AN IMPROVED VELOCIPEDE
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Gilman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st August
1866.
I, EDWARD GILMAN, of Prospect Place, Wandsworth Road, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for. "AN
IMPROVED VELOCIPEDE," to be as follows:-
My improved velocipede consists primarily of a perch carried by three
wheels (namely, two leading wheels and one driving wheel), the latter being
actuated by means of treadles and cranks. The rearward portion of the perch
is divided or forked, and the driving wheel is mounted within the forked part
by means of an axle or shaft, which is carried in suitable bearings attached to
the perch, and is provided with a crank at each end outside the bearings, the
crank's being so arranged as to alternate in motion with each other. Each of
these cranks is connected by a link or connecting rod to the rear end of a
treadle, the forward end of which is hinged or jointed to the forward end of
the perch, which is made to curve downwards for that purpose; the forward
end of the perch is supported by an axle having two leading wheels (one at
each end thereof); this axle is so mounted as to be capable of swivelling on
a vertical pin by means of a cross handle or lever in front of the operator,
who can thus guide or direct the velocipede as occasion may require. The
treadles (which pass between the two leading wheels and outside the driving
wheel) are to be worked by the alternate motion of the feet of the operator
either in a standing or sitting posture astride of the perch as near to or over

page_text: the axis of the driving wheel as convenient; a saddle or seat may be attached
to the perch for that purpose, such seat being capable of being raised or
depressed at pleasure to suit the stature of the different persons using the
velocipede. The alternate motion of the treadles communicates a continuous
circular motion to the driving wheel by means of the two links or connecting
rods, and the cranks on the ends of the driving axle.
One of the principal features of novelty in this Invention is the application
of the cranks to one wheel (instead of two as heretofore used), whereby the
anomaly of two wheels fixed to the same axle is avoided, for it is obvious that
the relative motion of the two wheels so connected can never be in unison
except when running upon a perfectly smooth plane, and in a perfectly
straight line, for the least irregularity in the former or deviation from the latter
would require a corresponding difference in the speed of rotation of the two
wheels. This imperfection is most apparent in turning the machine in its
course, in which case one of the wheels necessarily performs a segment of a
larger circle than the other, and having more ground to go over ought to
rotate proportionately faster, which is impossible when the two wheels are
united to the same axle. The consequense is that either the outer wheel
performing the segment of the larger circle must drag over the surface of the
ground, or the inner wheel performing the smaller segment must grind upon
the surface from its forward motion, being less than the other; an evil in-
creasing in proportion to the uneveness of the ground, and deviation from the
straight line in running the machine. The difficulty of balancing the machine
on the ground whilst propelled by one wheel is obviated by adopting a pair of
guide wheels in front instead of one as is commonly the case when a machine
of this kind runs upon two wheels behind. I would here remark that in some
instances I propose to use only one leading or guide wheel with the single
'driving wheel, in which case the operator can while in a sitting posture start
the machine by the feet acting against the ground outside the treadles, as in
the old velocipede or dandy horse." Having started and balanced the
machine, he then brings his feet on to the treadles, and can drive by means of
them whilst still in a sitting posture, or if he stands on the treadles he can
add the force of his weight to the muscular power of the legs, and thus gain
a great advantage.