IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES BICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Illston of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
BICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
"3
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Illston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1883.
GEORGE ILLSTON of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES BICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
"
My invention consists First of the following improvements in tricycles the said
improvements having for their object the application of double driving mechanism
to tricycles in which the driving or travelling wheels are of different diameters.
To one end of the shaft of the tricycle I attach or connect the larger driving
wheel and to the other end of the said shaft I attach a toothed wheel gearing with
another toothed wheel immediately below it and the latter with a pinion connected
with the smaller driving wheel. The teeth of the said toothed wheels and pinion
have such a ratio to each other that the periphery of the smaller wheel travels at
the same rate as that of the larger one and in pedalling the tricycle has the same
tendency to travel in a straight path as tricycles having driving wheels of the same
diameter have.
Instead of gearing together the toothed wheel on the shaft and the pinion on the
small driving wheel by means of an intermediate toothed wheel they may be
geared together by means of a chain.
I employ differential or balance gear between one of the driving wheels and
the frame to permit of the tricycle travelling in a curve as is well understood.
These improvements may be applied to velocipedes other than tricycles such for
example as the velocipedes called "sociables."
My invention consists Secondly in the following improvements in the springs for
supporting the seats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes In place of the
ordinary spring made of flat steel for supporting the bar carrying the seat I employ
a spring made in the following manner.

page_text: I take a length of light steel rod cylindrical in figure and double it at its middle
the said doubled part being flattened and curved to such a figure as will fit the
back bone or frame of the bicycle or tricycle with which it is to be used. Each of
the branches of the doubled steel rod is coiled into a circular coil having preferably
two convolutions. The free ends of the two coils are respectively connected to a
cross pin passing through an eye at the end of the bar to which the seat of the
velocipede is attached
In case of bicycles the bar to which the seat is attached is supported at its rear
end by a spring of the kind described its front end being jointed to the head of the
bicycle
In case of tricycles and other like velocipedes the bar carrying the seat is
supported at each end by a spring of the kind described
Seat springs constructed according to my invention are not liable to injury by
the twisting to which they are exposed when the rider gives a side inclination to
the seat.

page_text: a
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Illston in the Patent Office on the 7th May 1884.
GEORGE İLLSTON of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES, BICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES "
My invention consists First of the following improvements in tricycles, the said
improvements having for their object the application of double driving mechanism
to tricycles in which the driving or travelling wheels are of different diameters.
To one end of the shaft of the tricycle I attach or connect the larger driving
wheel and to the other end of the said shaft I attach a toothed wheel gearing with
another toothed wheel immediately below it and the latter with a pinion connected
with the smaller driving wheel. The teeth of the said toothed wheels and pinion
have such a ratio to each other that the periphery of the smaller wheel travels
at the same rate as that of the larger one and in pedalling the tricycle has the same
tendency to travel in a straight path as tricycles having driving wheels of the same
diameter have.
Instead of gearing together the toothed wheel on the shaft and the pinion on
the small driving wheel by means of an intermediate toothed wheel they may be
geared together by means of a chain.
I employ differential or balance gear between one of the driving wheels and the
frame to permit of the tricycle travelling in a curve as is well understood.
These improvements may be applied to velocipedes other than tricycles such for
example as the velocipedes called sociables.
My invention consists Secondly in the following improvements in the springs for
supporting the seats of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes.
In place of the ordinary spring made of flat steel for supporting the bar carrying
the seat I employ a spring made in the following manner.
I take a length of light steel rod cylindrical in figure and double it at its middle,
the said doubled part being flattened and curved to such a figure as will fit the
backbone or frame of the bicycle or tricycle with which it is to be used
Each of the branches of the doubled steel rod is coiled into a circular coil having
preferably two convolutions. The free ends of the two coils are respectively
connected to a cross pin passing through an eye at the end of the bar to which the
seat of the velocipede is attached.
In case of bicycles, the bar to which the seat is attached is supported at its rear
end by a spring of the kind described, its front end being jointed to the head of the
bicycle.
In case of tricycles and other like velocipedes the bar carrying the seat is
supported at each end by. a spring of the kind described.
Seat springs constructed according to my invention are not liable to injury by
the twisting to which they are exposed when the rider gives a side inclination to
the seat.
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 in plan a tricycle having driving or travelling wheels of
different diameters, the driving mechanism of the smaller travelling wheel being
constructed according to my invention; Figure 2 represents in side elevation the
two travelling wheels of the tricycle and the driving mechanism of the smaller
wheel and Figure 3 represents an end elevation of the said smaller wheel and
its driving mechanism.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
a and b are the driving of travelling wheels of the tricycle a being the large wheel
and b the small wheel; c is the steering wheel situated in a line with the small

