Year: 1885

page_text: I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a vehicle for self propulsion, which the Inventor terms
a Velocimane, and in which there is a double cranked driving shaft worked by the
hands, the feet only serving for turning or steering, by a special combination, the
axle of the small wheels, by which the change of direction is effected.
According to this Invention, the double cranked driving shaft terminates at each
eud in'n large wheel, that on the right being fixed, and that on the left being loose
upon this shaft, an arrangement necessary for turning the vehicle.
The driving shaft supports a frame, the back part of which terminates in a
platform traversed by a bolster pin; the axle of the small wheels of the vehicle
pivots around this pin and allows of the direction of the vehicle being varied.
The frame is furnished with two rods terminating in treadles, the height of which
may be varied. These rods serve to incline the frame in one direction or the other,
therefore as the frame carries the axle of the small wheels the change of direction
is effected.
The treadles are also connected to the axle of the small wheels by means of
chains.
The seat is fixed on two cross bars, one end of which turns freely upon an axis
while the other end is retained by hooks. In this manner the person desirous of
occupying the vehicle has only to raise the seat, to pass into the free space, and
then to allow it to fall back, to seat oneself. Furthermore, the seat slides in a
longitudinal direction in order that the person occupying the same may more
conveniently seat himself.
A rod and handle placed at the right of the seat serves for operating the break.
In a modified arrangement certain combinations of gearing on the right and left
of the cranked shaft are provided for actuating the driving wheels and permitting
greater or less speed being obtained, according as to whether the gearing is operated
U Q.71

page_text: with the driving wheel on the right or with that on the left. In this arrangement
the driving wheels are independent of the driving shaft, which latter is moveable
in a longitudinal direction and is provided, at each of its ends, with a toothed
wheel which works indifferently, and at will, by means of an intermediate wheel,
one of the toothed wheels fixed on the axis of each driving wheel.
The gearing on the right gives the normal speed, that is to say, the high speed,
by means of a toothed wheel which actuates, through an intermediate wheel, another
wheel of smaller diameter.
The combination on the left permits of the ascent of inclines. For this purpose
the uppermost toothed wheel, which is on the cranked shaft, is of smaller diameter
than the lowermost one which it actuates by means of an intermediate wheel.
Upon the driving shaft supported in one of the bearings, are contrived two
circumferential grooves in which enters indifferently a screw working through
the cap of the bearing. The object of these grooves is to rigidly maintain the
driving shaft in the position given to it for moving the right or left train of
gearing, that is to say, for obtaining at will, a greater of less speed. A vehicle
constructed according to this modified arrangement the Inventor terms “Mountain
Velocimane."

page_text: I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same may be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
This invention relates to a vehicle for self-propulsion which the inventor terms
a "Velocimane," and in which there is a double cranked driving shaft worked by
the hands, the feet only serving for turning or steering, by means of a special
combination or arrangement of gearing, the axle of the small wheels by which
the change of direction is effected.
The accompanying drawings will readily explain the combination and working
of the apparatus, in which Fig. 1, is a perspective view, and Fig. 2, a modified
arrangement.
a, is the driving shaft with double cranks a¹, a¹¹; it terminates at each end in
a large wheel, the one b, on the right being fixed, and the one c, on the left, being
loose upon this shaft, a necessary arrangement for causing the vehicle to turn.
The driving shaft a, supports a frame d, the back part of which terminates in
a platform f, traversed by a bolster pin; the axle h, of the small wheels of the
vehicle pivots around this pin, and allows of the direction of the vehicle being
varied.
The frame d, is furnished with two rods d, d, terminating in treadles r, r, the
height of which may be varied. These rods serve to incline the frame in one direc-
tion, or the other, therefore as the frame carries the axle h, of the small wheels, the
change of direction is effected.
The treadles r, are also connected to the axle h, by means of chains 8.
The seat i, is fixed on two cross bars j, j, one end of which turns freely upon an
axis m, while the other end is hooked at n. In this manner the person desirous of
occupying the vehicle, has only to raise the seat to pass into the free space, and
then to allow it to fall back to seat oneself. The seat i, is likewise capable of
sliding in a longitudinal direction, in order that the person occupying the same,
may more conveniently seat himself.
T
A handle q, placed at the right of the seat i, serves for operating the break t.
The modified arrangement shewn in fig. 2, represents the application to the right
and to the left of the double cranked shaft, of certain arrangements of gearing for
actuating the driving wheels and permitting a greater or less speed being obtained,
according to whether the gearing is operated with the driving wheel on the right,
or with that on the left.
It will be readily understood that if the arrangement of gearing on the right
represented in fig. 3, gives the normal speed for travelling over flat grounds, or
nearly horizontal, the second arrangement represented in fig. 4, giving a less speed
will allow of travelling over, with the saine power, more or less steep inclines.
This arrangement of the vehicle the inventor terms "Mountain Velocimane."

page_text: Thus, as will be seen, the driving wheels are independent of the driving shaft a,
which latter is moveable in a longitudinal direction, and is provided, at each of its
ends, with a toothed wheel which works indifferently, and at will, by means of an
intermediate wheel, one of the toothed wheels fixed on the axis of each driving
wheel.
The gearing on the right gives the normal speed, that is to say, the high speed,
by means of the toothed wheel c which actuates, through an intermediate wheel h,
the wheel of smaller diameter.
The gearing on the left permits of inclines being ascended. For this purpose
the toothed driving wheel m, is of smaller diameter than the one marked n, which
it actuates by means of the intermediate wheel h.
Upon the driving shaft a, opposite to one of the bearings which support it, are
two circumferential grooves o, 8, in which enters indifferently a screw b, working
through the cap of the bearing. The object of these grooves is to rigidly maintain
the driving shaft in the position given to it for moving the right or left train of
gearing, that is to say, for obtaining at will a greater or less speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent :-
1. The construction and arrangement of a vehicle for self-propulsion in which
the driving shaft is actuated by the hand, the feet only serving to alter the direction
of the vehicle, substantially as herein described and shewn.
2. The special construction of "Velocimane," or apparatus for self propulsion, as
herein described with reference to fig. 1, of the drawings.
3. The modified arrangement as herein described with reference to fig. 2 of the
drawings.
'
4. The special arrangements of gearing herein described and shewn in the
drawings, and for the purposes set forth.
Dth: 14th Jan T.1.1000