IMPROVE- MENTS IN MANUMOTIVE VELOCIPEDES APPLICABLE FOR USE ON VARIOUS KINDS OF ROADS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P. A. of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MANUMOTIVE VELOCIPEDES APPLICABLE FOR USE ON VARIOUS KINDS
OF ROADS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The improved vehicle which forms the object of this Invention is propelled by
two cranks made to rotate by the arms of the person placed inside the vehicle
itself. By means of these cranks the person placed in the vehicle turns a wheel
disposed in the upper part of the vehicle and this rotary movement is transmitted
by means of an endless chain to a bottom wheel having a peculiar construction and
disposed in the fore-carriage.
The centre of gravity of the whole vehicle comes to lie in the fore-carriage.
The annexed Drawing represents two modifications of this vehicle.
Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of the same, the mechanism for directing the fore-carriage
being shown in section ;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said vehicle;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the splinter mechanism;
Figs. 4 and 5 represent side and end elevations of an improved vehicle adapted
for use on rail roads.
The axle-tree D provided with wheels C of any desired form carries, preferably
by means of springs a the bottom-plate A upon which the seat B is fixed. The
body of the carriage may be provided with dash-wings b and lanterns c.
The movable fore-carriage, carrying the propelling mechanism is composed of
two bottom wheels rigidly connected with each other; between these two
wheels E E is placed a chain-pulley 'F likewise firmly connected with them, so
that it turns together with the said wheels, and the two wheels E E together with
the pulley F may be considered as a single wheel. Upon both ends of the axle
of this compound bottom wheel is stuck a fork G supporting a plate e upon which
the aforesaid bottom plate A is screwed. From the top part of this fork G projects
a trunnion which passes through the bottom-plate A. This trunnion f is of
prismatical shape in its middle portion upon which are mounted two plates g
and h; plate his provided with a hole i allowing the passage of the chain and
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page_text: corresponding with an arc-shaped slot of the bottom plate A (see Fig. 3). The
prismatical portion of trunnion f carries besides a bar j upon which is fastened a
dise k supporting the bearing-blocks H of the upper chain-wheel I. The bearing
blocks H are so constructed that they can be together displaced horizontally in the
direction of the longitudinal slots v (see Fig. 3). Upon each end of the axle of the
upper chain-wheel is fastened outside the bearing-blocks a crank provided with a
handle. By turning these cranks the upper chain-wheel I is rotated and as the
upper chain-wheel I is connected with the lower chain-pulley F by means of an
endless chain m, a rotary movement is imparted to the compound bottom
wheel E E. Upon the cylindrical top-end of the trunnion f is stuck a plate-
spring n and above this spring a crank o having in its front portion a wedge-shaped
rim, (see Fig. 1). A nut screwed upon the top end of the trunnion f holds firmly
together the described parts.
The said compound bottom wheel E E being fastened to the fork G and the bar j
to the bearing blocks H, the fore carriage can obviously be turned round the
cylindrical portion of the trunnion f traversing the bottom plate A. Fork G is
provided on each side with pedals p by means of which the movable fore-carriage
may be turned and consequently the desired direction can be given to the vehicle.
The person placed upon the seat has but to press forward either of its feet against
the corresponding pedal.
In order to enable the driving person to reduce the rapidity of the locomotion
or to suddenly stop the described vehicle, a spring brake is placed above the said
double wheel of the fore-carriage. This brake is composed of a brake shoe q
fastened by means of a plate spring to the aforesaid plate e; by means of this plate
spring the brake shoe is maintained in its upper position and kept out of contact
with the double wheel E E as long as the double spring rests on the wider
portion of the wedge shaped rim of crank o and is thus prevented from bearing
upon the bolt 8.
To operate this brake crank o is turned to the right, when spring r slides down
along the inclined plane formed by the wedge shaped rim of crank o (see Fig. 1)
whereby spring r becomes free and bears upon bolt s, this bolt in its turn presses
the brake shoe q onto the circumference of the bottom wheel E E. The rapidity
of locomotion may of course also be reduced by turning more slowly the propelling
cranks l.
In order to keep the mud and the dust off from the person sitting in the vehicle
the free portion of the endless chain m is protected by sheet iron casings t, v, the
chain m may also be cleaned from the dust and mud adhering to it by means of
suitably disposed brushes.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent an improved vehicle of the described system provided
with a double propelling mechanism and designed for locomotion upon a railroad;
its propelling mechanism is quite analogous to the described one, except that the
lower chain pulley F is fitted directly upon the axle D of the bottom wheel E E
and that the elastic arms of the fork G are more or less distant from each other in
correspondence with the width of the track. The bottom ends of these arms form
at the same time the bearings of the axle-tree.
In the vehicle represented in Figs. 4 and 5 the different parts corresponding to
those of the above described vehicle are designated by the same letters and work in
an analagous manner. The platform A between the two seats B B (see Fig. 4)
may serve for receiving freights of any kind.
These vehicles designed for locomotion upon railroad tracks may also be
provided with one single propelling mechanism and if platform A is very short the
fore-carriage may be rigidly connected with the same.
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. A propelling mechanism for vehicles consisting in a chain-wheel fitted in the
upper part of the fore-carriage and turned by the hands of the traveller. said rotary

page_text: movement being transmitted by means of an endless chain to a second chain
pulley fitted in the lower part of the fore-carriage and rigidly connected with the
two fore wheels of the carriage so that these wheels follow the movement of the
chain pulley substantially as described.
2nd. In vehicles having the above claimed construction a steering mechanism
composed of a fork G mounted upon the axle d of the fore wheels carrying a plate
onto which the bottom plate A is screwed and having a vertical trunnion f
projecting from its top portion which trunnion f passes through said bottom
plate A and carries the plates g, h and the bar with disc supporting the
bearing blocks H of the upper chain wheel said parts being combined with two
steering bars or pedals by bearing against one of which the desired direction is
given to the vehicle substantially as shown and described.
3rd. In vehicles having the above claimed construction a brake placed above the
fore wheels composed of a brake-shoe q a bolt or pin 8 and a double spring r
fastened to the supporting plate k of the bearing blocks H and bearing at the
desired moment upon said bolt 8 this brake being operated by turning a crank o
fitted upon the said vertical pin f of the fore-carriage and provided with a wedge-
shaped rim, which, when the brake is lifted, supports the said spring and thus
keeps the shoe q off from the circumference of the bottom wheel, substantially as
shown and set forth.
4th. A vehicle designed for locomotion upon railroad tracks composed of two
fore-carriages having each the above claimed construction and provided each with a
propelling mechanism similar to the above claimed one said two fore-carriages
being connected by means of platform A, substantially as shown by Figs. 4 and 5
and specified.
5th. In a vehicle of the above claimed form adapted to run upon railroad tracks,
a brake composed of a curved slotted brake-bar, a bolts and a double spring
bearing upon this bolt, which presses the slotted brake-bar directly against the
lower chain-pulley on each side of the row of teeth every time when, by turning
the crank o, its wedge shaped rim ceases to support the said spring r, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.