THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHOD OF PROPULSION OF VEHICLES, COMMONLY DENOMINATED VELOCIPEDES, BY THE APPLICATION OF LEVERS OF UNEQUAL ARMS ACTING ON CRANKS FIXED IN THE AXLE OF THE REAR WHEEL OR WHEELS AND ON A FIXED OR MOVEABLE FULCRUM
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward William Price Gibbs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th March 1869.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM PRICE GIBBS, of 19, Westbourne Park Crescent,
Harrow Road, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE
METHOD OF PROPULSION OF VEHICLES, COMMONLY DENOMINATED VELOCIPEDES, BY THE
APPLICATION OF LEVERS OF UNEQUAL ARMS ACTING ON CRANKS FIXED IN THE
AXLE OF THE REAR WHEEL OR WHEELS AND ON A FIXED OR MOVEABLE FULCRUM,"
to be as follows:-
"
(This Specification of my Invention has reference to velocipedes con-
structed on two wheels, the one in rear of the other, nevertheless, I do
not confine my Invention to two-wheeled velocipedes, as it may be
applied with slight alteration of detail to such as are constructed upon
three or four wheels.)
My Invention consists in the use of two levers with unequal arms,
which levers are attached on opposite sides of the rear wheel by nuts

page_text: or pivots to cranks which pass through and are firmly fixed to the
axle of the rear or hind wheel. The crank on one side of the whcel
is to be at opposite angles to the crank on the other side of the wheel,
or in other words the two cranks are fixed in opposite directions in
parallel planes. A lever is to be attached to the end of each crank
by a nut or pivot allowing free rotation; the shorter arm of the lever
is then to be passed through two pulleys or wheels, or through a slotted
disc affixed to a continuation of the forked connecting bar or other
permanent fixed support in rear of the crank axle, in such a manner
as to allow the shorter arm of the lever to traverse freely in the direction
governed by the rotating wheel or sphere of the axle crank. The longer
arm of the lever must be bent outwards in a curve sufficiently to allow
of the front guiding wheel turning round in obedience to the guiding
shaft. The end of the longer arm of the lever may be furnished with
a moveable pedal to fit the boot and working on a hinge or swivel.
The weight of the lever which the crank would have to raise in its
return upwards after the downward pressure must be relieved by means
of a metal chain or a cord attached to the pedal ends of the levers and
passing over pulleys supported at the ends of a cross bar fixed to the
main connecting bar at a point vertical to the centres of the spheres
described by the pedal ends of the levers so that the downward pressure
of the foot on one pedal coincidently raises the opposite lever. Metal
is a better material for the levers than wood, but any material strong
enough may be used. To allow of the attainment of great speed, if
desirable, the cranks which are permanently fixed to the axle of the
rear wheel and which cause it to revolve coincidently with them must
be made very short, and the increase of force necessary to rotate the
cranks in proportion to their diminution in length is obtained by means
of the extra power supplied by the proportionate length of the long
arm of the lever acting by means of the fulcrum on the shorter arm.
Although the fulcrum above described is of a simple kind I do not
confine myself to that arrangement of it, nor to the relative positions
of fulcrum and resistance as represented by the crank, for both are
capable of many variations in their working details and fixtures.
I now proceed to describe a few other arrangements by which my
application of the levers can be used to rotate the rear wheel.
1. The lever could be attached by a pivot to a continuation, as before
described, of the forked connecting bar, and attached to a nut projecting

page_text: from the axle crank, which nut would work freely in a slot in the
lever.
2. A lever slotted at its end working on a nut fixed to the projecting
forked bar could be attached to the crank axle by a pivot nut.
3. A cord or chain one end of which is attached to the end of the
axle crank and passing over a pulley fixed permanently at a point
vertical to the axle, the other end of which cord or chain must be fixed
to the lever at the necessary distance from the fulcrum to allow of the
sphere described at the pedal end of the lever being within the stroke
of the operator's leg.
4. A lever with a secondary crank attached to it by a pivot nut, the
other end of the crank to be attached in like manner to the axle.
crank.
5. A lever with a secondary crank attached by pivot nuts to the.
lever and the projecting forked bar placed parallel to the axle crank
and acting as the fulcrum of the lever, but in this instance catches
must be fixed to the levers to prevent them turning the wrong way at
dead centres.
6. In order to allow the foot to describe as small a circle as possible
two secondary cranks might connect by pivots the axle crank to the
lever, but in this case loss of stroke, and consequently of power, would
ensue.
In each of the above methods the position of the fulcrum and weight.
or crank could be reversed, that is to say, the fulcrum might be attached
to the forked connecting bar at a point in advance of the axle of the
rear wheel, but under each and every application of the lever the
fulcrum must be placed at such a distance from the rear axle as to
allow the sphere described at the pedal or motive end of the lever
being within easy stroke of the operator's leg.
I do not, therefore, confine my application of the lever to any, either,
or all of the methods above described in regard to the minor details
and fixtures, as these latter are capable of many variations, but I claim
substantially any arrangement which may be used in connection with
a lever with unequal arms acting by means of a fulcrum on a crank
fixed in the axle of the rear wheel causing the crank, and coincidently
the wheel, to revolve, in order that the power derived by the pressure
of the foot on the end of the long arm of the lever may be used to

page_text: counterbalance the increased resistance induced by a short crank, and
which proportionately produces increased speed.
In order to avoid doubt as to the working of the levers before
described I give a short description of the vehicle to which I propose
to apply them. On the axle of the fore wheel is mounted a nearly
vertical shaft of wrought iron or steel forked to allow of the wheel
revolving on its axis inside the fork. To the top of the shaft is fixed
a handled cross bar by which the hands of the operator guide the fore
wheel. In order to allow of the levers working as nearly as possible
clear of the fore wheel I propose making the latter much smaller than
the rear wheel. The guiding shaft which will be proportionately longer
must then be grasped by two connecting bars (instead of one as
hitherto), the one to be attached a little above the fork and the other
at a proper distance below the handled cross bar, each connecting bar
allowing the guiding shaft to swivel easily on its vertical axis. The
two bars are to be bent towards each other and joined together at a
point an inch or so in advance of the rear wheel, and the bar thus
formed is to be forked to allow of the rear wheel revolving in the fork.
The branches or forks are carried on each side of the rear wheel and
attached to the axle, being continued in the same line as before
described to form supports for the fulcrums of the levers. The perch
or seat may be made as hitherto, viz., a steel spring bar (surmounted
by a small saddle), one end supported by the upper connecting bar
and the other end supported by two steel spring bars attached on
either side of the rear wheel axle. A brake can also be used, acting
on a small lever by means of a cord or strap fixed to the handled
cross bar, which is made to revolve on its longitudinal axis.