An Improved Bicycle.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
An Improved Bicycle.
WILLIAM EDWARD CORRIGALL 27 Sterndale Road West Kensington Park, W.
Engineer do heroby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to an improved bicycle to be steered by the hind
wheel instead of the leading wheel as now adopted.
The framing of the machine is composed of a fork to carry the fore wheel,
rigidly attached to a backbone formed by a hollow tube, the rear end of which
carries a bearing for pivotting the fork of the rear wheel. The handle of the
machine turning on the end of the fork of the fore wheel carries a bevel wheel
which gears with a bevel wheel on a hollow shaft running through the hollow back-
bone, a bevel wheel on the rear end of which gears with a bevel wheel on the the
upper end of the fork of the rear wheel thus directly transmitting the motion of the
handles to the rear wheel.
I also substitute for the bevel wheel gearing, cross arms one attached to the
handle and the other to the rear fork which are connected by crossed rods transmitting
the motion of the handles directly to the rear wheel.
I arrange the direction of the fork of the rear wheel so that the point of contact
of the rear wheel with the ground is always behind the axis of the turning of the
fork, thus ensuring its keeping steadily in the direction required by making it always
a trailing wheel rendering the steering of the machine of the easiest description.
The mechanism for driving consists of a sliding frame carrying an arrangement
of spur wheels enabling the machine to be driven at a high or low speed to suit the
variable conditions under which the machine has to travel as in the case of ascending
a hill or under difficult conditions a reduction in speed creates a corresponding
increase of power and ease in driving and this I effect with the smallest amount of
weight in the driving mechanism and the reduction in speed or vice versa can be
effected with the greatest ease and rapidity whenever required.
By the said arrangement of gearing the front wheel is driven from the crank axle
by toothed wheels of varied sizes and the change of gearing effected by the simplest
movement of a lever as hereinafter described.
In carrying this into effect the front driving wheel and pinion attached are so
mounted as to revolve loosely on the crank axle by the side of a pinion rigidly
attached to the crank axle motion is conveyed from the crank axle pinion to the
front driving wheel by secondary shafts carrying two toothed wheels one of which
gears with each aforesaid pinion.
The secondary shafts revolve in bearings carried on the sliding frame attached to
the fork of the machine determining which gear is in use and enabling the position
of the sliding frame to be readily altered at will by the rider, thus bringing into
gear as required either of the sets of wheels carried by the secondary shafts and at
the same time throwing out of gear the wheels attached to the other shaft.
The toothed wheels on the secondary shafts are so proportioned in relation to the
pinions on the front driving wheel and crank axle, that the two latter with the
wheels on one secondary shaft form the fast gear, and with the wheels on the other
shaft the slow gear.
The sizes of pinions and intermediate wheels I vary according to the amount of
reduction in speed desired, and the whole of the gearing is so arranged and sub-
stantially constructed and enclosed in a light fitted case thoroughly protecting it
from the dust and dirt that its durability is thoroughly ensured and it is always
preserved in the most smooth working order.

page_text: With the framing of the machine slightly altered, I substitute chain gearing for
driving as now adopted and propose to fit the arrangement of toothed gearing as
herein described and substituting for the sliding frame a forked lever attached to the
frame of the machine the position of the forked lever determining which gearing is
in use and omitting the driving wheel connection and fixing a corresponding pinion
direct on the chain wheel.
The tyre consists of an inner tube or air chamber tested to a suitable pressure
with a double covering of unbleached linen or a suitable material for the insertion
of narrow strips of whalebone, tending to butt together and tacked or woven into
the said covering longitudinally to prevent puncture to the air chamber, which is
. utterly impossible with this arrangement, the outer covering is of india rubber with
the outer tread surface slightly checquered and of the same pattern as checquered
plate, and may be as light as possible with projections to engage with the bulbs on
the rims which are of bulb channel form with the sides swelled out with a channel
formed groove at the centre for connecting the spokes, the interior is inflated in
the usual way by means of a suitable valve when the tyre is inflated it has the
appearance of a rail section and gives the rim an unmovable hold of the tyre which
is very necessary.
The wire spokes in the wheels are rolled flat to within a suitable distance from
each end to give the least possible resistance to the air which is found to be
considerable in large wheeled machines.
7th Aos 1802
W. E. CORRIGALL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bicycle.
WILLIAM EDWARD CORRIGALL, of 27, Sterndale Road, West Kensington
Park, London, W., Engineer, 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 :-
My invention has reference to an improved bicycle to be steered by the hind
wheel instead of the leading wheel as now adopted.
The framing of the machine is composed of a fork to carry the fore wheel, rigidly
attached to a backbone formed by a hollow tube (A) the rear end of which carries
a bearing (B) for pivotting the fork of the rear wheel, (I).
The handle of the machine turning on the end of the fork of the fore wheel,
carries a bevel wheel (C) which gears with a bevel wheel (D) on a hollow shaft
running through the hollow backbone (A) a bevel wheel (E) on the rear end of
which gears with a bevel wheel (F) on the upper end of the fork of the rear wheel
thus directly transmitting the motion of the handles to the rear wheel.
I also substitute for the bevel wheel gearing, cross arms (G) one attached to the
handle and the other to the rear fork which are connected by crossed rods (H)
transmitting the motion of the handles directly to the rear wheel (W). I arrange
the direction of the fork (I) of the rear wheel so that the point of contact of the
rear wheel with the ground is always behind the axis of the turning of the fork,
thus ensuring its keeping steadily in the direction required by making it always a
trailing wheel rendering the steering of the machine of the easiest description.
The mechanism for driving consists of a sliding frame (J) carrying an arrange-
ment of spur wheels (K) enabling the machine to be driven at a high or low
speed to suit the variable conditions under which the machine has to travel as in
the case of ascending a hill or under difficult conditions a reduction in speed creates
a corresponding increase of power and ease in driving and this I effect with the
smallest amount of weight in the driving mechanism and the reduction in speed or
vice versa can be effected with the greatest ease and rapidity whenever required..

