Year: 1886

page_text: I JOSEPH DE BUIGNE, of Mabrisch Ostrau (Moravia) in the Empire of Austria,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in two track bicycles. According to this
invention the axle of the bicycle carries two large wheels of equal diameter, and
has one or more pairs of stirruplike treadles so suspended from it by a suitable
mechanical arrangement; as to enable the rider or traveller or travellers, whose
common centre of gravity is placed beneath the axle of the machine, to impart a
continuous rotary motion to the said axle by alternately causing their own weight
to act upon one and the other treadle in each pair of treadles.
The said mechanical arrangement consists (for each pair of treadles) of two
cranks placed at 180 degrees relatively to each other, or of two two-armed levers,
or of grooved wheels or pulleys loosely mounted upon the axle and caused to swing
under the action of the up and down notion of the treadles, the said levers or
pulleys actuating the axle by means of a ratchet. When grooved wheels are used
the treadles are fixed to the ends of a cord or chain running over both grooved
wheels and having the middle portion bight guided by rollers on one side of a
frame which is loosely mounted upon the axle and carries at its other side guides
for the free ends of the cord or chain. The ratchet used is preferably a friction
ratchet, consisting of projecting rims of the grooved wheels and of radial arms
rigidly connected to the axle of the machine and having lateral projections which
eccentrically extend inside the said rims and carry a rubber-coated ball or roller,
the said ball or roller being moveable around a horizontal axis, which is free to
move sidewise a certain distance along the eccentric projection. Thus the said ball
or roller will be jammed between the rim and the eccentric projection every time
the rim moves in the direction from the most distant to the least distant end of
the projection.
In order to enable the rider or riders to drive in either direction, two eccentric
projections carrying a rubber-coated ball or roller as described, and inclined in
opposite directions may be adjustably connected to the radial arm of the axle by
means of a common pivot; a reversing lever likewise fastened to the said pivot
allows of one of the projections being brought near the rim.
The bicycle is steered by loosening either wheel as required. For this purpose
the wheels are loosely mounted upon the axle and connected to the same by means

page_text: of friction clutches. The clutch-coupling box is provided with annular grooves so
as to form a sort of cylindrical rack meshing with a pinion, the axis of which
terminates by handles constantly held by the travellers, and is journaled in a
frame loosely mounted upon the axle; the wheels may be adapted to have their
motion reversed by means of a toothed ring fixed inside the nave, a pinion keyed
on the axle in the same plane as this ring, and of one or more pinions pivotted
to a rim of the clutch-coupling-box and adapted to gear with the said ring and
pinion.
Moreover, a bicycle of the kind herein before described may be adapted to be
steered by fixing both wheels to. sockets, which are loosely mounted upon the ends
of the axle and each of which carries the described grooved wheel movement. If
in this case the bicycle be intended for two travellers only, the treadles are formed
into one-armed levers suspended on a frame, which is loosely mounted on both
sockets.
Bicycles of the kind herein before described for the use of only one person, may
be constructed with a bent middle portion of the axle, between the two sockets
carrying the grooved wheel movement; in this case, both grooved-wheel move-
ments are actuated by a common cord or chain, the middle part of which is
suitably guided along the bent portion of the axle while the ends of the cord or
chain carry stirrup-shaped treadles. This latter machine is steered by means of
wheels which are connected to the sockets by friction clutches.
The spokes of the wheels are preferably made of endless wire cords, the end of
which near the nave is connected to a small. headed pin adapted to be turned by
means of a wrench or the like in order to bend the spoke. When a 'spoke needs
to be bent on the road, i.e. without the aid of a wrench, this may be done by
means of a single pin placed between both parts of the endless cord.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOSEPH DE BUIGNE of Mährisch, Ostrau, (Moravia), Austria, Engineer, 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 two-track bicycles, and the invention
has for object to provide improved means for driving and for steering the said
bicycles, which have an axle carrying two large wheels of equal diameter.⚫
It is a feature common to all the modified forms, which this two-track bicycle
can assume, that the two wheels are connected. by means of a bodily axle whereby
the width of the track is determined, and from which the whole load of the vehicle
is suspended. The said axle can be either curved so as to form two cranks, or be
provided with other suitable mechanical arrangements adapted to. transform
rectilinear reciprocating motion into continuous rotary motion, and to be operated
by means of treadles.
The required equilibrium is given to the whole arrangement suspended from the
axle by placing the riders on opposite sides of the axle. When the machine is to
be driven by persons in a standing position they are supported by the treadles,
whilst in machines in which the riders are seated their weight immediately acts
upon the parts carrying the saddles.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a sectional
side elevation of a two-track bicycle constructed according to my invention, and
adapted to be driven by two persons situated respectively before and behind the
axle. By standing on opposite ends of the treadles a, a, the riders counter-balance
each other, and by both together causing their weight to bear first on one and then
on the other treadle, they drive the vehicle. The diameter of the wheels is such
as to place the centre of gravity of the whole load below the axle, and to allow a
certain space between the treadles, when in their lowermost position, and the
ground. Any difference which there may be between the weights of the riders
can be compensated by adjusting the treadles with respect to the horizontal
distances between their ends and the axle, or the rider of least weight can suspend
a correspondingly larger portion of the baggage on the side of the axle where he
is standing.
Instead of driving the two-track bicycle by means of two cranks, I sometimes
use the hereinafter described mechanical movement, which is oscillated by means
of the treadles, and geared to the axle or to the wheels, by suitable ratchets.
A cord, intended to oscillate two pulleys b, b, loosely mounted on the axle, is
passed over the pulleys and a bight or loop thereof is left on one side of the axle
whilst the ends pass down on the opposite side Figure 4 is a sectional elevation.

