Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1894-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1894
I, JAMES HERBERT JOHNS of 32 Calabria Road, Highbury, London,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention in place of the ordinary crank and pedal driving
arrangement I employ two driving chains or bands each running over two chain
wheels or pulleys: attached to each chain or band is a pedal. These chains or
bands, which I will call "the motor chains or bands," are placed in such a position
(say at an angle of about 45 degrees from the vertical) in regard to the saddle as
to give the cyclist the opportunity of getting the greatest possible amount of power
developed for the energy employed. In certain cases one of each set of chain
wheels or pulleys carrying the motor chains or bands can be attached to the lub of
the driving wheel, and in other cases the motor chains or bands and chain wheels or
pulleys can be so placed that communication of the power from one of each set of
chain wheels or pulleys, carrying the motor chains or bands, to the hub of the
driving wheel, is effected by means of connecting rods and cranks, or other
well-known means of communicating power.
By means of communicating the power from the side of the motor chain or band
opposite to that which comes into contact with the chain wheels or pulleys to
suitable gear I am enabled to apply the invention with one chain or band only
running over one set of chain wheels or pulleys; such single chain or band has two
pedals attached to it.
Another part of this invention relates to an improved tyre consisting of an inner
casing, or support for an outer casing, of some rigid metal or material, such as thin
sheets of steel or other metal, woven or plaited wire, strips of metal (either used
singly or interwoven or fastened or joined together), fine wicker work or the like.
Such inner casing may either consist of a complete tube, or of so much of a tube as will
make a complete tube with the rim of the wheel when attached to such rim; or it
may only consist of so much rigid metal or material, as before detailed, as will
keep the outer casing (which may be of india rubber or other convenient material)
at a given distance from the rim of the wheel so as to form an air chamber of equal
capacity at every point round the outer periphery of the wheel.
Deted this 20th dev of Santamber 1803
I, JAMES HERBERT JOHNS, of 32 Calabria Road Highbury, London,
Accountant, 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 :-
According to this invention in place of the usual crank and pedal driving
arrangement employ two driving chains or bands each running over two chain
wheels or pulleys; attached to each chain or band is a pedal. These chains or
bands are placed in such a position (say at an angle of about 45 degrees from the

page_text: vertical) in regard to the saddle, as to give the cyclist the opportunity of getting
the greatest possible amount of power developed for the energy employed.
In my Provisional Specification of this Application I have mentioned means for
adapting the before-mentioned driving arrangement to be used with one set of
chain wheels or pulleys and one chain or band with two pedals attached; and I have
also mentioned an improved tyre therein; but as the former is impracticable & the
latter of little or no utility I wish it to be understood that I abandon all claim to
them as forming part of my invention. At the same time it would be possible
for a one-legged or other person to work the driving gear with a single chain or
band, the necessary chain wheels or pulleys, & a single pedal just as the present
types of velocipedes could be driven by a single crank & pedal.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in both the figures:
:-
Figure 1 is a side view of the driving gear necessary for one side of the driving
wheel of a "front-driver" bicycle, a similar arrangement being
on the other side.
Parts of the spokes are shown by the radial lines in this figure.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same driving gear.
A is an extension of the fork beyond the bearing of the hub (which is in this
case similar to the hub of the "ordinary" bicycle); and this extension may be made
in one with the said bearing (as shewn in the drawings) and joined to the fork sides
by the set screws a a or the said extension may be joined to the said bearing below
such bearing by means of a lug on the bearing and screws or otherwise. This
extension is approximately at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical from the
bottom of the wheel to the hub; but it may be placed at any angle found to be
most convenient for driving, or above the centre of the wheel, instead of below as
shewn in the drawings.
B is a toothed chain wheel keyed or otherwise fitted on to the rotating spindle
or shaft of the hub b.
C is a rotating pulley flanged or otherwise, and c is the spindle or bolt by which
same is fastened through the slot a' in the fork extension A; between this pulley
and the said spindle or bolt, balls may be arranged to act as bearings for the pulley
& to reduce the friction as is well understood.
D is an endless chain running around B & C, and d is an enlarged link thereof to
carry the elongated spindle of the pedal E. Such spindle is properly packed
between the two sides of the link d and fastened on the side of same nearest the
wheel.
When the pedal E is caused to travel round B & C revolutions of the driving
wheel are caused in the ratio of the number of links in the chain D to teeth in the
chain wheel B i.e. as these are shewn in the drawings (20 links-10 teeth) there
will be two revolutions of B, and consequently of the driving wheel, to one of D.
The number of teeth in chain wheel B & of links in chain D may be changed so
that many alterations of speed may be effected.
F is a plate for regulating the tension of the chain D, f being a set screw which
works against the end of the fork extension A, f¹ a nut for setting same, & f* a
guide attached to the plate and arranged to move backwards & forwards in the
slot a'. A hole is made in the plate to allow the pulley spindle c to pass through.
By this means the turning of the screw causes the said spindle c to be moved in
one direction in the slot a¹, or released to go in the other direction according as the
said screw is turned to right or left.
G is a hinged arm pivoted to a projecting piece y which is attached to the fork
extension. This hinged arm is attached by means of a collar (which may run on
balls) to the spindle of the pedal E; and its object is to obviate the tendency of
the chain D to swerve owing to the action of the foot.
In adapting my invention to use in rear-driving bicycles, the frame is so arranged
or extended as to carry a separate rotating spindle or shaft which is an equivalent
for the spindle of the front wheel (partly shewn in the drawings) & would take

page_text: the place of the crank-shaft in the present rear-driving velocipedes, to which
spindle the top chain wheels B are attached; the remainder of the driving gear
being arranged in relation to same in a similar way to that shewn in the drawings.
From the said rotating spindle or shaft the power is transmitted to the driving
wheel or shaft by means of chain wheels and a chain, or cranks and a connecting
rod, or any well-known means of communicating power.
It is obvious too that the invention can be adapted to other classes of velocipedes
& to the application of manual power, where such is required to be used by means
of a comparatively straight pull or thrust (as opposed to the rotatory motion of a
crank), a handle or handles being of course substituted for pedals.
The saddle can be placed on the velocipede in such a position as the height &c.
of the rider may require, regard being had to the fact that (if used as shewn in
the accompanying drawings) the greater part of the work will be done by means of
a comparatively forward thrust of the foot, & that less will be done under the rider
than in the present well-known types of velocipedes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The attachment of the pedals directly to the driving chains or bands of
velocipedes substantially as herein described.
2. The attachment of the pedals directly to the driving chains or bands of
velocipedes, each of which chains or bands runs around a chain wheel and
pulley, or around chain wheels or pulleys by which the power is applied to drive the
velocipede substantially as herein described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1894.
J. H. JOHNS.