An Improved Bicycle.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION..
An Improved Bicycle.
I, ERNST BUCHHOLTZ, of 59, Langestrasse, Warsaw, in the Empire of Russia,
Merchant, 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 a bicycle, in which the pedals, oscillating vertically
on a fixed centre, transmit their motion by means of traction straps to a driving
roller, which runs in a guide-ring on the hind driving wheel, and forms the hinder
point of support for the frame of the travelling wheels, the motion of the pedals
being so transmitted that when the wheel begins to travel the roller takes up a
position which allows the weight of the rider to come into play in such a way as to,
on the one hand drive the wheel, and on the other hand, when the step is changed,
to neutralize the dead point. The driving roller referred to is kept in the guide-
ring by two counter-rollers which are carried by a bearing piece which is connected
as it were by a hinge with a stirrup which holds the driving roller, and which
bearing piece is provided with a groove in which a roller rigidly connected to the
frame of the travelling wheel engages, the object of which is to keep the bearing
piece and the two counter-rollers always in the same position, no matter what may
be the position of the driving roller.
The mid point of the hinge which is formed by the bearing piece of the counter-
rollers and the stirrup of the driving roller coincides with the centre of the guide-
ring on the bind wheel.
The bicycle is illustrated in the appended drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 shews the machine in side elevation:
Figure 2 shews an elevation on a larger scale of the driving mechanism in the
guide-ring of the hind wheel, with a partial section; and,
Figure 3 is a vertical section through Figure 2.
The frame of the machine consists of a rod A which carries the saddle, a forked
rod B for the front travelling wheel, and two tie-rods C and D. To the rod A
there are fixed behind two forked rods E and F which unite in connecting pieces G
which are carried by the axle 1 of the driving roller 2.
The driving roller 2 runs on the guide-ring 3 constructed on the hind wheel and
is kept in the ring by two counter-rollers 4 and 5. These latter are carried by
and can rotate in a bearing piece which forms a hinge with the stirrup 8 by
means of the bolt 7, the arms of the stirrup resting on the axle of the driving
roller 2. The form of the bearing piece 6 and the stirrup 8 is evident from
Figures 2 and 3. Since the bolt 7 of the hinge lies exactly in the centre of the
guide-ring 3, it is clear that the roller 2 can oscillate about the bolt 7 without
leaving the ring 3, if the rollers 4 and 5 constantly maintain their position.
The roller consists of a hollow body, loosely set at its centre on a disc 9 which is
in one piece with the axle, Figure 3. This axle which also forms the axle of the
roller 2 is rigidly connected on the one hand to the connecting pieces G of the
rods E and F, and on the other hand with the arms of the stirrup 8 so that it
cannot retreat. The disc 9 is provided with three oblique notches 10 on its
circumference, and in the deepest part of these are laid small rollers 11 of a
diameter such that they are able to rotate freely between the disc 9 and the roller 2
at these points, but would become jammed between 9 and 2 if they should come
into contact with the other flatter end of the notches, 10. The result of this
arrangement is that the roller can rotate freely about the disc 9 so long as it turns
in the direction of the arrow i Figure 2, because the rollers 11 always teud, under

page_text: these conditions, toward the deeper end of the notches, or are retained in that
position, but that the roller 2 will be arrested as soon as it is rotated in the other
direction, opposed to that of the arrow i, because in this case the roller 2 will be
jammed upon the disc 9 by means of the rollers 11.
The nave of the roller 2 is prolonged toward both sides, surrounds at a small
distance from it the axle 1, and is carried at its ends through the intervention of
balls in the usual way on corresponding bearing surfaces on the axle 1.
On the ends of the nave of the roller 2 are the strap-discs 12 and 13, Figure 3,
which are connected with the nave of the roller 2 by means of jamming rollers in
the manner described above just as the roller 2 is with the disc 9 so that they can
only rotate freely about the nave of the roller 2 in one direction, and when rotated
in the other lock with the roller 2. The arrangement is, however, so designed
that the direction in which the strap-discs 12 and 13 can rotate freely about the
nave of the roller 2 is the opposite one to that in which the roller 2 can rotate
freely about the disc 9. On the discs 12 and 13 are secured and wound the ends of
straps 14 and 15, the other ends of which are secured to the pedals 16 and 17, these
latter being rotably attached by a bolt to the rod D. On the naves of the discs 12
and 13 are morcover secured the ends of other straps 18 and 19, the other ends of
which are made fast to strap discs 20 and 21, which are rigidly secured to the
hinge-bolt 7. These straps 18 and 19 are of a length such that their ends may be
wound several times round their respective discs. They are, however, so arranged
that the strap 18 runs crosswise from the nave of the disc 12 on to the disc 20,
whilst the strap 19 runs straight from the nave of its disc 13 on to the disc 21, and
the arrangement is so contrived that the strap 18 is being wound off the disc 12
and on to the disc 20 when the strap 19 is being wound on to the disc 13 and off
the disc 21. In a similar manner the pedal-straps 14 and 15 are wound upon the
discs 12 and 13, that is to say, the strap 14 is being wound on to the disc 12 when
the strap 15 is being wound off the disc 13.
The method in which the arrangement described functions is as follows:-
When the rider presses the pedal 16 down, the strap 14 is wound off the disc 12,
Figure 3, the result of which is that the roller 2 is carried onward, and in the
direction of the arrow, on account of the lock which exists between the disc 12 and
the nave of the roller 2, Figure 2, whereby the ring 3 and the driving wheel
connected with it are set in rotation. As the result of their rotation, the roller 2
runs up the guide-ring 3 until its mid point comes to occupy approximately the
position of the radius r, Figure 2. The roller continues in about the same position
as long as the wheel continues to rotate, and thereby furnishes an effective aid to
the progress of the machine under the influence of the weight of the rider.
Whilst the strap 14 is being wound off the disc 12, the strap 18 is winding itself
upon the nave of the disc 12 and off the upper dise 20, which causes a rotation of the
axle 7 and therewith the disc 21. Now, since the strap 19 runs from the other side
over the disc 21 in a contrary direction to that of the strap 18 over the disc 20, the
rotation of the axle 7 or of the disc 21 will give rise to the winding of the strap 19
on to the disc 21 and off the nave of the disc 13. The unwinding of the strap 19
from the disc 13 will cause the latter to rotate in a direction opposite to that of the
roller 2 and disc 12, which is possible in view of the lock-joint interposed between
the disc 13 and the nave of the roller 2. The unwinding of the strap 19 from the
disc 13, however, causes the strap 15 connected with the pedal 17 to be wound up
and the pedal to rise. The pedal 17 being now pressed downward again by the
rider, the strap 15 is wound off the disc 13 again, the latter rotates in the
reverse direction, is locked with the roller 2 by the lock-joint, and causes the roller
to rotate in its original direction of revolution (arrow i Figure 2) still further. At
the moment when the pedal changes, no force is transmitted to the roller 2 or to the
driving wheel, the wheel would thus run dead, or have a dead point, but at this
instant the roller 2 moves without rotating, downward in the ring 3, under the
weight of the rider, and thus imparts a forward impulse to the driving wheel as
long as the changing of the pedals lasts, and until the roller 2 is again brought into

