Improvements in Cyclometers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1897- Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
Improvements in Cyclometers.
We, WATERBURY BUCKLE COMPANY, of Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.A., Manu-
facturers, and WENDELL LOUIS SHEPARD, also of Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.A.,
Machinist, 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:.
The
Our invention relates to improvements in cyclometers, and particularly to the
class known as barrel cyclometers, which are desirable over the other flat disk
cyclometers by reason of the fact that they take up so much less room.
object of the invention is to provide, first, a simple and effective improved means
for registering the number of miles up to ten thousand, or more if desired, and
secondly, to provide an improved construction of supporting frame work for the
operating parts.
The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and referred to in
the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the entire device showing it as attached
to the axle of the front wheel of a bicycle;
Figure 2 is a sectional view through the barrel and numbering disks;
Figure 3 is a plan view of one of said numbering disks looking at it from one
side;
Figure 4 is a similar view looking at the disk from the opposite side;
Figure 5 is a view of one of the washers with the pinion which it supports;
Figure 6 is a view showing the manner in which motion is imparted from the
spoke to the first numbering disk;
Figure 7 is a cross section showing the means for attaching the cylinder or
barrel of the cyclometer to its supporting frame;
Figure 8 is a detached view of the striker.
Fig. 9 is an elevation of one of the numeral discs showing the pinion locked.
Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the pinion in the act of rotating the long
ooth entering the notch.
Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11, of Figure 12.
Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of several numeral discs.
Fig. 13 is a perspective view partly in section showing the manner in which
ne disc is locked from the preceding one.
Figs. 14 and 15 are respectively front and rear views of the locking pinion.
In these drawings A represents the barrel or cylinder of the cyclometer, within
which the operating parts are supported, this cylinder being provided with a slot
overed over with glass whereby the numbers may be read through the same.
The
nds of the cylinder are closed by means of caps, B, C, which fit snugly against...

page_text: the ends and underneath the flanges a and are secured in place by means of
screws b, c, which pass through the said caps into the ends of an arbor, D, to be
hereinafter referred to. One of the end caps, B, has attached to it a small sleeve
or round lug e, and in this is jourualled the hub of the star wheel F, the inner end
of said hub or pin upon which said sproket wheel is attached passing through
the said cap, B, and carrying on its inner end a small gear wheel g. H represents
the first numbering disk which is put in place upon the arbor D. This number-
ing disk H is preferably marked to indicate the number of revolutions of the front
wheel of the bicycle, each mark on said disk representing one of said revolutions.
It is provided adjacent the cap, B, with an annular flange, h, internally geared to
mesh with the small gear g, which rotates with the sproket, so that as the sproket
intermittently rotates one tooth at a time, the disk H will do the same. Upon
the opposite side the disk H is cut out to form a flange which is provided with an
internal gear formed with one or more teeth, or enough to rotate the next succeed-
ing disk I one step. Within the recess formed by the flange of this disk H fits
a washer, preferably of brass the outer surface of which practically comes flush with
the outer surface of the flange of the said disk. This washer J is cut out as shown
at i and provided with a pin ', upon which is journalled a small pinion / which
is adapted, once in each revolution of the disk H, to engage with the internal
segmental gear and rotate the pinion. This pinion is of sufficient thickness that
not only do its teeth engage with the segmental gear but will engage the internal
teeth on the succeeding disk I and thereby rotate said disk I. The construction of
the remaining disks h, L, M, N, is practically the same as H, except, of course,
the outermost one, N, which is not provided with a washer. The arbor D is
flattened on one side and the opening through the washers is also flattened to fit
on said arbor and be held from rotation thereon, while the opening through the
central part of the disks is round, allowing of their rotation.
It will be noticed, by the peculiar construction of the flanges of the disks and
the washers which fit within said flanges, that the disks may fit very snugly
together, no external washers being required between them as is very frequently
the case.
This construction of washer is as follows:-It is provided with a cut
out portion for the reception of the pinion, as above referred to, and is of thickness
about equal to the depth of the recess within the disk which contains it plus the
thickness of the flange containing the internal row of teeth on the succeeding disk.
Thus, when the parts are put together the disks are enabled to fit very snugly, and
alternate teeth of each small pinion are cut away slightly, as shown, to allow of
their fitting snugly over the Hange on the inner side of the disk by which it is
driven.
This pinion also with its alternate teeth cut away forms a two-point locking
bearing to prevent the rotation either way of the numeral rings, except when the
recessed segmental gear is in engagement with the pinion, when it will engage said
pinion and rotate it, but at the other times, said pinion is prevented from rotation
and therefore locks the numeral rings because the full width teeth of said pinion
bear under the ledge of the recesses on said numeral rings or numbering disks.
Figs. 9 to 15 clearly illustrate the manner of revolving and locking the several
discs, it will be seen on reference to these figs. that the pinion k has six teeth, each
alternate tooth being cut away so as to form a tooth of approximately half the depth
of the tooth that precedes and the one that follows it. The pinion is journalled
on a stud that projects from a washer J interposed between the several discs,' with
one of its short teeth standing in front of a flange under which flange projects
the long teeth, one on each side of said short tooth. The pinion is thus held
against rotation by reason of said flange not being concentric with the pinion shaft
and being nearer the centre of said pinion than the end of the teeth until the short
tooth which lies in the path of a projection or flange his moved by said pro-
jection in the revolution of its respective disc.
As the projection is moving the short tooth, an opening or notch in said
projection comes opposite or above the long tooth, thus permitting it to enter said

