IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Cross and Abel Heywood, the
younger, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and George
Daniel Wilson and Thomas Bright Wilson, of Cressbrook, in
the County of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES,"
Sealed the 9th November 1869, and dated the 11th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Cross,
Abel Heywood, George Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 11th May 1869.
We, CHRISTOPHER CROSS, and ABEL HEYWOOD, the younger, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and GEORGE DANIEL WILSON
and THOMAS BRIGHT WILSON, of Cressbrook, in the County of Derby,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to machines worked by manual labour for
travelling on roads or tramways, and consists, first, in the application
to the velocipede of toothed gearing for multiplying the revolutions
Price 8d1

page_text: of the driving wheel. On the shaft fixed to the driving wheel we place
a loose crank at each side and place on each crank a bevil wheel gearing
into two bevil wheels, one fixed to the shaft and the other to the
framework, and when the cranks are turned one revolution by the feet
of the traveller the wheels on the cranks revolve and cause two revolutions
to be given to the driving wheel, and when desired we cause the driving
wheel to turn still faster for one revolution of the cranks by employing
additional toothed wheels and pinions, or instead of toothed gearing
friction surfaces may be employed.
When desired we modify the foregoing arrangement by making the
crank shaft loose in the boss of the driving wheel and fixing the cranks
to the shaft. On an arm fixed to each end of the shaft we place a bevil
wheel gearing into two bevil wheels, one stationary and the other fixed
to the boss of the wheel, and when one revolution is given to the cranks
two revolutions are given to the driving wheel as before.
Secondly. We arrange a velocipede with three or more wheels, one of
which is fixed to a shaft having one or more pairs of cranks connected
by rods to treddle levers acted upon by the feet of one or more travellers,
and the machine is provided with seats or saddles as may be required;
or we place the driving wheel on a separate shaft having a pinion geared
into a toothed wheel on the crank shaft for obtaining increased speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Christopher Cross, Abel Heywood, George Daniel
Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 11th November 1869:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, CRISTOPHER
CROSS and ABEL HEYWOOD, the younger, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, and GEORGE DANIEL WILSON and THOMAS BRIGHT
WILSON, of Cressbrook, in the County of Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS
Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto us, the said Christopher Cross, Abel Heywood,
the younger, George Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson, Her
special license that we, the said Christopher Cross, Abel Heywood,
the younger, George Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Christopher Cross, Abel Heywood, the younger, George Daniel Wilson,
and Thomas Bright Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Christopher Cross, Abel
Heywood, the younger, George Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright
Wilson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Christopher Cross, Abel Heywood,
the younger, George Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say:--
This Invention relates to machines worked by manual or pedal labour
for travelling on roads or tramways, and consists, first, in the application
to the velocipede of toothed gearing for multiplying the revolutions of
the driving wheel, and, secondly, in improved arrangements of velocipedes
with three or more wheels.
The manner in which our Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by the following particular descriptionthereof, reference being
had to the figures and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of
Drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are end and front views of onc
arrangement of the toothed gearing applied to the shaft and driving wheel
of the velocipede; Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections of modifications
of the same; and Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are various views
of our improved arrangements of velocipedes with three or more wheels.

page_text: In the arrangements shewn in Figures and 2 we fix the axle a in
the nave of the driving wheel and place near each end of the axle a
loose crank c, having at the back a pin d, on which is placed a bevil
wheel e gearing into two bevil wheels f, y. The wheel f is fast to the strap
of the fork h, and the wheel g fixed to the axle, and over the gearing at
cach side is placed the cap i for the protection of the legs. When the
cranks are turned one revolution by the feet of the traveller, the wheels e
revolve with the cranks and also on the pins d, and cause two revolutions
to be given to the bevil wheel g and driving wheel, and thereby enable
the velocipede to run at an increased speed.
In another arrangement shown in Figure 3 we make the axle a loose
in the nave b, and place on the axle near each end a short arm 7 carrying
a bevil wheel m gearing into two bevil wheels n, o, and to the extreme
ends of the axle we fix the cranks p. The wheel n is fixed to the strap
of the fork q, and the bevil wheel o to nave b, and when one revolu-
tion is given to the cranks two revolutions are given to the driving wheel
as before.
In another arrangement we increase the speed in any required ratio
by altering the sizes of the wheels as shewn in Figure 4. The axle a is
loose in the nave b, and near the ends of the axle there are arms 7, cach
carrying two bevil wheels s, t, and to the ends of the axle are fixed the
cranks u. The wheels gears into a bevil wheel c fixed to the strap of the
fork w, and the bevil wheel t gears into the bevil wheel a fixed to the
nave, and as the cranks revolve the wheels s and t make two revolutions
to one of the cranks, and the bevil wheel x and driving wheel revolve
at an intermediate speed, according to the diameters of the wheels
t and x.
Our improved velocipedes with three or more wheels are intended to
be worked by persons standing or slightly leaning against supports, so
that the weight of the body can be exerted on the treddles. One of the
hind wheels of the velocipede is fixed to a shaft having one or more
pairs of cranks connected by rods to treddle levers acted upon by the
feet of the travellers.
In the various arrangements shewn in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10,
a, represents the cranked shaft; b, the cranks; c, the hind wheels;
d, the fore wheel or wheels; e, the treddle levers; and f, the connecting
rods.

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 are side and top views of a machine adapted for one
person between the fore and hind wheels, there being two treddle levers,
two cranks, and two connecting rods.
Figure 7 is a plan representing two pairs of cranks and four treddles,
adapted for two persons.
Figure 8 is a side view of a machine having two treddle levers of
an L shape adapted for one person, and when there are two persons there
are similar treddle levers at the back and another pair of cranks.
Figure 9 is a side view of a machine adapted for two persons, one
between the front and hind wheels and one behind the hind wheels,
and there are two pairs of cranks and two treddle levers.
Figure 10 is a plan representing the application of toothed gearing,
similar to that before described, to velocipedes having three or more
wheels, which gearing is marked on the cranked shaft a.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention,
we desire it to be understood that we claim the improvements in
velocipedes as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying two
Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Cross, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Abel Heywood, the younger, and George
Daniel Wilson, and Thomas Bright Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS. (L.S)