IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES.”
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harrington, of Norman's Buildings, St. Luke's, in
the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harrington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th April 1881.
JOHN HARRINGTON, of Norman's Buildings, St. Luke's, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in tricycles and other
velocipedes..
For this purpose I place the crank driving axle immediately or almost imme-
diately under the rider's seat, so that the rider may be in a vertical or nearly
vertical or standing position when driving the tricycle or other velocipede, as has
before been proposed, and instead of communicating motion from the crank
driving axle to the axle of the driving wheels by connecting rods and cranks, or
by wheels fixed on the said axles and endless bands passing around such wheels, or
by toothed gearing as heretofore, I according to my present Invention communicate
motion from the crank driving axle to the axle of the driving wheels by means of
friction wheels on the two axles and intermediate friction wheels, the peripheries
of which are formed with one or more V or inverted V grooves fitting each other;
and according to my Invention instead of placing the three toothed wheels on each
side of the machine in a right line, I mount the intermediate wheels on axes of
motion slightly out of such right line, by which means I obviate the necessity for
binding or pressing the said wheels with great force towards each other. I also on
one side of the machine employ two intermediate wheels, the one to communicate
the forward motion and the other the backward motion to the machine; these
wheels are placed the one at the back of a vertical line drawn between the crank
axle and the axle of the driving wheels, and the other at the front of such vertical
line, and such wheels are mounted and operated so that the one or the other can be
thrown into gear, as may be required, for either the forward or backward
action.

page_text: By these means when the rearmost intermediate wheel is thrown into gear the
machine is arranged for the forward motion, and in such case if the crank axle
were reversed it would have no influence on the axle of the driving wheels, but by
throwing into gear the foremost intermediate wheel the machine is arranged for
the backward motion.
.
The steering is effected by means of a handle and toothed pinion moving a rack
connected to a crank on the axes of the steering wheel, as is well understood.
Machines provided with the above described arrangement of driving gear are
noiseless, light to drive, easily reversed, and whilst both the main wheels are
drivers no unlocking arrangement is required to permit of the steering.
This Invention is applicable to tricycles and other velocipedes in which two
driving wheels are arranged side by side, and to some descriptions of velocipedes
in which only a single driving wheel is employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Harrington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th October
1881.
: JOHN HARRINGTON, of Norman's Buildings, St. Luke's in the County of
Middlesex. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in tricycles and other
velocipedes.
For this purpose I place the crank driving axle immediately or almost imme-
diately under the rider's seat, so that the rider may be in a vertical or nearly
vertical or standing position when driving the tricycle or other velocipede, as has
before been proposed, and instead of communicating notion from the crank driving
axle to the axle of the driving wheels by connecting rods and cranks, or by wheels
and endless bands passing around such wheels, or by toothed gearing as heretofore,
I according to my present Invention communicate motion from the crank driving
axle to the driving wheels by means of friction wheels on the crank axle, and on
the driving wheels and intermediate friction wheels, the peripheries of which are
formed with one or more Vor inverted V surfaces fitting each other; and according
to my Invention instead of placing the three friction wheels on each side of the
machine in a right line, I mount the intermediate wheels on axes of motion slightly
out of such right line, by which means I obviate the necessity for binding or
pressing the said wheels with great force towards each other. I also in some cases
on one side of the machine employ two intermediate wheels, the one to commu-
nicate the forward motion, and the other the backward motion to the machine;
these wheels are placed the one at the back of a right line drawn between the
crank axle and the axle of the driving wheels, and the other at the front of such

