IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Garth Marshall, of Leèds, in the County
of York, Flax Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES."
Sealed the 7th December 1869, and dated the 10th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Garth Marshall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th June 1869.
I, JAMES GARTH MARSHALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Flax
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to dispense with the use of cranks, and
to communicate motion to a velocipede by means of a kind of rowing
action exerted by the arms of the rider instead of by a crank or treadle
action worked by the feet. To this end on the axle of the driving wheel
is keyed a toothed or ratchet wheel, into which gears a long straight rack
carrying at its upper end a cross handle whereby it may be worked to.

page_text: and fro in an inclined direction, very much in the same manner as a
rower pulls his oar. When pulling the rack will gear into the ratchet or
toothed wheel and cause it to rotate and carry round the running wheel,
but when the rider moves the rack forward for a second stroke it will
drop out of gear. Instead of the toothed wheel and rack a pulley or
barrel on the axle may be employed, around which is wound a cord, band,
or chain, and by unwinding this latter rotary motion will be imparted to
the pulley and running wheel. For the return stroke the cord or chain
may be wound up again by means of a spring placed inside the pulley or
barrel.
As another modification for imparting rotary motion to the axle of
the running wheel I may sometimes employ a sector rack or a friction
wheel, and adapt thereto a lever or pair of levers, which are moved to
and fro by the hands with a kind of rowing motion, as in the former
instances, care being taken to throw the propelling devices out of gear
for the return stroke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Garth Marshall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GARTH MARSHALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Flax Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Garth Marshall, Her special
licence that I, the said James Garth Marshall, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Garth
Marshall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES," upon the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said James Garth Marshall, my executors or administrators,,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Garth Marshall, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures. marked thereon (that
is to say):
:-
The object of my Invention is to dispense with the use of cranks, and
to communicate motion to a velocipede by means of a kind of rowing
action exerted by the arms of the rider instead of by a crank or treadle
action worked by the feet..
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn one mode
whereby the object of my Invention may be carried out. This Figure
shews in side view a diagram of a bicycle. On the end of the axle a
of the front or driving wheel is keyed a toothed or ratchet wheel b, into
which gears a long straight rack c carrying at its upper end a cross.
handle d whereby it may be worked to and fro in an inclined direction,
very much in the same manner as a rower pulls his oar. The ratchet or
toothed lever arm c is kept in gear with the ratchet wheel b by means of
the bearing or carrying spring e attached to the framing f of the velo-
cipede, or a swivel or rolling fulcrum may be adapted to the framing for
the same purpose. By this means when pulling the rack c will be kept
in gear with the ratchet or toothed wheel b, and cause it to rotate and
carry round the running wheel a', but when the rider moves the rack
arm c forward for a second stroke, the spring c will allow the ratchet
teeth to slip, or should a fulcrum have been adopted in place of the
spring e the lever rack will drop out of gear.
In place of the above arrangement I prefer to employ the one shewn
in Figures 2 and 3, Fig. 2 being a side elevation of a tricycle, and Fig. 3
a front elevation of the same.
Instead of the toothed wheel and rack of the above arrangement a
pulley or barrel on the axle is employed, around which is wound a cord,

page_text: band, or chain, and by unwinding this latter rotary motion will be
imparted to the pulley and running wheel. The return stroke will
be effected by means of a coiled spring placed inside the pulley or
barrel.
It will be seen on referring to the Drawings that the axle a of the
front or driving wheel is mounted on a bifurcated frame g furnished at
its upper end with a conical pin or axle h which enters a conical socket h¹
formed on the front end of the frame f. The forked frame g is furnished
on either side of the driving wheel with a lug g¹ carrying the fulcrum
pins on which are pivotted the lever arms c. To the lower ends of each
of these levers c is attached one end of a band or chain i, which is wound
partially around and fastened to the periphery of one of the barrels b which
are mounted loosely on the axle a. The barrel b carries a pawl 6 which
takes into a ratchet wheel keyed on the shaft a. This pawl lies snugly
in a recess formed for it on one side of the barrel b. Or three pawls
may be used distributed round the barrel to secure greater certainty of
action. Within a recess on the opposite side of the barrel is a strong
spiral spring 62 mounted in such manner that while uncoiling itself it
will wind up the band or cord i. The rider will therefore simply place
his feet on the projecting foot rests of the fulcerum pins 9³ outside the
arms of the frame g, take hold of the handles of the lever arms c, and
throw his whole weight into the stroke as in rowing. The lever arms c
are then returned to their normal position by the action of the spiral
springs. It will be obvious that the velocipede may be steered by
varying the pressure of the feet on the projecting foot rests g³. Any
suitable break arrangement may be adapted. In order to obtain greater
leverage for the operating arms c the axle a of the front driving
wheel may serve as a fulcrum for the levers c, and the short end
of the lever arm may be furnished with a pawl to operate direct upon
a ratchet wheel keyed on the axle a, as shewn in the detached view
Fig. 4.
As another modification rotary motion may be imparted to the axle
of the running wheel by the employment of a sector rack or a friction
wheel, and adapting thereto a lever or pair of levers, which are to be
moved to and fro by the hands with a kind of rowing motion as in the
former instances, care being taken to throw the propelling devices out
for the return stroke.
gear
of
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Veloci-

page_text: pedes," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
the combination and arrangement of parts herein shewn and described,
or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Garth Marshall, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.