Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
I, SPENCER ROLFE, of Alma Cottage, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, 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,-
=
In order that power may be transmitted in variable ratio from the source of
power to the wheel or machine to be driven, I provide the arrangement indicated
in the accompanying drawings, in which my invention is shown more especially
as applied to bicycles, although it is equally applicable to all purposes where a
variable ratio gear is required.
On the driver and driven shafts discs are fitted, against the face of which
rollers or edge-runners run, which may be smooth or milled on edge as may be
required and connected by a shaft The adhesion of the rollers on the disos 19
regulated and maintained by counterpressure fingers, armed with rollers, ball.
or rounded ends, and bifurcated or not as desirable, attached, or their fulcra
attached to the bearings of the shaft carrying the rollers, the whole being indepen-
dant and capable of movement endways. The shaft & attachments 18 caused to
move endways when required, in the manner shown on the drawings or in any
other suitable way.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 indicates an ordinary bicycle in elevation with my improved trans-
mitter, A, the counter-pressure fingers B, being shown bifurcated-at C, is shown
one method of actuating my variable gear.
Fig. 2, 18 a plan of the same.
Fig. 3, is an elevation of the same in its simplest form in which A is the gear
shaft in this case talescopio, B the variable end and D the fixed one, the former
being actuated by the lever C.
Fig. 4 an elevation of the same as applied to a womans bicycle in which the
variation 18 very small A being the gear and the actuating lever
Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, various details in order to more clearly indicate
In Fig 5; A is the gear similar to Fig 1
my invention.
BB are two forms of pressure fingers
by which the grip of the rollers on the disca D are maintained or regulated
Cis the actuating cord which in this case is shown as moving the gear in one
direction the return being caused by a spring or springs E a the pedal or source
of power G the friction rollers, which in this case are shown variable in unison.
In Fig 6 similar letters refer to corresponding parts but in this drawing the
rollers G are shown of different diameters and may be one or both movable, in
the former case the shaft being telescopic as in Fig. 3 Fig 7 18 a detail of the
end of gear tube of Fig. 5, A being the tube, F the shaft, (solid or telescopio) and
G the friction. roller
Fig. 8 is a detail of one form of the end of pressure fingers B and Fig 5
Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14, indicate a few forms of actuating gear for moving
the shaft & rollers as applied to bicycles and the like, In Fig. 9 and 10, the

page_text: variation of gearing is caused by the revolution of the handle H a spring releasing
gear being shown at I
In Figs 11 and 12 the variable gear is actuated by a sliding knob or button J
causing a rack K to revolve the wheel L round which the actuating cord is wound.
The knob J is caused to lock the gear in any position by being screwed into the
rack and slide. The position of the gear may be indicated by divisions on the
slide.
Figs 13 and 14 indicate the gear notuated by a worm and wheel M working
the nut on a quick threaded screw N, O is an indicator of position for a similar
purpose to that engraved on the slide of Figs. 11 and 12, and also indicated at C
in Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said anten-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I'
claim is:
An arrangement of variable ratio power transmitting gear substantially as
heroin described or illustrated