OR RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Barzillai Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1882.
BARZILLAI BENNETT, of Coventry in the County of Warwick,
IN OR RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES
"ε
IMPROVEMENTS
This invention is chiefly applicable to three or four-wheel velocipedes and I will
describe it as applied to a three wheeled machine with a pair of large driving
wheels in front and a small trailing wheel bebind
I employ a reciprocating in preference to a rotary movement of the pedals which
are attached to levers working upon a movable pivot which is adjustable (by
means of a screw or other suitable device) in a fore and aft direction for the
purpose of altering the length of stroke or leverage when required. The levers are
connected to segmental pulleys or their equivalent which are free to turn upon the
shaft by a band chain or other suitable connection, and I prefer to place two pedals
upon each pedal lever, one in front of the band and one behind it so that one can
be used for the long leverage and one for the short. Upon the side of the
segmental pulley is what I may call a "mill-stone" clutch, and a corresponding
clutch is fixed upon or forms part of the wheel boss and the teeth of said clutches
are placed diagonally so as to gear when the pedal lever is descending with the
power on it, and to slip past each other when not required to grip
A suitable arrangement is provided for withdrawing the movable clutch (as by
a projection working in a suitable groove upon the shaft or by a diagonal feather
working in a slot &c.) during the back stroke or when no stroke is being made.
The steering is accomplished by forming the main axle in two portions the inner
end of each carrying a toothed segment with both of which a pinion placed
between them gears so that by turning the pinion both driving wheels are turned
in the same direction-a method which has many advantages over the common
plan of steering with one little wheel. Suitable swivel and other bearings are

page_text: provided for the main axles the blocks for which are hung in brackets upon the
framework & preferably provided with springs to ease the shocks in passing over
rough ground.
A tail piece may be added to the pedal levers to which the prolonged back end
of the segmental bands can be attached so that as the lever rises and the tail
descends it draws the segment back with it ready for another stroke.
The pedal levers are raised in any convenient manner--preferably by a rubber
or other spring
As a means for keeping the machine running in a straight line without the
necessity for the rider keeping his hand continually on the steering handle, a disc
having a cam groove in its periphery may be placed upon the axles of the
steering pinion and a stop carried in the framework lies in this groove. When
the driving wheels are parallel this stop is opposite a depression in said groove
into which it may drop or be pushed or directed by the groove itself; and a portion
of the stop then enters a hole or notch in the steering pinion and thus keeps it
from turning and so keeps the driving wheels parallel

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Barzillai Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1882.
BARZILLAI BENNETT of Coventry in the county of Warwick.
IN OR RELATING TO VELOCIPEDES
"
"IMPROVEMENTS
This invention is chiefly applicable to three or four wheeled velocipedes and
I will describe it as applied to a three wheeled machine with a pair of large driving
wheels in front and a small trailing wheel behind
I employ a reciprocating in preference to a rotary movement of the pedals
which are attached to the levers working upon a movable pivot which is adjustable
(by means of a screw or other suitable device) in a fore and aft direction for the
purpose of altering the length of stroke or leverage when required. The levers
are connected to segmental pulleys or their equivalent which are free to turn
upon the shaft by a band chain or other suitable connection, and I prefer to place
two pedals upon each pedal lever, one in front of the band and one behind it
so that one can be used for the long leverage and one for the short. Upon the
side of the segmental pulley is what I may call a "mill stone clutch, and a
corresponding clutch is fixed upon or forms part of the wheel boss and the teeth of
said clutches are placed diagonally so as to gear when the pedal lever is descending
with the power on it and to slip past each other when not required to grip
"
A suitable arrangement is provided for withdrawing the movable clutch (as by
a projection working in a suitable groove upon the shaft or by a diagonal feather
working in a slot &c) during the back stroke or when no stroke is being made
The steering is accomplished by forming the main axle in two portions the inner
end of each carrying a toothed segment with both of which a pinion placed
between them gears so that by turning the pinion both driving wheels are turned
in the same direction--a method which has many advantages over the common
plan of steering with one little wheel. Suitable swivel and other bearings are
provided for the main axles the blocks for which are hung in brackets upon the
framework and preferably provided with springs to ease the shocks in passing over
rough ground
A tail piece may be added to the pedal levers to which the prolonged back end
of the segmental bands can be attached so that as the lever rises and the tail
descends it draws the segment back with it ready for another stroke.
The pedal levers are raised in any convenient manner preferably by a rubber or
other spring.
As a means for keeping the machine running in a straight line without the
necessity for the rider keeping his hand continually on the steering handle a disc
baving a cam groove in its periphery may be placed upon the axle of the steering
pinion and a stop carried in the framework lies in this groove, When the driving
wheels are parallel this stop is opposite a depression in said groove into which it
may drop or be pushed or directed by the groove itself; a portion of the stop then
enters a hole or notch in the steering pinion and thus keeps it from turning and so
keep the driving wheels in a straight line
In the accompanying drawings Fig 1 is a front elevation of the machine, Fig 2
an enlarged view of part of the mechanism Figs 3 and 4 show the "mill-stone"
clutch and the cam arrangement for disconnecting the clutch, Figs 5 and 6 show
two arrangements of the driving mechanism, Figs 7 and 8 the steering mechanism
and Fig 9 the stop cam for the same.
The feet are placed upon the pedals A and the power transmitted through tho
levers B as will be best understood by reference to Figs 5 and 6. In Fig 5 C is

