Improvements in or appertaining to Variable Speed or Speed and Power Gears for Driving Velocipedes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Variable Speed or Speed and
Power Gears for Driving Velocipedes.
We, JOHN CLOUGH, of 4, Rose Bank, Manningham in the County of York,
Manager, and ROCHESTER ILLINGWORTII, of Hill Street. Coventry in the County
of Warwick, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention' relates to improvements in the locking or converting mechanism
of variable speed or speed and power gears for driving bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes in which a portion of the mechanism is at one speed locked to the chain
wheel or driving wheel so as to revolve therewith and at the other speed is held
stationary by being locked to a fixed part of the velocipede and particularly to the
locking mechanism for which Letters Patent have been granted to John Clough
(the present applicant) and George Carter No. 15519 dated the 1st October 1890.
And the object of the invention is to provide a more compact, simple and efficient
arrangement.
To carry out our invention we preferably employ a radial locking bolt having a
projection outside the face of the wheel similar to that described in the Specification
of the above cited Letters Patent but we use a double cam that is a cam on the
face of the wheel at each side of said projection and we provide a catch or detent
on the spring described in the said Specification or a catch moved by said spring to
pass in between said cams and thus hold the part to which such cams are fixed
stationary after said spring has disengaged it from the wheel without having to pass
the radial bolt into a fixed part of the velocipede. And we modify the form of the
spring and the method in which it is mounted to allow it to be moved either laterally
or radially for this purpose.
In order to prevent any liability of that end of the bolt engaging the wheel
(when released by said spring) from slipping past the notches or recesses provided
to retain it we increase the number and reduce the width of said notches and
bifurcate or divide the end of the bolt so that it engages two or more notches
at once.
Or wider notches or recesses may be used and two parallel bolts operated by
different springs provided to pass into the same notch or recess so that should the
first bolt miss a notch the bolt following has ample time to pass into it.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1892.
"
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Variable Speed or Speed and
Power Gears for Driving Velocipedes.
We, JOHN CLOUGH, of 4, Rose Bank, Manningham, in the County of York,
Manager, and ROCHESTER ILLINGWORTH, of Hill Street, Coventry, in the County
of Warwick, Manager, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the locking or unlocking mechanism of
variable speed or speed and power gears for driving bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes in which a portion of the mechanism is at one speed locked to.the.chain

page_text: I
wheel or driving wheel so as to revolve therewith and at the other speed is held
stationary by being locked to a fixed part of the velocipede and particularly to the
locking mechanism for, which, Letters Patent have been granted to John Clough
(the present applicant) and George Carter No. 15,519 dated the 1st October 1890.
And the object of the invention is to provide a more compact, simple and efficient
arrangement adapted to instantaneously effect the said locking and unlocking.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating our improvements
Figure 1 represents a cross section through the bearing case and a side view
of, a chain or sprocket wheel of a velocipede with our improvements applied
thereto.
The chain wheel contains an internal arrangement of any of the types of epicyclic
chain gears such as that shown in Specification No. 19,600 of 1891 in which a sun
wheel or centre wheel is employed and to reduce the speed of the chain wheel A in
relation to the crank axle B such sun wheel is held stationary by being locked to a
fixed part of the velocipede whilst at the other speed such sun wheel is locked to
and revolves with the chain wheel. In the arrangement shown in the drawings this
sun wheel is rigidly secured to the side plate C having a radial bolt D to lock it to
the chain wheel which bolt is normally held at its outward limit by an internal
spring. The above described arrangement is not new and is merely mentioned to
enable our improvements to be fully understood.
Figure 2, is a plan view of Figure 1 and
Figure 3, is a view of the reverse side of the bracket E and its attachments to
that shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4, is a view of a detail hereinafter referred to.
Figure 5, represents a similar cross section to Figure of the bearing case
and a side view of the side plate C but illustrates a modified form of our
improvements.
Figure 6, is a plan view of the same with our improved mechanism in the position
required to engage and operate the locking bolt during the next revolution of the
chain wheel so as to hold the sun wheel stationary.
Figure 7, is a similar view showing the mechanism drawn aside clear of the chaia
wheel leaving the locking bolt free to pass to its outward limit.
Figure 8, is a view of a detail hereinafter referred to.
Figure 9, is a section through the chain wheel at right angles to the axle showing
an interior view of the plate C and the bolt D mounted therein.
Figure 10, a diametrical section of the said plate through the bolt D.
Figure 11, is an inside view of the bolt shown separate.
Figure 12, is a side view, and Figure 13, is an end view of the same.
Figure 14, is an inside view of a portion of the plate C with a double bolt fitted
therein, and Figure 15, is a section of the same.
Figure 16, is a view looking at the outer end of the bolts and
Figure 17 is a view of a detail hereinafter referred to.
The bracket E is mounted on the bearing case F and is shown clamped in position
by the set screw G fitted in the lugs H but it is obvious that such bracket may be
brazed or secured to the case in any other convenient manner. The bracket E in
Figures 1, 2, and 3 is formed with a slot I having lugs or spurs J, J projecting from
the sides. And between these lugs with its head projecting through the slot the
catch or detent K is pivotally mounted by means of the pin L. A strong curved
spring P is pivoted by the screw O to the arm M also projecting from the
bracket E. One arm of this spring passes through a hole Q in the catch K and a
slot R engaging the crank pin S is formed in the other arm of such spring. The
pin S projects from the face of a disc T fixed on the end of the short shaft U
mounted in the lateral projection V on the bracket E and such shaft carries a
lever W by which it may be turned in the direction of the arrow Figure 3. This
disc, shaft and lever may be operated in any convenient manner but preferably by
means of a lever on the handle bar arranged and connected thereto in a similar
manner to any of the ordinary types of brake levers and their connections. By

