IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM OF TRICYCLES AND INVALID CARRIAGES OR CHAIRS
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS MCILROY of 7 Grafton Street, Fitzroy Square in the County of
Middlesex, Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM OF TRICYCLES AND
INVALID CARRIAGES OR CHAIRS, to be as follows :-
My invention consists of a novel construction of parts whereby a tricycle or
invalid carriage or chair can be propelled and guided or steered by the hands alone
or propelled by one or both hands and steered by one leg.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ any suitable construction of frame
and I provide it with a pair of carrying wheels either or both of which may be
driven in the following manner.
On a chain wheel or on its axis, which is mounted at a suitable height above the
seat to be acted upon by the hand of the rider, I fix a crank handle by which
rotary motion can be given to such chain wheel, I also fix a chain wheel to one or
both of the carrying wheels before mentioned and around such chain wheels I pass
an endless chain which will communicate motion from the first mentioned chain
wheel to the carrying wheel and thus propel the tricycle, carriage or chair.
A trailing or caster wheel is mounted at the rear of the tricycle, carriage or
chair to permit of the ready turning and guiding of the same.
When driving mechanism as above described is employed on each side of the
tricycle, carriage or chair the same may be readily guided or turned in any
direction by simply causing the two crank handles to revolve at different speeds
thereby driving one of the carrying wheels faster than the other and consequently
causing it to move over more ground. To enable the tricycle, carriage or chair to
be worked and guided by a person having the use of only one side, or of only one
arm and one leg, I give motion by the means above described to only one chain
wheel and I employ a lever with a fork or leg rest at the upper part to receive
the leg of the rider.

page_text: This lever is attached to a wheel around which passes, or to which is fixed a
band or chain which thence passes around suitable guide wheels to a wheel or to a
lever or levers fixed on the spindle of the fork carrying the trailing wheel.
Thus by driving one of the carrying wheels and by moving the steering lever
by his leg the rider can drive and steer the tricycle, carriage or chair.
If desired the driving gear may consist of toothed wheels gearing into each other
in lieu of employing chains to communicate motion from the crank handled wheel
to the wheel fixed on the carrying wheel.

page_text: DIECIFICATION.
I THOMAS MILROY of 7 Grafton Street, Fitzroy Square in the County of
Middlesex, Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM OF TRICYCLES AND
INVALID CARRIAGES OR CHAIRS, 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 a novel construction of parts whereby a tricycle or
invalid carriage or chair can be propelled and guided or steered by the hands alone
or propelled by one or both hands and steered by one log.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ any suitable construction of frame
and I provide it with a pair of carrying wheels either or both of which may be
driven in the following manner.
On a chain wheel or on its axis, which is mounted at a suitable height above the
seat to be acted upon by the hand of the rider, I fix a crank handle by which
rotary motion can be given to such chain wheel, I also fix a chain wheel to one or
both of the carrying wheels before mentioned and around such chain wheels I pass
an endless chain which will communicate motion from the first mentioned chain
wheel to the carrying wheel and thus propel the tricycle, carriage or chair.
A trailing or castor wheel is mounted at the rear of the tricycle, carriage or
chair to permit of the ready turning and guiding of the same. When driving
mechanism as above described is employed on each side of the tricycle, carriage or
chair the same may be readily guided or turned in any direction by simply causing
the two crank handles to revolve at different speeds thereby driving one of the
carrying wheels faster than the other and consequently causing it to move over
more ground. To enable the tricycle, carriage or chair to be worked and guided
by a person having the use of only one side or of only one arm and one leg I give
motion by the means above described to only one chain wheel and I employ a lever
with a fork or leg rest at the upper part to receive the leg of the rider. This
lever is attached to a wheel around which passes or to which is fixed a band or
chain which thence passes around suitable guide wheels to a wheel or to a lever or
levers fixed on the spindle of the fork carrying the trailing wheel.
Thus by driving one of the carrying wheels and by moving the steering lever by
his leg the rider can drive and steer the tricycle carriage or chair.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional side view, Figure 2 is a plan and Figures 3 and 4 are
detail views of a tricycle or invalid carriage or chair constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section and Figure 6 is a front view of a modification
and Figure 7 is a longitudinal section and Figure 8 is a plan of parts showing
another modification.
In all the figures like parts are marked with similar letters of refowance.

page_text: a is a frame which carries the seat a¹ and back a². b. b. are supporting and
driving wheels and j, is a trailing wheel. The wheels b. b. are driven in the
following manner.
On the hubs of such wheels b. b. are fixed chain wheel b' and on axes c, mounted
at a suitable height above the seat to be acted upon by the hands of the rider, are
fixed crank handles c' and to such axles ċ are also fixed chain wheels c² which by
endless chain d communicate motion to the chain wheels b¹ and consequently to
the supporting and driving wheelš b. b.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 1 to 4 the steering of the carriage is
effected by giving motion to the crank handles c¹ at different speeds or by giving
motion to ouly one of them, the trailing wheel being free to follow in any path
taken by the carriage. If desired the crank handles c¹ may be placed on the outer
ends of axles c as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 5 and 6 the carriage is steered by the
following means.
в
I employ a lever e with a fork or leg rest e¹ at the upper part to receive the leg
of the rider. This lever e is attached to a wheel faround which passes or to which
is fixed a band or chain g which thence passes around suitable guide wheels / to a
wheel, or to a lever or levers, fixed on the spindle of the fork i carrying the
trailing wheel j.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 7 and 8 the guide wheels h are dispensed
with and the forked lever e and wheel fare fixed to a vertical axis so as to enable
the endless chain g to pass directly to the wheel i¹.
to 8 by driving one of
Thus, according to the arrangements shown at Figures
the carrying wheels b and by moving the forked steering lever e by his leg the
rider can drive and steer the tricycle carriage or chair.
If desired the driving gear may consist of toothed wheels gearing into each other
in lieu of employing chains to communicate motion from the crank handled
wheels to the wheels b¹.
I would here remark that the steering arrangements shown at Figures 5 to 8
may be used in combination with the driving and steering arrangement shown at
Figures 1 to 4.
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
1. A tricycle or invalid carriage or chair which is propelled and steered by means
of crank handles c¹ which communicate motion to the supporting and driving
wheels by means of toothed gearing or by endless chains and chain wheels
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A tricycle or invalid carriage or chair which is propelled by one or two
crank handles c¹ which communicate motion to the supporting and driving wheels
by toothed gearing or by endless chains and chain wheels, such tricycle, invalid
carriage or chair being steered by a forked lever e, wheel f, band or chain g and
wheel¹fixed on the forked i of the trailing wheel or by a combination of such
arrangements with the steering arrangement described with respect to Figures 1
to 4 substantially as herein shown and described.
CEL100K