Improvements in and connected with Tricycles and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: 'Date of Application, 14th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Tricycles and other
Velocipedes.
STEPHEN KEMP, of 15 Grove Road, Upper Holloway in the County of
Middlesex, Inventor and Mechanical Model Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This my invention relates to an entirely new and novel method of propelling
tricycles and other velocipedes, by an exactly similar action to rowing in a boat,
employing sliding seats, steering by the feet, and having a central pull from the
front.
This application is a modification of Specification lodged by me No. 4101 for
which I received acceptance.
The aforesaid modification consist in its being a combination machine, capable
of instant change by the rider from the rowing process, to the ordinary crank
treadle action, as now in use, and vice versa, or both processes may be employed
together in hill climbing with advantage.
First the plan of my frame embraces the front and both sides, the near, or left
hand side of which frame for the convenience of ladies, is curved down U shaped
from the front to near the main driving wheels, thus enabling them to step into
instead of over the machine. The main driving wheels on ordinary tricycle axles,
but the back bridge instead of springing from the axle in the ordinary way, will
spring from the frame sides, which sides contain the bearings for the main axle, the
bridge rising to an apex, to which apex is fixed an inverted backbone, or bearer
pointing downwards to the footplates at an angle of about 45 deg., which inclined
plane is continued downwards for about 20 in. more or less, it then takes a vertical
or about upright position, at the termination of which upright part, the bottom
bracket, pedal and chain gear is fixed, and gearing with main axle is capable of
being instantly thrown out of gear when using the rowing process. The seat or
saddle is arranged to slide up and down on the inclined backbone or bearer, on
traveller and provided with guide rod or rods to prevent side oscilation, and a
powerfull spring giving out sufficient to enable the rider to bend the knees and
reaching the feet, and grasping a T handle, as the handles of sculls, the spring
forcing the seat back, up the inclined bearer, as the rider straighten the legs for a
long pull.
To change from pulling to treading the seat, or saddle being loose, it is only
necessary to give half a turn to a set screw provided with fixed short handle
wrench, and adjust to any desired height.
For steering whilst treading, 1 employ the ordinary handle bars attached to the
neck of the fork of the front steering wheel, which fork neck may be jointed, and
which joint may be secured by a cap socket, which cap is quickly removed, and the
handles may be folded back so as to be out of the way when rowing alone.
For the rowing action, on the front of the frame I fix two upright standards,
one on the right hand side, and the other near the centre, provided with bearings
to receive a short shaft, on the outer end of which shaft, I fix a chain driving
wheel or groved pulley wheel, with a corresponding chain driving wheel, or pulley
wheel, fixed on the main axle, and with chain or wire, or other band in gear with
the said axle and shaft wheels, running close and parrallel to the sides, forms the
driving band.
The motive power I obtain by placing a channel or groved wheel on the central
end of the said short shaft, and revolving loosely on the said shaft, the said
groved or motor wheel may be 13 inches in diameter, representing a 6 in. throw

page_text: or crank, more or less, on the face of the said motor wheel; is a projecting ring,
covering and embracing a fixed carrier wheel on the said short shaft which
carrier wheel and shaft may be driven by ordinary clutch, or silent pawl and
ratchet action, in either. clutch, or ratchet action, the Rawls or rollers that bites the
fixed carrier wheel on, shaft, may be instantly thrown out of gear, by a slotted
disc or ring, loosely secured to the face of ring on motor wheel which disc has
internal fixed pins, corresponding with clutch rollers, or. pawls, and by turning the
disc a short distance one way or the other, renders the rollers or pawls in or out of
gear, the said disc is secured in position by a lever spring pin passing through
disc into face of ring on motor wheel thus enabling the machine to
backwards.
move
My motive driving band of any suitable material I now pass round, making one
end fast to the groved motor wheel and the other end fast to T handle, and pulling
inwards and upwards, the whole parts and wheels will revolve forwards.
The automatic recovering action, is an important part in this modified
application.
In the former application refered to above I had arranged the recovering spring
drum in advance or apart from the motive power wheel.
I now obtain the recovering action by fixing a barrel spring to the loose motor
wheel itself, that is, on the long hub of the said loose motor wheel, which hub
forms the arbor, to which arbor, one end of the spring is attached, the other end
of the spring being attached to the inner side of the barrel, which barrel is fixed
to the standard in which the shaft works, the spring coiling round the motor
wheel hub, as the arbor, and by turning the motor wheel round from the machine,
any required tension may be obtained for the recovery of the motor band at the
end of each pull. Coil or other springs may be employed, but for the present I
prefer the above described method.
The steering is effected by the feet being placed in foot plates loosely hinged on
a crossbar about the heels, the toes of foot plates, being attached to levers or wire
cords passing through pulleys and in connection with arms on side of front wheel
fork, the aforesaid crossbar is sustained on a hanger attached to front of machine--
and the steering in rowing or treading, in no way interfere with each other, by the
above described method-or the steering may be governed in both rowing and
treading action, by a rack and tooth wheeled arrangement at side. If desired and
for rowing alone, the above described motive power wheel, and automatic recovering
action, may be employed on the main driving axle direct, thereby dispensing with
side gearing, and steering by the rear wheel. By leaving the top end of the
inclined bearer loose, the weight of the rider will be brought to bear on the main
driving wheels.
Dated this 14th dow of Iul. 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Tricycles and other
Velocipedes.
STEPHEN KEMP, of 18 Holbeck Road, Stockwell in the County of Surrey,
Inventor and Mechanical Model Maker, 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 :-
This my invention relates to an entirely new and novel method of propelling
tricycles and other velocipedes by an exactly similar action to rowing in a boat.
Employing sliding seats, steering by the feet, and having a direct central pull
from the front.
For the rowing action, I mount a motor grooved wheel on short shaft on front

