IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Russell, of No. 1, Burton Road, Brixton,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VELOCIPEDES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 29th June 1869, and dated the 16th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Russell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on
the 16th January 1869.
I, SAMUEL RUSSELL, of No. 1, Burton Road, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPADES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has or its object improvement in carriages propelled
by man power. For this purpose I construct a carriage with a single
driving wheel placed at one end, whilst the other end is supported by
a pair of steering wheels. The frame of the carriage I make of a
triangular form, the guiding wheels being outside the frame, and one
on each of its sides near to the base,, and the driving wheel being inside

page_text: the triangular framing and near its apex; by thus forming the framing
the driving wheel will be held very steady. I give motion to the
driving wheel in the following manner:-On the axle of the driving
wheel are placed two pulleys, each capable of turning freely around
it; to each pulley are connected two cords which are wound in opposite
directions around it, one passes to a lever and the other is attached to
a spring. When the lever is moved in a direction to unwind the cord
from off the pulley, a pawl carried by the pulley then engages with
the teeth of a ratchet wheel fast on the axle, or the pawl may be
fixed on the axle and ratchet teeth in the pulley, and the axle and
wheel is thus driven. The return of the pulley is effected by means of
the other cord to which the spring is attached; the pawl at this time
will slip over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, or a friction ratchet might
be employed in place of a toothed ratchet. The levers may be worked
either by the feet or by the hands. When worked by the hands the
levers are lengthened by pieces which may be attached and detached as
required, they are also connected by a cord which passes round a
pulley in the front part of the carriage; by this means the combined
power of both arms acts constantly on one or other of the pulleys on
the axle of the driving wheel. By the above arrangement the person
working the carriage can give any length of stroke he may please to
the levers; the amount of motion and power given to the driving wheel
for each stroke of the levers may also be varied according to the
points at which the cords from the pulleys on its axle are attached to
the levers.
In some cases also in place of connecting the ends of the cords to
levers the ends of the cords might have handles attached to them by
which the person or persons using the carriage might haul directly upon
the cords with an action very similar to rowing. With this arrangement
different powers might be obtained by passing the cords round pulleys
of different diameters. The axle of the guiding wheels I mount in
such manner that as the axle is inclined to cause the carriage to turn
the body of the carriage shall at the same time be caused to incline,
so as to throw the weight of the person using the carriage towards the
opposite side to that towards which it is thrown by the turning of the
carriage, and this in proportion to the curve described by the carriage
in turning, being more in a curve of small radius and less in a large one,
and so the carriage will be less liable to turn over. This is effected by

page_text: making the axle of the steering wheels work in two grooves inclined
downwards towards the front of the carriage one on each side; the axle
may either turn upon a centre pin or it may be made capable of
sliding backwards along a fixed central bar, at the same time that
it is allowed to incline in one or other direction, and it will by this
means be brought more directly beneath the body of the person using
the carriage. To cause the axle of the guiding wheels thus to slide
along the fixed bar as it inclines in one or other direction the axle has
fixed to its centre an arm or frame standing out at right angles' from it,
and horizontally or nearly so. Opposite and in close proximity to the
outer end of this arm is a horizontal pulley, around which, and around
two other similar pulleys placed at the two sides of the carriage and
further back towards its rear end, an endless cord is passed, and to a
point on this cord the end of the arm on the axle is attached; if either
of the pulleys be caused to turn the endless cord will draw the end of
the arm on the axle towards one or other side of the carriage, and will
also at the same time draw it towards its rear end, the axle at the same
time sliding on the fixed bar by means of a guide. One of the pulleys
may thus be turned when the carriage is to be steered by means of a
small endless cord passing around it, and around another pulley which
may be turned by a crank handle or otherwise. When the axle of the
guiding wheels turns on a central pin two cords may be fixed to the
axle, one on each side of the central pin, and at a convenient distance
from it, one end of each cord passing on to a horizontal shaft or roller
round which the cords are wound in opposite directions, and the shaft
or roller is turned either way desired by a crank handle, or one cord
may be passed round a horizontal pulley fixed centrally on the axle
and the ends wound on the shaft or roller as before. When the axle
of the guiding wheels turns on a central pin this pin may be carried
by one end of a radius rod, which at its other end is connected by
another rod or rods to the body of the carriage; to the axle is fixed a
framing standing up vertically from it, and at the top of this framing is
a pin or axis which is received in a bearing in the framing, and which
comes vértically or nearly so over the pin upon which the axle pivots;
a pulley is fixed to the framing concentric with the pin upon it, and by
a cord passed around this pulley the axle may be turned in either
direction upon its central pivot. By carrying the central pivot of the
axle by a radius rod as above described the axle is free to incline
somewhat from the horizontal without causing the framing of the

