Improvements in the Driving Gear and Frames of Velocipedes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Gear and Frames of Velocipedes.
We, JULES LE METAIS, PAUL LE MÉTAIS and LOUIS LE METAIS, all of 10, Rue
Flocon, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mechanicians, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a specially simple method of arranging the driving
gear of velocipedes, the said method being particularly advantageous in its applica-
tion to triplet and other multiple machines.
According to our invention, the transmission shaft, which connects the crank axle
with the hub of the rear wheel (which shaft has fixed to each of its extremities a
bevelled pinion) passes through a tubular casing which is provided at each end with
a ball bearing, and which is screwed at one end into the cup brazed upon the bottom
or crank-axle bracket, and at the other end into a cup which is fixed upon the axle of
the driving wheel, by means of a forked lug, and a tightening nut.
In order to mount the mechanism, after having passed the transmission shaft into
its tubular casing, this latter is screwed into the fixed cup brazed upon the bottom
bracket, then the movable cup is screwed upon the other extremity of the tubular
casing. The axle of the driving-wheel is simultaneously engaged in the slot of the
ordinary forked arm and in the corresponding slot provided in the lug of the sleeve ;
then, it only remains to fix the whole by means of a tightening nut which is screwed
upon the end of the axle adjacent to the movable cup.
This arrangement may be readily applied to a multiple machine, to a triplet
machine for example, between the rear crank-axle bearing and the driving wheel.
The crank-axle bearings are connected one with the other by means of oblique
transmission rods similar to that already described, thereby affording an extremely
simple means of transmitting to the driving wheel the simultaneous motion of
the crank axles; the mounting may be effected with great exactness, and dismounting
is very simple, whilst the rigidity of the whole is assured by the use of a novel and
specially strong frame.
The transmission tube or shaft has rigidly fixed upon it at one end a bevel pinion
which gears with a pinion of larger diameter fixed upon the crank axle, and upon
the other end of the said shaft is fixed a pinion which gears with a pinion of smaller
diameter fixed upon the axle of the driving wheel. This transmission tube or shaft
is arranged within the tubular casing, which is fixed to the frame and forms, in
fact, the second arm of the ordinary horizontal fork connecting the bottom bracket
and the driving wheel.
At the extremities of the tubular casing are brazed screwed or otherwise secured
two cups which form the casings of the ball bearings. Upon the sleeve of the
erank-axle is brazed a large cup having its side notched or slotted. The cup at
bottom bracket_end of the casing for the transmission shaft is screwed into the
the cup on the sleeve of the crank axle and the pinions thus gear one with the other
through the slot in the said cup. At the other extremity of the casing of the trans-
mission shaft a suitably notched or slotted cup is screwed upon the cup on the
transmission shaft casing. This cup is provided with a fork-shaped angle piece,

page_text: which receives between its branches the axle of the driving wheel. This axle is also
lodged upon the same side within the lower end of the corresponding arm of the
seat-pillar fork of the frame. It results from this that by screwing the nut upon
the extremity of the side of the cup, this cup is secured in place and with it the
whole of the transmission mechanism.
.'
The screwing of the last mentioned cup upon the cup of the tubular casing likewise
enables the two ball bearings arranged at the extremities of the transmission shaft
to be adjusted.
The gearing may be dismounted instantaneously, so to speak. It is only necessary
to unscrew the said nut, to remove the wheel of the machine to then rotate the
tubular casing in the proper direction in order to un-screw the cup at the end of the
said casing from the fixed cup of the bottom bracket:
The latter cup is, as already stated, preferably brazed upon the sleeve of the
crank-axle, but it may be screwed by means of its shank into a tubular part of
suitable diameter arranged in a corresponding position upon this same sleeve.
We may also apply our method of mounting the driving mechanism indifferently
to safety bicycles, tricycles or multiple machines.
In the special instance of its application to triplet machines, the various trans-
mission shafts may be mounted upon a novel and specially rigid frame.
The casings of the crank axle bearings or bottom brackets are connected one with
the other by horizontal tubes. The tubes are fixed above and below the end casings
of the crank axle bearings in pairs in prolongation of each other and in the same
vertical plane. A special form is given to the said end casings for this purpose and
they are provided with tubular parts rigidly connected with them, and slightly bent
for the reception of the tubes of the frame.
The middle crank axle casing is also rigidly connected with four sockets through
which pass the tubes of the frame.
