Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 26th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
We, CHARLES MOREL and HENRY GERARD, both of Boméne near Grenoble,
Department of Isére, in the Republic of France, Engineers 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 a form of self-propelling velocipede which is obtained
by connecting together two "safety" bicycles or other similar two-wheeled
vehicles, which are provided with the usual driving gear, by means of connecting-
rods, ties and the like which are readily removable and by niounting the motor upon
such connecting rods or ties.
The safety bicycles which constitute the self-propelling velocipede are connected
in such a manner that, whilst forming a rigid whole in a longitudinal direction,
they are capable of being iuclined at will either to the right or to the left and
consequently possess, in spite of their being coupled together, all the advantages of
a single safety bicycle in that their position can be easily altered, particularly when
turning.
In order that the nature of our improved self-propelling velocipede may be easily
understood, we have shewn such a velocipede in the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a self-propelling velocipede.
Figure 2 is a rear view shewing the velocipede in its normal position.
Figure 3 is an exactly similar view to that in Figure 2 shewing the safety
bicycles forming the self-propelling velocipede in au inclined position.
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a transverse section through the hub of one of the hind wheels of the
safety bicycles.
Figure 5 is a detail of Figure 5.
Figure 6 is a section through the said hub upon the line 6-6 of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a section of the same upon the line 7-7 of Figure 5 and
Figure 8 is a section of the same upon the line 8-8 of Figure 5.
These drawings represent a self-propelling velocipede coustituted by connecting
two safety bicycles of the folding type consisting of a straight portion Y-Z and a
frame UVX surrounding the hind wheel, but it will of course be understood that
such safety bicycles may be replaced by auy other similar two-wheeled vehicle
whether with a folding or other frame. It is, however, preferable to employ the
type of machino shewu as it possesses several advantages.

page_text: As will be seen upon examining the drawings the two safety bicycles are
connected,
1st. By the connecting rods or ties, I, I connected to the frame of each safety
bicycle at the points and in any suitable manner. It is nevertheless far
preferable that such joints should be formed in such a manner that the safety
bicycles forming the self-propelling velocipede may be inclined at the same time,
either to the right or to the left, as required, whilst the rigidity of the whole in a
longitudinal direction is preserved and the degree of obliquity which the safety
bicycles are capable of assuming is limited, principally with a view to assuring the
stability of the vehicle.
2nd. By a shaft A the extremities of which are provided with a screw-threaded
portion a, such shaft constituting the driving axle relatively to which the safety
bicycles are capable of displacement as will be hereinafter described.
The form of joint represented in the accompanying drawing for the tie I may
advantageously be adopted for the ties, as, whilst it connects the safety bicycles
rigidly in a longitudinal direction, it permits of their inclination, to a certain
extent, either to the right or to the left.
At each extremity of the tie a socket is arranged, such socket fitting upon a
tubular piece which forms a prolongation of the tubular portion of the frame V, U;
keys serve to keep in place the sockets by a bayonet joint. The tie is also
provided with two slideways in which the studs & carried by the frames of the
machines engage; these studs t by bearing upon the bottom of the slideways s,
limit the degree of obliquity which the safety bicycles are capable of assuming in
either direction.
The motor M, which may be of any suitable type, is arranged upon the
velocipede between the two safety bicycles; it is supported by a frame B which
is on the one hand mounted upon the axle A by means of parts n which are loose
upon the said axle and on the other hand it is connected with one of the tics I or I¹;
for the purpose of this connection the frame B is provided at its upper portion with
a slot 6 in which engages a pin d fixed upon one of the ties I or 1, the said slot
being retained upon such pin by means of a nut c. The shaft of the motor M,
which may be situated for example at m, transmits its rotary motion to the axle A
by means of gear wheels, a chain or in any suitable manner.
The bubs D of the hind wheels of the safety bicycles are disposed in a special
manner with a view to the reception of the driving axle A; for this purpose they
are internally bored to receive a cup E, then a spherical part C which is held in
place by a second cup E which screws into the hub D; this cup E' is provided
with an elongated opening e through which the axle passes. The centre of tho
spherical body C should correspond with the geometrical centres of the hubs Dand
consequently with the centres of the wheels of the vehicle; these spherical parts
are provided with an internally screw-threaded cylindrical hole f which corresponds
with the screw-threaded portion a of the axle A. The cups E, E' are connected
with the bub D by means of any desired number of screws O.
The screws O are screw-threaded only on that portion which engages the hub D;
they terminate in a cylindrical portion o having a spherical extremity which
engages in a correspondingly hollowed notch g formed in the spherical part C.
The unthreaded portion of the screws O also bears upon the cups E, E' preventing
any displacement of such cups relatively to the hub D.
Upon this hub the driving mechanism of the hind wheel of the safety bicycles
comprising the chain G is also arranged in a special manner, the said wheel
may be caused to rotate in the usual manner, that is to say, by means of the
pedals F.
For this purpose a ratchet wheel H is keyed or fixed upon the portion 9 of the
hub D, which ratchet wheel is intended to act in combination with the wheel J over
which the chain G passes, the interior of the said wheel is for this purpose provided
with teeth corresponding to those of the ratchet wheel H (see Figure 6); the
wheel J has on each side projecting portions j, for the purpose of engaging the

