Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug.,
1897
I, JONATHAN EDGE, of 9, Churnet Street, Sandringham Terrace, Westminster
Road, in the City of Liverpool, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means of propelling and retarding veloci-
pedes.
Instead of transmitting motion to the driving wheel of the velocipede by means
of a pedal and rotary crank, I effect this transmission by means of a pivotted lever
or treadle, having a reciprocating motion.
As applied to a rear-driven safety bicycle, I fulcrum said lever upon the axle
of the chain-wheel, which axle is journalled in the bottom bracket as usual. Two
levers are employed, one on each side of the bicycle, and they project forward.
Said levers are depressed by foot pressure and are raised again by the action of
springs or their equivalent. In order that the downward motion of these levers
may be converted into rotary motion and the latter transmitted to the chain
wheel and driving wheel of the bicycle, I provide a suitable form of clutch, by
means of which the levers engage with the axle of the chain wheel upon their
downward stroke and release the said axle on the termination of said stroke and
during their up-stroke.
The said clutch may take various forms but I shall probably employ that type
of clutch known as a friction-clutch.
According to one method of putting my invention into practice I fixedly mount
upon the axle of said chain wheel a grooved friction wheel. The lever is con-
structed of two members, one of which is disposed on each side of the wheel.
Between the members of said lever is pivotted a second lever, one end of
which is provided with a pedal, whilst the other, and shorter, end is formed and
adapted to wedge itself in the groove of the friction wheel when pressure is applied
to the pedal. Normally the principal lever is kept in its raised position by means
of a spring, which may act upon a rearwardly projecting portion thereof, and the
secondary lever is kept out of contact with the friction wheel by means of a spring.
Two wedge-shaped chocks may be disposed between the members of the principal
lever and opposite to the end of the secondary lever, so that when the latter is
pressed upon the friction wheel it is nipped between said lever and chocks.
When pressure is applied to the pedal of the secondary lever the friction wheel
is clutched and it and the chain wheel are revolved through one-quarter of a
revolution or thereabouts, by the downward stroke of the principal lever. Pressure
is then removed and the levers are raised again by their springs, ready for another
stroke.
The gear above described also acts as a very effective brake when required, which
may be annlied by keening the levers depressed

page_text: Instead of a friction clutch I may use a pawl and ratchet gear, namely a
ratchet wheel upon the axle of the chain wheel and a pawl upon one or both levers.
Dated this 27th day of August 1897.
J. A. COUBROUGH,
Registered Patent Agent (Qual. by Exam.),
0, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.
Improved Driving and Braking Gear for Velocipedes.
I, JONATHAN EDGE, of 9, Churnet Street, Sandringham Terrace, Westminster
Road, in the City of Liverpool, Engineer, 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 improved means of propelling and retarding veloci-
pedes.
Instead of transmitting motion to the driving wheel of the velocipede by means
of a pedal and rotary crank, I effect this transmission by means of a pivotted lever
or treadle having a reciprocating motion.
As applied to a rear-driven safety bicycle, I fulcrum said lever upon the axle
of the chain-wheel, which axle is journalled in the bottom bracket as usual. Two
levers are employed, one on each side of the bicycle, and they project forward.
Said levers are depressed by foot pressure, and are raised again by the action of
springs or their equivalent. In order that the downward motion of these levers
may be converted into rotary motion, and the latter transmitted to the chain
wheel and driving wheel of the bicycle, I provide a suitable form of clutch, by
means of which the levers engage with the axle of the chain-wheel upon their
downward stroke and release the said axle on the termination of said stroke and
during the up-stroke.
The drawings hereto annexed shew one method of putting my invention into
practice, Figure 1 being a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a detail. I
fixedly mount upon the axle a of the chain wheel b a grooved friction wheel c.
The lever d is constructed of two members, one of which is disposed on each side
of the wheel c. Between the members of said lever is pivotted a second lever e one
end of which is provided with a pedal f, whilst the other, and shorter, end, g, of
the lever is formed and adapted to wedge itself in the groove h of the friction
wheel c, when pressure is applied to the pedal f. Normally the lever is kept
in its raised position by means of a spring i which is enclosed in a tube k whose
upper end is journalled on the cross-bar 7 bolted to the cycle frame tube m. Within
this tube works a piston and rod, the latter being connected to the lever d, and
the lever e is kept out of contact with the friction wheel c by means of a spring n.
Two wedged shaped chocks o may be disposed between the members of the lever d
and opposed to the end of the secondary lever e, so that when the latter is pressed
on the friction wheel c, the latter is nipped between said lever and chocks. To
comprehend this action, it must be understood that a bare clearance, only, exists
between the chocks o and the wheel c, and, consequently, by somewhat loosely
mounting the lever d on the axle a, depression of the lever e brings the lever d
forward a very slight distance but sufficient to bring the chocks o in contact with
the wheel c, whereby the wheel is nipped between the chocks o and the end g of
the lever e.
When pressure is applied to the pedal of the secondary lever, the friction wheel

page_text: is clutched, and it and the chain-wheel are turned through one-quarter of a
revolution, or thereabouts, by the downward stroke of the principal and secondary
levers. Pressure is then removed and the levers are raised again by their springs
ready for another stroke.
1
The gear above described also acts as a very effective brake when required, which
may be applied by keeping the levers depressed.
Although I have described my invention as applied to a cycle fitted with chain
driving gear, it must be understood that the invention may be directly applied to
a wheel axle, as for instance the front wheel or rear wheel of a bicycle. Or the
levers d and attendant parts may be applied to the rear wheel of a bicycle and be
operated by rods which connect the levers e with pedals mounted in the present
bottom bracket of a safety bicycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A driving and braking gear for velocipedes comprising a friction wheel keyed
upon the axle to be driven or retarded, a lever working loosely on said axle, a,
secondary lever pivotted in said primary lever and engaging with said friction
wheel when depressed, and springs which return said levers to their raised position;
all arranged and operating substantially as described with reference to the annexed
drawings.
J. A. COUBROUGH,
Chartered Patent Agent, 10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool,
Agent for the Applicant.