page_text: the segment round which is the metal or other band or strap C¹ secured to the
segment at C and to the lever at B¹-The tail B2 of lever B is prolonged and to it
is attached the other end of band C, so that as the front end of the lever rises
under the influence of a, suitable spring O Figs 1, 2 and 6 when the pressure is
removed the tail piece pulls the segment back with it. The levers B are jointed
at B³ to the nut B which can be caused to traverse the screw B5 by turning latter
by the bevel gearing B6 or by some other convenient means. In this arrangement
two pedals A are provided upon each lever B; when the lever is in the position
shown the feet are placed upon the pedals farthest from the joints B³, but when
the nut and lever are brought forward, by revolving the screw B³, into the position
shown in dotted lines the feet are placed upon the pedals nearest to the joints B³.
The leverage can thus be altered quickly whilst the machine is in motion and a
powerful leverage obtained for heavy work such as riding up hills &c, and a shorter
one for easy or quick running such as going down slight hills &c. In Fig 6 a
modified form of the driving gear is shown; here the tails of levers B-or separate
levers can be used if preferred are jointed to the rack levers D which gear with
the toothed wheels D as shown, the action is similar to Fig 5 but the power is
communicated by a push instead of a null
1
The "mill-stone" clutch E in Fig 1 is shown in gear and E' out of gear; how
this is accomplished will be understood by reference to the enlarged views Figs 3
and 4 in which E is the clutch, D¹ the toothed wheel F a portion of the framing,
and G a cam-grooved disc in which fits the pin G¹ kept pressed in by the spring G².
The cam disc G is fixed to the axle H which does not revolve the driving wheel
running loose upon it. The cam groove G³ is of such form and the cam itself is so
fixed upon the axle that when a stroke is made with the foot and the wheel D¹
impelled round the pin G¹ follows the groove in the direction of the arrow and
consequently the wheel D' (to which it is connected by the bracket G*) and half
of the clutch E are forced outwards towards the other half of the clutch with
which the first half gears and carries it round with it and the wheel D'-When
the end of the stroke is reached the groove withdraws the pin & with it the half
clutch from gear with the driving wheel half of the clutch so that while the pedal
lever is returning for another stroke the clutch is out of gear. In Fig 4 which is
a section of the cam disc through the groove upon the line YZ that the depths of
different parts of the groove are so arranged as to guide the pin G¹ into the proper
channel. The arrow represents the direction of motion of the pin (not of the cam
which is fixed) and it will be observed that the pin being in the channel exposed
to view by the section (Fig 4) will be stopped by the bottom of the groove which
is raised immediately after the junction of the side channel and shunted into the
side channel; similarly in returning it cannot enter the side channel on account of
its bottom being raised so that it must return into the straight channel
The swivel frames H Figs 6 and 1 carry the main axle pedal levers &c so that
the whole can be turned together as will be understood by reference to Figs 1
and 7-Each main axle I carries one driving wheel at one end and has a toothed
seginent K upon the other, and between the two segments K and gearing with
both of them is a wheel L which may be revolved by the steering handle in any
convenient manner the result being that the end of one shaft is driven forward and
the other backwards and the two driving wheels are thus turned in the same
direction. Upon wheel L on its axle a disc M (Fig 9) may be placed with a
groove so arranged that a catch upon the framework of the machine can drop or be
pressed into a recess M¹ so as to hold the wheel L from turning when the driving
wheels are parallel to each other and the machine running straight ahead.
In place of the wheel L a cross-threaded worm having a right and left hand
thread may be employed as shown in Fig 8 In this case the device shown in
Fig 9 will not be required.
Referring again to Fig 6 F is a portion of the main framework to which are
secured two brackets F1 and F2 in which can slide the movable framing F which
carries the swivel frame H; an indiarubber ring N passes over the bottom of the

page_text: movable framing FS and on a hook H¹ upon the main frame-work. There is one
of these springs at each side of the machine and they serve in place of other
springs under the seat which can be fixed direct to the framework which remains
nearly steady whilst the wheels and movable portions of the framework move up
and down with the inequalities of the road. Other suitable form of springs may
be used if preferred but I find the rubber rings useful and satisfactory.
Instead of the screw device shown in Fig 5 for altering the position of pedal
levers B, other suitable devices may be employed such as a rack and pinion or
the like.
Having now described my invention and the method of performing the same I
wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the heroin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
:-
First As a means of steering velocipedes the combination of the axles I I capable
of swivelling in a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane, segments K K and wheel L
or its mechanical equivalent substantially as set forth
Second In a velocipede the axles I I hung in swivelling bearings substantially
as and for the purposes set forth
Third-The cam disc G constructed and operating substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fourth-The combination of cam disc G pin G' and spring G² substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth The hereindescribed arrangement of framework whereby the main
framing is distinct from that portion which carries the axles and driving wheels,
the said latter portions being free to play up and down according to the inequalities
of the road said play being controlled by rubber or other suitable springs N
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth The device for altering the position of the pedal levers B substantially as
and for the purposes set forth and shown in Fig 5 of the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Barzillai Bennett have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third day of November in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two
DARZILLAI BENNETT (L.S.)