page_text: carriage similarly to incline.. The seat of the carriage is formed by
suspending a piece of sacking or leather or other fabric between two
transverse horizontal bars, one forming the front of the seat and the
other the back, the back one being much higher than the front and
forming a purchase for the shoulders, when working the levers with the
legs. The sacking is capable of being lengthened and shortened, and
can also be drawn taut so as to form a rigid seat, and at the same time
to be inclined at any angle most convenient to the driver when
working the levers with the arms; this is effected by means of a rod
placed across the width of the sacking, and capable of being drawn
backwards and downwards by cords or straps. This seat is sometimes
placed at one end of a frame. This end of the frame is supported on
springs, by preference of vulcanized india-rubber, whilst the other end
of the frame is hinged to the framework or body of the carriage; a
spring seat is thus afforded. This frame is also capable of being shifted
backwards and forwards.
When the carriage is worked with the arms it may be steered by the
feet, each foot being placed upon a shoe or treadle, which at or near
its centre is capable of turning on a pin. These shoes or treadles are by
arms and rods or otherwise connected with the steering axle at points
equidistant from its centre, and so by turning the shoes or treadles on
their pins by incliuing the feet in opposite directions the axle of the
guiding wheels can be inclined in one or other direction. If two
driving wheels are employed in place of one as above described I
support them on separate axles parallel to and at a slight distance apart
from one another, and each axle having on it two of the pulleys before
described, one pulley on each axle being driven simultaneously by a
cord passing around a pulley connected by a hook or otherwise to one of
the levers, each end of the cord being wound round one of the pulleys
on each axle. By this means when the carriage is turning, each of the
driving wheels will be driven and yet will be turned at the varying
speeds required.
In some cases also in order that the commencement of the stroke of
each of the driving levers may transmit less motion and more power
to the driving axle than towards the end of the stroke the cords from
the driving levers are received in spiral or snail grooves formed around
the pulleys on the driving axle.
When two driving wheels on separate axles are employed as above

page_text: described the bearings carrying the ends of the axles on one side of the
frame may be made so that either of them can be moved towards the
other, and so the carriage may be guided in either direction by thus
causing one of the axles to incline to the other. In this case the other
pair of wheels would be supported like castor wheels
When a carriage is constructed for one or two persons I prefer to
have two driving wheels on separate axles, the persons sitting facing
each other and working the same levers, one with the legs the other
with the arms. In this case the driving wheels may be made capable of
being shifted backwards and forwards in order to distribute the weight
on the driving and guiding wheels, according as one or two persons are
in the carriage; the same arrangement may also be adapted when the
carriage is for three or more persons. Twisted wires, chains, metals
rods, or catgut, or any of these combined may also be used for con-
necting the pulleys and levers, and for steering. The power can
also be varied by winding the cords more or less onto the spiral
pulleys.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RUSSELL, of No. 1, Burton Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, 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 Samuel Russell, Her special licence
that I, the said Samuel Russell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Russell, 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

