Improvements connected with Hand Levers for Driving Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: UUMI LEIDDI MULT
Improvements connected with Hand Levers for Driving Cycles.
I AUGUST VONHAUSEN of 2, Rheinbahnstrasse, Wiesbaden in the German
Empire, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 hand levers for driving velocipedes arranged so that
they can be disconnected from the shaft they operate similarly as describel in my
Specification No. 6530 A.D. 1896, and consists in the combination there with of
devices or mechanisms by which when so disconnected they can be locked upon
rests or cross-bars so that they not only lie upon them but can resist a pull of the
hand tending to lift them off the same. This enables the rider, when after dis-
connecting the hand levers he wishes to drive the cycle by footpower only, to make
use of them as a steering handle bar and for leaning on them or pulling at them
for increasing the foot-power and maintaining his equilibrium, in the same manner
as of an ordinary fixed bandle bar.
On the two sheets of drawings appended hereunto,
Fig. 1, Sheet 2, shows a side view of the hand and foot driving mechanism of a
front-driving cycle with my improvement applied thereto;
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, a vertical section through one of the hand levers and mechanisms
near to the hand driving shaft;
Fig. 3, a corresponding horizontal section;
Fig. 4, a back view of the locking mechanism ;
Fig. 5 Sheet 1, a side view of a modification of the locking device and
Fig. 6, a plan of the same.
In the arrangement represented on Figures 1 to 4, the locking of the disconnected
hand levers is effected by the same operation of the handles which causes the
disconnection or reconnection of the levers from or to the shaft, while in the
arrangement represented by Figures 5 and 6, the handles have to be released and
a separate operation performed.
On Figure 1, the locking mechanism is shewn as an instance applied to a front-
driving cycle actuated by hand and foot power, but of course the mechanism can
be applied to other kinds of velocipedes.
Of the hand levers 9 actuating the shaft f the left one is shewn disconnected and
locked to the rest or bearing bar m, and the right one connected to the shaft and
with the locking device disengaged.
For locking the hand levers to the rest or cross bar m supported by the frame
stay e, caps o are fixed on the ends of the rest. These caps are formed each with
two lugs B (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6) forming a jaw in which the locking latches A,
mounted on squares on the ends of a bolt C, are supported. Each latch is formed
at its upper end with a nose D, and with a stop E on its boss, which is held against
a stop G formed on the jaw B by a spring F.
The locking of the handlevers g to the latches A, is effected by the rings H,
arranged to slide on the levers and formed with projecting catches J, which are
seized by the noses D of the latches. Each ring is guided by means of screws L
screwed into it, in slots of the lever g, and connected to a sleeve M by the ends of
the screws entering holes in the sleeve, the latter being soldered or attached by its
end to the collar u³ on the lock bolt u. When the hand lever is disconnected from
[ Prine S71

page_text: i
the shaft as shewn on Figures 2 and 3, the bolt u is held by the pull and
spring in the position shewn, and the ring H in its backmost position, so that
when the lever is depressed upon its rest m the lower inclined surface of the
catches J encounters the inclines on the noses of the latches A and pushes them
back, till the catches rest upon the lugs B, when the spring F pushes the noses of
the latches A over the catches J, so that the lever is locked to the rest or
crossbar m.
When the lock bolt u is released from the catch arranged at the handle as
described in my said Specification No. 6530 of 1896, it is pushed by the spring u¹
against the disc the catches J are drawn from under the latches A, and the bolt u
can enter the hole q' in the disc and connect the lever to the disc q and driving
shaft for the purpose of propelling the cycle by hand power. In this position of
the ring H, the catches J cannot come into contact with the latches A and the
lever remains free, as can be seen on the raised right hand lever on Figure 1.
With this arrangement of locking devices the rider is enabled at any time after
disconnecting a hand lever to lock it to the rest by simply depressing it, without
having to remove his hand from the handle of the handlever, so that he is not in
the least disturbed in the maintenance of his equilibrium and can easily pass from
the combined hand and foot motion to the latter only.
The modified arrangement shewn by Figures 5 and 6, on the other hand requires
a separate operation, for which the rider has to remove his hand from the handle
of the lever.
In this arrangement the rings H with catches J are fixed on the handlevers, and
the separate bolts C replaced by a bolt O, Fig. 6, passing through both jaws B,
having the latches A fixed on squares at the jaws and a lever P on a square at the
middle. This lever is connected by a rod Q to another lever P₁, which is fulcrumed
on a bush R on the stay bar e. A small lever S is likewise fulcrumed on the
bush R and pressed by a spring so that the peg S₁ on its back end presses against
the side of the lever P₁. In the position shewn on the drawing, the lever p₁ is in
such a position that the latches A seize over the catches J on the handlever when
these are pressed down and lock the bandlever to the rest m. If the handlevers
are to be released from the rest, the handle U on the lever P₁ is pushed forward in
the direction of the arrow till the peg S, snaps into the hole T in the lever P₁, when
the latches A will be removed from the catches J and the handlevers 9 be at liberty.
To lock the levers, the small lever S is pressed in the direction of the arrow,
Figure 6, so that the lever P, is free to move and no longer interferes with the
action of the springs F₁ and F, on the latches A, which then, as in the arrangement
described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, will snap over the catches J when the
handlevers g are pushed down upon the rest m.
2'
Obviously parts of this mechanism, such as the rods Q and O, may be placed
inside the tubes e and m. The details of the locking arrangements or devices may
be modified to suit different arrangements of the frames and the handlever
disconnecting mechanism of cycles driven by hand and foot power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
;-
1. In cycles operated by hand and foot power and provided with mechanism
for disconnecting the hand levers, the arrangement of latches under spring
pressure for locking the handlevers to a rest by seizing over catches on said
levers when the levers are pressed down upon the rest substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The arrangement of mechanism for locking the disconnected handlevers of
cycles driven by hand and foot power to a rest and releasing the same substantially
as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings.
3. The arrangement of mechanism for locking the disconnected bandlevers of
cycles operated by hand and foot power to a rest and releasing the same

page_text: substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of
the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1897.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.