Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by NARCISO TADEO QUEVEDO, of No. 1, High Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America, Student.]
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of velocipedes termed rowing velocipedes, or
rowing tricycles, in which the machine is propelled by levers in the hands of the
rider, the action of which is similar to that of a pair of ours.
The nature of the said invention is hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a rowing tricycle embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail plan showing the connection of the steering apparatus with the
actuating levers or ours.
Figure 4 is a detail elevation showing the same.
Figure 5 is a sectional detail of a portion of the steering mechanisın hereinafter
described.
Figure 6 is a sectional detail showing one of the wheels supporting the seat and the
track on which it rolls.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a modification showing the devices adapted especially
for a paddling movement of the uctuating levers or oars.
Figure 8 is a detail elevation of parts of the frame and rack hereinafter described.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
A represents the frame, B, 13 the driving wheel, B' the driving shaft, C the steering
wheel, C the fork of the steering wheel, and the handle or steering bar, all
constructed in accordance with well known principles in velocipedes.
Attached to each end of the driving-shaft B', outside the wheel is a crank 1) which is
connected by the pitman D1 with the rear side of a rack E sliding in the slotted
portion A of the frame, as shown in Figures 1 and t. In order to lessen the
friction, balls or rollers may be inserted between the rack and the frame as
shown in Figure 8.
Engaging each rack is a segment gear F pivoted to a bracket F' supported by the
bars A which form a part of the frame and sustain the seat. The levers H are pivotally
secured by horizontal pivots at H' to projections F" integral with the segment gears,
said levers operating like the oars of a boat and being, by means of said pivots, capable
of being swung up at will.
I is the seat supported on bars 11 whose ends are provided with rollers or wheels 111
grooved so as to run on tracks a on the bars A" (see figure 6) which also supports
a foot rest a¹ of any suitable construction. As the rider sits on the seat, which
operates like a sliding seat in a boat, his feet being on the rest a³, he grasps the levers
or oars H and by operating them as ordinary oars are handled, gives reciprocating
semi-rotation to the segment gears, reciprocating the racks E, and rotating the driving
shaft B by means of the pitmen and cranks.
The provision for steering is as follows:-
The upper sides of the oars or levers H are provided with longitudinal slots L'
which connect with longitudinal passages, the shape of which is shown at L, in broken
lines in Figure 4, which extend to the ends of the oars. KK are horizontal push-rods
provided with heads or thumb-nieces Kll and Iving in said
the ande haine

page_text: bent up at K'and extending through the slots 1, see Figures 3, 4 and 5. These onds,
which are preferably provided with rollers K, lie in the slots n in the bell-crank
levers N pivoted on the posts N' supported by the oars.
The opposite ends of the bell-cranks N are connected by the chains S¹ with the
hell-cranks P pivoted on the posts P which are the pivoted centres of the segmont
gears, and to the outer ends of these hell-cranks are secured chains S which extend to
and are secured to the horizontal projections R extending from the fork of the stoering
wheel, said chains extending along the frame as shown, and over pulleys as m wherever
they diverge from a straight line. To steer the machine to the right, the right thumb-
piece K is pressed, thus pushing in its push-rod K, and, by means of the hell-
cranks N P and chains S S pulling the right projection back and turning the
steering wheel toward the right. To steer toward the left, the left thumb-piece is
pressed. Springs U around the posts P₁ serve to keep the chains taut. It will be
understood that hands, cords or other equivalent mechanical connections may be
substituted for the chains S' S if desired.
In Figure 7, slight modifications are made by means of which the machino may be
driven by a paddling instead of a rowing motion. The seat is stationary, it being
supported by bars which are rigidly secured to the fruine A" and the cranks D are
relatively arranged so as to avoid the dend point.
fluving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a velocipede the combination of the driving shaft crank and pitman D D¹,
rack supported by the frame, segment gear F engaging said rack, and lover or
oar Harranged to operate said gear, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a velocipede, the combination of the driving shaft, crank and piuman D D',
rack E supported by the frame, segment gear F engaging said rack, and lever or
oar H pivotally secured to said gear as shown whereby said oar or lever operates said
gear and has also an independent substantially vertical movement of its free end,
substantially as described.
Third. The levers or oars H slotted at L', the bent push-rods K K' playing in said
ours and slots, and a system of levers and connections as NPS'S extending to the
opposite sides of the fork of the steering wheel, whereby by pressing on a push-rod
the machine is steered, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the frame, oars H slotted at L', bent push-rods K K',
bell-cranks N, chains St, bell cranks P', chains S pulleys as m, rods R and fork of the
steering wheel, substantially as described.
Duted this 6th day of No. 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.