An improved Water Cycle.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application. 25th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
An improved Water Cycle.
I, EMANUEL MIRTENBAUM, of 6, Grodgasse, Cracow, in the Empire of Austria,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object a water cycle, the construction of which is based
on the idea of giving the steersman a position which allows him to have a perfect
outlook over the water in front of the vessel, whilst the power of the remaining
persons on board is fully utilised for propelling the vessel, and by making the seats
for all these persons movable it is possible in case of need to obtain a rapid and
powerful brake action, as it is well known that it is extremely difficult in operating
pedals to reverse their direction of rotation from the same position.
The improved water cycle is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 2 a plan view.
The steersman of the boat sits in the forepart of the same on a saddle a, and shares
in producing the rotation of the shaft 6 of the paddle wheel by operating pedals c, the
movement of which is conveyed to the shaft b of the wheel by means of a chain
gearing d.
With his hands he holds the steering bar e, which affects the movements
of the rudder g by means of chain gearing f.
By this arrangement, the defects of the ordinary rowing boat are avoided in which
as is well known the rower sits with his back in the direction in which he is travelling
and therefore cannot see where he is going, and also the steersman cannot have the
necessary outlook from the rear part of the boat which is usually not raised.
An alarm device is preferably attached to the handle bar or steering bar e such as a
signal whistle or electric bell, the latter baving its batteries under the seats, in order
to warn any approaching vessels and to avoid collisions.
The steersman of the boat may, as stated, assist in the driving of the paddle by
means of pedals. If he be tired he can lift his feet from the pedals and then steer
the boat standing. When this is the case the propelling of the vessel left to the
other remaining persons who are seated on saddles h. These latter persons operate
the shaft of the paddle wheel in the same direction as the arrangement already
described by means of a chain gearing i and pedals or cranks k, which latter may be
driven by hand.
The arrangement herein before described is extremely easily looked after and is
simple enough not to require any special skill on the part of the people using it.
As may be seen from the drawing, the various seats may revolve on the spindle of
the steering bar or on separate vertical axes respectively and this arrangement has for
its object in case of special necessity for instance where danger is imminent of
accelerating the brake action. This latter is especially dependent on the speed with
which the rotation of the shaft of the wheel may be braked, and the motion reversed.
To do this is difficult so long as the pedals have to be revolved in a direction opposite
to their previous direction of rotation. If it be desired with the present invention to
operate this brake action, the saddles a and h are revolved on their vertical axes and
then the cranks or pedals may be rotated in the same direction as previously as

page_text: regards the actual person, but in reality in an opposite direction as regards the paddle
wheels and the direction of rotation of the paddle wheels will thus be reversed. It is
evident that in this way a more rapid and powerful brake action can be obtained than
in back pedalling from the same position. The saddle a is adjustable on a semicircular
shaped guide piece . It appears preferable not to make the spindle of the pedals
coincide with the spindle of the steering bar in order to allow of the steersman having
a more couvenient position. The mutual position of the parts in question may vary
according to circumstances. The chain wheel m on the spindle of the steering bar
is connected by means of a chain n' with a chain wheel o on the axis of rotation of one
of the rear saddles h so that a simultaneous rotation of both saddles in the same
direction as indicated in Figure 2 by arrows takes place. If two rear saddles are
provided as shown in the drawing, the second is revolved by a second chain
wheel p on the shaft of the first and a short chain 9 in the direction also indicated
by the arrow.
The invention may also be applied for driving a screw-propellor instead of paddle
wheels.
1
22
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
İ, EMANUEL MIRTENBAUM, of 6, Grodgasse, Cracow, in the Empire of Austria,
Merchant, 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 a water cycle, the construction of which is based
on the idea of giving the steersman a position which allows him to have a perfect
outlook over the water in front of the vessel, whilst the power of the remaining
persons on board is fully utilised for propelling the vessel, and by making the seats
for all these persons movable it is possible in case of need to obtain a rapid and
powerful brake action, as it is well known that it is extremely difficult in operating
pedals to reverse their direction of rotation from the same position.
