IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Olaf Pihlfeldt of Redcar in the County of York
Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Olaf Pihlfeldt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1883.
OLAF PIHLFELDT of Redcar in the County of York Mechanical Engineer
" IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES "
My invention has reference principally to tricycles and consists of the
construction and arrangements hereinafter described of the gearing of the said
tricycles whereby at the pleasure of the rider the driving wheels of the tricycle
may be made to rotate at the same speed as the pedal shaft or at a reduced speed.
My invention is however also applicable to velocipedes other than tricycles..
I will describe any invention in connection with a tricycle.
I fix on the pedal shaft a spur wheel which I will call the motor wheel and side
by side with the said motor wheel is another spur wheel of smaller diameter than
the said motor wheel. This smaller spur wheel which I will call the fulcrum
wheel runs loose on the pedal shaft. The two wheels described are enclosed in a
case which also runs loose on the pedal shaft. . On the periphery of this case are
the teeth or cogs with which the driving chain engages and by which motion is
communicated to the travelling wheels of the tricycle. In the case is a fixed pin
upon which a pinion turns loosely. This pinion has a breadth or thickness equal
to the combined breadths or thicknesses of the motor and fulcrum wheels and I
will hereinafter call it the broad pinion. The said broad pinion is in gear with
the motor wheel but runs clear of the fulcrum wheel. The said case also carries in
its interior another fixed pin on which an intermediate pinion turns. This inter-
mediate pinion gears together the broad pinion and the fulcrum wheel. On the
pedal shaft and between the case containing the spur wheels and pinions
described and the frame of the tricycle is a sliding clutch which is always in gear
with the fulcrum wheel and when pushed home towards the case also gears with
the said case but when pressed home towards the frame is ungeared from the case
CD

page_text: and gears with the frame. In the former position of the said clutch the fulcrum
wheel and case are locked together and the case and gearing will rotate as a
whole. The tricycle will then run at its normal speed. But when the clutch is
in the last described position that is geared to the frame the fulcrum wheel
which as already remarked is always engaged with the said clutch is now locked
to the frame and the gearing within the case being now brought into action the
tricycle will run at a reduced speed.
In a modified arrangement of my invention I make the pinion which gears with
the motor wheel a double pinion. In this arrangement the part of the double
pinion gearing with the motor wheel is of less diameter than the part which
through the intermediate pinion gears with the fulcrum wheel.
Where there is insufficient space between the case or chain wheel and the frame
of the tricycle for the arrangement of clutch mechanism described I adopt the
following arrangement of the said mechanism. I place the clutch on the part of
the pedal shaft which extends beyond or outside the frame and the fulcrum wheel
is locked to the frame by the following arrangement of parts I fix on the frame
an arm or bracket at right angles thereto and at such a distance from the pedal
shaft that the chain wheel runs clear of it. The said arm or bracket has such a
length that it extends to about the end of the pedal shaft with which it is parallel.
On the end of the said arm or bracket is a pin connected therewith by a socket
which socket has a limited swivelling motion on the end of the arm. Sliding
upon the said pin is a tube which carries at its lower end a bearing in which the
end of the pedal shaft works. On the top of the said tube is a small bracket to the
end of which the clutch lever is jointed. In the bearing are notches or recesses
into which the clutch takes. This arrangement while locking the fulcrum wheel
to the frame allows of the adjustment or tightening of the chain after it has
stretched by use by the sliding of the tube carrying the bearing upon the swivelling
pin described while the swivelling of the said pin permits of the yielding of the
shaft to any strains to which it may be exposed.
'
The application of my improvements to velocipedes other than tricycles differs
in no essential respect from their application to tricycles hereiubefore described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Olaf Pihlfeldt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th October
1883.
"
OLAF PIHLFELDT of Redcar in the County of York, Mechanical Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
"
My invention has reference principally to tricycles and consists of the
construction and arrangements hereinafter described of the gearing of the said
tricycles, whereby at the pleasure of the rider the driving wheels of the tricycle
may be made to rotate at the same speed as the pedal shaft or at a reduced speed.
My invention is however also applicable to velocipedes other than tricycles.