These tubes render the frame absolutely rigid and afford a very simple means of
supporting the oblique transmission shafts, which render the motion of the three
crank axles uniform.
Each of these shafts is mounted in a tubular casing, as already described.
The forward oblique shaft is provided at both extremities with toothed bevel
pinions engaging with the bevel wheels which are fixed upon the front and middle
crank axles respectively. The rear oblique shaft terminates in pinions which gear
in the same manner with the bevel wheels fixed upon the middle crank-axle and
the rear crank axle respectively.
Ball bearings are arranged in suitable enlargements of the tubular casing of the
oblique shafts; the ball bearings thus formed are rigidly fixed, and, for example,
brazed upon the tubes of the frame. A ready and simple means is thus afforded of
relieving the crank axle bearings which are sufficiently encumbered, by removing
these ball bearings to some distance from the pinions; these latter bearings
being rigidly secured by means of the horizontal tubes of the indeformable
frame.
The transmission is effected from the forward crank axle to the rear wheel in the
manner which has been described; the arrangement as a whole adopted in the case
of a triplet machine, with oblique transmission shafts, facilitate the mounting and
enable the effort exerted to be transmitted to each side of the frame in succession,
the latter being consequently much less strained.
J
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1000

page_text: Improvements in the Driving Gear and Frames of Velocipedes.
I, JULES LE MÉTAIS, PAUL LE METAIS, and LOUIS LE METAIS, all of 10, Rue
Flocon, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mechanicians, 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 invention relates to a specially simple method of arranging the driving gear
of velocipedes, the said method being particularly advantageous in its application to
triplet and other multiple machines, that is to say, machines for carrying three or
more riders.
According to our invention, the transmission shaft which connects the crank axle
with the hub of the rear wheel, (which shaft has fixed to each of its extremities a
bevelled pinion) passes through a tubular casing which is provided at each end
with a ball bearing, and which is screwed at one end into the cup brazed upon the
bottom or crank-axle bracket, and at the other end into a cup which is fixed
upon the axle of the driving wheel, by means of a forked lug and a tightening nut.
In order to mount the mechanism, after having passed the transmission shaft
into its tubular casing, this latter is screwed into the fixed cup brazed upon the
bottom bracket, then the movable cup is screwed upon the other extremity of
the tubular casing. The axle of the driving wheel is simultaneously engaged in the
slot of the ordinary forked arm and in the corresponding slot provided in the lug
of the sleeve, then, it only remains to fix the whole by means of a tightening nut
which is screwed upon the end of the axle adjacent to the movable cup.
This arrangement may also be readily applied to a multiple machine, to a triplet
machine for example, between the rear crank-axle hearing and the driving wheel.
The crank-axle bearings are connected one with the other by means of oblique
transmission rods similar to that already described, thereby affording an extremely
practical means of transmitting to the driving wheel the simultaneous motion of
the crank axles; the mounting may be effected with great exactness, and dismounting
is very simple whilst the rigidity of the whole is assured by the use of a novel and
specially strong frame.
Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the driving mechanism of a chainless safety
bicycle, arranged in accordance with our invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively views in elevation and in plan shewing our novel
device applied to a triplet machine, with a frame connecting the different crank
axle bearings and supporting the oblique transmission shafts, and
Figure 4 represents a section on line 1-2 of Figure 2.
The transmission tube or shaft a (Figure 1) has rigidly fixed upon it at one end the
bevel pinion 6 which gears with a pinion c of larger diameter fixed upon the crank
axle, and upon the other end of the said shaft is fixed a pinion & which gears with a
pinion of smaller diameter f fixed upon the hub of the driving wheel. The trans-
mission tube or shaft a is arranged within the tubular casing g, which is fixed to the
frame and forms, in fact, the second arm of the ordinary horizontal fork connecting
the bottom bracket and the driving wheel.
At the extremities of the tubular casing g are brazed screwed or otherwise secured
two cups h and h¹ which form the casings of the ball bearings e and e¹. Upon the
sleeve of the crank-axle is brazed a large cup k having its side notched or slotted.
The cup h at the bottom bracket end of the casing g is screwed into the cup k and the
pinions b and c thus gear one with the other through the slot in the said cup k. At
the other extremity of the casing g a suitable notched or slotted cup is screwed upon
the cup
h¹ on the transmission shaft casing. This cup is provided with a forkshaped

page_text: angle piece m, which receives between its branches the axle o of the driving wheel.
