Improvements in or relating to Driving-gear for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
TROVISIONAL DELERATION.
Improvements in or relating to Driving-gear for Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
I, ALEXANDER THOMAS PORTER, of Queen Victoria Street in the City and
County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to driving-gear for velocipedes and other vehicles and more
especially to driving-gear of the kind described in the Specification of prior Letters
Patent No. 9,874 A.D. 1893. The pedals instead of rotating have an up and
down reciprocating motion and are connected to suitable driving mechanism by
means of chains or their equivalent attached to the pedal levers in such a manner
as to be adjustable thereon while the levers are in motion.
Heretofore the gear has been so arranged that it could not be changed while
pedalling and hence the rider has not been able without ceasing to operate the
pedals to adapt the gear ratio to the existing conditions of the moment, "which
conditions are constantly changing.
My invention is intended to overcome this objection which it does by 80
providing that the rider can change the gear while pedalling. I effect this object
according to one mode of carrying my invention into effect by means of automatic
mechanism which acting on movable sleeves on the pedal levers will when thrown
into gear by a hand-lever or otherwise, automatically and gradually change the
leverage on the driving chain and so alter the " gear" or velocity-ratio, without
requiring the cessation of pedalling.
may for example control the aforementioned sleeves, to each of which one end
of the driving-chain is attached, by means of screws which are actuated through
ratchet wheels or the like so arranged that every oscillation of the pedals moves
the ratchet or other wheel and so turus the screws.
In this manner or otherwise, the movable sleeves on the pedal levers are
moved
upward or downward as desired at each oscillation of the pedals and the velocity-
ratio of the driving chain with respect to the pedals is correspondingly altered.
The aforesaid mechanism is under the control of the rider and can be placed
in or out of gear as desired. When it is out of gear, the velocity-ratio remains
constant.
By this mechanism the rider can while pedalling so increase the velocity ratio of
the chain with respect to the pedals that at whatever speed he is travelling he can
always ensure a driving pull on the wheel.
When starting, the machine will be "geared-up" to suit the strength of the rider
and having regard to the conditions of the track and the wind and weather, and as
the speed increases the automatic mechanism will be brought into action to gear-up
higher and will be continued so long as the rider feels himself unable to keep his
feet moving at sufficient pace to ensure a pull on the driven paris. By thus
varying the gear as the machine is in motion the rider is enabled to augment his
speed until such time arrives when he cannot exert more propelling power.
other words the limitation of speed will no longer be imposed by the rider's
inability to keep his feet moving fast enough which is the case with machines
geared up to the degree heretofore commonly used in racing bicycles. When
In

page_text: racing on a track the rider can lower the "gear" when travelling against the wind
and can raise it again when travelling with the wind.
I may employ steel bands in lieu of chains.
According to a modification of my invention especially intended for racing
machines which are required to be very light I mount the two driving clutches
on the same side of the wheel instead of on opposite sides as has been heretofore
done.
Instead of driving direct on to the clutches I drive through an intermediate
roller which serves the purpose of raising the pedals alternately and also being
changeable allows of changing. the initial "gear." The roller and band for
returning the clutches is in this construction very light.
In some instances I provide in combination with the intermediate roller before
described a spring or springs or their equivalents for limiting the length of the
stroke of the pedals and for assisting to return the pedals during the up stroke.
Dated this 8th day of June 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Driving-gear for Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
I, ALEXANDER THOMAS PORTER, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City and
County of London, 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 :-
My invention relates to driving-gear for velocipedes and other vehicles and more
especially to driving-gear of the kind described in the Specification of prior Letters
Patent No. 19,874 A.D. 1893. The pedals instead of rotating have an up and
down reciprocating motion and are connected to suitable driving mechanism by
means of flexible bands, chains or the like attached to the pedal levers in such a
manner as to be adjustable thereon while the levers are in motion.
Heretofore the gear has been so arranged that it could not be changed while
pedalling and hence the rider has not been able without ceasing to operate the
pedals to adapt the gear ratio to the existing conditions of the moment, which
conditions are constantly changing.
