Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1886.
Complete Left, 17th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to propelling mechanism for vehicles of the kind propelled by
the pedestrian-like action of the person or persons carried, aided or not by the weight
of such person or persons.
When the pedestrian-like action of the person carried is to be supplemented by his
weight he stands upright in the vehicle, his feet resting on a pair of pedals at the ends
of levers. By the rocking action of the levers rotary motion is imparted to the
driving shaft or axle by means of gearing, which may comprise two or more sets of
toothed wheels or toothed wheels in combination with racks, moved upward and down-
ward by the rocking action of the said levers.
In one arrangement of such mechanism there is provided in addition to the main
shaft or axle a second shaft or axle arranged in a convenient part of the vehicle. On
this second shaft or axle two levers, each having a pedal, are mounted in such a
manner, that the downward motion of the levers will rotate or partly rotate such
shaft or axle whereas the upward motion of the levers, which may be effected by
counterweights, springs, or other suitable means, will not affect it. This result
may be attained by the use of any suitable clutch mechanism that will affect the
connection of the levers with the second shaft or axle during the downward stroke of
the levers and their disconnection during the upstroke. On the said second shaft or
axle there is or are provided one or two toothed wheel or wheels or there may be a
series of such wheels, a corresponding wheel or set of wheels being arranged on the
main shaft or axle.
The wheels on both shafts or axles are preferably made of such dimensions, that
by using one set of wheels the speed of the vehicle may be diminished and by using
another set it can be increased. When using gear wheels of different proportions it

page_text: is convenient that those of the main shaft or axle should be carried by a sleeve
mounted on that shaft and capable of longitudinal movement thereon, the distance
apart of the wheels on this sleeve being different to that of the wheels on the second
shaft which is driven by the pedals, so that by shifting the sleeve longitudinally one
set of toothed wheels or the other can be put in gear.
In a modified arrangement with a similar pair of treadles the levers which are of
the first order are prolonged and arranged to actuate a pair of vertical racks which in
moving upward and downward will drive toothed wheels on the main shaft or axle of
the vehicle respectively in opposite directions. The toothed wheels are provided with
clutch mechanism such that the main shaft or axle will be driven only in one direction
from the toothed wheels.
In a further modification with pedals, rack or racks, and toothed wheels connected
to the main shaft or axle by clutch mechanism the rack or racks is or are furnished
with teeth at two opposite sides, means being provided to rock the said rack (or each
of them if there be more than one) to such an extent, that, when in one position, the
teeth on one sido will take directly into the toothed wheel on the main shaft whilst
when in the other position the teeth at the other side will take into the teeth of a wheel
fixed on a second shaft. To this second shaft a toothed wheel is keyed which takes
into a separate toothed wheel on the main shaft. It will be evident that by these
means the driving speed may be altered by either causing the racks (or each of them)
to work directly on the main shaft or indirectly through the toothed wheel on the
second shaft. In both cases all the toothed wheels on the main shaft must be con-
nected thereto by clutch mechanism, so as to cause the disconnection of parts during
one stroke of the rack or of each rack. Although it is generally preferred to arrange
the levers, worked by the pedals, at right angles to the main shaft, these levers may in
some cases be arranged parallel to the main shaft which will afford the convenience of
having the two feet closed together in working.
•

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propelling Mechanism for Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by Franz Freiherr von Palstring in Cotitz, near
Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In a vehicle according to this invention the entire weight of a person carried
(hereinafter called the traveller) can be applied at each step, to cause rotation of the
driving axle through the medium of suitable gearing. With this are applied means
for varying the rotations of the driving axle, either by placing in and out of gear
certain wheels or by changing the position of the fulcra or the leverage of pedal levers
employed or by conjoined use of these two means. Such means for altering speed are
mainly designed to be used for adapting the vehicle to the requirements of the road,
enabling gradients to be ascended etc. The mechanism is so arranged, that the
traveller may easily adjust or alter the positions of parts without leaving the foot levers
or pedals.
In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings annexed, the pedal levers a a¹ are connected to
shaft by a ball clutch or coupling (shewn separately in Figs 1ª), which serves to
connect the said parts in the one direction of motion, and to disconnect or release thein
in the reverse direction. On shaft b the cogwheels c and d are keyed.
.
On the axle e the cogwheels and are mounted; not directly however but by
means of a sleeve h, moveable endwise upon the axle, and connected to it by means
of a key and groove. The sleeve / may be moved by the hand lever by moving
which either wheel can be caused to gear with wheel c, or wheel g with wheel d.
The
The brake is worked by a lever and the steering wheel is worked by a lever k..
In order to be able to back the vehicle in case of need, a lever is provided, which
can be temporarily connected to the axle e by a suitable coupling in such a manner,
that the axle e may be reversely rotated by the said lever which nevertheless is free to
be turned in a forward direction. The lever is provided with a well known spring
latch and segment device, so that it can be secured in place when not in use.
shaft band axle e may have ball bearings such as represented in Figs. 16.
which can be
In Figures 3, 4 and 5 the pedal levers a, a¹ are pivoted to a block m,
moved or adjusted within the slot or guide n by means of hand lever o.
The pedal
levers a, a' are arranged to actuate racks p, which take into cogwheels or gearing e,
mounted on the axle e and connected to it by ball couplings. A hand lever i works

