Improvements in Adjustable Gearing, especially applicable to Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov.; 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Gearing, especially applicable to
Cycles.
I, FELIX MOTTA GONZALEZ, of 2 Plaza de la Paz, Castellón de la Plana, in
the Kingdom of Spain, Gentleman 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:―
. I
This invention relates to a device, applicable to cycles in general, and more
especially to safety-bicycles. Its object is to admit of the speed of progress of the
machine to be increased or diminished in relation to the speed of rotation of the
motor-pedals.
. 24
"
The apparatus is called "a speed-regulator" and it is of the utmost importance,
inasmuch as it does away with the use of the driving chain, and affords great
facilities for ascending and descending rapid inclines of ground, in consequence of
the force which the cyclist applies being capable of being diminished at pleasure,
and that, in the same proportion as the said speed has itself been diminished,
according to the well-known mechanical principle expressed in the words, "that
what is gained in power is lost in speed."
In the accompanying drawings this apparatus is represented in its application to
a safety bicycle which is shown in its entirety, in side elevation, in Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 represents, on an enlarged scale, a side elevation of the regulator-device
or apparatus with the parts of the safety" bicycle more immediately connected
therewith, so as to be able to show the saine, within the restricted limits of, the
drawing, in such manner as to be clear and comprehensible; the view here shown
is that of the left-hand side of the safety bicycle (which, it will be understood,
corresponds to the left hand side of the cyclist, when mounted on the safety
bicycle).
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are further detail views of the apparatus.
Throughout the figures, like letters indicate like parts.
This invention consists in providing the pedal-axle A (e.g. of safety bicycles,
with a wheel R formed of a number of rings, of different radii, and provided with
teeth or pins B, B', B2, B3 and B4 etc., with any one of which only, at the
pleasure of the cyclist, is engaged a toothed-pinion, C, mounted on the shaft or
bar E in such manner as to enable it to be moved forwards or backwards thereon,
under the influence of the hand lever T upon the top and bottom bars of the yoke K,
whereby it may be brought into gear with the particular toothed ring B B¹ etc.
which is the best adapted to produce, in each case, the best and most suitable speed,
according to the nature of the route.
As the pinion C is loose on the bar E, with its hub capable of sliding thereon,
for the purpose of being brought into gear with one or any other of the toothed
rings B B B2 etc. a polygonal section is preferably given to that part E¹ of the
shaft E which serves to guide the hub of the said pinion in its reciprocating
motion, in order that the shaft E may be caused to rotate by the pinion C.
The shaft E is also provided with a bevel-wheel D, at its other or reur-end,
gearing with another bevel-wheel, secured to the axle F of the driving-wheel of
the machine.
The teeth of each ring B B₁ etc. of the wheel R are preferably interchangeable
and formed like a doubly coned pin, or cylindro-conical pin, each being fixed ii a
corresponding hole..
Fig 3 represents in detail a plan-view of the quadrant II serving to guide the

page_text: spring pressed lever T, and provided with notches N within which the lever is
retained in any of its positions of adjustment as required. The lever T is pushed
forward by hand, the hand of the cyclist grasping it, by the handle H. There
are as many notches in the curved quadrant U as there are separate toothed
rings B B B2 on the wheel R. When the cyclist desires to modify the speed of
his machine, all that he need 'do is to take the lever T by the handle H, and
exert sufficient lateral pressure thereon to force it out of the notch N, when it is
free to be pushed forwards or backwards and fixed in another notch so as to gear
with a different toothed ring of the wheel R. When the speed is to be diminished,
he will draw the lever-handle towards him, and, on the contrary, he will push the
lever-handle away from him when he desires to accelerate the speed. When the
lever-handle is brought to the desired position, he will release it, whereupon it will
be pushed back into the proper notch. by the controlling pressure of the spring M
...acting on the lever.
ני'
1.
Fig. 4 is a plan-view of the before mentioned yoke which is arranged to slide in
grooves cut for the purpose in opposite faces of the existing cube on the extremity
of the pedal axle A; this view shows also the pinion C sliding on the prismatic
part E' of the shaft E.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line X-X of Fig. 2 showing the bar by which is.
supported one end of the pivot of the lever T, the other end of which as shown in
dotted lines is supported in the bridge piece L..
Fig. 6 is another plan-view serving to show. in detail the arrangement of the
geared bevel-wheels D and G causing the rotation of the axle F of the hind or
driving-wheel.
It will be easily understood that the number of the toothed rings B B' B2 of
the wheel R, as well as the number of the pins or teeth of each ring, may vary at
pleasure, so long as the interstitial space between the pins or teeth corresponds to
that of the pinion C, so that they may gear together and work properly.
By way of example only we may suppose, in reference. to the accompanying
drawing, that there are five toothed rings, B B1 B2 B3 and B4 in the wheel R
with diameters respectively of 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 centimetres; and supposing
that the diameter of the hind or driving wheel is seventy centimetres, that of the
pinion C is ninety-five millimetres, and that of the diameters of the two bevel
pinions D and G are six centimetres each, we shall obtain, for the advancement of
the machine the respective speeds of 2.31, 3.24, 4.16, 5.09 and 6.02 metres.
It is natural that, as the dimensions of the apparatus are variable at will, it is
possible to obtain, with this device, speeds greater or less, according to circum-
stances, always within such prudential limits as may be suitable. This apparatus
is applicable to all kinds of velocipedes, and the materials with which they are
constructed, as well as the constructive details of the same, may be more or less
modified, while the principle on which the apparatus is based remains invariable.
At each side of the shaft E, or, it may be, only above it, there will be a
tension-bar or stay to maintain the rigidity of the frame of the safety-bicycle, by
uniting the lower ends of the bars or saddle pillar and back fork P and Q. This
addition to the frame is omitted from Fig. 2, for the sake of clearness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inver-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. A speed regulating device applicable to velocipedes in general and specially
to safety bicycles consisting essentially of a wheel provided with a series of rings
of different diameters and toothed or fitted with pins each of these rings being at
the pleasure of the cyclist capable of being thrown into gear with a pinion sliding
on a shaft through which and a pair of bevel gear wheels it transmits rotary motion
to the driving wheel of the machine while the said pinion sliding on its shaft is
thrown into action at any desired speed greater or less by being displaced by a yoke
moved in either direction by a hand-lever substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete adjustable
gearing substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.