This axle is also lodged upon the same side within the lower end of the corresponding
arm of the seat pillar fork p of the frame. It follows from this that by screwing the
nutq on the extremity of the axle o against the fork p and the angle piece m on the
side of the cup 1, this cup is secured in place and with it the whole of the transmission
mechanism.
The screwing of the last mentioned cup upon the cup of the tubular casing g
likewise enables the two ball bearings arranged at the extremities of the transmission
shaft a to be adjusted.
The gearing may be dismounted instantaneously so to speak. It is only necessary
to unscrew the said nut q, to remove the wheel of the machine and to then rotate
the tubular casing g in the proper direction in order to unscrew the cup h at the
end of the said casing from the fixed cup k of the bottom bracket.
k
The latter cup is, as already stated, preferably brazed upon the sleeve i of the
crank-axle, but it may be screwed by means of its shank into a tubular part of
suitable diameter arranged in a corresponding position upon this same sleeve j.
We may also apply our method of mounting the driving mechanism indifferently
to safety bicycles, tricycles or multiple machines.
In the special instance of its application to triplet machines, the various transmission
shafts may be mounted upon a specially rigid frame of novel construction represented
in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
The casings a¹ 61 c¹ of the crank axle bearings or bottom bracket are connected one
with the other by horizontal tubes d e f g ¹¹, and j¹ and not seen in the
drawings. The tubes are fixed above and below the said casings a¹ and c¹ of the
crank axle bearings in pairs in prolongation of each other and in the same vertical
plane. A special forin is given to the said end casings a¹ and c' for this purpose
and they are provided with tubular parts 1, 2, 3; 5, 6, 7, and and 8 not seen
in the drawings, rigidly connected with them, and slightly bent for the reception
of the tubes of the frame.
The middle crank axle casing b¹ is also rigidly connected with four sockets m', n₁ o¹
through which pass the tubes of the frame.
These tubes render the frame absolutely rigid and afford a very simple means
of supporting the oblique transmission shafts p₁ and 9', which render the motion of
the three crank axles uniform.
Each of these shafts is mounted in a tubular casing, as already described.
The forward oblique shaft q¹ is provided at both extremities with toothed bevel
pinions and s, engaging with the bevel wheels and 8 which are fixed upon the
front and middle crank axles respectively. The rear oblique shaft p¹ terminates
in pinions and u which gear in the same manner with the bevel wheels s¹ u' fixed
upon the middle crank axle and the rear crank axle respectively.
Ball bearings are arranged at x and x¹, y and y¹ in suitable enlargements of the
tubular casing of the oblique shafts p and q¹; the ball bearings thus formed are
rigidly fixed, and, for example, brazed upon the tubes of the frame. By this arrange-
ment the crank axle bearings, which are sufficiently encumbered may be relieved
by removing these ball bearings to some distance from the pinions; these latter
bearings being rigidly secured by means of the horizontal tubes of the indeformable
frame.
The transmission is effected from the forward crank axle c² to the rear wheel v
in the manner which has been described; the arrangement as a whole adopted in
the case of a triplet machine, with oblique transmission shafts, facilitates the
mounting and enables the effort exerted to be transmitted to each side of the frame
in succession, the latter being consequently much less strained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A device for mounting, the driving parts of safety bicycles, tricycles, and

page_text: multiple machines as above described and consisting essentially in screwing the tube
encasing the transinission shaft which carries the two conical pinions at its extremities,
on the one side in a cup brazed or screwed upon the crank axle tube and on the other
side in a cup fixed upon the axle of the driving wheel by means of a forked lug,
which embraces this axle and of a nut.
2. The driving mechanism for a chainless safety bicycle as a whole, with the
chainless arrangement set forth in Claim 1, as above described with reference to
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.
3. The application of the same device as described in Claim 1 to multiple machines,
and in particular to triplet machines, by the employment between the crank axles
of transmission shafts which are oblique with respect to the axis of the machine and
terminating in conical pinions gearing with conical pinions of larger diameter rigidly
fixed upon the crank axles, these different parts being mounted and protected in the
manner above described.
4. In a triplet or other multiple machine as described in Claim 3, the employment
of a rigid frame formed by the combination of two systems of four horizontal tubes,
arranged in pairs in the same vertical plane and in the same horizontal plane, these
tubes connecting the crank axle bearings and serving also to support the oblique
ball bearings of the transmission shafts.
5. The application of our novel, indeformable and rigid frame as described in Claim 4,
to multiple machines, such as triplets and so forth, of different models.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.