I will describe my invention in connection with a tricycle
I 6x on the pedal shaft, a spur wheel which I will call the motor wheel and side
by side with the said motor wheel is another spur wheel of smaller diameter than
the said motor wheel. This smaller spur wheel, which I will call the fulcrum
wheel, runs loose on the pedal shaft. The two wheels described are enclosed in a
case which also runs loose on the pedal shaft. On the periphery of this case are
the cogs or teeth with which the driving chain engages and by which motion is
communicated to the travelling wheels of the tricycle. In the case is a fixed pin
upon which a pinion turns loosely. This pinion has a breadth or thickness equal
to the combined breadths or thicknesses of the motor and fulcrum wheels and I
will hereinafter call it the broad pinion. The said broad pinion is in gear with
the motor wheel but runs clear of the fulcrum wheel. The said case also carries in
its interior another fixed pin on which an intermediate pinion turns. This inter-
mediate pinion gears together the broad pinion and the fulcrum wheel. On the
pedal shaft and between the case containing the spur wheels and pinions
described and the frame of the tricycle, is a sliding clutch which is always in gear
with the fulcrum wheel and when pushed home towards the case also gears with
the said case but when pressed home towards the frame is ungeared from the case
and gears with the frame. In the former position of the said clutch the fulcrum
wheel and case are locked together and the case and gearing will rotate as a
whole. The tricycle will then run at its normal speed. But when the clutch is
in the last described position, that is, geared to the frame, the fulcrum wheel
which as already remarked is always engaged with the said clutch, is now locked
to the frame and the gearing within the case being now brought into action the
tricycle will run at a reduced speed.
In a modified arrangement of my invention I make the pinion which gears with
the motor wheel a double pinion. In this arrangement the part of the double
pinion gearing with the motor wheel is of less diameter than the part which,
through the intermediate pinion, gears with the fulcrum wheel.
Where there is insufficient space between the case or chain wheel and the frame
of the tricycle for the arrangement of clutch mechanism described, I adopt the
following arrangement of the said mechanism. I place the clutch on the part of
the pedal shaft which extends beyond or outside the frame and the fulcrum wheel
is locked to the frame by the following arrangement of parts. I fix on the frame
an arm or bracket at right angles thereto and at such a distance from the pedal
shaft that the chain wheel runs clear of it. The said arm or bracket has such a
length that it extends to about the end of the pedal shaft with which it is
parallel. On the end of the said arm or bracket is a pin connected therewith by a
socket which socket has a limited swivelling motion on the end of the arm.
Sliding upon the said pin is a tube which carries at its lower end a bearing in

page_text: which the end of the pedal shaft works. On the said tube is a small bracket to
the end of which the clutch lever is jointed. In the bearing are notches or
recesses into which the clutch takes. This arrangement while locking the
fulcrum wheel to the frame allows of the adjustment or tightening of the chain
after it has stretched by use by the sliding of the tube carrying the bearing upon
the swivelling pin described, while the swivelling of the said pin permits of the
yielding of the shaft to any strains to which it may be exposed
The application of my improvements to velocipedes other than tricycles differs
in no essential respect from their application to tricycles hereinbefore described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed..
Figure 1 represents partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section and
Figure 2 in front elevation, a portion of a tricycle containing one of the
arrangements of gearing constituting part of my-invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 and 2.
a is the pedal shaft of the tricycle on which shaft a spur wheel b is fixed
herein after called the motor wheel. Side by side with the motor wheel b is
another spur wheel c of smaller diameter hereinafter called the fulcrum wheel.
The said smaller or fulcrum wheel c turns freely on the pedal shaft a. The
motor wheel b and fulcrum wheel c are enclosed in the case de the said
case also turning freely on the pedal shaft a. On the periphery of the part d of
the case d, e or on the periphery of the part e of the said case are the teeth or
cogs constituting a chain wheel with which the driving chain engages and by
which motion is communicated to the travelling wheels of the tricycle as is well
understood..
In the case d, e is a fixed pin g on which a pinion h turns freely. It will be
seen by referring to Figure 1 that the pinion h has a breadth or thickness equal to
the combined breadths or thicknesses of the motor and fulcrum wheels b. c. This
broad pinion h is always in gear with the motor wheel b but runs clear of the
fulcrum wheel c. The case de also carries in its interior another fixed pink (seen
in Figure 2) on which the intermediate pinion turns. It will be seen by an
examination of Figure 2 that the intermediate pinion gears together the broad
pinion h and the small fulcrum wheel c.
The pins g, k and pinions h, l are duplicated as shown in Figure 2 where the
duplicate pins are marked g³, 1 and the duplicate pinions are marked h³, 12. This
duplication of the said parts is not necessary to the action of the mechanism but
*prevents or reduces the strain which would otherwise be produced by the pressures
being all on one side of the shaft a.
n is a sliding clutch (see Figure 1) working on. the pedal shaft a and situated
between the case d, e and the frame m of the tricycle. The said sliding clutch n
is situated upon the sleeve of the fulcrum wheel c and is geared thereto by a key
and key way (as indicated in Figure 2) so that the said sliding clutch rotates with
the fulcrum wheel c.
