An Improvement in Driving Gear for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Driving Gear for Cycles.
I ALLEN RIDGE, of 86 Philips Park Road, Bradford, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to make the action of the crank upon the sprocket
or chain wheel more direct, and thus to apply the power more advantageously
to the driving chain than is the case in the present method of construction.
In the method of driving ordinarily employed the crank is keyed or otherwise
attached to the crank axle and is transmitted through the axle and the arms of
the sprocket wheel to the toothed rim which actuates the chain and a certain
amount of power is thereby lost from being indirectly applied.
According to my invention I apply the power exerted upon the pedal by the
rider more immediately and advantageously to the driving chain by using a much
shorter crank arm and attaching this direct to one arm of the sprocket wheel just
inside the toothed rim, or preferably by making the short crank arm of one piece
with the sprocket wheel, the latter being attached to, or made of one piece with, a
long boss or sleeve running on ball bearings inside the bottom bracket of the
machine.
To balance the gear and to attach the other crank there will be a second wheel
attached to the boss on the other side of the bottom bracket but as the rim of
this wheel will not require to be toothed I prefer to make the rim a little heavier
or with an internal web to counterbalance the sprocket wheel.
Another advantage of using the short crank arm fixed to the sprocket wheel
is that it will be lighter and at the same time stronger than the ordinary long
crank arm affixed to the crank axle.
Dated this 9th day of November 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
An Improvement in Driving Gear for Cycles.
I ALLEN RIDGE, of 86 Philips Park Road, Bradford, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, 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:-
L
a to make the nation of the rank upon the enrocket
I ALLEN RIDGE, of 86 Philips Park Road, Bradford, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, 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:-
mi
is to make the nation of the crank upon the enrocket

page_text: or chain wheel more direct, and thus to apply the power more advantageously
to the driving chain than is the case in the present method of construction.
In the method of driving ordinarily employed the crank is keyed or otherwise
attached to the crank axle and is transmitted through the axle and the arms of
the sprocket wheel to the toothed rim which actuates the chain and a certain
amount of power is thereby lost from being indirectly applied.
The manner in which my said invention is to be performed or carried into
practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet of drawings
hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof. Fig. 1 is a transverse
section, and Fig. 2 a partial elevation of so much of the driving gear of a cycle as
is necessary to illustrate my invention.
According to my invention I apply the power exerted upon the pedal by the
rider more immediately and advantageously to the driving chain by using a much
shorter crank arm than usual as seen at a Figs. 1 and 2, and attaching this direct
to one arm of the sprocket wheel just inside the toothed rim c thereof, or pre-
ferably by making the short crank arm of one piece with the sprocket wheel, as
shewn on the drawing the latter being either attached to the crank axle d as
shown or attached to or made of one piece with a long boss or sleeve running on
ball bearings inside the bottom bracket e of the machine.
To balance the gear and to attach fhe other crank there will be a second wheel c
(Fig. 1) attached to the boss or to the axle d on the other side of the bottom
bracket but as the rim of this wheel will not always require to be toothed I may
if preferred make the rim a little heavier or with an internal web to counterbalance
the sprocket wheel. Or I may make this wheel with teeth also and in this case
a second driving chain could be used.
Another advantage of using the short crank arm fixed to the sprocket wheel
is that it will be lighter and at the same time stronger than the ordinary long
crank arm fixed to the crank axle.
For applying my invention to existing cycles the short crank e may be made
with nebs or projections on each side at the back to embrace the arm to which it
may be fixed by screws or bolts but I prefer to make the crank of one piece with
the sprocket wheel as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvement in driving gear for cycles consisting in attaching the crank
arms direct to, or forming them of one piece with, the arm of the sprocket wheel,
so that the power exerted on the pedal is conveyed more directly to the chain
instead of passing through the crank axle and the arm of the sprocket wheel as
heretofore.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.