IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FREDERICK ROBERTS of Cross Ways, Lower Beeding in the County of Sussex
Assistant Overseer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES " to be as follows:-
By this Invention I construct Velocipedes in such a manner (as hereafter
described) as to carry one, two, three or more riders. Each rider is seated over a
wheel which he works by a direct motion, as at present is done in bicycles only.
The weight of the riders is thus evenly distributed upon the frames of the machine
and through them upon the wheels. Greater control is obtained over the machines
both as to steering and also as regards the application of the brakes.
When arranged as a Tricycle for 3 riders, each rider strides his wheel in the
manner of a bicyclist. The front wheel acts as the Steering Wheel. This wheel
resembles the bicycle wheel, except, that instead of carrying, at its lower end, a
smaller wheel for the purpose of balancing it, it is attached to the front cross bar of
a frame, to the side bars of this frame are attached the two hind wheels.
These side frames, through the centres of which the axles of the wheels pass, are
continued on either side of the wheel centre to its circumference, where their ends
are braced together in any suitable manner, enclosing the wheel.
The Crossbars serve the double purpose of uniting the ends of the frames and
also to connect the wheels together, determining the size or width of the Tricycle.
Upon the side frames are carried archpieces or Saddle bars, spanning the upper
portion of the wheel's circumference which serve to throw the weight of the riders
directly upon the frames and through them indirectly on the wheels and enables
them by means of the handles to exercise control over the wheels. It is not
necessary that the hind wheels should be steered, although the riders will be able
to assist the Steering if required but they may direct their attention chiefly to the
working of the brakes. I construct the brake in the following manner. Through
a portion of the saddle bar I have an aperture passing through the centre of
steering handle. This aperture is for the passage of a rod carrying at its lower end
a small pulley and having its upper end held by a lever. On the rider pressing
this lever with his hand the pulley is forced down upon the rim of the wheel and
constitutes the brake. A spring keeps the lever up when the brake is out of use.
I prefer, in tricycles, to place the steering handle in front of the centre of the

page_text: wheel, it being a decided advantage as it gives the rider greater power and is
equivalent to adding an inch or two to the length of his legs.
In Bicycles it is sometimes advantageous to place the Steering Handle directly
over the centre of the wheel and this may be done by simply determining the
height of the hind wheel and its axle so that the saddle bar and the frame end
when resting upon it shall place its steering handle directly over the centre.
The tricycle may be made so as to accommodate four persons by lengthening the
Crossbars of frames (thus widening the machine) and spanning the said cross bars
by an extra saddle bar upon which a saddle is fixed, or should it be desired to
accommodate a Lady a seat may be easily fixed instead of saddle bar and the
Tricycle constructed for four persons is no wider than those at present called
"Sociables" for carrying 2 persons only.
Though in this Specification I have described my Invention as applied to
Tricycles, it must be understood that the same is equally applicable to Velocipedes
generally.
D
I, FREDERICK ROBERTS, of Crossways, Lower Beeding, in the County of Sussex,
Assistant Overseer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES " and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following
statement; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters
of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
By this Invention I construct Velocipedes in such a manner (as hereinafter
described) as to carry one, two, three, or more riders. Each rider is seated over
a wheel which he works by a direct motion, as at present is done in bicycles only.
The weight of the riders is evenly distributed upon the frames of the machine,
and, through said frames, upon the wheels. Greater control is also obtained over
the machines, both as to steering, and as regards the application of the brakes.
When arranged as a Tricycle for three riders, as shewn in Figure 1, (Sheet 1) of
the accompanying drawings, each rider strides his wheel in the manner of a bicyclist.
The front wheel a acts as the steering wheel. This wheel a resembles a bicycle
wheel except, that instead of carrying a small wheel attached behind, for the
purpose of balancing it (the front wheel a) it is attached to the front cross bar b of
a frame. The side bars c of said frame, carry the two hind wheels d. These side
frames c (through the centres of which the axles of the wheels d pass) are continued
:on either side of the wheel centre, to its circumference, where their ends are braced
together in any suitable manner, enclosing the wheel. A cross bar e connects the
rear ends of side frames c; the cross bars b and e serve the double purpose of