page_text: said ratchet wheel. The bubs D. are mounted on balls running in the races K
brazed upon the frames of the safety bicycles as shown in Figure 5 and 8 of the
drawings.
It will be evident from the foregoing description that the construction of the
different parts forming our self-propelling velocipede is such that the safety bicycles
have each their appropriate parts and that they can be used separately.
In order to erect the self-propelling velocipede all that is necessary is to support
the motor M, to which the axle A may be connected beforehaud, at a suitable
height, then to fix to each extremity of the said axle successively the hind wheels
of the safety bicycles by screwing the screw-threaded portion a into the screw-
threaded opening f in the spherical parts C, such screwing being effected by causing
the wheel of the safety bicycle to turn in the proper direction.
Having arranged the axle A, the ties I, 1' are fixed in place and the slot 6 of the
frame B is engaged on the piu d, the nut c is screwed on, and, after the steering
mechanisms of the safety bicycles has been connected in the mannor shewa in
Figure 4, the self-propelling velocipede is ready for use. The vehicle can be
taken to pieces as readily as it can be put together, as plainly shewn by the
preceding description.
According to the wish of the riders or the necessities of the case the vehicle
may be driven by the motor alone, by the pedals alone in tho usual manner, or by
utilising the two forces in combination.
When the motor alone is used its shaft m actuates the axle A which imparts
motion to the hind wheels of the safety bicycles by means of the spherical parts C,
the screws O and the hubs D. It should be noticed that as a consequence of the
special construction of the mechanism for driving the wheels of the safety bicycles
by the chain G, the ratchet wheel H turning in the direction of the arrow,
Figure 6, the teeth carried by the hub of the wheel J slide upon the teeth of the
ratchet wheel H and therefore the latter does not carry round the said wheel
which simply receives a small alternating movement or vibratiou, so to speak, which
is of small importance. As the wheel J is not carried round it follows that when
the motor M is working the pedals F can remain motionless and serve as
foot-rests.
When the vehicle is to be driveu solely by the use of the pedals, it will readily
be understood that the driving or pedal axle will actuate the toothed wheel L in
the ordinary way and with it the chain G and the wheel J which will turn in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 6; in this case the teeth carried by the
hub of this wheel J will engage in the teeth of the ratchet wheel H which will thus
be carried round and with it the hub D upon which it is fixed. When the pedals
alone are used for driving the vehicle, as the motor is at rest it may be put out of
gear so as to lessen the force required to be exerted by the riders.
When the motor M and the pedals are to be utilised simultaneously, for
example when the vehicle bas to mount a sharp rise, they will act separately on
their own account in the same way as if they were working independently, but the
two forces will be combined owing to the arrangement of the ratchet wheel H and
the wheel J.
In this case the pedals F also serve to start the motor.
When the self-propelling vehicle is in motion, it is evident that owing to the
joints of the ties 1, and to the arrangement of the axle A in the hubs.D, the
safety bicycles or other similar vehicles which constitute the said vehicle, can be
caused to incline either to the right or to the left. as desired, to a certain extent,
but it should be noticed that, whatever may be the degree of inclination of the
safety bicycles, the ties I, I' and the shaft A will maintain the same direction
relatively to the ground (sce Figure 3) and as the motor is connected by the parts n
to the shaft A its position relatively to the ground will remain constant in spite of
its displacement, which fact is of great importance. It is in order that this result
may be attained that the frame B is furnished with the slot b, which, whilst serving

page_text: to fix the said frame, also permits the latter to maintain a position the direction
of which is invariable relatively to the ground.
It will be noticed that apart from the joints of the ties I and I¹ the special
construction of the hubs 'D is likewise capable of serving to effect the connection
of the safety bicycles in a rigid manner in a longitudinal direction and to limit the
degree of inclination of the said bicycles to the right or left; all that is required
in order to ensure this is that the notch e in the cup E' and the notch in the
spherical part C shall present the form shewn in Figure 5, that is to say that their
width shall equal the diameter of the part which is intended to move therein and
that their opening shall exactly correspond to the maximum inclination of which it
is intended that the bicycles are to be capable.
It is unnecessary to insist upon the numerous advantages possessed by this type
of self propelling vehicle, which is simple, readily taken apart and consists of two
safety bicycles or other similar vehicles capable of being used separately.
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 self-propelling velocipede constituted by the coupling of two safety bicycles
of any suitable description or other similar vehicles capable of being used separately,
by means of ties and of the driving shaft which also serves as a tie or connection,
the two safety bicycles being susceptible of being inclined as required, within
certain limits, either to the right or left, whilst remaining rigidly connected in a
longitudinal direction, substantially as above described and with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In the form of self propelling velocipede referred to in Claim 1, the special
construction of the hubs of the hind wheels of the safety bicycles or the like for
the purpose of their connection by means of the driving shaft, permitting of the
said bicycles being inclined within certain limits either to the right or left,
substantially as above described and with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. In the form of self propelling velocipede as in Claim 1, the arrangement of
the motor frame with a slot acting in combination with a pin carried by one of the
ties, for the purpose of maintaining the motor constantly in the same position
relatively to the ground, whatever position, the bicycles or the like may occupy,
substantially as above, described and with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
4. In the form of self propelling velocipede as referred to in Claim 1, the
mechanism for driving the hind wheels of the safety bicycles by means of pedals,
in the usual manuer, allowing the latter to remain free if desired when the motor is
working, substantially as above described and with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.