CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES, WHICH IM- PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO DRIVING CERTAIN MACHINERY
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
METCALFE, of Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Brush Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of April, in the eighth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Metcalfe, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, my executors, admors, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, my executors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Ber-
wick-upon Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES, WHICH IM-
PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO DRIVING CERTAIN MACHINERY;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas
Metcalfe, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Metcalfe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in propelling carriages consists in the em-
ployment of a rotary treadle in place of the cranks and rods which have been
heretofore used in driving certain descriptions of vehicles generally denomi-
nated "velocipedes." In order that my Invention may be more clearly
understood, I have shewn in the accompanying Drawings several views of a
carriage with the improved adaptation of the rotary treadle.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the carriage taken in the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 2, which Figure represents the carriage in plan view; and Figure 3 is
an end view of the same. a, a, is a rectangular frame, which in this instance
is supported by three wheels furnished with springs in the usual way. b, b, are
the driving wheels, and c is the guide wheel. The axle of the wheel c is
carried by the forked piece d (see Fig. 3), to the upper part of which a
vertical rode is attached; this rod passes through the ordinary carriage
spring, and through the end framing of the carriage, for the purpose here-
after mentioned. g, g, is a drum or wheel furnished with boards or steps
placed radially, as shewn in the Drawing. The axle of this wheel has its
bearings in the side framing, and upon it are keyed the pulleys h, h, of various
diameters placed at either side of the wheel. Upon the axle of the driving
wheels b, b, there are pulleys i of varying diameters, which correspond in posi-
tion with the pulleys h, h. Around one of these pullies i, on each side of the
carriage, a chain, belt, or cord ; is passed, which is carried to the opposite
pulley h on the shaft of the wheel or drum g. The object of having more
than one set of pullies is to alter the speed of the driving wheels, which is
readily effected by shifting the chain or cord j from one set of pullies to the
other. is the seat for the driver or traveller, and 7 the footboard.
break so placed that the traveller may by seizing the handle bring it to bear
upon the periphery of the large pulley h, and thus check the speed of the
carriage when descending a hill, or stop it if required. The mode of driving
m is a

page_text: the carriage is as follows:-The traveller standing upon the footboard or floor
of the vehicle 7, and resting his hands upon a cross bar n, will raise one of
his feet and place it upon a step of the wheel g; by thus throwing his weight
upon the wheel it will make part of a revolution, and through the agency
of the chain j, which passes round the pullies h and i, communicate a similar
motion to the driving wheels. The traveller will then raise his other foot,
and place it upon the next step of the wheel which presents itself, and by
continuing this treading motion the carriage will be propelled at a considerable
speed. In order to guide the carriage the following contrivance is adopted :--
Upon the cross bar n is a small stud, which serves as the centre of motion for
a lever o; this lever is furnished with two handles, and is jointed loosely to
two parallel rods p, p, which are connected at their other end to a small
lever q (see Figure 2), fixed on the vertical rod l before mentioned. It will
now be seen, that as the lever o is turned a corresponding movement will be
communicated to the guide wheel c. The under part of the lever o is supplied
with a pin which fits into the holes of a plate r, and is intended to keep the
guide wheel c running at any desired angle.
Having thus described my improvements, in propelling carriages, I would
remark, that several modifications may be adopted without departing from
the nature of the Invention; for instance, I may find it advisable, in place
of the chains or cords and pullies, to employ cog wheels upon the axles of the
tread wheel g and the driving wheels. I also propose in place of fixed radial
steps to make them slide in a radial groove, so that by drawing them farther out
the leverage may be increased if required. The break may, if thought desir-
able, be made to act by the foot instead of the hand, in which case an upward
pressure would be applied to the periphery of the pullies h. By increasing
the width of the tread wheel g, two or more persons might be employed in
working that wheel, and, greater power being thus acquired, the vehicle might
be so constructed as to carry passengers.
In conclusion, I wish it to be understood, that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim the application of a rotary tread wheel for
giving motion to the driving wheels of carriages, as before described and
shewn in the Drivings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
THOMAS (L.s.) METCALFE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixth day of October, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Thomas Metcalfe came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Seventh day of October in the year above written.