Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 28th May, 1898

page_text: suitable construction. The rings 6, G are not connected directly with each other,
excepting through the sprocket or driving wheel, as hereinafter described.
9 indicates a large driving wheel, preferably in the form of a sprocket, and
connected by a chain 10 with the traction wheel of the cycle, and mounted rigidly
upon a tubular axle 11 extending through the bearing sleeve 12 in the frame
and passing through the crank rings 6, 5, but below and in rear of the center
thereof, as shown. The bearing sleeve 12 is secured in position between the seat
post and the rear fork, which extends at an angle to the front tube, as shown, in
Fig. 4. This connection may be formed entirely by brazing, if desired, but the
use of the screws 40 in addition, is preferred as shown.
At the opposite end of the axle 11 from the wheel 9 is secured a crank arm 13,
and as a means for removably connecting the wheel, axle and arm a central
spindle 14 is provided having upon its end, nuts 15 for confining the parts, as
shown particularly in Fig. 2. Adjustable bearings are provided between the
axle 11 and the sleeve 12 by balls 16 arranged between adjustable collars 17 and 18
on the axle and sleeve respectively. The centers of rotation of the rings 6, 6*
carrying the cranks are eccentric of the center of rotation of the wheel 9 and
preferably above and forward of said center, and the wheel is provided near its
periphery and on the outer face with two anti-friction rollers 19 and 20, the latter
preferably having a rib on its periphery cooperating with a corresponding groove
formed on the lower side of the crank, preferably that on the right hand side of
the machine, said crank being off-set and extending through an aperture in the
wheel and between the rollers, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The crank 7* on the
opposite side of the machine is also grooved on one side in a manner similar to
the crank 7 and the crank arm 13 also has rollers 19* and 20* thereon, similar
to those on the wheel, but on diametrically opposite sides of the center of the
latter from said last-mentioned rollers. The relative length of the cranks and the
radius of the sprocket-wheel may be altered as desired, but it is preferable that
the radius of the sprocket be the greater, as by this means a high gear with
economy in the power applied may be obtained without excessive movement of
the pedals.
When power is applied to the forward pedal, the crank to which it is connected
will operate as a lever having its fulcrum at the lower side of the bearing between
the ring and hanger, and will operate upon the sprocket wheel near its periphery,
thereby giving increased power during at least a portion of its rotation, and when
the left pedal (the one on the farther side in Fig. 1) is forward, the power applied
to it will be transmitted through the crank 13 and the axle to the sprocket also,
the maximum effect being obtained when the cranks are in line with the centers
of the ring and wheel.
While I have shown and described the driving wheel 9 as a sprocket connected
to the traction wheel of the vehicle by a chain, it will be understood that any
other form of wheel could be employed and other connections, such as gearing,
employed.
The arrangement of parts described is simple and enables one to obtain the
advantage of a high-geared machine with the expenditure of comparatively little
power and without causing the operator's feet to traverse a large circle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: -
1. The combination with a driving wheel, of independent rotary cranks on
opposite sides thereof rotating on centers eccentric to that of the wheel, and
connections between said cranks and the wheel on opposite sides of the center
of rotation thereof.
2. In a driving mechanism for cycles, the combination with a driving wheel, of
independent rotary cranks arranged on opposite sides thereof rotating on centers
eccentric to and above that of the wheel, and connections between said cranks
and the wheel.

page_text: 3. In a driving mechanism for cycles, the combination with the driving wheel,
of the rotary rings arranged on opposite sides of the wheel having the cranks and
pedals thereon, said rings extending around the axis of the wheel and arranged
eccentrically thereof, and connections between the cranks and the wheel.
4. In a driving mechanism for cycles, the combination with the frame, the
hanger and the driving wheel journaled in the hanger, of the independent rings
having the cranks and rotatable around and eccentrically of the wheel axis, and
connections between the cranks and wheel.
5. In a driving mechanism for cycles, the combination with the frame, the
hanger thereon, and the driving wheel journaled in the hanger, of the independent
rings rotating on the hanger and eccentrically of the driving wheel axis, the
cranks rigidly secured to the rings and operating on the wheel near its periphery.
6. In a driving mechanism for cycles, the combination with the frame, the
hanger thereon, the driving wheel, and the axle therefor extending through the
hanger having the crank arm, of the independent rotary rings journaled on
the hanger eccentrically of the wheel axle and having the cranks, connections
between one ring crank and the crank on the axle, and connections between the
other crank and the wheel.
two
7. The combination with the driving wheel, having the rollers near its periphery,
the axle and the crank thereon, having the rollers at its end, of the
independent rings, each having a crank thereon surrounding the axle and rotating
on centers arranged eccentrically of and above the wheel axle, said cranks operating
between the rollers on the axle-crank and wheel, respectively.
8. The combination with the cycle frame embodying the continuous front tube
and rear fork, the tubular hanger, the seat post extending through the hanger
and connected to the frame, and the sleeve eccentrically arranged in the hanger,
of the axle journaled in the sleeve, the wheel thereon, and the ring on the
hanger having the crank connected to the wheel.
9. In a cycle frame, the combination of the continuous front tube and rear
fork, the tubular hanger arranged in the angle between them, the bearing sleeve
in the hanger and arranged eccentrically thereof, and the seat post extending
through the hanger and connected to the latter and to the bearing sleeve.
10. The combination with the tubular hanger, the bearing collars thereon, the
rings surrounding the hanger having the cranks, the bearing collars on the rings,
and the balls between the collars, of the driving wheel axle and ball-bearings
therefor arranged within and eccentrically of the hanger, the crank on the axle
and rollers on the crank and wheel with which the ring cranks cooperate.
11. The combination with the hanger, the bearing sleeve thereon, the tubular
axle, the driving wheel mounted on one end of the axle, and the crank at the other
end thereof, of the spindle extending through the axle, and the nuts thereon
engaging and holding the wheel and crank.
12. The combination with the driving wheel, having the aperture therein and
the pair of rollers thereon, of the ring rotating eccentrically of the center of
rotation of the wheel and above the latter, the off-set crank on the ring passing
through the aperture in the wheel extending between the rollers, said crank and
one of the rollers being provided with a cooperating groove and recess to prevent
relative lateral motion.
TELL
1900