page_text: By the said arrangement of gearing the front wheel (L) is driven from the crank
axle by toothed wheels of varied sizes and the change of gearing effected by the
simplest movement of a lever (T) as hereinafter described.
In carrying this into effect the front driving wheel (L) and pinion (M) attached
are so mounted as to revolve loosely on the crank axle by the side of a pinion
rigidly attached to the crank axle (N) motion is conveyed from the crank axle
pinion to the front driving wheel by secondary shafts (0) carrying two toothed
wheels (K) one of which gears with each aforesaid pinion.
The secondary shafts (0) are fixed and carried on the sliding frame attached to
the fork of the machine determining which gear is in use and enabling the position
of the sliding frame (J) to be readily altered at will by the rider, thus bringing
into gear as required either of the sets of wheels (K) carried by the secondary
shafts and at the same time throwing out of gear the wheels attached to the other
shaft.
The toothed wheels on the secondary shafts are so proportioned in relation to the
pinions on the front driving wheel and crank axle, that the two latter with the
wheels on one secondary shaft (O) form the fast gear, and with the wheels on
the other shaft the slow gear.
The sizes of pinions and intermediate wheels I vary according to the amount of
reduction in speed desired, and the whole of the gearing is so arranged and sub-
stantially constructed and enclosed in a light fitted case (P) thoroughly protecting
it from the dust and dirt that its durability is thoroughly ensured and it is always
preserved in the most smooth working order.
With the framing of the machine slightly altered, I substitute chain gearing for
driving as now adopted and propose to fit the arrangement of toothed gearing as
herein described and substituting for the sliding frame a forked lever attached to
the frame of the machine, the position of the forked lever determining which
gearing is in use and omitting the driving wheel connection and fixing a corre-
sponding pinion direct on the chain wheel.
The tyre consists of an inner tube or air chamber tested to a suitable
pressure
with a double covering of unbleached linen or a suitable material for the insertion
of narrow strips of whalebone, (Q) tending to butt together and tacked or woven
into the said covering longitudinally to prevent puncture to the air chamber, which
is utterly impossible with this arrangement, the outer covering is of india rubber
with the outer tread surface slightly checquered (R) and of the same pattern as
checquered plate, and may be as light as possible with projections to engage with
the bulbs on the rims which are of bulb channel form with the sides swelled out
with a channel formed groove at the centre for connecting the spokes, the interior
is flated in the usual way by means of a suitable valve, when the tyre is flated it
has the appearance of a rail section and gives the rim an unmovable hold of the
tyre which is very necessary. The wire spokes (S) in the wheels are rolled flat to
within a suitable distance from each end to give the least possible resistance to the
air which is found to be considerable in large wheeled machines.

page_text: •
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. The use of an improved bicycle as herein illustrated and described by the
drawing.
2. The two speed gear arrangement substantially as described.
3. The use for protecting the air chamber from punctures by strips of whalebone
fixed longitudinally within the tyre as specified.
4. The spokes of the wheel substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved bicycle
with bevel gearing. Cross arms and connecting rods for transmitting the motion
from, the handles to the rear wheel. The two speed gear constructed and arranged
substantially as described. Spokes of the wheel as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3,
..4, 5, 6 & 7 of the annexed drawings.
-
.:
6. The use of either (1) (2) (3) or (4) separately or together.