My invention is intended to overcome this objection which it does by so providing
that the rider can change the gear while pedalling. I effect this object according
to one mode of carrying my invention into effect by means of automatic mechanism
which acting on movable sleeves or nuts on the pedal levers will when thrown into
gear automatically and gradually change the leverage on the driving band or chain
and thus alter the "gear" or velocity-ratio, without requiring the cessation of
pedalling..
In the accompanying drawings I have shown one method of carrying out my
invention as applied to a rear driven tricycle, the nuts to which the bands are
attached being controlled by screws actuated through ratchet wheels.
Figure 1 is a plan of so much of a tricycle as is necessary to illustrate my inven-
tion which is applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tricycle.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 is an end elevation, of the pedal mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 illustrates a detail hereinafter described.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: A is the rear axle of the machine; B, B are the pedals carried by triangular
frames B', B' mounted on an axle b. The upright member of each triangular
pedal frame can rotate in journals or sockets 62, 63 Figure 3 at its upper and lower
ends; it is furnished with a screw threal & on which is mounted the adjustable:
screw threaded sleeve or nut. C to which one end of the flexible driving band D is
attached. The other end of this band is wound around and secured to a small.
pulley E which can turn loosely on a spin lle e carried by the frame. F is another
flexible driving band one end of which is wound around and secured to another part
of the said small pulley E and the other end of which is wound around and secured
to one part of a suitable friction clutch G on the axle A. Both pedals are geared
to the axle by similar driving bands. The parts of the pulleys E which receive the
bands D and F may be of different diameters to give the required initial gear.
And it is obvious that by changing the pulleys for others the parts of which
have different relative diameters the initial gear may be changed to suit any
requirement.
To ensure that one pedal shall ascend while the other descends I provide a
spindle carried by the frame. On this spin lle are fixed two small pulleys ht, h
which are connected by flexible bands H with the respective friction clutches
opposite which they are situated. One of the bands H is wound over its pulley h¹
and the other band is wound under its pulley so that the two friction clutches G, G
are compelled to turn in opposite directions and consequently when one pedal is
descending the other must be ascending. In lieu of the separate pulleys E, I may
substitute one long roller, but in that case the bands D must be wound on the roller
in opposite directions so that when one pedal descends the other will be caused to
ascend. By this arrangement the spindle his relieved of some of the work as it has
then merely to wind up the clutches G and draw back the bands F. This roller
anay be of uniform diameter throughout or stepped as required.
:
The velocity ratio of the gear may be changed by moving the nuts C up or down
the screw rods b. To effect such movement I according to one construction
provide each said rod with two ratchet wheels secured thereon, and two tenthed
wheels capable of turning freely on the rod but not capable of sliding thereon. :
Each wheel carries a spring pawl Figure 5 to engage the teeth of the adjacent
ratchet-wheel. The ratchet wheels are arranged in opposite directio.is so that one
is used to rotate the rod in one direction and the other to rotate the said rod in
the opposite direction. J, J are curved racks secured to a sleeve mounted with
a capability of sliding on the member K of the frame of the machine. J is a pin
secured in the said sleeve and passing diametrically through slots K' in the
member K. The said slots K' serve to limit the sliding movement of the sleeve.
By raising and lowering the sleeve K, the racks J can be caused to gear with the
lower wheels or with the upper wheels b When in an intermediate position the
racks engage with neither of the wheels. The curvature of the racks and
the breadth of their teeth are such that they can gear with either the upper or the
lower wheel 6 with equal facility. Preferably the wheels will be brought as
close together as convenient in practice so that the inconvenience caused by the
greater distance of the higher wheel from the axle b will be reduced to a
minimum. L is a spring arranged within the member K to press on the pin .J' aud
M is a cord or chain or
thus to continually force the sleeve J' towards the axle b.