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
'
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation; and Figure 2 is a plan of a tricycle with my
present improvements applied thereto. Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of
parts thereof; and Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent an arrangement of parts, whereby
the motion of the machine can be reversed when required.
a represents the framing of the machine, b the driving wheels, c the seat, d the
crank axle, d the treadles, e the steering wheel, and f the steering handle and
shaft, which latter by means of a pinion f¹, toothed rack gl, link or rod g, and
crank h¹ fixed on the steering wheel fork causes the steering wheel e to be turned
in either direction as required. is a break lever fixed on an axis i, which latter
at each end is provided with a break it to act on a ring & fixed or formed on the
friction wheel k.
The above parts, with the exception of the friction wheel k, are similar to those
heretofore in use, and form no part of my present Invention.
1
I also place the crank axle d immediately or almost immediately under the
rider's seat c, so that the rider may be in a vertical or nearly vertical or standing
position when driving the tricycle or other velocipede, as has before been proposed,
but instead of communicating motion from the crank axle d to the driving wheels b
by connecting rods and cranks, or by wheels and endless bands passing around
such wheels, or by toothed gearing as heretofore, I according to my present Inven-
tion communicate motion from the crank driving axle d to the driving wheels b by
means of friction wheels d² fixed on the crank axlè d, and friction wheels k formed
or fixed on the hubs of the driving wheels b, and intermediate friction wheels
gearing with the wheels d² and k, and communicating motion from the former to
the latter. The peripheries of these friction wheels may be formed, as shown in
the Drawings, with a single V and inverted V edges, but if desired they may each.
be formed with a number of smaller V's fitting those on the other friction wheels;
or they may be formed with curved or other form of friction surface so as to enable
them to give motion from one to the other by friction only, and instead of placing
the wheels d², l, kc, on each side of the machine in a right line, I according to my
Invention mount the intermediate wheels on axes of motion somewhat out of
such right line, by which means I obviate the necessity for binding or pressing the
said wheels with great force towards each other. I also in order to reduce friction
mount the intermediate wheels each in a frame m (or it may be a lever) operated
in one direction by springs m', and in the other by a chain and link m³ pivotted
to the steering wheel fork h, so that the one or the other wheel shall be taken
out of contact with the wheels d² and k according to the direction in which it is
desired to steer the machine, but such arrangement is not absolutely necessary, as
the intermediate wheels / may be mounted so as always to remain in gear with the
wheels d and k, as described in my Provisional Specification.
If desired two intermediate wheels 1, 1, may be mounted on one side of the
machine, as shown at Figures 7, 8, and 9, the one (1) to communicate the forward
motion, and the other to communicate the backward motion to the machine;
these wheels are placed the one (1) at the back of a right line drawn between the
crank axle d and the axles b¹ of the driving wheels b, and the other (1) at the
front of such right line, and such wheels are mounted in a frame m, or it may be
in a lever operated in one direction by springs m', and in the other by a lever and

page_text: chain m³, so that the one (7) or the other (1) can be thrown into gear and taken
out of gear for either the forward or backward action, as may be required. In this
.last described arrangement the frame m is partly supported by. resting on the stud
or pin a', and partly by the chain m³.
By these means when the rearmost intermediate wheel is thrown into gear the.
machine is arranged for the forward motion, and in such case if the crank axle
were reversed it would have no influence on the axle of the driving wheels, but by
throwing into gear the foremost intermediate wheel the machine is arranged for
the backward motion.
Machines provided with the above described arrangement of driving gear are
noiseless, light to drive, easily reversed, and whilst both the main wheels are
drivers no unlocking arrangement is required to permit of the steering. This
Invention is applicable to tricycles and other velocipedes in which two driving.
-wheels are arranged side by side, and to some descriptions of velocipedes in which
only a single driving wheel is employed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claiin is,-
First. The employment of a friction gear to communicate notion from the crank
driving axle to the driving wheels of tricycles and other velocipedes.
Second. Arranging the intermediate friction wheel or wheels on one or on each
side of a right line drawn through the crank driving axle and the axles of the
driving wheels, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose
stated.
Third. When employing the intermediate friction wheels 7, l, on one side of the
machine, throwing the one or the other into and out of action, substantially as
herein shown and described, and for the purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrington, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN HARRINGTON. (L.S.)