Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 27th Feb:, 1892
Improvements in Velocipedes.
We, HEINRICH RINGLEB of Rixdorf, near Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Shoemaker, and FRITZ BETHкE of Linienstrasse, Berlin in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a velocipede which can be propelled
by a kind of riding motion, that is to say, by the up and down motion of the rider.
From a hygienic point of view, such a motion is much more advantageous for the
human body than the motion hitherto adopted of treading with the feet alternately
on the right and on the left hand side. There is further provided, in this velocipede,.
a contrivance for facilitating the ascent of hilly roads.
It
The wheels of the velocipede are connected together and steered in the usual
manner. A beam or lever carrying the saddle has one end hinged to the frame,
the other being connected to the driving crank. Beneath the saddle lever is a
spring which tends to force it in an upward direction when the weight of the rider
is removed from the saddle. Stirrups are also provided for the rider's feet.
will thus be seen that as the rider alternately raises and. lowers his body in the
saddle his weight and the action of the aforesaid spring causes the saddle lever to
be correspondingly raised and lowered thereby actuating the driving crank to
propel the vehicle.
For the purpose of ascending hills supplementary, apparatus is provided which
may also be used for ordinary propulsion if preferred, and which is constructed as
follows. Underneath the saddle lever is another lever fulcrumed, to the frame, one
arm carrying treadles or stirrups in which the feet of the rider are placed while its
other arm engages with the underside of the saddle beam or lever, so that, as the
tider elevates his body his weight through tlie beforementioned stirrups, communi-
cates an upward pressure on the saddle lever. and driving crank, whilst the down-
ward pressure of the body on the saddle communicates a corresponding, downward
pressure on the driving crank, these alternate upward and downward pressures.
serving to propel the vehicle.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1891.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in. Velocipedés.
We HEINRICH RINGLEB of Rixdorf near Berlin, Shoemaker, and FRITZ
BETAKE of Linienstrasse, Berlin Manufacturer, both in the Empire of. Germany
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 has for its object to construct a velocipede which can be propelled
by a kind of riding motion, that is to say; by the up and down motion of, the rider
supported by his feet.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,
Fig. lisaside elevation of a machine constructed according to this invention,

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan of the same in which for the sake of clearness a few levers have
been omitted, and
Fig. 3 is a back elevation of a part thereof.
The three wheels of the velocipede are connected together by a frame a and are
steered in the usual manner by a rod furnished with a handle. Above the frame a
the one armed lever c carrying the saddle is jointed to the frame by the hinge d
upon which it can turn, the said lever being connected at its other end by a con-
necting rod to a crank gl. Upon this shaft carried by the frame a is keyed the
chain wheel o which is connected by means of a chain p with the chain wheel
'mounted on the driving axle g. The double lever is arranged to oscillate about
the bearing centres of the frame a, and carries in front the two pedals / fixed to
a transverse rod, and connected at the rear by means of a connecting link to the
lever c'carrying the saddle.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
When the rider has mounted his machine and has placed his feet in the pedals l
he starts the motion by raising his back from the saddle, that is to say from the
lever c carrying the same. He rests now with the whole weight of his body upon
the pedals and depresses accordingly the front end of the double lever i while
the, rear end lifts by means of the connecting links the lever c carrying the
saddle (the body of the rider following). The motion of the lever c is now
transmitted through the rod f to the crank shaft and from the latter to the
driving shaft g by means of the chain gear o p q.. After passing the dead centre,
the weight of the body comes again into play, while by the lowering of the back
the saddle lever c is again depressed to its lowermost position, in consequence
whereof the next half turn is imparted to the crank axle g by the rod : At the
same time the rear end of the double lever is likewise depressed by the connecting
link 7", in consequence whereof its front end is raised with the pedal 7. At this
moment the rider again lifts his back from the saddle and the abovedescribed cycle
of operations is repeated. For children's velocipedes the crank axle and the
chain gear are dispensed with. Instead of these, the driving axle is cranked
and connected directly to the rod f. Greater speed is obviously obtained by the
use of a chain gear..
The double lever i may be dispensed with, in which case a powerful spring is
arranged between the frame a and the lever c and raises the lever o as the back of
the rider goes up. The pedals are in this case suspended to the frame a.
If the mechanism as already described is applied to a bicycle it must be done as
represented in Figures 4 to. 7.
On both sides of the driving wheel there is a crank g¹ g² placed inside the double
forked frame a and connected to the saddle arme which is forked at the further
end by two rods. The movement is transferred from the cranks g' g² to the
driving axle by means of the chain wheel o, o¹, the chain p,
wheel, g. The double armed lever i and the connecting link
latter with the saddle arm is likewise made duplex. The
machine and the continued movement is exactly the same as has
for the tricycle.
and the chain
which joins the
starting of the
been described
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A velocipede propelled by the alternate raising and lowering of the rider's
back operating through an oscillating saddle lever connected to the driving axle
substantially as described.
2. In a velocipede propelled by the alternate raising and lowering of the rider's
back; the combination of the oscillating lever c connecting rod and driving
crank g with the double armed lever i, connecting links and pedals substantially
as described and for the purpose set forth.
"
3. In a velocipede propelled by the alternate raising and lowering of the rider's

page_text: back the combination of the oscillating saddle lever with a special crank,
axle gl connected with the main axle g by means of chain gearing o, p, q, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a velocipede propelled by the alternate raising and lowering of the rider's
back the combination of the oscillating saddle lever c with a spring for raising
the said lever after each depression substantially as described.
5. The adaptation of the mechanism to a bicycle by the application and
symmetrical disposition of the single parts which put the same into movement
substantially as described.
6. A. velocipede propelled by the alternate raising and lowering of the back of
the rider, the whole arranged, constructed and operating substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of November 1891.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.