Improvements in and relating to the Driving Mechanism of Cycles and the like, applicable also as a Brake.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Driving Mechanism of Cycles
and the like, applicable also as a Brake.
I, AMBROSE ARTHUR LINDON, of Rack Park, Kingsbridge, in the County of
Devon, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows. .
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to the driving
mechanism of cycles and the like, applicable also as a brake. It is applicable
to both the chain-driven and chainless types of machine and whether the machine
be used merely to carry the rider or be employed to drive some object such as a
boat, for instance.
The object of the invention is to enable the arms to assist the legs in the pro-
pulsion of the machine or vehicle, so as to obtain additional driving power and
more equally distribute the exertion on both the body and the machine.
According to my invention, in order to attain the above object, I hinge or
pivot the handle-bar in such manner that the handles may be moved up and
down in the vertical plane without moving the middle of the bar or tee-head
piece of the handle-bar stem, and to the handle-bar I attach a fixed or adjustably
fixed arm which projects out in front. To the hub of the front road wheel
is fixed, or it may be integral therewith, a small cog-wheel or sprocket-wheel,
and another cog or sprocket wheel, preferably of larger size, is mounted in
bearings in the front fork at any suitable distance from the centre of the first-
mentioned small cog-wheel. The two said cog-wheels are connected together
by means of a chain, band, or other suitable connecting piece to transmit the
motion, and the spindle of the larger one or driving wheel is provided with a
crank to the pin of which is loosely connected the lower end of a coupling rod
or bar, made telescopic or otherwise adjustable as regards its length, the upper
end of which bar is loosely connected to the free end of the above-mentioned
fixed or adjustably fixed projecting arm on the handle bar.
The gearing or proportion between the two gear wheels driven from the handle
bars may vary from that of the back gearing driven from the pedals, but prefer-
ably the two sets are geared for the same speed.
The joints throughout this auxiliary driving mechanism are preferably fitted
with ball-bearings.
Thus it will be understood from the above description that alternately raising
and depressing the handles causes the rotation of the crank on the spindle of
the driving cog-wheel thereby rotating the said wheel which in turn through
the medium of the connecting chain and smaller cog-wheel drives the front road
wheel.
The above description applies more particularly to a chain-driven machine,
but the construction employed for a chainless machine would vary only very
lightly therefrom and would consist chiefly in gearing the front driving cog-
wheel with the wheels or pinions in the front gear-box and driving the said front

page_text: cog-wheel directly by the crank in place of the driving sprocket and chain
above referred to.
advan-
It will be obvious that this auxiliary driving mechanism may be very
tageously employed as a brake, the power over the machine so fitted being very
considerable, and it has the further advantages of being practically in one with
the handles, and thereby enabling all separate brake mechanism to be dispensed
with, and no portion of the wheel being acted upon by frictional contact as with
ordinary brakes, there is no corresponding wear-and-tear. of the tyre or wheel.
Dated the 19th day of August 1898.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to the Driving Mechanism of Cycles
and the like, applicable also as a Brake.
+
I, AMBROSE ARTHUR LINDON, of Rack Park, Kingsbridge, in the County of
Devon, Commission Agent, 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 improvements in and relating to the driving
mechanism of cycles, applicable also as a brake. It is applicable to both the
chain-driven and chainless types of machine and whether the machine be used
merely to carry the rider or be employed to drive some object such as a boat, for
instance.
The object of the invention is to enable the arms to assist the legs in the pro-
pulsion of the machine or vehicle, so as to obtain additional driving power and
more equally distribute the exertion about the body and the strain on the
machine.
In order that my invention may be fully-understood I will now proceed to
describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a bicycle fitted with my additional driving
gear complete.
Figure 2 is a plan, drawn to a larger scale, of the handle-bar and oscillating
crank arm the bearings of the handle bar being in section.
Figure 3 is a sectional front elevation of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the principal portion of Figure 2, shewing more
clearly the method of locking the handle-bar.
Figure 5 is a sectional front elevation of the hub of the front wheel and
adjacent parts, shewing the automatic releasing and engaging mechanism for the
handle-bar.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the clutch pinion, looking on its internal face,
drawn to a still larger scale.
According to my invention, in order to attain the above object, I hinge or
pivot the handle-bar a in its stem in such manner that its handles e e¹ may be
moved up and down in the vertical plane without moving the middle of the bar
or tee-head piece of the handle-bar stem in which the said bar is mounted;
and to the handle-bar itself I attach fast or adjustably fast an arm e, hereinafter
referred to as the oscillating crank arm, which projects out in front of the said
handle-bar. To the hub f of the front road wheel g, I fix, or it may be made
integral therewith, a small cog-wheel or sprocket-wheel h.
Another cog or

