Gear for Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
:-
I PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of Stoke Green Coventry in the County of Warwick
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The of this invention is to substitute a pitch wheel and link for the
object
gear
usual chain and chain wheels. I prefer to use the Sun and Planet" mechanism
as having the least tooth friction and the least thrust and motion on the bearings.
The hub of the driving wheel is mounted on a pair of ball bearings one end of the
spindle being left long enough to carry the Sun" wheel and the crank; the latter
revolves loosely but on balls so as to travel steadily and smoothly. The boss of
the Sun" wheel may form part of the bearing surfaces and if desired instead of
being keyed rigidly to the spindle may be connected to the latter by one or more
feathers and can move laterally along the same for the purpose of adjusting the
bearings of the crank and spindle. The gear may be connected with the pedal
shaft by the usual link gear consisting of two pairs of cranks or else by one pair of
cranks and one pair of eccentrics with two connecting rods the cranks or eccentrics
which are keyed on the pedal shaft being so mounted that their dead centres do
not coincide. But I prefer to employ only one connecting rod actuated by an
eccentric or by a crank on the pedal shaft. This rod is furnished with a secondary
crank or a controlling link of the same throw or pitch as the stroke of the primary
crank or eccentric and which prevents the rod from travelling in a circular path
and from returning when on dead centre. The bearing of this controller may at
the same time serve as a set off or crank in the connecting rod so as to reduce the
tread of the pedal shaft; on tandem velocipedes this controller is mounted on the
second pedal shaft and may take the form of an eccentric.
Where I use an eccentric instead of a crank I dispense with one pedal crank and
substitute an arm bolted to the face of the eccentric which is slotted to allow
adjustment of throw. The nut locking this arin overhangs the bearing and thus
effects a saving in width of tread.
Dated this 5th day of June 1890.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
I PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of Stoke Green near Coventry in the County of
Warwick, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to substitute a pitch wheel and link-gear for the
usual chain and chain wheels used on velocipedes.
I prefer to use the "Sun and Planet" mechanism as having the least tooth
friction and least thrust and motion on the bearings. The connection from the
pedal shaft to the train of wheels is made by means of a connecting rod and link
gear illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, which represents in plan the two lower
stays or forks A, A1 of the frame of a safety bicycle; they connect the pedal axle
bearing B with C, the hub of the driving wheel of the velocipede. D, D' is the
rod connecting the pedal crank E, E with the gear crank or link F; it is

page_text: alternately in tension and in compression. As shown in the drawing, crank E E¹
is divided and set off sideways so as to admit the end bearing of the connecting
rod D D. It will be understood that the first part, E, of the pedal crank E, E¹
must have exactly the same length of throw as the crank or link F.
In order to control the action of the rod D D¹ and reproduce the continuous
rotary action on the part of link F, and to prevent the latter returning when on
"dead centre," a controlling link G is mounted on the frame and connected with
rod D, D. This link must have exactly the same stroke as F and E.
"
The two parts D' D of the connecting rod may be in a straight line; but as
this would involve a rather wide tread on the pedal shaft, I prefer to bring
the front half D' closer to the centre of the machine, as shown in the drawing,
and to form a rigid connection of the two halves at the bearing of the connecting
link G.
On tandem velocipedes each pedal bracket is furnished with a crank similar
to E E, there being only one connecting rod; and one of these cranks acting as
the controlling link.
Fig. 2 shews a section of the sun and planet mechanism. The hub spindle C
is furnished with a projection about which the link F revolves in a ball bearing.
The end of rod D. is keyed to the spindle of planet wheel P. which revolves in
one end of link F, and sun wheel S is carried by the spindle C. I preferably
mount S. on one or more feathers H, in such a way as to leave it capable of lateral
motion; thus by screwing up the hardened cone I, the bearings of the link F and
the main bearing at the end of fork A. may be simultaneously adjusted.
Link F, instead of revolving around a projection of spindle C, as shown in the
drawing, may be mounted on a spindle or stud revolving inside spindle C which is
then bored out so as to form a bearing for this stud.
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 1
claim is
1) On velocipedes the combination of a single connecting rod with a multiplying
gear substantially as described.
2) The method of transmitting rotary motion by means of a crank connected
with a crank, link or wheel by means of a single rod substantially as described.
3) Link G in Fig. 1 for the purpose of transmitting motion to link F in the
same direction as that produced by crank E when they are on "dead centre."
4) On velocipedes the combination of a sun and planet gear with a single
driving rod substantially as described.
5) The method of mounting the link F on the spindle of the driving hub of a
velocipede, as illustrated and described in this Specification.
6) On tandem velocipedes connecting the pedal axles of both riders with the
driving wheel by means of a single connecting rod substantially as described.
7) The method of narrowing the "tread "by building up the connecting rod D D¹
in the combination and for the purpose described.
Dated this 9th day of March 1891.
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF.