Improvements in the Application of Manumotive Force to the Propulsion of Vehicles and other Wheeled Machines, and in the Means Employed for Starting and Stopping or Retarding same.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in the Application of Manumotive Force to the
Propulsion of Vehicles and other Wheeled Machines, and in the
Means Employed for Starting and Stopping or Retarding same.
I, GEORGE QUICK of Mountain Ash Villa, Ashville Road, Leytonstone, in the County
of Essex, Merchant, 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 has reference to the propulsion of velocipedes, and other wheeled
vehicles, also to light agricultural machines, and embodies certain important, and novel
features, the first and principal of which, is the means which I adopt, for utilising the
weight of the rider or riders, as the propelling force, or source of motion, instead of
direct muscular power, as in the case of velocipedes of ordinary construction.
Secondly, according to my Invention, I may store up the force that is required to
be exerted, in order to overcome the momentum of the moving vehicle or machine, and
use the force so stored to overcome the "vis inertia " of said vehicle or machine when
it is desired to impart motion to it.
In the application of the device or contrivance above mentioned, to a three wheeled
vehicle or tricycle, I prefer to allow the two larger, or travelling wheels, to revolve
freely on their hubs, and unconnected with the driving gear, while the smaller trailing
wheel, is connected with a suitable steering apparatus.
In order that my Invention may be the better understood, I have appended the accom-
panying two sheets of drawings, in which Fig. 1. Sheet 1. represents a longitudinal
sectional elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2. Sheet 2. a detached view of the
footboards and slides. Fig 3. is a detached view of the lower end, or foot of the
propelling rod, of said three wheeled vehicle or tricycle. Fig.4 is a detached end elevation

page_text: of the brake and starting gear. Fig. 5. is a right side elevation, and Figure 6 is a
left side elevation, of the brake and starting gear, like letters of reference, being
adopted, to denote corresponding parts in the several views.
At B, Fig. 1, is a lever, or rocking bar, jointed, or pivotted to the frame of the
tricycle A, at a, and held in working position, by the telescopic tube b, and the spiral
spring C surrounding said tube and pressing the collar c upward. The telescopic
tuhe b, is pivotted to the frame A at d. To the rocking bar or lever B, I attach, by
means of a pivotted joint, the propelling rod D, to be hereinafter more particularly
described.
E, is one of the footboards, which are connected to the frame A, by means of
jointed arms F, F', the object of which is, to keep the footboard parallel in its ascent,
and descent of the inclined planes G. H is a small pulley or sheave, over which passes
the cord I, attached to the slider J, which slides by the action of the footboard upon
the steel rods or guides K. A guide cord L, passes through the pulley or sheave c',
in the propelling rod D, and is secured to the spring M, which is freely pivotted to the
frame A aforesaid. The foot g at the base of the propelling rod D, is pivotted to a
rod 2, Fig. 3, which fits freely within a corresponding recess in the rod D, so that it
may turn freely, but is prevented by the collar i from moving upwards or downwards.
A spiral spring, is attached to the heel of the foot g, and also to the projecting lug 4,
which serves to keep the joint of said foot g depressed when in action.
The footboards E, one of which is shewn in side elevation at Fig. 2. Sheet 2, upon
an enlarged scale, is connected by a link rod p, to the slider T, to which is pivotted
a latch S, which engages with a small roller, or wheel S¹, pivotted within the
slider J.
The sliders J, T, and U, are fitted to the guide rod K, to allow of their sliding freely
upon it, and said slides T, and J, are locked together by the latch S, when the foot-
board is at the top of its stroke, a weak spring t, serving to hold the latch S upon the
roller S', while the sliders U and T, are connected together by a strong flat spring Y.
When said sliders, propelled by the footboard, reach the bottom of the inclined guide
rod K, the spring V is compressed by reason of the slider U striking the frame at the
base of the guide rod K, and so causes the latch S to be released from the roller S¹,
thus detaching the sliders, and the cord 1, which are immediately drawn up, by the
action of the spiral spring C, (Fig. 1.) returning the rocking bar or lever B, to its
normal position.
The mode of propelling the vehicle, according to the device or contrivance, forming
the subject of my Invention, is as follows, that is to say,-
The rider places his foot upon one of the footboards E, and his weight being directly
converted into mechanical force, the footboard E descends, its slider T, being locked
with the cord slider J, by means of the latch S. as above described, the tension of the
cord I, transmits the motion to the rocking bar, or lever B, causing the propelling
rod D to strike the ground with its attached steel foot g, in an oblique direction to the
plane of the motion of the vehicle, whereby a forward movement is imparted to said
vehicle. When the leading slider U, has reached the end of its stroke, it impinges
against the frame A, all shock, however, being absorbed by the spring V, which
releases, by its compression, the latch S, thus enabling the cord slider J, and with it
the propelling rod D, to return to their normal positions, ready for the next stroke, by
means of the spring C, acting upon the telescopic tube b before referred to. The foot-
board E returns to its position, at the top of the inclined plane G, when relieved of the
weight of the rider, by reason of the action of the spiral spring w upon the lever F¹,
when the slider T is again automatically locked with J, by the latch S, as above
described, and is then ready for another depression.
When the propelling rod is at the termination of its stroke, the rate of advance per
stroke is equal to the length of said stroke, less the rate of travel during the stroke,
while the force applied, is equivalent to the descending weight of the rider, applied
directly upon à system of levers, and acting in an oblique direction to the line of
motion.

page_text: 5
The trailing or steering wheel R,
secured to the frame A of the vehicle, by means
of a suitable fork or swivel, freely moving at fand is connected by the rod O to the
handle or lever Q, thus allowing the steering to be always under the control of the
rider.
The combined brake and starting gear consists of the drums X X Y and Z,
Figures 4 and 7 Sheet 2.
The spindle of the steering wheel R is fixed to the fork, the wheel revolving freely
upon it within said fork. Upon the projecting ends of the spindle are pivotted the
levers, o. o, which are slotted at their outer extremities, to allow of the guide bearing
of the drum shafts P. P', sliding therein, during the ascent or descent of said drums.
The shafts P. Pare suitably coupled to the vertical step links N N', by means of the
spring boxes Figures 4 and 6. The drums X X have formed upon the outer
peripheries thereof, a number of projections, to enable them to grip the earth, when
depressed by the step links N N'A smaller drum Z being attached to the spindle or
shaft P at the side of the drum X Fig. 7, to which drum Z is attached a cord, passing
over the larger drum Y, which latter is freely suspended upon the shaft P¹, pivotted
within the fork W, of the spring box u aforesaid, so that it may have a slight vertical
movement but which cannot revolve. Within the drum Y is coiled a spiral spring,
one end of which is secured to the inner periphery of said drum Y and the other end
to the fixed spindle P¹. An arm g' rigidly attached to the spindle P¹, carries a ratchet
pawl, provided with an extension, which latter, may engage with the pin 1,
attached to the side of the spring box u. A ratchet wheel k, is attached to the left
side of the drum Figures 4 and 6, and serves to retain the tension of the coiled spring
aforesaid, when the latter is wound up by the cord upon the drum Y.
A
A similar ratchet K' is attached to the right side of the drum X, Figures 4 and 5,
which also is provided with an arm n, carrying a pawl m, having attached to it a
cord c, which, during the revolution of the drum X, is unwound from the drum d.
fixed arm a', upon the spindle P, carries a small drum e, provided with an internal
spiral spring, to wind up the slack of the cord as it is unwound from the drum d,
and finally, to raise the ratchet pawl m, from the teeth of the ratchet K', thus allowing
of the disengagement of the drum X, from the coiled spring aforesaid.
The method of using this novel arrangement is as follows:
When it is desired to arrest the forward motion of the vehicle or machine, the treadle,
or step link N' is depressed, thus bringing the drum X in contact with the ground.
The revolution of said drum, winds up the cord, upon the smaller drum Z, and the rotation
of the drum Y, during the unwinding of the cord, winds up the coiled spring, contained
in said drum Y, which is retained in tension, by the ratchet k, and pawl h. The excess
of power expended in arresting motion, is thus stored up in the spring box Y for future
ulse. When it is desired to start the vehicle or machine, the treadle or step link N, is
depressed, and the drum X brought into contact with the ground, the pin j, upon the
spring box u, raises the pawl h from the ratchet k, releasing the spring in the drum Y,
which imparts motion to the drum and also to the vehicle by means of the force stored
therein.
To prevent the risk of damage to the spring by reason of the drum X being kept
upon the ground, while the vehicle is in full motion, the arrangement of the ratchet K',
comes into operation, the cord e being wound up on the small drum e, by reason of the
internal coiled spring, until it is all wound off, when the pawl m, is disengaged from
the ratchet K', and the coiled spring in the drum Y, released. Said cord c is rewound by
the operation of winding the coiled spring in Y, when stopping the vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In a manumotive vehicle or machine, the mode of transmitting the weight of
the rider or riders to the ground, as a method of propulsion, and the means adopted
for carrying out said operation, substantially as herein described and set forth.
2nd. In a manumotive vehicle or machine, for agricultural or other purposes, the

page_text: application of a combined brake and accumulator of force, substantially as herein set
forth.
.3rd. In the construction of manumotive vehicles and machines, the combination of
a propelling rod D Fig. 1 with rocking bar B as a means of producing motion, by an
oblique thrust upon the ground and the sliding footboards and locking arrangement.
Fig. 2. for transmitting the weight of the rider substantially as herein described and
set forth.
JAMES
STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.