Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
I, JULES AMÉDÉR MAQUAIRE of 5 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improved tricycle which forms the subject of this invention differs essentially
from other velocipedes of the same kind in being convertible, that is to say, either one,
two, three or even more saddles can instantly be arranged upon it at will.
When the machine carries only one saddle it resembles and has all the qualities of
an ordinary "Cripper" tricycle."
The transmitting gear comprising one or two chains, and the differential gear
which enables the velocipede to pass the very small curves, are optionally placed either
at the centre of the main axle or on the sides in proximity to the driving wheels.
When the tricycle is used by a single rider, he is seated between the two driving
wheels and actuates the machine through the medium of a double crank or pedal.
The single saddle can be arranged in such a manner that two persons can be
conveniently seated thereon. The one has his face forwards, and drives and steers
the machine; the other turns his back towards the first and can place his feet upon
two foot-rests of india-rubber secured to the brackets of the bearings for the main
axle.
If the machine is to be converted into one having two, three or four seats, this can
be readily effected in a few seconds. Two saddles are fixed to the two uprights of the
frame or carriage and two supplementary pedals are connected with two exterior
cranks on the right hand and left band side of the machine. The steering handles
are made extensible and are prolonged in such a manner that the two riders have each
one handle at their disposal for support or for steering purposes.
In this case the machine has the appearance of two coupled rear trains frames or
carriages of bicycles, a saddle and a pair of foot levers being employed with each
driving wheel.
The first saddle, whose support is bent to a right angle and turned backwards, can
be occupied by a third person who is thus seated a little behind the first two persons.
He turns his back forwards and places his feet upon the foot-rests herein before
referred to.

page_text: A fourth person, for example, a, child, can also be provided with a place if, instead
of the single saddle, a double saddle is fixed upon the central support.
A foot rest extending forwards and fixed upon the brackets of the bearings for the
main axle will serve as a support. Accordingly the third and fourth persons are
placed back to back and side by side with the two riders who drive the machine.
Besides the convertibility, this improved machine, as compared with the so-called.
"Sociable" and "Rotary" machines, has the advantage that its width is much less,
because, instead of having their places between the driving wheels, the two riders
who drive the machine are directly above them. This machine has also the
advantage over the "Tandem" machine that, instead of being placed one bebind the
other, the riders who drive it are always side by side.
In order to make the said invention better understood, a tricycle constructed in
accordance therewith is represented in the accompanying drawing but only by way of
example.
Figure 1 represents a rear view of the improved tricycle.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tricycle having a single saddle so that
the machine can be used as an ordinary tricycle.
In these Figures similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts.
The two driving wheels a with their transmitting gear resemble two bicycle
wheels and need not therefore be described in detail. It should however. be
observed that their two pairs of pedals c, c and d, d are connected by a rod or bar e
so as to constitute, as it were, a third pair of pedals c, d that can be actuated by a
single rider seated upon the central saddlo shown.in Figure 3.
The steering handles f can be operated by the rider on the central seat, and they
are made extensible so that the riders on the lateral seats can use them.
The machine can therefore carry several movable seats g. For example if the
tricycle is to be mounted by two persons-two-saddles are placed as shown in Figure 1,
the third saddle.being kept in reserve; if it is to be mounted by only one person a
single saddle is arranged as represented in Figure 3; and if the tricycle is to be used
for three persons the diagram Figure 4 shows the relative positions of the three
saddles. These several transformations can be effected instantly and without a
change in the route and the necessity for carrying about heavy and inconvenient
tools is obviated.
The particular construction of the parts of the apparatus, not forming part of the
herein before described invention, may be or any suitable or well known kind and be
selected from those most convenient for this kind of tricycle.
DAT.1 1000

page_text: Improvements in Tricycles.
I, JULES AMÉDÉE MAQUAIRE, of 5 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described. and. ascertained-in and by, the
following statement :-
The improved tricycle which forms the subject of this invention differs essentially
from other velocipedes of the same kind in being convertible, that is to say, either
one, two, three or even more saddles can instantly be arranged upon it or removed
therefrom at will.
When the machine carries only one saddle it resembles and has all the qualities
an ordinary "Cripper" tricycle.
of
The transmitting gear comprising one or two chains and the differential, gear
which enables the velocipede to pass very small curves, are optionally placed
either at the centre of the main axle or on the sides in proximity to the driving
wheels. When the tricycle is used by a single rider, he is seated between.the.two
driving wheels and actuates.the machine through the medium of a double 'crank or
pedal.
The single saddle can be arranged in such a manner that two persons can be
conveniently seated thereon. The one has his face forwards, and drives and steers
the machine: the other turns his back towards the first and can place. his feet .upon
two foot rests of india-rubber secured to the brackets of the bearings, for the main
axle.
:
)
If the machine is to be converted. into one having two, three or four seats, this can
be readily effected in a few seconds. Two saddles are fixed to the two uprights of
the frame or carriage and two supplementary pedals are connected with two exterior
cranks on the right hand and left hand side of the machine. The steering handles
are made extensible and are prolonged in such a manner that the two riders have
each one handle at their disposal for support or for steering purposes.
In this case the machine has the appearance of two coupled frames or carriages of.a
bicycle, a saddle and a pair of pedals being employed with each driving wheel.
The first saddle, whose support is bent to a right angle and turned backwards, can
be occupied by a third person who is thus seated a little behind the first two persons.
He turns his back forwards and places his feet upon the foot-rests hereinbefore
referred to.
A fourth person, for example a child, can also be provided with a' place if, instead
of the single.saddle,.a:double saddle is fixed upon. the central support.
A foot-rest extending forwards and, fixed upon the brackets of the bearings for. the
main axle will serve as a support. Accordingly the third and fourth persons are
placed back to back and side by side with the two riders who drive the machine.
Besides the convertibility, this improved machine as compared with the so-called
"Sociable" and "Rotary "machines, has the advantage that its width is much less

