Improved Variable Speed Driving Gear for Velocipedes, Auto-cars, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Variable Speed Driving Gear for Velocipedes, Auto-cars,
and the like.
I, JOHN NOEL CAREY, of No. 63, Melbourne Road, Williamstown, near Mel-
bourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Gentleman, 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 has been devised in order to provide improved driving gear for
velocipedes, auto-cars and the like which will enable the gear to be changed from
one speed to another to suit varying requirements and which will enable two,
three or more changes of gear to be used without unduly complicating the machine
or greatly increasing its weight.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I will describe it
with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved variable speed driving gear,
Figure 2 is a vertical central section thereof on line 22 Figure 1 and
Figure 3 is an elevation of the opposite side to that shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modification of said gear
and Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts through-
out the drawings.
A represents an ordinary sprocket pinion on the main drive wheel of the
machine to which motion may be imparted in the usual way by an endless
sprocket chain from any convenient source of power. For instance on an orlin-
ary bicycle this chain would be lead from the sprocket wheel upon the crank
spindle of the machine, said sprocket wheel being by preference greatly reduced
in size, in fact it can be made the same diameter as the sprocket wheel A, thus
reducing the weight and increasing the leverage obtainable from the treadle
cranks. Or instead of sprocket gear it will be obvious that mitre or other chain-
less gear can be used. The sprocket wheel A is mounted upon a rotating carrier B
running upon a ring of balls inside a fixed drum L, hereinafter described, and
upon the face of said carrier B are mounted toothed pinions C D E of different
sizes. Three of these wheels may be used singly as shewn in Fig. 2 or they
can be in pairs as illustrated in Fig. 5, two or more pairs being used according
to the number of changes of gear which it is required to command. In the
arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 each of the pinions C D E are arranged
to continuously gear with corresponding pinions F G H respectively, the latter
are mounted upon a central sleeve or inner hub I, rotating upon ball bearings
at each end of the usual spindle J in the ordinary manner. In Fig. 2 of the
drawing pinion C is only shewn, the two pinions D and E. which gear respectively
with G and I are carried by suitable pivots which project the required distances
from the face of the rotating carrier B. The sleeve I is connected by means of
projecting arms i to an outer containing ease or barrel hub K (rotating there-
with) and fitted with flanges K' to which the spokes of the wheel may be attached
in any convenient manner. Inside this rotating hub K is the fixed drum or

page_text: cylinder L carried by arms secured upon the spindle as shown. This fixed
drum is fitted on the inside with a laterally adjustable non-rotatable sleeve L
having internal teeth L arranged in the form of a ring and made sufficiently
wide to enable them to gear with one or other of the pinions CD or E at a time.
A screw thread is cut on the inside of the sleeve and a correspondingly
threaded disc N is arranged to engage therewith so that by rotating said disc N
with the aid of a spanner or otherwise said sleeve L' can he moved laterally to
cause its teeth to gear with one or other of the pinions C D E according to the
gear required to be used, or it could be arranged so that this lateral movement
could be effected by means of a lever.
The arrangement illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is constructed and operates
in substantially the same way as the arrangement just described and is intended
to illustrate how the gear can be fitted to existing wheels by being placed along-
side the hub K instead of inside it. Two pairs of pinions CC and D 1) (mounted
upon the rotating carrier B) are shown instead of three single ones, the third
change of gear being provided by cutting internal teeth on the inner circum-
ference of said carrier B.
The pinions CD gear as before with the corresponding pinions FG which
in this case however are adjustably mounted upon the sleeve I and the pinion G
is also adapted to engage with teeth m on the carrier. The pinions CD are
always in gear with teeth on the inner periphery of the fixed drum I inside
which the carrier B runs on ball bearings. The change of gear is effected by
sliding the pinions FG in or out of gear with the pinions C C D D, or with
the teeth m of the carrier B by rotating the screw threaded rod M, which works
within a correspondingly threaded sleeve I carrying said pinions F G and at
the same time fitting over a squared projection on the hub K. Outside of the
sleeve T is also a screw thread as shown in Figure 4 and this sleeve also carries
the cone which supports that side of the gear case and a key is provided which
fits over the end of the square or otherwise sided and threaded rod M and also
engages with this cone so that when said rod is turned to move the sleeve I and
pinions the cone will he retained in position.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the
pinions F G in this arrangement can either be moved so that the pinion G is in
gear with the carrier B, or they can be drawn back so that the said pinion is
in gear with the pinion D) or they can be drawn back still further so that the
pinion F is in gear with the pinion C. In the first of these instances, provided
the sprocket wheel and pinion of the machine are the same size then the driving
wheel will be driven direct, that is, it will rotate once for each revolution of the
cranks, in the second instance if for example there are twenty teeth on the pinion G
and fourteen on the pinion ) then the hub K will be turned three times for each
revolution of the cranks whilst in the last instance where the pinion F is in
gear with the pinions C, assuming that there are sixteen teeth on the pinion F
and sixteen on the pinion C then the hub K will be rotated four times for ench
turn of the cranks.
It will be obvious to persons skilled in the manufacture or use of bicycles,
auto-cars and other similarly driven road vehicles that the variable speed gear
which I have described possesses many advantages not the least being that the
chain travels at a comparatively slow speed and consequently a large amount of
wear and tear is avoided and moreover it is not liable to be broken, whilst there
is a considerable gain in leverage.
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:
―:
1st. The herein described improved variable speed driving gear for velocipedes,
auto-cars and the like consisting of the various parts constructed arranged and

page_text: operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In variable driving gear for velocipedes auto-cars and the like a carrier
such as B having mounted thereon one or more pinions or pairs or sets of pinions
such as C D E of different sizes gearing with correspondingly sized pinions such
as F G H connected with the hub of a wheel, and also with a laterally adjustable
and toothed non-revolvable ring, such as I substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings.
3rd. In variable driving gear for velocipedes auto cars and the like a carrier
(such as B) having mounted thereon one or more pinions or pairs or sets of
pinions (such as CD) of different sizes gearing with corresponding laterally
adjustable pinions (such as FG) mounted upon a sleeve (such as I) said
pinions CD also engaging with teeth on a fixed drum (such as L) substantially
as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
4th. In variable driving gear for velocipedes auto cars and the like a square
(or otherwise sided) screw threaded rod (such as M) working within a corre-
spondingly screw-threaded sleeve (such as I) carrying different sized pinions
(such as FG) for the purpose of changing the gear as herein described and as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
5th. In variable driving gear for velocipedes auto-cars and the like a laterally
adjustable non-rotatable sleeve L' having internal teeth in combination with a
rotatable disc (such as N) having its periphery screw threaded to engage with
corresponding screw threads in said sleeve substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Seventh day of September One thousand eight hundred and