An Improved Home-trainer for Use with Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Home-trainer for Use with Velocipedes.
I GEORGE WATERS TARVER of The Glen Glen Eldon Road Streatham in the
County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide an home-trainer for use with velocipedes
or that is to say an apparatus which can be placed and contained in an ordinary
room or elsewhere and on which a velocipede can be ridden and driven in the
customary manner for training and other purposes and this home-trainer shall be
simple and cheap in construction and shall have the very great advantage of affording
exercise in all respects exactly similar to that it is intended to replace whether by
way of driving balancing or otherwise.
Το carry out this object I mount preferably horizontally in any suitable frame
two or more parallel rollers of the desired length and diameter and the required
distance apart round which rollers is passed a broad endless band and the desired
tension can be given to this band either by so mounting one of these rollers that
it can be adjusted or by providing another adjustable roller. The band may be
made of any suitable material or materials in any appropriate manner.
For
example it may be made of a strong textile or other such like material in which
case on or to the edges thereof may be fitted strengthening ropes or chains and then
the ends of the rollers would preferably he recessed or grooved duly to receive the
same while the middle parts of the rollers might be formed of a somewhat concave
shape so that the middle of the band would not rest thereon and these ropes or
chains may also if desired be fitted similarly to the middle parts of the band.
Again the band may consist of a number of transverse wooden or other slats which
could be secured on a textile or other material or could be strung or threaded
together in any usual manner or the ends whereof could be secured to ropes or chains
in which case the rollers may either be plane and cylindrical or grooved and concaved
as aforesaid or the band may be created of any other material in any other manner
that will provide a broad flat surface.
This apparatus can be enclosed in any suitable casing the top whereof may be a
little below the band where it passes horizontally or thereabouts from the upper
part or topside of the one roller to the upper part or topside of the next roller and
the velocipede on and by which the desired exercise is to be obtained is placed on
this band its usual position where such band is above the top of the casing if any
or it may be where a large aperture is made in such top of the casing to expose the
band and any suitable rear or other part of the frame of the velocipede is anchored
or secured by a rope or chain or otherwise to the rear part of the casing or
to the frame that supports the rollers or to a standard erected thereupon to prevent
the velocipede being driven over the front part of the apparatus.
Therefore when this velocipede is mounted and driven as is customary the
revolution of the driving wheel will cause the band to move thereunder and
the rollers to revolve and the steering wheel will also revolve and the steering
must be effected in the ordinary manner to keep the front wheel on the travelling
band but to assist and ensure proper steering it is convenient to mount above the
band two guide rollers which at their front or leading ends will be close together at

page_text: or about the middle of the band while their rear or other ends will be far apart on
each side of the band.
Any suitable counters or other appliances may be connected with the rollers or
the band to indicate or register how many revolutions have been made and therefore
the equivalent of what distance may be supposed to have been travelled and any
bells or the like may give notice thereof.
Further it is very convenient to apply to one and especially the front roller a
brake which could be actuated by a lever centred on the frame or casing and
operated by a sleeve surrounding a vertical rod which is geared into and revolves
with this roller and on the upper end whereof are pivoted two arms carrying
weights or balls on their free ends links being provided which connect these arms
with the sleeve and thus in the manner common in and with ball governors when
the speed at which the roller and therefore the vertical rod revolve is excessive
and more than is desired these balls by their centrifugal force will lift the
sleeve and apply the brake and check such speed. A scale can conveniently
be marked on the rod so that the speed can be indicated by the height of the
sleeve. The vertical rod can be supported by and can revolve in suitable bearings
on a standard erected on the frame that supports the rollers or on the casing or
elsewhere.
Instead of using two or more rollers to support the band as aforesaid I may use
for the same purpose one very large roller or wheel on the periphery whereof
may be fitted or formed in any manner the band or the required broad flat
surface but this large roller or wheel must be of such a diameter that its periphery
will properly bear the two or more wheels of the velocipede which would similarly
be placed on the upper part or topside thereof and would similarly be mounted
driven and steered causing this roller or wheel similarly to revolve under the
velocipede which would similarly be restrained from being driven over and off the
front part of the apparatus by being anchored or secured to some suitable fixed
position as aforesaid.
Dated this 12th day of May 1894
An Improved Home-trainer for Use with Velocipedes.
I GEORGE WATERS TARVER, of The "Glen" Gleneldon Road Streatham
in the County of Surrey Engineer 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 object of my invention is to provide a home-trainer for use with velocipedes
or that is to say an apparatus which can be placed and contained in an ordinary
room or elsewhere and on which a velocipede can be ridden and driven in the
customary manner for training and other purposes and this home-trainer shall be
simple and cheap in construction and shall have the very great advantage of
affording exercise in all respects exactly similar to that it is intended to replace
whether by way of driving balancing or otherwise.
To carry out this object I mount preferably horizontally in any suitable frame
two or more parallel rollers of the desired length and diameter and the required
distance apart round which rollers is passed a broad endless band and the desired
tension can be given to this band either by so mounting one of these rollers that it
can be adjusted or by providing another adjustable roller. The band may be made
any suitable material or materials in any appropriate manner. For example it
may be made of a strong textile or other such like material in which case on or to
of