page_text: sprocket wheel, preferably of larger size, is fixed on a spindle i which is
mounted in bearings in the front fork at any suitable distance from the
centre of the first-mentioned small gear-wheel h. The two said gear-wheels h
and are connected together by means of a chain, band, or other suitable con-
necting piece to transmit the motion, and the spindle of the larger one or
driving wheel is provided with a crank m to the pin n of which is loosely con-
nected the lower end of a coupling-rod or bar o, made telescopic or otherwise
adjustable as regards its length, and fixed after adjustment by the set-screw o¹,
the upper end of which bar o is loosely connected to the free end of the above-
mentioned fixed or adjustably fixed projecting oscillating crank-arm e on the
handle-bar a.
The gearing or proportion between the two gear wheels driven through the
medium of the crank m and coupling-rod o from the handle bars, may vary from
that of the back gearing driven from the pedals, but preferably the two sets
are geared for the same speed.
The joints throughout this auxiliary driving mechanism are preferably fitted
with ball bearings.
Thus it will be understood from the above description that alternately raising
and depressing the handles causes the rotation of the crank m on the spindle i of
the driving cog-wheel ', thereby rotating the said wheel which in turn through
the medium of the connecting chain and smaller cog-wheel drives the front
road-wheel g.
The above description applies more particularly to a chain-driven machine as
shown, but the construction employed for a chainless machine would vary only
very slightly therefrom and would consist chiefly in gearing the front driving
cog-wheel with the wheels or pinions in the front gear box and driving the said
front cog-wheel directly by the crank, in place of the driving sprocket and chain
above referred to.
It will be obvious that this auxiliary driving mechanism may be very advan-
tageously employed as a brake, the power over the machine so fitted being very
considerable, and it has the further advantages of being practically in one with
the handles, and thereby enabling all separate brake mechanism to be dispensed
with; and no portion of the wheel being acted upon by frictional contact as
with ordinary brakes, there is no corresponding wear-and-tear of the tyre or
wheel. An ordinary friction brake may however be fitted in addition, if desired.
By the arrangement and construction as above described it will be seen that
whenever the machine is in motion, the handles are thereby caused to move up
and down in the vertical plane and that the rider may accentuate or hasten this
motion of the handles by forcing them up and down by muscular efforts of the
arms, thus exercising the latter and also the muscles of the chest, so long as
the hands remain on the handles. Now it may readily be imagined that there
are times when one is not ascending an incline and not desirous of travelling
particularly fast, or of any assistance to the foot power, and at such times it
would be desirable for the arms to remain at rest and not be carried up and
down with the handles.
Provision for this may be made by simply having a loose sleeve or grip
threaded over the handle-bar on the straight part on either side of the tee-head
of the stem thereof for the hands to rest upon whilst the bar moves within such
sleeves as usual; but I prefer an arrangement by which the handle-bar is thrown
in and out of gear with the front wheel. This is however only workable in
conjunction with the automatic clutch device shewn in Figures 5 and 6, and is
effected as follows, namely:-A socket is formed in the top of the handle-bar
stem which socket contains a bolt 7. A second socket r is also formed in the boss
of the rigid oscillating arm; the two said sockets coinciding, so that on shoot-
ing the said bolt into the socket in the boss of the rigid arm, the said arm is
thereby prevented from further movement or locked until the said bolt is
again withdrawn.
:

page_text: J
This locking of the rigid arm (e) it will be at once seen would stop the machine,
for the pitman (o) and driving sprocket wheel (4) would also become immovable
and the small sprocket wheel (½) being fast on the hub f of the front road-
wheel (g) would under ordinary circumstances revolve therewith, but as the
driving sprocket wheel (1) cannot now move, the chain (7) around it cannot be
moved by the sprocket (4) on the hub f of the said road wheel (g) hence the
latter will thereby be brought to a dead stop unless some additional means be
provided which will permit the said sprocket wheel (4) to be automatically
thrown out of gear with the front road wheel. This is effected as follows:-
2
The small sprocket (h) is mounted, in this case, loose on the spindle of the front
road wheel instead of fast on the hub of the said road wheel, and the inner face
of the said sprocket (4) is provided with crown-ratchet teeth and similar ratchet
teeth are provided on that end of the hub which faces the said sprocket wheel;
and behind the wheel (h) we insert a spiral spring (y) under compression and tend-
ing always to keep the teeth of the two crown ratchets in engagement. Thus the
teeth of the said ratchet (1) slide against and over those on the loose sprocket
wheel (h) with a slight clicking sound when the auxiliary driving mechanism is
not in use or stationary: but immediately the handles of the machine are pulled
suddenly or forcibly upwards the ratchet (2) is thereby caused to rotate in the
forward direction and carry with it the ratchet (¹) which latter being fast on the
hub of the wheel (g) carries the said wheel with it and thus assists in the pro-
pulsion of the machine as desired.
The above modification although enabling the arms to assist the legs in the
driving of the machine cannot also be utilised as a brake as can that illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 as the ratchet of course only operates to drive the
machine in the forward direction.
This auxiliary driving mechanism may be duplicated on either side of the
handle-bar.
It is preferable, through of course, not necessary, to locate the auxiliary driving
mechanism on the reverse side of the machine to that on which the ordinary
pedal-driving gear is situated, so as to more evenly balance the stresses and
strains.
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
J. The combination with a cycle fitted with a foot-power driving gear and
having a handle-bar capable of movement up and down in the vertical plane, of
an auxiliary driving mechanism consisting of the following combination of parts,
namely: a rigid projecting arm mounted fast on the handle-bar, a spindle
loosely mounted in bearings provided in one side of the fork which straddles
that road-wheel which is beneath the handle-bar, a sprocket mounted fast on
the said spindle with its plane parallel to that of the said road wheel, a crank
also fast on the said spindle, a pitman, adjustable lengthwise, loosely connecting
by means of knuckle joints at its extremities the said rigid projecting arm with
the pin of said crank, a sprocket wheel fast on the flange of the hub of the said
road wheel and an endless chain connecting the two said sprocket wheels, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 1 2 3 and 4
of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with the auxiliary driving mechanism as set forth in Claim 1
hereof consisting of the movable handle-bar, the rigid arm projecting therefrom,
the sprocket wheel mounted on a spindle having its bearings in the side of the
fork which straddles the front road wheel, the pitman connecting the said
sprocket with the said projecting arm, the sprocket on the hub of the said road
wheel and the endless chain connecting the two said sprockets, of the means for
throwing the handle-bar in and out of gear, consisting of a socket formed in the
top of the handle-bar stem, a bolt housed in the said socket, and a socket formed

page_text: in the boss of the aforesaid rigid arm which projects from the handle-bar
adapted to receive the said bolt when shot, substantially as described and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 19th day of April 1899.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.