Year: 1888

page_text: We, FRANK JOSEPH BAYER, Machine Carpenter, and JOSEPH EDWARD LEASE,
Teacher of public school, both of Du Bois, in the County of Clearfield and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in Tricycles or
vehicles that are propelled by manual power.
The object of the invention is the production of a machine which will be compact
in construction and can be conveniently handled and quickly thrown in and out of
mesh and gear for speed or power.
The improvements consist in the novel construction and combination of parts,
which will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shewn in the annexed
drawings, in which—
Figure 1 is a side view of our invention and Figure 2 is a top plan view of same.
The platform A is supported by the wheels B on the axle b, journalled near the rear
end of said platform. One of the wheels revolves loosely on the axle; the other
wheel is keyed to and revolves with the axle. The plate C, placed on the forward end
of the platform, is pivotally connected therewith, so as to revolve in an oblique plane,
and has the standards D extended upwardly and backwardly therefrom. The frame,
composed of the side bars, a, is secured between its ends to the top of the standard D,
and is arranged at an incline to a horizontal plane. The steering or guide wheel B¹
is journalled between the front ends of the side bars, a, and the ends of its shaft
project and are provided with crank-discs e. The countershaft F, journalled near the
rear end of the frame, has cranks f on each end, which are connected with crank
discs e by the pitmen f¹.
The swinging support, composed of uprights g and cross-piece g' is pivoted at its
lower ends to the standard D. The crank-shaft G, journalled in the upper end of the
support, has a speed cone, g³, which comes opposite a corresponding speed-cone, 2,
on the counter shaft F. The band H passes around and connects the two speed-
cones gf, which are provided with spurs that enter openings in the band to effect a
more positive engagement between them. The speed or power of the vehicle depends

page_text: upon the position of the band H with reference to the speed-cones, which will be
readily understood. It is to facilitate the shifting of the band H that the supports g-g
are pivoted at their lower ends so as to swing towards the shaft F, when the lever
brace I, hinged to the standard D, is released from said support. When the said
support is swung inward, the distance between the two shafts F and G is lessened
and the band H can be readily adjusted. This feature is necessary; otherwise the
band could not be disengaged from the spurs. The band being adjusted, the frame is
swung outward and its position is fixed by the lever brace I, which is turned down
until the pin g³ enters corresponding openings in the cross piece g¹ and the said
brace.
The brake is composed of the lever J pivoted midway its ends beneath the platform.
One end is adapted to be thrown in contact with and bear upon the friction pulley b².
The other end is provided with the presser-bar j which extends through an aperture
in the platform within convenient reach of the occupant's foot.
The seat K is mounted on spring-bars k, projected upward from the platform A.
The vehicle is steered by the occupant placing his feet on foot-rests m projected
laterally from the foot of the standard D, and is driven from the shaft G through
band H, shaft F, and pitman f¹. Shaft G has cranks n at each end to be grasped by
the hands when applying the power. To prevent the slipping of the wheel B', it has
spurs placed around its periphery, which bite into the ground and ensure a firm
purchase-for-it..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said-inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination with the frame composed of the side bars, a, and the wheel B',
journalled between the front ends of the side bars, a, and having cranks e of the
counter-shaft F, the pitmen f, connecting cranks with cranks the crank-shaft G
and gearing for connecting shafts G and F, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the frame consisting of the side bars, a, the wheel B', and
the counter-shaft F, connected with the wheel B₁ for imparting motion thereto, of the
swinging support, pivoted to the support D, the shafts G, the band H connecting the
shafts G and F and the brace lever I, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the platform, the rear axle and the wheels, and the plate
pivoted to the front of the platform, of the standard, the frame, the steering-wheel,
the counter-shaft, the pitmen connecting the counter-shaft with the shaft of said
wheel, and mechanism, substantially as described, for driving said counter-shaft, as
and for the purposes specified.
4. The combination, with the platform having an aperture therethrough within
convenient reach of the foot, the axle journalled thereto, and the wheel keyed on the
axle, of the bar pivoted midway its ends beneath the platform, one end coming
opposite and adapted to bear upon the presser-rod, connected with the other end of
the bar and extending through said aperture, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1888