page_text: because instead of having their places between the driving wheels, the two riders who
drive the machine are directly above them. This machine has also the advantage
over the "Tandem" machine that, instead of being placed one behind the other, the
riders who drive it are always side by side.
In order to make the said invention better understood, a tricycle constructed in
accordance therewith is represented, by way of example only, in the drawing left
with the provisional specification and also in the drawings accompanying the present
specification in which
Figure 1 represents a rear view of the improved tricycle.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tricycle having a single saddle so that the
machine can be used as an ordinary tricycle.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the saddles.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of an improved form of convertible tricycle.
Figure 6 is a plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
. Referring to Figures 1.to 4 the two driving wheels a with their transmitting gear b
resemble two bicycle wheels, and need not therefore be described in detail. It sbould
however be observed that their two pairs of pedals c c and d d are connected by a rod
or bar e so as to constitute as it were, a third pair of pedals c d that can be actuated
by a single rider seated upon the central saddle shown in Figure 3.
The steering handles can be operated by the rider on the central seat and they
are made extensible so that the riders on the lateral seats can use them.
The machine can therefore carry several movable seats g. For example if the
tricycle is to be mounted by two persons, two saddles are placed as shown in Figure 1,
the third saddle being kept in reserve: if it is to be mounted by only one person a
single saddle is arranged as represented in Figure 3, and if the tricycle is to be used
for three persons the diagram Figure 4 shows the relative positions of the three
saddles. These several transformations can be effected instantly and-without-a-change.
in the route and the necessity for carrying about heavy and inconvenient tools is
obviated.
The particular construction of the parts of the apparatus, not forming part of the
hereinbefore described invention, may be of any suitable or well known kind and
may be selected from those most convenient for this kind of tricycle.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown an improved arrangement of convertible tricycle
which is based upon the principal features above described.
For the sake of greater convenience I have divided the pair of interior pedals e
into two parts so as to leave a place for the feet of the rider in the middle when the
machine is mounted by three persons. The brake f¹ f is actuated on each side
through the medium of lovers g¹ by the person seated upon the corresponding lateral
saddle but in case the machine carries only one rider seated between the two driving
wheels, the support h Figure 5 for the saddle is turned so as to bring the rider forward
having within reach of cach of his hands the interior extremity of the brake levers.
In order to enable this displacement of the central saddle, the rod i which operates
the steering wheel k is made with a slot or is extensible so that the rod of this steering
wheel accompanies the saddle in its approaching or receding movement as hereinbefore
*described.
Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings clearly show this actuating gear by which motion
is transmitted to the steering gear through the toothed sector m, bevel pinion n and
toothed wheel o.
Thus arranged my convertible tricycle is rendered very practical and the wheels are
very close together in comparison with the number of persons which it can accommodate.
Having thus enumerated the new results realized by my improved tricycle and also
the advantages which are obtained thereby it is sufficient to state here that the arrange-
ment described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 comprises the same advantages as
that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 the former moreover presents greater
simplicity as regards the driving gear.

page_text: 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
First. The improved tricycle characterized by the special arrangement which
enables one or more saddles and pedals to be applied or to be dispensed with steering
handles being made extensible so that their length may be instantaneously lengthened
or shortened as required applying in consequence and by preference as driving
wheels bicycle wheels with their driving and transmitting mechanism as above
specified with reference to the drawings.
Second. A convertible tricycle in which the lateral auxiliary saddles are placed
above the wheels and the pedals of which are mounted upon a single shaft so as to
constitute at will three pairs of pedals by the simple adjunction of an exterior pedal
on each side as described and represented.
Third. A convertible tricycle having a single driving chain placed in the middle
of the machine and comprising a slotted steering rod in combination with the saddles
for instantaneous mounting in the centre, at the rear and above each lateral wheel
as described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 27th day of December 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.