IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JAMES STARLEY of the firm of Starley Brothers of St John's Works Fleet
Street Coventry in the County of Warwick Bicycle and Tricycle Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES" to be as follows:-
My invention consists of mechanism constructed as hereinafter described to be
applied to tricycles and other velocipedes and having for its object to permit the
tricycle or velocipedo to travel freely cither in a rectilinear or curvilinear path.
I will describe my invention in connection with a tricycle.
The principal shaft of the tricycle that is the shaft carrying the travelling or
driving wheels is divided preferably at its middle. The opposed ends of the
divided shaft engage in tubes' or sleeves on opposite sides of a case in which the
essential parts of the mechanism are contained. This case is made in two halves
which are connected together after the mechanism has been introduced. Crossing
the case at its middle and at right angles to the principal shaft is a rod or spindle.
On this rod or spindle a cross bar works the said cross bar having in it a hole
through which the rod or spindle passes. This cross bar has freedom of motion on
the rod or spindle that is it can turn or perform an angular motion on the said rod
or spindle and can also slide upon the rod or spindle. Each end of the cross arm
terminates in a sphere and the said spherical ends of the cross arm are respectively
connected to the opposed ends of the divided shaft by links jointed to the ends of
the shaft and to the spherical ends of the cross arm. The inner ends of the links
are connected to the ends of the shaft by ordinary hinge like joints and the outer
ends of the said links are connected to the ends of the cross arm by cup like seats
in which the spheres terminating the cross arm engage the junction resembling a
ball and socket joint. The chain wheel is preferably fixed or made on the middle
of the case but may be fixed on any part of the case or. the sleeves in which the
opposed ends of the divided shaft work.
The action of the mechanism described is as follows:-When the tricycle is
travelling in a rectilinear path the two parts of the shaft move at the same rate
and the mechanism in the interior of the case connecting the two parts of the shaft
rotates with them the parts of the mechanism having no motion with respect to
each other. When however the tricycle travels in a curvilinear path one part of

page_text: the divided shaft rotates with a higher velocity than the other but the motions
which the cross arm is capable of making on the rod or spindle that is its angular
or swivelling motion and its sliding motion combined with the motion of the links
on the hinge like joints connecting them with the ends of the shaft enable the
cross arm to take any position which the rotating ends of the shaft tend to impress
upon it.
The two opposed ends of the divided shaft are thus maintained constantly geared
together and yet can rotate at the same or at different velocities as the path of the
tricycle may require.
The cross arm may be fixed to the rod. or spindle in which case the said rod is
capable of sliding."

page_text: ошедш
тоустов или ощег
I JAMES STARLEY of the firm of Starley Brothers of St John's Works, Fleet
Street, Coventry in the County of Warwick, Bicycle and Tricycle Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention consists of mechanism constructed as hereinafter described to be
applied to tricycles and other velocipedes and having for its object to permit the
tricycle or velocipede to travel freely either in a rectilinear or curvilinear path.
I will describe my invention in connection with a tricycle.
The principal shaft of the tricycle that is, the shaft carrying the travelling or
driving wheels is divided preferably at its middle. The opposed ends of the
divided shaft engage in tubes or aleeves on opposite sides of a case in which the
essential parts of the mechanism are contained. This case is made in two halves
which are connected together after the mechanism has been introduced into it.
Crossing the case at its middle and at right angles to the principal shaft is a rod or
spindle. On this rod or spindle a cross bar works, the said cross bar having in it
a hole through which the rod or spindle passes. This cross bar has freedom of
motion on the rod or spindle, that is, it can turn or perform an angular motion on
the said rod or spindle and can also slide upon the rod or spindle. Each end of the
cross arm terminates in a sphere and the said spherical ends of the cross arm are
respectively connected to the opposed ends of the divided shaft by links jointed to
the ends of the shaft and to the spherical ends of the cross arm. The inner ends
of the links are connected to the ends of the shaft by ordinary hinge like joints and
the outer ends of the said links are connected to the ends of the cross arm by cup
like seats in which the spheres terminating the cross arm engage the junction
resembling a ball and socket joint. The chain wheel is preferably fixed or made
on the middle of the case but may be fixed on any part of the case, or the sleeves
in which the opposed ends of the divided shaft work.
The action of the mechanism described is as follows-When the tricycle is
travelling in a rectilinear path the two parts of the shaft move at the same rate
and the mechanism in the interior of the case connecting the two parts of the
shaft, rotates with them, the parts of the mechanism having no motion with respect
to each other. When however the tricycle travels in a curvilinear path one part
of the divided shaft rotates with a higher velocity than the other but the motions
which the cross arm is capable of making on the rod or spindle, that is its angular
or swivelling motion, and its sliding motion, combined with the motion of the
links on the hinge like joints connecting them with the ends of the shaft, enable
the cross arm to take any position which the rotating ends of the shaft tend to
impress upon it,
The two opposed ends of the divided shaft are thus maintained constantly geared
together and yet can rotate at the same or at different velocities as the path of the
tricycle may reanire.