page_text: the brake ¹. The pedal levers a a¹ may be connected to the frame a¹ of the vehicle
by means of links a³ a³.
a,
a¹
This arrangement may be modified by providing those ends of the pedal levers,
opposite to the foot rest, with toothed segments engaging with gear or cogwheels
mounted on a separate shaft and connected to it by ball coupling; rotary motion being
transmitted from such separate shaft by strap, belt or chain to the axle e either
directly or by means of intermediate gearing.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the pedal levers a a¹ are pivoted by eyes and bolts to the sleeves,
which can be adjusted or shifted on the rod t by means of gear wheel and rack 1.
The pedal levers a, a¹ are provided at their outer ends with slots, in which work pins
whereby they are connected to the upright racks. These connections between the
levers a, a¹ and upright racks constitute pivots for the latter when the racks are swung
or moved over a short distance by means of a rod x. The racks are guided between
rollers u connected to the end of rode and are provided with teeth at both sides, so
that by the means just specified, the racks may be caused to gear either with the
gear or cogwheels e mounted on axle e with ball coupling, or to gear with intermediate
wheels keyed on shaft c² from which rotary motion is transmitted to axle e by
wheels cand c*.
As indicated in Fig. 8 with the devices hereinabove specified the positions of the
pedal levers may be at right angles to the positions shewn in Figs. 1 to 7. Fig. 81
shews only one half of the vehicle in end view, with one pedal lever a in its relation
to rack p.
With pedal levers so placed the feet of the traveller may be brought nearer
together while working, than with levers placed as in Figures 1 to 7.
Parts y in all figures indicate springs which limit the motion of the pedal levers
near the foot rest during the downward stroke.
In all the arrangements specified the entire weight of the body of the traveller
comes into action with each step or downward stroke of pedal lever. In the same
manner as this force is used for rotating the wheels of a vehicle on a road or on ice
I and snow, it may be used for rotating paddle wheels, for propelling a boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven- ;
tion, and in what manner it is to be performed, what is claimed is:-
1. In a vehicle, the use of propelling mechanism comprising oscillating levers and
suitable gear arranged in such a manner that a person occupying an upright or
standing position in such vehicle can cause his entire weight to be applied through
the said levers as a propelling force rotating the axle or shaft carrying the propelling
wheel or wheels of such vehicle.
2. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in the preceding claim, the use for
transmitting motion from a pedal lever to an axle or shaft of differential gear with a
sleeve mounted on the said axle or shaft substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
3. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1, the use for trans-
mitting motion from a pedal lever to an axle or shaft such as e, of a rack and cog
wheel substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings.
4. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1, the use for trans-
mitting motion from a pedal lever to an axle or shaft such as e, of a toothed segment
engaging with a gear or cog-wheel mounted on a separate shaft and connected to it by.
a ball coupling, rotary motion being transmitted from such separate shaft to the
axle or shaft e substantially in the manner described.
5. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1, the use for trans-
mitting motion from a pedal lever to an axle or shaft such as e of a double räck and
differential gear substantially as described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the
drawings.

page_text: 6. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1 the combination with
the main wheels and their axles or shaft of pedal levers upon which the traveller
stands in an upright position, and gearing connecting such pedal levers with the said
axle or shaft, the pivots or fulcra of the said pedal levers being so arranged that tho
leverage of the pedal levers may be altered at will according to requirement substan-
tially as described.
7. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement for
altering the leverage of the pedal levers in combination with the arrangement for
altering the ratio of speed of the gearing that connects the pedal levers with the axle
or shaft of the main wheels of the vehicle substantially as described.
8. In propelling mechanism such as referred to in Claim 1, arranging the pedal
levers in vertical planes parallel to the vertical plane containing the axis of the axle
or shaft of the main wheel or wheels substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 8 of the drawings.