page_text: AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Samuel Russell, 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 Samuel Russell, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages propelled
by man power. For this purpose I construct a carriage with a single
driving wheel placed at one end, whilst the other end is supported by a
pair of steering wheels. The frame of the carriage I make of a triangular
form both vertically and horizontally, as herein-after described, which
enables the driving wheel to be held very steadily. 1 give motion to
the driving wheel in the following manner:-On the axle of the
driving wheel are placed two pullies, each capable of turning freely
around it; to each pulley are connected two cords which are wound in
opposite directions around it, one passes to a lever and the other is
attached to a spring. When the lever is moved in a direction to unwind
the cord from off the pulley a pawl carried by the pulley then engages
with a boss or wheel fixed on the axle (or the pawl may be carried on the
axle and engage with the pulley); the axle and wheel are thus driven.
The return of the pulley is effected by means of the other cord to which
the spring is attached. In some cases also in order that the commence-
ment of the stroke of each of the driving levers may transmit less
motion and more power to the driving axle than towards the end of the
stroke the cords from the driving levers are received in spiral or snail
grooves formed around the pulleys on the driving axle. This arrange-
ment also affords a ready means of adjusting the speed at which the
velocipede is driven, as the cord may be wound around more or less of
the spiral or snail groove. The levers may be worked either by the feet
or by the hands. When worked by the hands the levers are lengthened
by pieces which may be attached and detached as required, they are
also connected by a cord which passes round a pulley in the front part

page_text: of the carriage; by this means the combined power of both arms act con-
stantly on one or other of the pulleys on the axle of the driving wheel.
By the above arrangement a person working the carriage can give any
length of stroke he may please to the levers; the amount of motion and
power given to the driving wheel for each stroke of the levers may also
be varied according to the points at which the cords from the pulleys on
its axle are attached to the levers.
In some cases also in place of connecting the ends of the cords to
levers the ends of the cords might have handles attached to them by
which the person or persons using the carriage might haul directly
upon the cords with an action very similar to rowing. With this
arrangement different powers might be obtained by passing the cords
round pulleys of different diameters. When for the purpose of steering
the carriage the axle of the pair of guiding wheels is arranged to turn
on a central pin, this pin may be carried by one end of a radius rod
which at its other end is connected to some central portion of the frame
of the carriage; to the axle is fixed a framing, standing up vertically
from it, and at the top of this framing is a pin or axis which is received
in a bearing on the framing of the carriage, and which comes vertically
or nearly so over the pin upon which the axle pivots. The seat of the
carriage is formed by suspending a piece of sacking or leather or other
fabric between two transverse horizontal bars, one forming the front of
the seat and the other the back, the back one being much higher than
the front and forming a purchase for the shoulders when working the
levers with the legs. The sacking is capable of being lengthened and
shortened and can also be drawn taut so as to form a rigid seat, and at
the same time to be inclined at any angle most convenient to the driver
when working the levers with the arms; this is effected by means of a
rod placed across the width of the sacking and capable of being drawn
backwards by cords or straps. This seat I place at one end of a frame.
This end of the frame is supported on springs, by preference of vulcanized
india-rubber, whilst the other end of the frame is hinged to the frame-
work or body of the carriage; a spring seat is thus provided.
When the carriago is worked with the arms it may be steered by the
feet, each foot being placed upon a shon or treadle which at or near its
centre is capable of turning on a pin. These shoes or treadles are by
arms and rods or otherwise connected with the steering axle at points
equidistant from its centre, and so by turning the shoes or treadles on

page_text: their pins by inclining the feet in opposite directions the axle of the
guiding wheels can be inclined in one or other direction. If two driving
wheels are employed in place of one, as above described, I support them
on separate axles parallel to one another, and each axle having on it
two of the pulleys before described, one pulley on each axle being driven
simultaneously by a cord passing around a pulley connected by a hook
or otherwise to one of the levers, each end of the cord being wound
round one of the pulleys on each axle. By these means when the carriage
is turning each of the driving wheels will be driven and yet will be
turned at the varying speeds required.
When a carriage is constructed for one or two persons I prefer to have
two driving wheels on separate axles, the persons sitting facing each
other and working the same levers, one with the legs the other with the
arms. In this case the driving wheels may be made capable of being
shifted backwards in order to distribute the weight on the driving and
guiding wheels according as one or two persons are in the carriage; the
same arrangement inay also be adopted when the carriage is for three
or more persons.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a perspective view
of a velocipede in which several of my improvements are embodied.
a, a, are the treadle levers from which cords a', a', pass to pulleys or
snail wheels b, b, upon the driving axle as before described. The axis
of the driving wheel is a hollow axle and turns around a fixed axle c'
which at its ends is bolted to the two sides of the frame c of the carriage,
and thus ties together the two side frames.
The manner in which I prefer to construct the snail wheels b and
parts connected therewith is shewn in detail at Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8. The wheel b is formed with a boss b' in which are three semi-
circular recesses, as shewn at Figure 2, to receive corresponding ends of
three pawls d, d, as shewn at Figure 4. Springs are also fixed to the
boss, as shewn in this Figure, to act on the pawls to cause them to stand
out from the centre. e is a circular covering plate fixed by screws to
the boss b' and serves to keep the pawls in their places; f is a circular
ring formed around a disc g which is fixed to the nave of the wheel by
keys h, h, driven through slots in the disc into the nave of the wheel, as
shewn at Figure 7; within this ring is received the boss b' and pawls d,
as shewn at Figures 4 and 7. When the pulley or snail wheel b is
turned in one direction the pawls slip freely around the circumference

