Improvements in Pedal Driving-gear for Velocipedes and other Rotary Mechanisms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Date of
on, on June, Toyo
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pedal Driving-gear for Velocipedes and other
Rotary Mechanisms.
I, JUAN ANDERSON, of 22 Uhlandstrasse, in the City of Hamburg, Empire
of Germany, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This improved driving gear for velocipedes and other rotary mechanisms sub-
stantially consists of two levers each of which is connected, by a crank arm to the
axle or shaft of the rotary body to be turned, for example to the axle of the chain
wheel of a velocipede. One extremity of each lever slides on a guide, which, in
case the driving gear is employed for a velocipede, may consist of a slide bar
rigidly fixed to the frame of the velocipede and a slide block guided upon the slide
bar by means of pulleys, the extremity of the lever being pivoted to the slide
block.
On using this driving gear for velocipedes, the crank arms are arranged at opposite
centres and are placed like the aforesaid levers one at each side of the frame of
the velocipede. The free extremities of the levers which extend over the crank
arms, carry the pedals, which, under the action of the feet, traverse an elliptical
course, while the crank-arms serve as guides and the other extremities of the levers
are reciprocated to and fro. The free ends of the levers may be connected by a
chain which is guided over a pulley fixed to the frame of the velocipede, and which
transinits the movement of one pedal to the other pedal.
The before described driving mechanism is very advantageous since the portion
of the path described by the pedals under the effective action of the foot, forms.
with the rotary axle of the chain wheel considerably longer effective arms or levers
than the otherwise usual circular path described by the pedal cranks, without the
highest and lowest points of the new path being materially higher or lower,
respectively, than the highest and lowest points, respectively, of the circular
path.
Dated this 8th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Pedal Driving-gear for Velocipedes and other
Rotary Mechanisms.
I, JUAN ANDERSON, of 22 Uhlandstrasse, in the City of Hamburg, Empire
of Germany, Gentleman, 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 present invention relates to improvements in pedal driving gear for
velocipedes and other rotary mechanisms of that class in which the propelling
power is applied through the medium of a revolving crank shaft operated by levers
pivotally connected with the crank arms and each provided at their forward

page_text: extremity with a pedal and at their rear extremity with a suitable sliding and
pivctal connection allowing the said levers to move simultaneously in a vertical
elliptical arc and to reciprocate longitudinally.
The object of the improvements is to improve the pedal movement and to afford
more advantageous propelling leverage; and with these ends in view my invention
consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will
he hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing which
shows a side elevation of my improved pedal driving gear applied, for example, to
a bicycle of the modern safety type.
The crank arms c¹ and 2 of the shaft c of the chain wheel b are arranged in the
usual manner at opposite centres and are placed like the driving levers a' and a²,
pivotally connected with the said crank arms, one at each side of the frame of the
bicycle. The free extremities of the levers a¹ a which extend over the crank
arms carry the pedals e or e² respectively, which, under the action of the feet,
traverse an elliptical course, while the other extremities of the levers are recipro-
cated to and fro by means of suitabie guides each of which may consist of a slide
bar d rigidly fixed to the frame of the bicycle and a slide block d' guided upon
the slide bar by means of antifriction rollers d, the rear extremity of the driving
lever being pivoted to the said slide block.
The free ends of the levers a' and a may be connected by a chain f which is
passed over a pulley f¹ fixed to the bicycle frame, and which transmits the move-
ment of one lever to the other lever."
Each lever a or a² respectively is divided by its being connected with the
crank c' or c² respectively in such a manner that the forward lever arm carrying
the pedal has only a length equal to about one third of the rear lever arm; and it
is this proportion of the lever arms in combination with the sliding bearing of the
levers in opposition to the known oscillating bearing of such levers-which effects
that the pedals describe a symmetrical elliptical figure or course whereby the feet
and legs receive a uniform movement.
The before described driving mechanism is very advantageous since the
portion xyz of the path described by the pedals under the effective action of
the foot forms with the rotary axle of the chain wheel considerably longer effective
lever arms than the otherwise usual circular path described by the pedal cranks,
without the highest and lowest points of the new path being materially higher
or lower, respectively, than the highest and lowest points, respectively, of the
circular path.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A pedal driving gear for velocipedes and other rotary mechanisms in which
the actuating levers carrying the pedals are connected with the crank arms of the
rotary shaft at a point back of the forward, extremity of the levers, and pivoted
with their rear extremities to suitable sliding blocks, in order to enable the forward
extremities of the levers or the pedals, respectively, to describe a symmetrical
elliptical figure or path, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a pedal driving gear for velocipedes the combination of crank arms c c
keyed on the chain wheel shaft, of actuating levers a¹ a² to which the said crank
arms are pivoted at a point back of the front ends of the levers, of pedals el e
attached to the said front ends of the levers, of slide blocks d¹ to which the rear
ends of the levers are pivoted, and of suitable slide bars d mounted or fixed to the
frame of the velocipede, substantially as specified.
1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.