page_text: the edges thereof may be fitted strengthening ropes or chains and then the ends of
the rollers would preferably be recessed or grooved duly to receive the same
while the middle parts of the rollers might be formed of a somewhat concave shape
so that the middle of the band would not rest thereon and these ropes or chains
may also if desired be fitted similarly to the middle parts of the band. Again
the band may consist of a number of transverse wooden or other slats which could
be secured on a textile or other material or could be strung or threaded together
in any usual manner or the ends whereof could be secured to ropes or chains in
which case the rollers may either be plane and cylindrical or grooved and concaved
as aforesaid or the band may be created of any other material in any other manner
that will provide a broad flat surface.
This apparatus can be enclosed in any suitable casing the top whereof may be a
little below the band where it passes horizontally or thereabouts from the upper
part or topside of the one roller to the upper part or topside of the next roller and
the velocipede on and by which the desired exercise is to be obtained is placed
in its usual position on this band where such band is above the top of the
casing if any or it may be where a large aperture is made in such top of the
casing to expose the band and any suitable rear or other part of the frame
of the velocipede is anchored or secured to the rear part of the casing or to the
frame that supports the rollers or to a standard erected thereupon by a rope
chain or otherwise to prevent the velocipede being driven over the front part of
the apparatus.
Therefore when this velocipede is mounted and driven as is customary the
revolution of the driving wheel will cause the band to move thereunder and the
rollers to revolve and the steering wheel will also revolve and the steering must be
effected in the ordinary manner to keep this wheel on the travelling band but to
assist and ensure proper steering it is convenient to mount above the band two
guide rollers which at their front or leading ends can be close together at or about
the middle of the band while their rear or other ends can be far apart on each side
of the band.
Any suitable counters or other appliances may be connected with the rollers or
the band to indicate or register how many revolutions have been made and therefore
the equivalent of what distance may be supposed to have been travelled and any
bells or the like may give notice thereof.
Further it is very convenient to apply to one and especially the front roller a
brake which could be actuated by a lever centred on the frame or casing and.
operated by a sleeve surrounding a vertical rod which is geared into and revolves
with this roller and on the upper end whereof are pivoted two arms carrying
weights or balls on their free ends links being provided which connect these arms
with the sleeve and thus in the manner common in and with ball governors when
the speed at which the roller and therefore also the vertical rod revolve is
excessive and more than is desired these balls by their centrifugal force will lift
the sleeve and apply the brake thus checking such speed.
A scale can
conveniently be marked on the rod so that the speed can be indicated by the
height of the sleeve. The vertical rod can be supported by and can revolve in
suitable bearings on a standard erected on the frame that supports the rollers or on
the casing or elsewhere.
Instead of using two or more rollers to support the band as aforesaid I may use
for the same purpose one large roller or wheel on the periphery whereof may
be fitted or formed in any manner the band or the required broad flat surface but
this large roller or wheel must be of such a diameter that its periphery will
properly bear the two or more wheels of the velocipede which would similarly be
placed on the upper part or topside thereof and would similarly be mounted driven
and steered causing this large roller or wheel similarly to revolve under the
velocipede which would similarly be restrained from being driven over and off the
front part of the apparatus by being anchored or secured to some suitable fixed
position as aforesaid.

page_text: My invention will be fully understood by further describing same with reference
to the accompanying drawing whereon
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a home-trainer in which the travelling band is formed
of wooden or other slate the ends whereof are secured to chains and the rollers or
wheels supporting the band are mounted in a frame similar to that of an ordinary
sofa or couch.
Fig. 2. is an end elevation of same.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all figures.
A. A. is the frame on either side of which I hinge a platform B. B. capable of
being removed or folded over on the top of the apparatus when same is not
in use.
C. C. are the rollers or wheels carrying the band D. which I recess
to receive the chains E. E. to which the wooden or other slats are secured.
Through the frame at F. I pass a cord or chain or the like G. the two ends
of which I secure or hook one on either side of the rear wheel of the velocipede
at H.
In Fig. 3. I show an arrangement of speed indicator and brake as applied to the
front part of a home-trainer in which A' is the vertical rod which revolves in the
bearing B' and is geared with the front spindle of the home-trainer by the cord
and pulleys B".
C' is the sleeve which actuates the lever D' and the brake E¹ which brake
presses on the endless band of the home-trainer when the speed at which it travels
is excessive.
On the rod A' at F' is a scale whereon the speed at which the apparatus is
travelling is indicated by the pointer G¹ which is attached to the sleeve C¹.
It is obvious that I may vary the details of construction of the frame and travelling
band of the home-trainer and also of the speed indicator and brake herein before
described without however departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim in an improved home-trainer for use with velocipedes is
1. An endless travelling band mounted on rollers or wheels in a suitable frame
having an anchoring or restraining cord or cords or the like attached substantially
as set forth.
2. A combination with a home-trainer of a speed indicator and brake substantially
as described.
Dated this 12th day of March 1895.
G. WATERS TARVER.