IMPROVED DRIVING OR PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, OR OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stanley George Buchanan Wollaston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1879.
STANLEY GEORGE BUCHANAN WOLLASTON, of Commercial Road East, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVED DRIVING OR PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR
BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, OR OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
This Invention relates to the application to bicycles, tricycles, and other veloci-
pedes, of improved driving gear, or propelling mechanism, of the construction
hereinafter described; with the objects of dispensing with the usual revolving
cranks, and obviating any dead centres in the motions of the actuating parts, and of
obtaining the maximum effect as regards the distance covered and speed attained
with a given effort on the part of the rider, and a greater facility in mounting
inclined roadways and in steering the machine, dispensing with the need of any
special steering contrivances with machines having independent driving axles, and
of obtaining various other advantages of minor importance, but the desirability of
which is well known to all those accustomed to riding these pedomotive or manu-
motive machines.
The improved driving gear or propelling mechanism is constructed with two
drums or grooved pullies (or their equivalents) which are mounted loosely upon the
axle of the driving wheel, one being mounted upon each axle should there be two
driving wheels with independent axies, the drums being made of any desired
proportionate size in relation to the driving wheels. Each drum carries a pawl (or
more than one) which at times gears with a ratchet wheel keyed upon the axle of
the driving wheel, or it is provided with other equivalent means of communicating
motion thereto. Each drum is also in connection with a spiral, coiled, or other
suitable spring, which has a constant tendency to prevent the forward rotation
thereof, and to cause its return motion when it has been rotated forward.
The forward rotation of the drums, and the consequent propulsion of the veloci-
pede, is effected by means of suitable reciprocating hand levers or pedals, the
arrangement of which depends upon the construction of the machine to which the
improved propelling mechanism is to be applied, and from which a cord, chain, or
band leads to the periphery of each drum, and so tends to rotate it forward, the
pawl then engaging with the ratchet wheel keyed to the axle of the driving wheel
and causing the propulsion of the machine. Upon either of the hand levers or

page_text: pedals being released from pressure the spring causes an instant return motion
thereof, and of the drum in connection therewith, to the position from which a
fresh full stroke can be taken, the pawl during such return motion of the drum
sliding over the teeth of the ratchet wheel or being raised clear thereof (so as to be
silent in its return) by any suitable means which will cause such an action. The
actions of the two drums or grooved pullies are alternative, that is, the one is
rotated forward by the hand or foot as above described, while the return motion of
the other is being effected by the spring in connection therewith as above described;
so that so long as is desired the propulsion of the velocipede is continuous, and not
interrupted by the return of the drums and their attachments.
The above described improved driving or propelling mechanism is applicable to
various existing forms of velocipedes, without needing any material alterations in
the construction thereof.