page_text: of the ring f, but when the pulley or snail wheel is turned in the
opposite direction the pawls bind firmly against the inner circum-
ference of the ring and cause the axle to turn together with the pulley
or snail wheel. The groove in the wheel b is either a spiral groove, as
shewn at Figure 2, or it may be a snail groove, as shown at Figure 8,
or it might be a circular groove. The framing of the carriage is made of
a triangular form in each direction as shewn, the base of the horizontal
triangle being formed by the fixed horizontal axis c', and the base of the
vertical triangles is formed by the vertical axis around which the axle of
the steering wheels turns. This axle has fixed to it an arc to which
are attached the ends of a cord, as shown at Figure 9, and this cord is
also wound around the vertical spindle 7, so that by turning the spindle
by the handle on its upper end the axle of the steering wheels can be
inclined in any desired direction. The arrangement I employ for
tightening the steering cord is also shewn at Figure 9.
My improved manner of carrying the seat of a velocipede or manu-
motive carriage is also clearly shewn at Figure 1 and 10; the sent, as
before stated, is carried by bars hinged to the rear of the frame of the
carriage, whilst the front of the seat to which the forward ends of the
bars are connected has a bar m descending from it, which is supported
by a spring n of vulcanized india-rubber. The spring can be connected
by the hook u to different points of the bar, and thereby the seat can be
raised or lowered; the bar m is capable of rising and falling between
guides on the frame of the carriage.
Figure 10 shews a side view of a velocipede or manumotive carriage
which may either be driven by the feet or by the hands, and so that
when driven by the feet it may be steered by the hands, and vice versa.
In this arrangement the form of the driving levers a, a, is modified, so
as to allow of the levers being worked either by the hands or by the feet.
When the levers are to be worked by the hands they are lengthened, as
shewn, by attaching to their upper ends the lever handles a³. The way
in which I effect this is to form the end of the lever handle a³ to drop
into a socket on the lever a, as is shewn more clearly on a larger scale
at Figure 11, and a pin passing between two cheeks on the lever handle
drops into the groove a³ at the top of the levers (. When the carriage is
to be driven by the feet the lever handles are removed, and shoes for the
feet to rest in are applied to the ends of the levers a, as shewn at Figures
12 and 13. When the levers are to be worked by hand I couple them

page_text: together by a cord o passing around a pulley p at the front of the
carriage, as shewn at Figure 10. Figure 14 shews by an edge view tho
manner in which I prefer to construct the levers a when they are to be
worked either by the feet or by the hands, and Figures 15 and 16 shew
the way in which I prefer to construct the levers a when they are to be
worked by the feet only..
I will now describe the manner in which the steering of the carriage
is effected. The arrangement of mechanism for steering with the hands
is similar to that already described, except that the vertical spindle / is
jointed at x, so that it may be turned downwards on a horizontal axis,
and it is connected by a cord to a break lever, so that by pressing
forwards the lever la break may be applied to the driving wheel. The
joint is a universal joint. so that the upper portion of the spindle from
the point may at all times be pressed forwards in a straight line to
apply the break in whatever direction the carriage is being steered. The
are is also jointed to the axle of the steering wheels, to allow it to
incline as the fore part of the carriage rises and falls, as in the carriage
shewn in this Figure; the fore part of the carriage rests on a.spring, as
shewn. The way in which I prefer to mount the axle of the steering
wheels upon the vertical spindle is shewn at Figure 17. For a four-
wheel velocipede or manúmotive carriage I prefer to mount the axle of
the guiding wheels in the manner shewn at Figures 18. In this
arrangement the axle is' arranged to turn on a central pin carried by
one end of a radius rod y, which at its other end is pin-jointed to some
central portion of the carriage; the axle is also formed with a framing
standing up vertically from it, and on the top of the framing is an axis
received in a bearing in the framing of the carriage, and which is
vertically or nearly so over the pin upon which the axle pivots. When
the carriage is to be steered by the feet both feet are placed upon
treadles g, which are mounted centrally on an axis upon which is a
pulley q', around which passes an endless cord, which is also wound
around the roller 1, so that by inclining the treadles this roller can be
turned and the steering thus effected.
My improved arrangement for enabling the seat to be set at different
angles is also shewn at Figure 10. r is the bar attached to the sacking
of the seat, and also attached by cords to the framing of the seat, so
that if the length of the sacking between the front and back bar of the
seat be reduced the sacking will be drawn into the form shewn by the