The improved water cycle is shown in the drawings accompanying the Provisional
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 2 a plan view.
The steersman of the boat sits in the forepart of the same on a saddle a, and
shares in producing the rotation of the shaft 6 of the paddle wheel by operating
pedals c, the movement of which is conveyed to the shaft b of the wheel by means of
a chain gearing d. With his hands he holds the steering bar e, which affects the
movements of the rudder g by means of chain gearing f.
By this arrangement the defects of the ordinary rowing boat are avoided in which
as is well known the rower sits with his back in the direction in which he is travelling
and therefore cannot see where he is going, and also the steersman cannot have the
necessary outlook from the rear part of the boat which is usually not raised.
An alarm device is preferably attached to the handle bar or steering bar e such as
a signal whistle or electric bell, the latter having its batteries under the seats, in
order to warn any approaching vessels and to avoid collisions.
The steersman of the boat may, as stated, assist in the driving of the paddle by

page_text: means of pedals. If he be tired he can lift his feet from the pedals and then steer
the boat standing. When this is the case the propelling of the vessel. is left to the
other remaining persons who are seated on saddles h. These latter persons operate
the shaft of the paddle wheel in the same direction as the arrangement already
described by means of a chain gearing i and pedals or cranks k, which latter may be
driven by hand.
The arrangement hereinbefore described is extremely easily looked after and is
simple enough not to require any special skill on the part of the people using it.
As may be seen from the drawing, the various seats may revolve on the spindle of
the steering bar or on separate vertical axes respectively and this arrangement has
for its object in case of special necessity for instance where danger is imminent of
accelerating the brake action. This latter is especially dependent on the speed with
which the rotation of the shaft of the wheel may be braked, and the motion reversed.
To do this is difficult so long as the pedals have to be revolved in a direction opposite
to their previous direction of rotation. If it be desired with the present invention to
operate this brake action, the saddles a and h are revolved on their vertical axes and
then the cranks or pedals may be rotated in the same direction as previously as
regards the actual person, but in reality in an opposite direction as regards the
paddle wheels and the direction of rotation of the paddle wheels will thus be
reversed. It is evident that in this way a more rapid and powerful brake action can
be obtained than in back pedalling from the same position. The saddle a is adjust-
able on a semi-circular shaped guide piece l. It appears preferable not to make the
spindle of the pedals coincide with the spindle of the steering bar in order to allow of
the steersman having a more convenient position. The mutual position of the parts
in question may vary according to circumstances. The chain wheel m on the spindle
of the steering bar is connected by means of a chain n¹ with a chain wheel o on
the axis of rotation of one of the rear saddles h so that a simultaneous rotation of
both saddles in the same direction as indicated in Figure 2 by arrows takes place. If
two rear saddles are provided as shown in the drawing, the second is revolved by a
second chain wheel p on the shaft of the first and a short chain q in the direction also
indicated by the arrow.
The invention may also be applied for driving a screw propeller instead of paddle
wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A water cycle characterised by the paddle wheels or screw propellor being
rotated by the foot power of the person steering situated in the fore end of the boat
and the hand power of one or more persons seated further back in the boat with the
object of affording the person steering an unimpeded outlook over the water in front
of the vessel substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A water cycle such as herein before described characterised by the seats or
saddles (a and h) for the persons taking part in the propulsion of the boat being
revoluble on the steering bar shaft (e) or preferably on separate vertical shafts
connected with one another by chain gearing (n' and q) at an angle of about 180° to
their ordinary position for forward propulsion, with the object of enabling the driving
cranks for the paddle or paddles or screw propeller to be rotated backwards, whilst
retaining the movement of the feet and hands which was selected for the forward
propulsion, substantially as herein before described.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.