Hexible rod attached to the pin J' and passing up through the frame of the machine :
is connected to a small wiuch or pulley M Figure 2 near the handle bar. Or the
winch or pulley M' may be arranged on the handle bar itself at the centre where it
will not be interfered with by the steering. M* is a spring catch to retain the:
winch or pulley in any position to which it may be set. By this device the rider
can without ceasing to pedal slightly turn the pulley M' so as to raise the sleeve J
against the pressure of the spring L, or can release the tension on the cord M and
allow the sleeve to be depressed by the spring. It will thus be seen that the rider:
cap instantly cause the racks J to gear with the upper wheels or with the lower..
wheels, or can retain the racks in an intermediate position where they are i
:

page_text: disengaged from both the upper and the lower wheels. It will be obvious that
when the racks are engaged with either the upper or the lower wheels an inter-
mittent rotary movement will be imparted to the rods b' during each complete
stroke of the pedals and the nuts C will thereby be raised or lowered as the case
may be. It will be further obvious that the direction of movement of the nuts will
be different when the racks engage with the upper wheels from what it is when the
racks engage with the lower wheels.
In this manner the nuts C are moved upward or downward as desired at ench
complete oscillation of the pedals, and the velocity-ratio of the driving band with
respect to the pedals is thus correspondingly altered. The mechanism is under the
effective control of the rider and can be placed in or out of gear as desired. When
it is out of gear, the velocity-ratio remains constant.
By these means the rider can while pedalling so increase the velocity ratio of
the driving band with respect to the pedals that at whatever speed he is travelling
he can always ensure a driving pull on the clutches G. When starting, the machine
will be "geared-up" to suit the strength of the rider and having regard to the
conditions of the track or road and the wind and weather, and as the speed increases
the automatic mechanism will be brought into action to gear-up higher and will be
continued so long as the rider feels himself unable to keep his feet moving at
sufficient pace to ensure a pull on the clutches G. By thus varying the gear as the
machine is in motion the rider is able to augment his speed until such time arrives
when he cannot exert more propelling power. It will thus be seen that the
limitation of speed will no longer be imposed by the rider's inability to keep his
feet moving fast enough to keep pace with the pedals which is the case with
machines geared up to the degre heretofor commonly used in racing bicycles.
The facility afforded by this apparatus for changing the gear will enable a rider
when racing on a track to lower the "gear" when travelling against the wind and
to raise it again when travelling with the wind, without trouble.
.
My improvements are applicable to bicycles as well as to tricycles, and it is
obvious that the mechanism can be used with advantage whether both clutches G
are placed on opposite sides of the driven wheel of the bicycle as is usual or on the
same side of the said wheel, the latter arrangement being specially advantageous
for rucing bicycles where lightness is such an important desideratum.
In some instances I provide in combination with the pulleys E or intermediate
roller before described a spring or springs or their equivalent for limiting the
length of the stroke of the pedals and for assisting to return the pedals during the
up stroke, or I may provide a stop to limit the rotary movement of the rollers E in
either or both directions.
The aforesaid mechanism is applicable to machines worked by hand levers.
Moreover it is obricus that the arrangement for permitting the change of initial
gear ratio can be applied to vehicles independently of the automatic devices for
changing the gear ratio.
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
1. A velocipede or other vehicle driven by pedals, or hand levers, and having
means whereby the gear ratio may be automatically changed while the pedals or
levers are being operated, for the purposes specified.
2. In a velocipede or other vehicle driven by oscillating pedals or band levers
and clutches the intermediate pulleys or roller between the pedals or other
operating levers and the driven axle of the vehicle, whereby the initial gear ratio
can be readily changed to suit any requirement.
3. A velocipede or ether vehicle having mechanism for automatically changing
the gear ratio while the pedals or actuating levers are in motion and also having in
combination therewith the intermediate pulleys or roller between the actuating
levers and the driven axle whereby the initial gear ratio can be readily changed.

page_text: 4. The mechanism for automatically changing the gear ratio while the pedals are
in motion, substantially as and for the purposes, described.
5. The velocipede provided with the gear ratio changing apparatus constructed
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 11th day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.