page_text: driving wheel b, the said steering wheel c being operated by steering mechanism
at d of the ordinary kind; e is the crank shaft and f, f are the pedals; g is the
driving chain, gearing with a chain wheel on the shaft of the driving or travelling
wheels a, b. The said shaft passes through the hollow or tubular frame h and to
one end of the shaft I attach or connect the large driving wheel a by differential
or balance gear. at-i (which said balance gear constitutes no part of my invention)
to permit of the tricycle travelling in a curve. To the other end of the driving
shaft I attach the spur or toothed wheel k which gears with another toothed or
roller wheel below it and the said toothed or roller wheel gears with a toothed
wheel or pinion m fixed on the hub of the small driving wheel b (see Figures 2
and 3). The hub of the small driving wheel b turns in the vertical part h² of the
framing which part 2 also supports the intermediate toothed or roller wheel 7.
It will be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 3 that the teeth of the toothed wheels k
and land pinion m have such a ratio to each other that the periphery of the smaller
driving wheel b travels at the same rate or surface speed as that of the larger
driving wheel a.
By gearing together the two driving wheels a and b of different diameters so that
their peripheries travel at the same rate as described, the tricycle on being pedalled
has the same tendency to travel in a straight path as tricycles having driving
wheels of the same diameter have.
Instead of transmitting the motion of the driving shaft to the small driving or
travelling wheel b by a train of spur wheels as described, bevil gearing may be
employed with the same effect.
This modification is represented in side elevation in Figure 4 and end elevation
in Figure 5.
The driving shaft p has at the end most distant from the large travelling or
driving wheel, a bevil toothed wheel q gearing with the smaller bevil toothed
wheel on the top of the upright shaft 8. The lower end of the shaft & carries a
similar bevil toothed wheelt which gears with a bevil toothed wheel u on the hub
of the small driving wheel b. The teeth of the bevil toothed wheels q, r, t u have
such a ratio to each other that the periphery of the small driving wheel b of the
tricycle travels at the same rate as that of the large driving wheel as in the tricycle
first described.
In place of gearing together the toothed wheel on the driving shaft and the
pinion on the small driving wheel by an intermediate toothed wheel, or by a pair
of bevil pinions, as before described, the said toothed wheels may be geared
together by a chain as illustrated in side elevation in Figure 6 and end elevation
in Figure 7.
p
In this modification, vis the toothed wheel on the end of the driving shaft
(now acting as a chain wheel) and wis the toothed wheel or chain wheel on the
hub of the small driving wheel b, the said chain wheels v and w being geared
together by the chain x.
The peripheries of the two driving wheels are in this
way made to travel at the same speed as before described.
I apply these improvements to velocipedes of the kind called sociables having
driving or travelling wheels of different diameters, whether the said sociables are of
the ordinary kind or of the kind called tandem sociables and having two sets of
pedals, one behind the other.
The application of these improvements to the said sociables differs in no essential
respect from their application to tricycles herein before described.
Figure 8 represents in plan and Figure 9 in side elevation a seat spring con-
structed according to my invention applied to the backbone of a bicycle or tricycle;
Figure 10 represents in side elevation and Figure 11 in plan the seat spring
detached from the backbone. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11.
The coil parts of the double spring are marked respectively a and b each coil
part having two convolutions but I do not limit myself to that number of
convolutions. In making the double spring, light cylindrical steel rod is taken

page_text: and doubled at its middle as at a², 62, the doubled part being flattened and curved
to the figure of the backbone c to which it is to be connected. The branches a³, be
of the doubled steel rod are then coiled into the circular coils marked respectively a
and b. The free ends of the coils a, b are made into eyes a³, 63 and the said eyes
are connected to the rear end of the bar d to which the seat of the bicycle (or
tricycle) is attached by the cross pine the said pin e being passed through an eye
or knuckle d on the bar d and also through the eyes a³, b³ of the two coils a b of
the seat spring as represented in Figures 8 and 9. The front end of the seat bar d
is jointed in the case of a bicycle to the head f of the bicycle. The flattened and
doubled part a, 63 of the spring is connected to the backbone c by the screw pin g
and clip h
Figure 12 represents in side elevation; Figure 13 in plan of underside and
Figure 14 in plan of upper side, a seat spring for a tricycle or other like velocipede
constructed according to my invention.
In this arrangement, i is the bar carrying the seat, which bar is supported at
each end by a double spring a, b of the construction herein before described. The
ends of the seat bar i are furnished with knuckles through which and the
eyes a, b of the double springs a b; a b the pins k, k are passed. The doubled
steel rods from which the double springs are made are in the case of a tricycle seat
welded to the ends of the under bar / which is secured to the pillar or frame of the
tricycle or other like velocipede.
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;-
First The improvements in driving mechanism for tricycles and other velocipedes
in which the driving or travelling wheels are of different diameters hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying
Drawings; that is to say, connecting or attaching the larger driving or travelling
wheel to the driving shaft by means of balance or differential gear to permit of the
velocipede turning in a curve and so gearing the smaller driving or travelling
wheel to the driving shaft that the periphery of the said smaller driving wheel
travels at the same rate as that of the larger driving wheel for the purpose and
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly-The improvements in springs for supporting the seats of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, springs for
the purpose described made from a doubled rod of steel, each branch of the doubled
steel rod being coiled into a circular coil having two or more convolutions, the said
double springs being applied to the seat bars of bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said George Illston have hereunto set my hand
seal this Second-day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham
GEORGE ILLSTON. (LS)