page_text: The cross arm may be fixed to the rod or spindle in which case the said rod is
capable of sliding.
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 side elevation and Figure 2 in end elevation mechanism
commonly called balance gear constructed according to my invention for permitting
the tricycle or velocipede to travel freely either in a rectilinear or curvilinear path.
Figures 3 and 4 represent longitudinal sections of the same taken at right angles
to one another and Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent parts of the same as hereinafter
explained. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 7.
a, a' is the divided principal shaft of the tricycle on the ends of which the
travelling or driving wheels are situated as is well understood; b is the case in
which the mechanism or balance gear is contained. The said case is made in
halves one half of the case having made upon it the chain wheel o with which the
driving chain gears. The opposed inner ends of the divided shaft a, a engage in
the tubes or sleeves 62, 63 on opposite sides of the case b; d is a fixed rod or spindle
'crossing the middle of the case b and situated at right angles to the divided driving
shaft a, a. On the said rod or spindle da cross bar e (shown separately in
Figure 5) works. A hole is made in the middle of the cross bar to allow it to slide
on the rod or spindle d and also to turn or perform a swivelling or angular motion
upon it. Each end of the cross bar e terminates in a sphere e³; f. fare the links
by which the ends of the divided shaft a, a³ are connected to the spherical ends of
the cross bar.e. Each link fis made in two pieces as best seen in the separate
view Figure 6 and each part of the link has a cup like or hemispherical seat g
made in it for receiving the hemispherical end of the cross bar e The two
halves of each link fare connected together at one end by the screw pin h and at
the other end by the joint pin i which joints the link f to the inner end of the
part of the divided shaft. The junctions of the links f with the cross bar e
resemble ball and socket joints. The links fare jointed to the parts of the divided
shaft by hinge jointa. That is, each link carries the outer knuckles f³, f' (see
Figure 6) and the inner end of each part of the divided shaft carries a middle
knuckle a³ (see Figure 7). By engaging the three knuckles together and passing
a cross pin i through them and fastening it by a screw nut, the junction is complete.
When the tricycle is travelling in a rectilinear path, the two parts a, a³ of the
driving shaft move at the same rate and the mechanism or balance gear in the case b
connecting the said two parts of the shaft rotates with them, that is, the whole of
the parts rotate together and have no motions with respect to each other.
On the tricycle travelling in a curvilinear path as in turning corners, one part of
the divided shaft a, a rotates with a higher velocity than the other but the
motions which the cross bar e is capable of performing on the fixed rod or
spindle d, namely the angular motion and sliding motion combined with the
motion of the links f. f. on their joints i, i connecting them with the ends of the
divided shaft, enable the said cross bar e to take any position which the rotating
ends of the shaft may tend to impress upon it.
By this means the two opposed ends of the divided shaft are maintained
constantly geared together and are capable of rotating at the same or at different
velocities according as the vehicle is travelling in a straight path or in a
curved path.
Figure 8 represents in elevation and Figures 9 and 10 in longitudinal section,
taken at right angles to one another, the arrangement of my invention in which
the rod or spindle carrying the cross bar is capable of sliding in the case, the said
cross bar being fixed to the said sliding rod or spindle.
In this arrangement, the case b in which the mechanism is contained is provided
at opposite sides with tubes 6, 63 (see Figure 10) in which the spindle or rod d'
is capable of sliding and of performing a swivelling or angular motion as described
with respect to the loose cross bar e in the first described arrangement.

page_text: The several parts of the mechanism of this modified arrangement are constructed
substantially in the manner described with respect to the parts of the first
arrangement and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
As the action of the modified arrangement Figures 8, 9 and 10 is the same as that
first described excepting that the rod d and cross bar e slide and have an angular
motion together, instead of the cross bar e having a sliding and swivelling motion
upon the fixed rod as in the first described arrangement I do not consider a further
description of the same necessary as the description I have given with respect to
the first described arrangement also applies to the modified arrangement with the
exception pointed out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of Improvements in the mechanism commonly called balance gear for
permitting the tricycle or velocipede to travel freely either in a rectilinear or
curvilinear path :-
First The construction and combination of the parts of the said mechanism or
balance gear herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 and 7
of the accompanying Drawings that is to say connecting the opposed ends of the
divided shaft of the vehicle by means of the links f. f and cross bar e the latter
being capable of a sliding and an angular or swivelling motion upon a fixed rod
or spindle, the said links and cross bar being constructed and jointed together
and the links jointed to the ends of the divided shaft and acting substantially as
described and.illustrated.
Secondly-The modification hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 8,
9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings in which the cross bar is fixed to the rod
or spindle and the latter is capable of sliding and performing an angular or
swivelling motion in the case substantially as described and illustrated.
1000