of the spokes, which serve the additional purpose of holding the section
of the rim or felloe together, that side of the rim or felloe overlapping on the
inside, does not necessarily terminate, but may be produced, to form a circular, or
other suitable section. The section of metal for making the forks, and back bone,
is constructed of hollow steel tube, sheet steel, or other suitable metal, the front of
each of the sides of the forks, is shaped, in the ordinary way, but the back of these
sides, is either flat, or recessed, in a U or V forin, the backbone is formed of one or
two of such sections.
Secondly; The section of wire for spokes, is designed, to overcome the difficulty
which is prevalent in spokes as at present constructed, namely; resistance to the
wind and atmosphere, I form my wire of steel, or other suitable metal, of a section
forming an acute angle, it will be observed that a wheel provided with spokes of
this section following one another in such a manner that the sharp edge of one
spoke is facing the recess of the preceding spoke and so on throughout the whole
wheel, that when fixed in a bicycle, tricycle, or other similar machine, the sharp
edge of the spokes at the top of the wheel will be facing forward, and when propelled
forward, the spokes at the top of the wheel will cut the wind, whilst those
receding, namely, at the bottom of the wheel will hold the wind, and thereby, will
assist in propulsion rather than afford resistance, such advantage is gained with
the wind in any direction.
Thirdly, The improved spring has for its object to avoid vibration of the small
wheel reaching the saddle, and, undue strain to the parts, forming, bicycles,
tricycles and other similar machines. I will describe this spring in its application
to a bicycle, for which it is specially adapted; I form it of wire of any section,
preferably oval, but in two parts these parts are fastened one on either side, to the
neck, or solid upper part of the back bone, each part is coiled, or twisted, in any
suitable manner for purposes of obtaining further elasticity, in one place, preferably,
in the recess of the neck, or solid upper part of the backbone, and is from there
produced, and suspended over the back bone, the saddle being placed thereon at any
given point. This spring is constructed in a like manner for tricycles, and other
similar machines, but, slight modifications will in some instances be required, to
suit the special construction of these machines, for which also, the adoption of two
or more of these springs will be found advantageous