IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams Hooper, of Bow, in the County
of Middlesex, and James Drummond Hooper, of Woodford, in the
County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE
SAME."
Sealed the 11th June 1869, and dated the 9th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams
Hooper and James Dummond Hooper at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 9th April 1869.
We, WILLIAM WILLIAMS HOOPER, of Bow, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, and JAMES DRUMMOND HOOPER, of Woodford, in the County of
Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING
THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the employment of lever power, either
directly to the driving wheel or axle, or to other wheels in connection
with the wheel or axle.

page_text: Firstly. We connect a lever with the axle of the driving wheel, or to
a wheel so placed that it may be connected with the driving wheel to
multiply its revolutions. The lever is made to act upon the wheel with
which it is connected by means of a paul furnished with lugs, projections,
or claws, which are caused to grip a flange or ring on the wheel axle or
spindle in one course of their stroke, and to escape or be released on
their return stroke. Springs are employed in connection with the levers
and pauls to ensure their proper working. Sometimes a ratchet wheel
is used instead of the one described above, or two toothed plates or
wheels brought to gear in one direction and escaping in the other. The
lever or levers may be worked by manual labour or by power of any
kind,
Secondly. The Invention consists in supporting and preserving the
equilibrium of the vehicle by means of movable arms or struts attached
in such a way that they may be readily extended to either side.
Thirdly. In providing the cranked portion of the driving wheel or
wheels of ordinary velocipedes with foot plates at a distance above them,
whereby wheels of larger diameter than usual can be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Williams Hooper and James Drummond
Hooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
WILLIAMS HOOPER, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, and JAMES
DRUMMOND HOOPER, of Woodford, in the County of Essex, send
greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, 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 us, the said William Williams Hooper and James Drummond
Hooper, Her special licence that we, the said William Williams Hooper
and James Drummond Hooper, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Williams Hooper and
James Drummond Hooper, our executors, administrators, and assigns

page_text: 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES, AND IN THE
MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said William Williams Hooper and James Dummond Hooper,
or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said William Williams Hooper and
James Drummond Hooper, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates to the employment of lever power, either
directly to the driving wheel or axle, or to other wheels in connection
with the wheel or axle.
We connect a lever with the axle of the driving wheel, or to a wheel
so placed that it may be connected with the driving wheel to multiply
its revolutions. The lever is made to act on the wheel with which it is
connected by means of a paul furnished with or without lugs, pro.
jections, or claws, which are caused to impinge against or grip a flange
or ring on the wheel axle or spindle in one course of their stroke, and to
escape or be released on their return stroke. Springs are employed in
connection with the levers and pauls to ensure their proper working.
Sometimes a ratchet wheel is used instead of the one described above,
or two toothed plates or wheels are brought to gear in one direction and
escape in the other. The lever or levers may be worked by manual
labour or by power of any kind.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of a vehicle
called a "bicycle velocipede." A is a lever of which there are two, one
on each side of the beam B; these are connected to the treadles C, C,

page_text: which are depressed alternately by the feet of the operator. The ends
of the treadles C are connected to stirrup or foot plates D by pins, the
upper ends of the foot plates and the forward ends of the treadles are
held by a rod or wire E fastened to the beam B, as shewn. The lever A
is attached to or forms part of a ring or disc F working on a stud a fixed
to the beam; the disc F carries two pauls or claws H, I, as shewn more
clearly in the detached sectional and face views in Figures 2 and 3;
these pauls or claws are brought into action on the forward movement
of the levers A. by jamming the ring J of the wheel or disc K, which is
mounted loosely on the same stud. The outer edge of this wheel K is 1
grooved for the band or chain L to run in, and by which the rotatory
motion of the disc K is communicated to the driving wheel M. There
are springs b, c, on the pauls to keep them always bearing against the
faces of the ring J.
In some cases we employ a single paul of the form shewn in Figure 4; 1
this paul has two lugs on it, so that as the lever A is moved in one
direction the lugs grip the ring F and propel the vehicle, and in the
reverse movement the lugs slide over the ring without gripping it.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4, but in this action the lever has
a slight rising and falling movement imparted to it, so as to lift the paul 2
and cause the lugs to grip the ring more firmly.
Figure 6 is a view of the central portion of a wheel with the pauls and
foot plates fitted to act upon the ring on the nave itself.
Secondly. The Invention consists in supporting and preserving the
equilibrium of the vehicle by means of movable arms or struts attached 2
in such a way that they may be readily extended to either side.
This consists in jointing to the beam B two legs or rods d, e, as shown
in Figure 1, and in plan in Figure 7; these legs are likewise jointed to
links f, g, by which the necessary motion is imparted to them by means
of a rod or bar h moved by the operator when he wishes to get on or off 3
the vehicle. The handle or knob i by which the bar is moved is fitted
in a slotted guide ; to ensure the legs working in the proper manner;
when the knob is moved towards the front of the vehicle the legs are
caused to spread outwards and occupy the positions indicated in full
lines in Figure 7, and when the knob is drawn back, as in Figure 1, the 3
legs fold in towards the wheel, as shown.
Thirdly. This Invention consists in providing the cranked portion of

page_text: the driving wheel or wheels of ordinary velocipedes with foot plates at
a distance above them, whereby wheels of larger diameter than usual
can be employed.
Figure 8 is a side view of a foot plate k, constructed as above
described; it is attached at its lower part to the crank pin l, as shown in
Figure 9. Below the crank pin and connected to the plate are two
cheeks m, n, through which a bolt passes, and which supports a balance
weight p; a nut on the end of the bolt can be screwed up or loosened in
order to adjust the weight p at any inclination to the foot plate.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
Firstly. The employment of one or more levers direct to the driving
wheel, or to a wheel in connection with the driving wheel in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The employment of lugs, projections, or claws connected
to a lever or levers for gripping a flange or ring of the driving wheel in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the Drawings.
Thirdly. The employment of movable arms or struts for preserving
the equilibrium of the vehicle arranged and acting in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. Providing the cranked portion of the driving wheel of
ordinary velocipodes with foot plates, in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Williams Hooper and
James Drummond Hooper, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.