page_text: action by the pedal immediately. By means of this arrangement the weight of
the rider is profitably employed to eliminate the dead point of the wheel. The
unwinding of the strap 15 now again causes the strap 14 to be wound on to its
disc 12, whilst when the strap 14 is unwound from the disc 12 the action begins
again. In this way, by the alternate depression of the pedals the roller 2 is kept
in constant rotation and the driving wheel actuated.
The locking rollers 11 placed between the roller 2 and the disc 9 prevent the
roller 2 from rotating in the reverse direction.
In order on the one hand to keep the bearing piece 6 in its position, and on the
other hand to allow the roller 2 to oscillate into the working position shewn in
Figure 1 in dotted outline, the bearing piece 6 is provided with a slot 22, in which
engages a roller 23, which is supported by two arms 24 which are rigidly connected.
with the rods E. This roller 23 lies at the left end of the slot 22, Figure 1, when
the machine is not in use, but when the latter is in motion, and the mid point of the
roller 2 lies in the radius r, the axle of the roller has moved forward to a certain.
extent, and with it the rods E and F, and so the whole framework has moved
forward to a similar.extent. The rods E, F, and A then take up the position shewn
in dotted outline in Figure 1, in which position the arms 24 of the rods E are so.
placed that the roller 23 which they carry is at the upper end of the slot 22, thus,.
when the machine is in motion, the bearing piece 6 is held fast in its original
position, and the counter-rollers 4 and 5 do not vary their position inside the ring 3.
when the driving axle 2 does so.
The result of constructing the driving roller 2 to act as a frictional roller as
shewn may have the effect of allowing this roller to slip back from the position
shewn by the radius whilst the machine is at work. To make absolutely sure that.
this shall not happen, it is advantageous to provide the roller 2 and the inner surface
of the ring 3 with teeth, but of such a character that those on the ring consist of
freely rotating balls, whilst the roller 2 has on its periphery hemispherical indenta-
tions, in which the balls on the ring 3 engage. This gearing is shewn in the
appended drawing. Figure 4 shews a lateral aspect of the inner surface of the
driving wheel with the driving roller, and Figure 5 is a vertical section through
the same.
The inner surface 3 of the driving wheel is provided with a number of balls a set.
at equal distances, and these balls are secured in place by a ring b provided with a
corresponding number of apertures which is placed within the inner ring 3: this
ring b is sufficiently high to include the greater halves of the balls, the lesser half
of each projecting beyond it. The holes in the ring b, in which the balls can rotate
freely, are at the internal diameter of the ring somewhat smaller than the diameter
of the balls so that the latter cannot fall out of the ring b as the driving wheel
rotates. The driving roller 2 is provided with corresponding hemispherical
depressions d on its outer periphery and in these the balls a engage like the teeth
of a toothed wheel. The effect of this tooth-like engagement is to prevent the
sliding movement of the roller 2 in the ring 3, and it is no longer possible for the
roller 2 to slip back out of its working position indicated by the direction of
the radius r.
The counter-rollers 4 and 5 run directly on the ring b, and are provided with a
semi-circular groove which runs over the projecting part of the balls a and are
guided by the latter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A bicycle with a driving roller running in an inner ring on the driving wheel,
characterized by the fact that this driving roller 2 is so connected with the bearing
piece which supports its counter-rollers 4 and 5 as to form a kind of hinge-joint,
whilst the bearing piece possesses a slot in which engages a roller 23 rigidly
connected to the frame of the machine, with the object of allowing the roller 2 and

page_text: in fact the whole machine to execute a forward movement in the guide-ring without
allowing of any contact between or motion upon one another of the two rollers 5
and 2, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A bicycle such as is described in the first claiming clause, in which the driving
roller 2 is provided on its outer circumference with hemispherical depressions in
which engages a series of teeth formed on the inner surface of the guide-ring by
balls rotating freely in bearings in that position for the purpose of preventing the
roller from slipping back in the ring whilst the machine is running, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. The improved bicycle herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 97th day of March 1901
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.