page_text: of machine, in a central position, which motor grooved wheel, is the driving wheel,
for side driving. by means of endless chain or other endless' driving bands the
driving wheel revolving loosely on shaft, the driving wheel is a recessed wheel,
described in the Provisional as a ring on the face of motor, or driving wheel,
which is one and the same thing, covering and embracing a fixed carrier wheel on
the said short shaft, which carrier wheel and shaft may be driven by ordinary
roller clutch, or silent pawl and ratchet action, in either clutch or ratchet action.
The pawls or rollers that bite the fixed carrier wheel, may be instantly thrown out
of gear, by a radial slotted disc or ring loosely secured to the face of the pawl
carrier or recessed driving wheel, the disc having internal fixed pins corresponding
with clutch rollers, or pawls, and by turning the disc to the limit of radial slots,
renders the rollers or pawls in or out of gear. The disc is secured in its place by
a lever spring pin passing through disc into face of driving wheel, thus enabling
the machine to move backwards.
The pawls are loosely secured in their places by fixed pins in recessed driving
wheel.
I obtain the automatic recovering action by fixing a barrel spring to the loose
recessed driving wheel, that is, on the long hub of the said driving wheel, which
hub forms the arbor, to which arbor the inner end of the spring is attached, the
outer end of spring being attached to the inner side of barrel, which barrel is fixed
to standard or bearings in which the shaft works, the spring winding round the
hub of the driving wheel, by turning which wheel from machine, any required
tension may be obtained for the recovery of the pulling band at the end of
each pull.
The above description applies to endless driving bands only-but if desired, and
for rowing action alone, the above described driving wheel and automatic recovering
action may be employed on the main driving axle direct, with single steel wire
driving band, or other suitable material as shown, thereby dispensing with side
gearing, and, if desired steering by the rear wheel dispensing with all driving bands,
except pulling band, by using wheel as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, by
leaving the top end of backbone, or bearer, loose, the weight of the rider will be
brought to bear on the front main driving wheels.
The annexed sheet of drawings will aid more fully to describe my arrangements
the same letters of reference indicating the same parts in different views.
Fig. 1. is a side view of disc on face of recessed driving wheel on main axle,
bridge, and backbone.
Fig. 2. is a side view of motor wheel, showing method of pulling and steering.
Fig. 3. is a side view of driving wheel with disc removed, showing pawl and
carrier arrangement.
Fig. 4. is a section of driving gear.
A is the motor wheel. B. is the fixed groved wheel which may be any size,
creating more or less rotations of main wheels C and C¹. The single driving
bands, one end of which band is made fast to groved wheel B. the other end fast
to driving wheel D. working by either band shown, from side, or central round
loose pulley X. D. the driving wheel. E. the fixed carrier. F. the disc securing
pawls in their places. G. the spring box or barrel, fixed to J. H. the spring.
1. the main axle. J. the lug on bridge securing spring barrel. K. the bridge.
L. the backbone. M. the main wheels. N. the front steering wheel. H¹ the dress
holder for ladies. O. the pulling band, one end fast to motor wheel A.. P. the
pawls. R. the short cross front of frame.
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:
First. The spring recovering action, the spring being attached to the driving
wheel, thus enabling to drive by a single driving band of any suitable material,

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in
accompanying drawings.
Secondly. The pawl arrangement in internal driving wheel, loosely secured by
fixed pins with disc arrangement to secure pawls in or out of gear, substantially for
the purpose as described.
Thirdly. The central pull from front by single line.
DL
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