Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOHN JULES WARDLE of 4 Ridley Place, in the city and county of Newcastle on
Tyne, Artist 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 improvements in velocipedes and has special reference to a
novel arrangement or combination of parts forming driving gear in velocipedes as
hereinafter set forth. I will describe my invention with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of those
portions of a velocipede to which my invention refers.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations the latter partly in section Fig. 5 being a sectional
plan these three figures showing certain arrangements designed to admit of the ratio
of driving gear being altered to suit the rider's convenience and throughout this
description like numbers of reference in the specification and in the drawings designate
like parts.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 7 is the rear or driving wheel, 8 is the leading or
steering wheel, 9 are the treadles, 10 are the treadle cranks attached to treadle crank
axle 11 working in an eye or bearing 12 formed on the base of the upright piece 13
all in the usual way.
14 are stays to stiffen the gear at base of piece 13. 15 is a
bevel wheel keyed to treadle crank axle 11 aforesaid gearing into the bevel wheel 16
mounted on side shaft 17. I mount this shaft in bearings 18, 19 the latter being
formed in the axle 20 on or around which the rear driven wheel 7 revolves while the
former is formed in an extension or lug 21 of the bearing 12 carrying the axle 11
aforesaid. 22 is a mitre wheel on the opposite end of shaft 17 gearing into mitre
wheel 23 mounted loosely on axle 20 but connected to the boss 24 of the wheel 7 so
that these parts shall revolve synchronously round axle 20. 25 is the rear fork of the
velocipede frame.
It will be observed that by the above described arrangement the use of chain
gearing now so generally used is abolished and in its place I substitute the more
rigid shaft and bevel gearing by which I secure greater strength with less complica-
tion of parts.
I find in practice that for a 30 inch driving wheel the bevel
wheels 15, 16 may with advantage be 4 and 2 inches diameter respectively while
the mitres 22, 23 may be equally geared and 3 inches diameter although as will be
understood any or all of these dimensions may be varied at the discretion of the
rider.
As under certain circumstances the rider wishes to alter or vary the ratio of gearing
in the machine in accordance with the nature of the road traversed I have provided
means to effect this which I will now explain having reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in
which Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the driving gear shown in Fig. 3. Instead
of the single toothed driving wheel 15 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 hereinbefore
described I provide a driving wheel 26 with a double set of teeth thereon an inner
set 27 and an outer set 28 and I arrange the pinion wheel 29 in such a manner that
it can either be in gear with either of the above sets of teeth or out of gear with
both of them. In order to accomplish this object successfully I form the teeth of
the driving wheel 26 circular in plan and tapered or cone shaped in elevation or side
section as shown clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and I form the ends of the teeth of the
pinion 29 pointed or knife edged so that when the wheel 29 is slid backwards or
forwards on its shaft 30 (in the manner hereinafter explained) the pointed ends of
the teeth on wheel 29 offer every facility to their readily sliding into gear with either
of the sets of teeth 27 or 28 on wheel 26 as desired. When wheel 29 is required
to be out of gear it then occupies the position shown in Fig. 4 in which

page_text: the width of the wheel is shown somewhat less than the width between the teeth 27
and 28.
The wheel 29 is reciprocated on its shaft 30 by means of the lever 31 centred
at 32 so that when the handle 33 is pushed or pulled in one direction the forked
lower end 34 of the lever embracing a groove in the boss 35 of wheel 29 causes the
latter to slide in an opposite direction thus enabling the rider to vary his speed gear
at will without dismounting.
The sector 36 is provided with notches in the usual way so that the lever may be
placed in any notch required.
In the above description provision is made for a two-speed machine but as obviously
a three-speed machine can if required be constructed on the same principle, the
requisite modifications being self-evident, further reference thereto is unnecessary.
A very simple method of varying the speed gear consists in providing a set pin
in the boss of the wheel 29 so that the latter can be set in position thereby
by pinning it to its shaft 30. To do this, the rider must, however, dismount.
I find that machines fit up with the above described gear and with the usual ball
bearings where available run easier because of diminished friction and offer greater
facilities for travelling on rough and hilly roads than the machines constructed with
other types of gear.
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. Driving gear in velocipedes consisting of a driving bevel wheel 15 on the treadle
crank axle gearing into and operating a bevel wheel 16 on a shaft 17 the opposite end
of said shaft having a bevel wheel 22 gearing with and operating a bevel wheel 23
on or connected to the boss of the driving wheel all arranged and operating sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. Variable speed driving gear in velocipedes consisting of a driving wheel 26 on
the treadle crank axle with an inner and an outer set of teeth with either of which the
teeth of the driven wheel 29 can be thrown into gear by means of the lever 31 the
several parts being arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improve-
ments in driving gear in velocipedes substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
set forth.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent for Applicant.