page_text: dotted lines. Two ways in which the sacking may be drawn down over
the back bar of the seat to effect this are shewn at Figures 10 and 20.
At Figures 21 and 22 is 'shewn my improved arrangement by which
when two driving wheels are employed, one on either side of a carriage,
they may be both driven at the proper speed when the carriage is
passing around a curve. 8, s, are two axles parallel to one another, each
axle carries one of the driving wheels; on each axle are two pulleys t, t,
as shewn at Figure 22; one pulley on each axle is driven by a cord
passing around a pulley ', as shewn, and this pulley is by a hook
connected to one of the two hauling cords a¹. The other cord a¹ is
similarly connected to a pulley around which is a cord connected to the
other two pulleys on the two axles. By this arrangement whichever of
the cords a' is hauled upon the axles will both be driven, and yet they
aro free to turn at the relative speeds desired when passing around a
curve. The pulleys t are turned back by other cords attached to springs,
as previously described.
A modification of this arrangement is shewn at Figure 23. This
arrangement enables the two axles s, s, to be placed in a line with ong
another; the cords and springs for turning back the pulleys are not
shown in this Drawing.
Figure 24 shews a carriage constructed as herein-before described for,
two persons to sit facing one another, and to work the same levers, one
to work' them with the feet and the other with the hands, as is clearly
shewn by the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
First. The combined arrangement of velocipede, herein described and
shown at Figures 1 and 10.
Second. The combined arrangement herein described for giving motion
to the driving axle of velocipedes and manumotive carriages, consisting
of a circular pulleys or spiral or snail wheels acted on by cords, and
capable of turning freely around the axle in one direction, and of being
made fast thereto by what is known as the silent ratchet when turned
in the opposite direction, as herein described.
Third. The supporting the seat of a velocipede or manumotive carriage
by bars turning at one end on a pin, and at the other resting on a spring,
in the manner herein described.
i

page_text: Fourth. Constructing the seat of a velocipede or manumotive carriage
in such manner that the seat may either be made into a rigid seat at any
angle desired, or that the sacking or material of which the seat is formed
may be loosely suspended between the front and back bars of the seat, as
herein described.
Fifth. The general construction of driving, levers herein described,
to enable them to be worked either by the hands or by the feet.
I also claim the placing the treadle levers of velocipedes which are
worked by the feet in a vertical position, substantially as herein described
and shewn by the Drawing.
Sixth. I claim the arrangements herein described for inclining the
axle of the steering wheels for the purpose of steering a velocipede or
manumotive carriage.
Seventh. I claim the arrangement herein described for giving motion
to a pair of driving wheels, one on either side of a velocipede or
manumotive carriage, so that both wheels shall always be driven,
whether the carriage be moved forwards in a straight line or passing
1ound a curve.
Eighth. I claim when working the carriage by hand to connect
together the driving levers by a cord passing around a pulley, as herein
described, so that the combined power of both arms shall always be
acting to drive the carriage.
Ninth. I claim constructing velocipedes or manumotive carriages for
two or more persons in such manuer that the persons sitting opposite to
one another may work the same driving levers, one working them with
his legs and the other with his arms, as herein described.
Tenth. The arrangement herein described and shewn at Figures 18
for connecting the axle of the guiding wheels to the frame of the
carriage.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Russell, have hereunto:
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.