IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
AND TRICYCLES.” A communication from abroad by La Société Clement et
Cie., an Incorporated Company, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1880.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES." [A communication
from abroad by La Société Clement et Cie., an Incorporated Company, of Paris,
France.]
This Invention has for its object to enable the operator to assist the action of
his feet by the action of his hands and arms in propelling a bicycle or tricycle, and
consists mainly in connecting the treadle cranks by means of connecting rods to
rocking levers provided with handles and pivotted to arms or brackets fixed to the
vertical steering axis of the bicycle or tricycle, so that, when required, the operator
can assist the rotation of the treadle cranks by rocking the said levers by means
of his hands. The mode of arranging the said levers and their connection with
the steering axis may be variously modified. Thus according to the arrangement
employed by preference a socket is fixed on the upper end of the said axis, in
which is secured a tubular rod extending transversely at a slight angle to
either side, and having pivoted to each end an elbow lever, one end of which has a
handle, while to the other end is pivotted the one end of a connecting rod, the other
end of which is connected to the outer end of the pin of the treadle crank.
steering axis is provided with the usual steering handles, but as the beforementioned
levers are connected to and turn with the axis, the steering can also be effected by
the hands while working such levers. The handles of the levers are pivotted
thereto so as to enable them to be folded back against the levers when not in use.
The

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
March 1881.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES." A. communication
from abroad by La Société Clement et Cie., an Incorporated Company, of Paris,
France.
This Invention has for its object to enable the operator to assist the action of
his feet by the action of his hands and arms in propelling a bicycle or tricycle, and
consists mainly in connecting the treadle cranks by means of connecting rods to
rocking levers provided with handles and pivotted to arms or brackets fixed to
the vertical steering axis of the bicycle or tricycle, so that, when required, the
operator can assist the rotation of the treadle cranks by rocking the said levers by
means of his hands. The mode of arranging the said levers and their connection with
the steering axis may be variously modified. Thus according to the arrangement
employed by preference a socket is fixed on the upper end of the said axis, in which is
secured a tubular rod extending transversely at a slight angle to either side, and
having pivotted to each end an elbow lever, one end of which has a handle, while to
the other end is pivotted the one end of a connecting rod, the other end of which is
connected to the outer end of the pin of the treadle crank. The steering axis is
provided with the usual steering handles, but as the before mentioned levers are
connected to and turn with the axis, the steering can also be effected by the hands
while working such levers. The handles of the levers are pivotted thereto so as to
enable them to be folded back against the levers when not in use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The accompanying Drawing shews the above described Invention as applied to
a bicycle. Fig. 1 shews a plan of the said mechanism connected to the steering
axis. Fig. 2 shews a side view of the bicycle, and Fig. 3 shews the attach-
ment to the treadles. a, are the steering handles; b, the saddle or seat; c, the
supports thereof; d, the bracket carrying the steering axis; l, the bearing bar;
e, the helical spring affording elasticity to the saddle; 6', the fork of the steering
axis carrying the bearings of the large wheel; d¹, e¹, the treadles; a¹, the cranks
fixed on the axis s' of the large wheel, and receiving motion from the treadles ;
c, c¹, metal discs to which are attached the spokes m'; c', the tire; h¹, the
caoutchouc ring on the tire; B, the small wheel. To this construction of bicycles
are applied the following parts for the purpose of the above described Invention :-
f, a socket fixed to the steering axis a; g, a hollow rigid bar fixed in the socket fi
so that on turning the steering handles to the right or left the bar g follows such
movement; m, m, are two bell crank levers pivotted to each end of the bar g by
pivots s; h, h, are handles hinged to the levers m, m, by hinges k, so that the
handles can be folded back against the levers; x, y, are connecting rods whose
upper heads
q, r, are pivotted to the levers m, m, by pivots n, n, and whose lower
heads p, t, are pivotted to the outer ends of the pedal pivots v, 2. Assuming the
bicycle to be in motion while the operator is holding the handles h, h, then on his
depressing the treadle e¹ with his foot, the corresponding handle will rise, while
the front end of lever m will descend, and if the operator applies power with his
hands to the handle h as it rises, the connecting rod y in descending will assist in
effecting the rotation of the treadle crank, while at the same time in pressing the
second handle h downwards, the hand of the operator will assist in causing the pedal d'
to rise. It would appear at first sight that the operator when applying his whole force

page_text: for propelling the treadle cranks could not operate usefully with his arms. If he
were standing that would be the case, but being seated the force he exerts is only
applied between his seat on the saddle as a fulcrum and the feet, the power of the
upper part of his body and arms having hitherto been unemployed except for steering
the bicycle.
As the bar g with its levers m and handles h are fixed to and turn with the
steering axis, the steering can be effected as readily with the handles has with a.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim in respect of bicycles and tricycles,--
First. The combination with the steering axis of two hand levers connected by
rods to the treadles of the apparatus, so that the operator can by means of such
hand levers assist the action of his feet on the treadles, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The combination with bicycles and tricycles of mechanism for assisting
the action of the feet upon the treadles by means of the hands, arranged and operating
as herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CHAS. D. ABEL. (L.S.)