page_text: .
uniting the ends of the frames c, and also of connecting the wheels d, determining
the size or width of the tricycle. Upon the side frames c, are carried arched
pieces or saddle bars f, spanning the upper portion of the wheel circumference,
which saddle bars f serve to throw the weight of the riders directly upon the
frames cc, and through them, indirectly, upon the wheels; and the riders are
enabled by means of the handles g, to exercise control over the wheels. It is not
necessary that the hind wheels d should be steered, although the riders will be
able to assist the steering if required; but they may direct their attention chiefly
to the working of the brakes. I prefer to place the steering handles g in front of
the centre of the wheel, it being a decided advantage as it enables the rider to sit
directly over the centre of his wheel, thus giving him greater power, and being
equivalent to adding an inch or two to the length of his legs--The tricycle, above
described, may be made to accomodate four persons, by lengthening the cross bars b
and e of the frame c (thus widening the machine); and spanning the said cross
bars b and e, by an extra saddle bar, upon which a saddle is fixed. In this case the
inner cranks may be altered to suit the additional rider-the pedals may be
lengthened to take his feet, or the two cranks may be connected by inserting an
extra crank piece. Or, should it be desired to accomodate a lady, a seat may be
easily fixed instead of saddle bar; and the tricycle thus constructed for 4 persons
is no wider than those at present called "Sociables" for carrying 2 persons only.-
The centre part of a tricycle, constructed as above described, may also be used as
a carrier for luggage &c, and may be made as narrow, or as wide, as may be desired.
Its carrying capabilities render it specially suitable for army purposes. The whole
space between the wheels is available for luggage and might be occupied by the kit
of 3 soldiers their arms, ammunition, rations, water &c-Each rider, sitting
directly over the centre of his wheel and driving it direct, exerts his power under
the best possible conditions, and would carry much more than upon any other kind
of tricycle. The tricycle, constructed according to this my invention, may be easily
transformed into an ambulance, for which purpose its freedom from jolting especially
fits it. This tricycle is also free from all complication, there being no chain gear,
nor cog wheels to require guarding as in other machines. Figure 2 (Sheet 1)
represents a bicycle constructed according to this Invention. a is the front wheel,
with side frames c, and saddle bar f, as hereinbefore described with reference to
tricycle, Figure 1.
To the end of saddle bar f, at its point of attachment with side frame c, I connect
a hollow tube k, into which swivels the arm i, bearing small balancing wheel h.
By this means, great freedom is obtained in steering the bicycle, as upon turning
the wheel a, by means of the steering handle g the small balancing wheel h readily
follows in the direction taken by the wheel a. It is moreover easy to connect and
disconnect.
I prefer to attach the hollow tube k to the saddle bar fin all cases, as illustrated
in front wheel a of Tricycle Fig 1: so that when required a tricycle inay be
converted into 3 bicycles by merely disconnecting from cross bars 6 and 6, and
attaching a small wheel to each of the large wheels.
By this Invention a tricycle, constructed as herein before described, may be easily
converted into a single track tandem for 3 riders, when required, and when thus
converted no necessity would arise for leaning the machine against any support
when the riders alight, as the wheels can be turned at any angle to each other, or
even folded together.
The tricycle may also be converted into two bicycles; one a tandem for 2 riders,
the other a single bicycle for one rider, with one small wheel added.
Figure 5 (Sheet 3) illustrates my improved tricycle converted into a tandem as
above. Each wheel is hinged on a centre pivot to the wheel in front of it.
The front end of link bar h is hinged to the saddle bar f directly over the
centre of the wheel. The rear end of the link bar h is forged with two holes
to take the bolts in the ends of the side bars c c. When necessary a simple

page_text: vertical joint may be made in said link bars h somewhere near their rears ends to
give greater flexibility.
Any number of wheels may be thus connected and a train formed.
Or, the wheels may be arranged in pairs, side by side, in a double line as shewn
in Fig 6 (Sheet 3). In this case the link bars h, above described, are dispensed
with, and I make use of a single straight rod or link p extending from the centre
of one pair of wheels to the centre of the next pair. These links p are jointed
at their ends q midway between the wheels of each pair. In this way each pair
of wheels is quite free to turn on its own centre. The side frames o and cross
bars b and e are here employed as hereinbefore described in respect to the previous
figures.
Instead of the ends of the cross bars 6 and e being bolted rigidly to the ends of
side pieces c as shewn, they may have hinged joints so that when the wheels are
steered the framing will form a parallel motion.
There are several difficulties incident to tricycling which this method of
construction obviates. Each hind wheel turns on its own centre similar to the
ordinary single bicycle. The speed of the wheels is not affected by the turning or
steering which in itself is a most important consideration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
declare that
what I claim is:-
First. The particular modes of constructing Velocipedes and utilizing the various
parts of same herein before set forth and described.
Second. The particular modes of combining or connecting bicycles and Tricycles
hereinbefore set forth and described so as to accomodate a greater number of
persons than the "tandem" bicycles, and "sociable" and "tandem" tricycles now
in use.
Third. The general construction, arrangement, and combination, of velocipedes
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and described.
Dated this Twenty ninth day of October 1884