Improvements in and relating to Driving Gear for Bicycles and Tricycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896
1002
1007
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Driving Gear for Bicycles and
Tricycles.
I, WILLIAM WANLISS 4 & 5 Victoria Buildings, Commissioner Street, Johannes-
burg, South African Republic, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in improvements in and relating to driving gear for
bicycles and tricycles; the object being to give the driving pedal, crank, a motion
which shall be nearly in a straight line, instead of the ordinary circular motion
and the same is carried out as follows. The pedals treads are carried upon a
semicircular bracket or sector, having teeth thereon which engage with teeth
upon a wheel secured to the driving axle said wheel having a portion of its
periphery free from teeth. A stud having a friction roller is secured to said wheel
and engages in a slot of the required width in a lever which is pivoted to a suitable
part of the frame of the machine said lever being connected to the semicircular
bracket, the width of the said slot being greatest where the friction roller aforesaid
is in the operative part of its stroke for driving.
By this arrangement the toothed wheel aforesaid is rotated thus driving the
machine through the medium of the ordinary chain and sprocket wheel and the
part of the wheel free from teeth allows the curved bracket or sector to return to
its initial position.
Dated his 10th love of A 190c
E. EATON,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Driving Gear for Bicycles and
Tricycles.
I, WILLIAM WANLISS of 48 Marshall Street, Johannesburg, South African Re-
public, late of 4 & 5 Victoria Buildings, Commissioner Street, Johannesburg,
South African Republic, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to a means for driving Bicycles and velocipedes whereby
the treadles are made to take a slightly curved upward and downward motion in
place of a circular one the travel of the foot is lessened and a considerable increase
of leverage is gained.

page_text: My Invention consists of two wheels (S. S) keyed or otherwise fixed to the
spindle (0) of the driving sprocket (K) of a bicycle or velocipede one being placed
on either side of the sprocket. A series of cogs or teeth are cut or cast on a segment
of the periphery of the wheels (S. S) and into which gear the similar teeth of two
sectors (X) fixed to and working on radial levers (B. B) pivoted at their further
ends (F) as far as possible from the sectors, in order to obtain the longest convenient
radius.
The radial levers (B. B) are of skeleton form, and at the ends next to the
sectors (X) are provided with long slots which are wider for nearly one half their
length (U) than they are for the remaining portions the total length of the slots
being equal to double the distance between the centre of the wheels at (0) and of
a small stud (C) in the end of one of the arms of each wheel plus the radius
of a small friction wheel revolving on the stud (C) and which travel in the slots of
the radial levers (B. B) their action being, in combination with the latter, to
carry the sectors up and past the uncogged portions of the wheels (S. S) after the
downward stroke has been made, but they do not come in contact with the narrower
part of the slots until the downward stroke has nearly been completed. In order
that no stress may be exerted through the levers (B. B) and that the whole of
the leverage action may be through the medium of the cogs on the sectors (X)
and wheels (S. S) the slots in the radial levers are made so wide in their ends
nearest the sectors that the friction wheels (V) do not engage with them and
until the narrower portions of the slots are reached the friction wheels (V) are
non-effective, but when the downward stroke is nearly completed, they enter the
narrow portion of the slots in the radial levers and immediately commence to
lift the latter and the sectors attached to them past the uncogged portions of the
wheels (S. 8) in readiness for the next downward stroke, the wheels (S. S) being so
keyed or fixed to the spindle (0) that, while one sector is being depressed, the
other is being raised by means of the friction wheel (V) and lever (B. B) as above
described.
The radial levers are made with two curved arms projecting outwards at any
convenient distance from their ends and which together with the end of the
lever (B) are connected to a plain rim or sector (1) to which the cogged sector (X)
is fixed.
The radius of the pitch line of the cogs in the sector (X) is equal to the distance
between the pivot (F) of the radial lever and the pitch line of the cogs on the
wheels (S. S) the number of cogs in each sector being sufficient to cause the wheels
to make nearly half a revolution before the sector falls out of gear and is ready
to be raised for the next downward stroke by the friction wheel (V) and lever (B. B)
as before described.
For the purpose of stiffening the sectors and to maintain their vertical action
I form on the backs of the cogged sectors (X) webs or feathers (E. E) which
travel in slots or grooves in either end (M. M) of a triangular stay (P) the apex
of which is fixed to the front stay (J) of the Bicycle and the base to the box or
bearing (L) in which the driving sprocket spindle (0) works.
The treadles (A. A). are of bracket form and are cast on or fitted in any
convenient manner to the radial levers (B. B) and from the beforegoing description
it will be seen that the foot has merely to move upwards and downwards almost in
a vertical line instead of having to describe a complete circle as in the present
form of driving gear.
A. A. Are the treadles.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
B. Indicates the radial lever.
C. The stud of the friction wheel.
1). The plain sector to which the cogged sector is fastened.
E. E. Webs or feathers on cogged sectors.
F. Pivot of the radial lever.

page_text: Q. Spindle of small sprocket.
R. Groove in bottom or forked stay, not used in this invention.
S. Segmented cogged wheel.
T. T. Dotted lines showing position of radial lever at upper and downward
stroke.
U. Wide part of slot in radial lever.
V. The friction wheel.
VV2. Dotted lines showing positions of friction wheel when the sector is raised
or lowered to its extreme limits of motion.
W. Gusset to strengthen the part where pivot of lever is fixed.
X. Cogged sector.
Fig. 1 shews the device in side elevation.
Fig. 2 shews the device in plan.
Fig. shews the device in end elevation viewed from front of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Invention
I declare that what I claim as new is :-
1. The combination of two slotted radial levers pivoted at one end and carrying
a cogged sector at their other ends with two wheels, a segment of the periphery
of which is cogged to gear on the downward stroke with the sectors the feather
or web in the back of the sector the triangular stay and guides in which the
feathers or webs work, the pedals attached to the radial levers and the friction
wheel revolving on a stud in the outer end of one of the arms of each wheel,
substantially as described in the foregoing specification and on the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an improved device for Driving Bicycles and Velocipedes the slotted radial
levers (B. 1) carrying the cogged sectors (X) on their outer ends the two
wheels (S. S) a segment of the periphery of which is cogged the feathers or
ribs (E. E) at the back of the sectors the triangular stay (1) the guides (M. M)
the pedals (A. A) attached to the radial levers the friction wheels (V) on the ends
of one arm of each of the two wheels (S. S), substantially as described in the
foregoing specification and on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of May 1897