page_text: turning the disc T through approximately ninety degrees the spring P and the
head of the catch K are moved nearer to the centre of the chain wheel into the
position in which these parts are represented by the broken lines in Figure 3.
The radial bolt D mounted in the plate C has a projection Y formed on it which
when the plate is locked to the wheel A has its outer face flush with the cams or
eccentric projections Z; Z rigidly secured on the plate C on each side of the said
projections.
To disconnect the plate C from the wheel A and hold it stationary the disc T is
turned and the spring P and the catch K are moved inwards to the position repre-
sented by the broken lines in Figure 3. Then as the plate C continues to revolve
the cam Z meets the head of the catch K and moving it on its pin L powerfully
compresses the spring until the projection Y passes in front of the head of the catch
when such projection being yielding it is instantaneously forced inwards and the
catch passes between the two cams thus first releasing the bolt D and plate C from
the wheel A and then holding such plate stationary. Figure 4, illustrates the
manner in which the head of the catch interlocks with the two cams to hold the
plate stationary.
In order to prevent the catch holding the plate before the bolt is disengaged from
the wheel the acting face of the head of the catch has the corners a bevelled off so
that the bolt is disengaged from A before the parallel part of the head passes in
between the cams.
In the modification shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 the catch or detent K is
intended to be drawn aside when the plate C is locked to A. In this case the catch
shown in section in Figure 5 is fitted between the parallel guides c, c of the
bracket E so that it is capable of both lateral and radial motion and it is provided
with a shank d by which it is connected to the bell-crank lever e pivoted to any
convenient part of the framework so as to draw the catch in the direction of the
arrow Figure 6 and move it to the position represented in Figure 7 clear of the
cams Z, Z. A circular spring P is employed secured by the screws y to the projection h
on the bracket E and the ends of the spring each pass into the hole Qin the catch.
The pin i passed through the catch abuts against the spurs c, c and prevents the
catch passing too far between such spurs.
The action is practically the same as the arrangement previously described but it
is moved laterally out of action instead of radially and the spring being drawn with
it springs the catch back into the position shown in Figure 6 when the bell-crank
lever e is operated for that purpose. Figure 8 represents a section of the catch
interlocking with the cams Z, Z.
In epicyclic change gears of this description when the change from speed to
power and vice versa is effected without entirely removing the propelling force
immediately the sun wheel is free that is to say immediately it is detached say from
a fixed part of the velocipede for the purpose of locking it to the chain wheel there
is a decided tendency for such sun wheel to rapidly revolve instead of transmitting
motion from the driving shaft to the chain wheel. Therefore in order to reduce
the liability of that end of the bolt D engaging the wheel when such bolt is released
by the catch K from slipping past the notches or recesses provided to retain it we
increase the number and reduce the width of said notches and bifurcate the end of
the bolt so that it engages two or more notches at once.
Figures 9 to 13 illustrate this arrangement. The end of the bolt D radially
mounted in the plate C is bifurcated or provided with two prongs D', D' and the
notches or recesses E' formed in the internal periphery of the wheel A are the same
pitch as the distance the prongs D¹, D' are apart. F¹ is a spring provided to press
the bolt D to its outward limit.
As a modification two radial bolts D2 D2 may be employed as shown in
Figures 14, 15 and 16. These bolts are retained in position side by side in the
plate by the guide clips J', J¹ secured to the plate. A hole is made through the
plate for the projections Y on the bolts and independent springs F1, F' are provided.
The notches or recesses E¹ made in A are wide enough to receive both bolts as

page_text: shown in Figure 17 and in the ordinary course both bolts pass into the notch but if
by any chance the first bolt should miss a notch there is ample time for the second
bolt to pass into it.
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:
I. In a change or speed and power gear for velocipedes a spring catch or detent
adapted and arranged to convert the mechanism from one speed to the other by
instantaneously unlocking a certain revolving part of such mechanism and engaging
it to hold it stationary, substantially as herein shown and described.
'
2. Ina change or speed and power gear for velocipėdes a spring catch or detent
arranged to be operated by cams or their equivalent for the purpose of compressing
or putting the spring under tension and adapted on being released to operate a
bolt and also engage a portion of the mechanism to hold it stationary, substantially
as herein shown and described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In change or speed and power gears for velocipedes, the use of a bifurcated
bolt arranged substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
4. In change or speed and power gears for velocipedes, the use of a double
bolt arranged substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
1
Dated this 2nd'day of December 1892.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.