page_text: notch and making possible the rotation of the pinion. The teeth of the pinion
are sufficiently long so that while engaged by the projection or one numeral disc,
they also engage the internal teeth on the disc that follows. Thus as the pinion
is held from rotating by disc I it in turn, by reason of the engagement of its teeth
with the internal teeth of disc K, holds said disc locked until the pinion is revolved
by projection on disc K when it in turn revolves disc I two teeth.
The enclosing casing of the cyclometer is formed of a cylindrical piece of metal
having downwardly projecting ears m, n, brazed to it, and between these ears is
held, by means of a clamping screw o and washers p the upper end of a supporting
arm which, at its lower end is provided with an opening to fit over the axle of
the wheel and to be held thereon in the usual manner.
The striker is shown in Figure 8 detached and in Figure 1 as applied to the
spoke of a bicycle. It is formed of the pin q having one end smoothed off to
engage the sproket of the cyclometer without undue friction. It is provided with
a split screw shank upon which is screwed one half of a clamp r. After this
clamp r has been put in place a split portion of the screw is put over the spoke of
the wheel, the sleeve or collars is put in position and then the said collar clamped
on the nut r by means of the clamping head t.
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 cyclometer comprising a series of numbering disks, washers between the
disks, a single pinion carried by each washer of width sufficient to be engaged and
actuated by the preceding disk and to engage and actuate the succeeding disk,
substantially as described.
2. A cyclometer comprising a series of numbering disks, each having on one side
a flange with internal teeth and on the other side a recess, the wall of which is
provided with a segmental gear, washers fitting said recesses, and each carrying
a single pinion of width sufficient to mesh with the segmental gear on the pre-
ceding disk and the internal gear on the succeeding disk, substantially as described.
3. A cyclometer comprising a star wheel adapted to be engaged by a moving
part of the vehicle, a pinion carried thereby, a numbering disk having a flange
with an internal gear engaging said pinion, a washer fitting within a recess in
the numbering disk, a pinion carried by and rotatable on said washer, a second
numbering disk having a flange with an internal gear engaging the pinion and a
segmental gear on the first disk also engaging and rotating said pinion, substan-
tially as described.
4. A cyclometer comprising the enclosing casing having flanges, a central arbor,
caps at each end secured to said arbor over which said flanges extend, and a series
of numbering disks rotatable on said arbor and a series of washers non-rotatable
on said arbor, and carrying means for driving the disks, substantially as described.
5. A cyclometer having disks each with a recess on one side having segmental
gearing, and a flange on the opposite side with a row of teeth and washers within
said recesses, each washer carrying a pinion which engages the segmental gear
of the preceding disk and the row of teeth of the succeeding disk, the washer being
of such thickness as to allow of snug fit of the parts, substantially as described.
6. A cyclometer comprising a series of numbering disks, washers between the
disks, each having a recess and a pin within said recess, a pinion carried by each
washer and supported on said pin within the recess, each pinion being engaged with
and actuated by the preceding disk and engaging and actuating the succeeding
disk, substantially as described.
7. A cyclometer having disks, each with a recess on one side having a segmental
gear, a flange on the opposite side with a row of internal teeth, washers fitting
within the recesses of the numbering disks, each washer being provided with an
annular recess, a pin as ¹, projecting from said washer within the recess and a
pinion loosely supported on said pin and engaging the segmental gear of the pre-

page_text: ceding disk and the internal row of teeth of the succeeding disk, substantially as
described.
Dated this 13th day of September 1897.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.