When the sliding clutch n is pushed home towards the case. d, e, by means of
the lever pactuated by the rider, the projections q on the said clutch take into
the recesses in the part e of the case and the said case and the fulcrum wheel c
are geared together and the gearing will rotate as a whole and the tricycle will
travel at its normal speed.
When it is wished to reduce the speed of the tricycle as in hill climbing, the
clutch n is pressed home by the lever p towards the frame m so as to ungear it
from the case d, e, und gear it with the said frame m, the projections 8 on the
clutch taking into the recesses in the said frame When the clutch n is in the
last described position the fulcrum wheel c is stationary being locked to the
frame m and the gearing within the case d, e being now brought into action the
tricycle will travel at a reduced speed as will be understood by tracing the working
of the said gearing by the aid of Figure 2.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a modification of the arrangement of gearing last

page_text: described and also an arrangement of clutch mechanism constituting part of my
invention.
In the modified gearing represented in Figures 3 and 4 the pinion which gears
with the motor wheel fixed on the pedal shaft a is a double pinion marked u, u',
the two parts of the pinion being of different diameters. The part u of least
diameter gears with the motor wheel and the part u' of greater diameter gears
with the fulcrum wheel a through the intermediate pinion was seen in Figure 4.
I will now describe the arrangement of clutch mechanism constructed according
to my invention represented in Figure 3, the said clutch mechanism being used
where there is insufficient space between the case or chain wheel and frame of the
tricycle for the arrangement first described.
The clutch n² is in this arrangement placed on the part of the pedal shaft a
which extends beyond or outside the frame m and case d, e and the fulcrum
wheel x is locked to the frame m when it is wished to reduce the speed of the
tricycle in the following manner. Fixed on the frame m and at right angles
thereto is an arm or bracket y the said arm or bracket y being situated at such a
distance from the pedal shaft a that the chain wheel f³ runs clear of it. The arm
or bracket y has a length equal to that part of the pedal shaft a which projects
beyond the framing m as seen in Figure 3. On the end of the arm or bracket y
is a pin 2 connected by the socket 3 which has a limited swivelling motion on the
end of the said arm y. Sliding on the swivelling pin 2 is a tube which carries
at its lower end the bearing 5 in which the end of the pedal shaft a works; 6 is a
short bracket on the tube 4. To the end of the short bracket 6 the clutch lever 7
is jointed, the said clutch lever being operated by the rider; 8, 8 are notches or
recesses in the bearing 5 into which the clutch n³ takes.
The arrangement of clutch mechanism described and represented in Figure 3
while locking the fulcrum wheel x (which is connected in the manner hereinbefore
described with the clutch) to the frame m allows of the adjustment or tightening
of the chain on the chain wheel f' through the ordinary adjustment 10, after the
said chain has stretched by use, by the sliding of the tube 4 carrying the bearing 5
upon the swivelling pin 2, while the swivelling of the said pin 2 permits of the
yielding of the crank shaft a to any strains to which it may be exposed.
In place of the swivelling pin 2 sliding tube 4 and bearing 5 the arrangement
of parts represented in Figures 5 and 6 may be substituted.
In this arrangement the bar 11 supported upon the sleeve 12 of the fulcrum
wheel x has at top a slot 13 in which the end of the arm y takes. The sliding of
the end of the arm y in the slot 13 permits of the tightening of the chain as well
as giving the necessary yielding power to meet any oblique strain on the crank
shaft a.
The several improvements hereinbefore described may be applied to velocipedes
commonly called sociables or convertables.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention
of "Improvements in tricycles and other velocipedes."
First The construction and combination of parts of gearing mechanism herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings,
whereby at the pleasure of the rider the driving wheels of the tricycle or velocipede
may be made to rotate either at the same speed as the pedal shaft or at a reduced
speed, that is to say, gearing mechanism consisting essentially of a spur wheel b
fixed on the pedal shaft a and herein before termed the motor wheel, another spur
wheel c hereinbefore termed the fulcrum wheel which said fulcrum wheel runs
loose on the pedal shaft but can be locked either to the case d, e or to the frame m
by clutch mechanism, the said two wheels b, c being connected by the broad
pinion and the intermediate pinion the said pinions turning loosely on
し
pins g and k fixed in the case d, e which case forms part of the chain wheel ƒ by
which motion is communicated to the driving wheels; also the modification of the

page_text: gearing mechanism represented in Figures 3 and 4 in which the double pinion u, u¹
is substituted for the broad pinion & Figures 1 and 2.
Secondly The combination of the gearing mechanisms claimed in the preceding
claim with the clutch mechanisins hereinbefore described and represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Olaf Pihlfeldt have hereunto set my hand and
seal this nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three