page_text: shewing the course of this cord; which can be replaced by a strip of leather, a
chain or the like.
The bight or loop of the said cord is passed round two guide-pulleys, or, as
shown in the front elevation at figure 3, round one guide-pulley c, only, the said
guide pulley having its journals in a frame d, which is loosely mounted on the axle
of the machine. From the guide-pulley c, the free ends of the cord run in parallel
directions over the driving-pulleys b, b, and thence, in a similar manner, over the
guide pulleys e, e, (which are likewise supported by the frame d) to the treadles a, a ;
As the guide pulley c, and the guide-pulleys e, e, are mounted on opposite sides of
the frame d, the strain caused by the cord on one of the said pullies is compen-
sated by that exerted on the other, and the said frame d, will always be rendered
firm by the weight placed on the treadles.
Each driving pulley b, which is caused to oscillate in the way described, actuates
a ratchet of suitable construction, and thus converts its oscillating motion into
a continuous rotation of the axle upon which the ratchets are mounted. It will
be obvious that the driving-pulleys b, b, can be replaced by two-armed levers,
oscillating between stops, and also operating ratchets, by which the axle is rotated.
In order to ensure a steady and noiseless working I use by preference, in the
mechanical movement for converting the reciprocating motion of the treadles into
a, rotary motion of the axle, friction-ratchets of the following construction; a ball
or cylinder f, made of or coated with elastic material is placed between two
surfaces, an oscillating one and an idle one, the said surfaces being inclined toward
each other according to the angle of -friction of the said ball or cylinder. Each
time the oscillating surface moves towards, the base or aperture of the angle the
ball or cylinder will become jammed and will carry along the idle surface, and
when the oscillating or swinging surface moves toward the apex of the angle, the
said ball or roller is set free and the idle surface is not acted upon; the oscillations
of the swinging surface are thereby transmitted to the idle surface in one direction
only. As shown in figures 3 and 4 the oscillating surfaces are formed by rims b',
on the driving pulleys b, and the idle surfaces by inclined extensions g¹, of radial
arms g fixed to the axle. The ball or roller f, is kept in position by means of a
spring such as h, as shown.
Figure 6 is a sectional view showing an arrangement of the friction-ratchet, in
which provision is made for reversing the motion. In this arrangement two
plates g², g, inclined towards the rim 61, in opposite directions are fixed, to a
shaft, carrying a lever, arm and handle j', and having. its bearings formed in the
two radial arms g, of the axle. When the position of the arm which is auto-
matically fixed in any position, is changed, the positions of the plates g², and g³,
are reversed and instead of the roller or ball f¹, or f, having just been working,
the other ball or roller becomes intermittently jammed and thereby rotates the axle
in the reverse direction.
To prevent the treadles a, a, from moving apart, they are connected by means of
a rigid link a¹, extending in a parallel direction to the treadles and hinged by its
ends to horizontal axes. Further to prevent the treadles a, a, and link a¹, from
turning together round a vertical axis, the link a', can be provided with oval eyes
formed in extensions of its ends, and in these eyes rods can be guided, hinged to
the suspended frame d, or to another similar frame.
The arrangement for steering the machine can be combined with a brake-k, the
steering devices being actuated by means of small shafts 1, journalled in the
suspended frame d, and provided with handles , which serve at the same time for
the riders to hold, in order. to support themselves.
The said steering device can be operated by disconnecting either of the wheels
from the axle of the machine, the disconnected wheel at the same time having the
brake applied thereto. The disconnection of the wheel is effected by disengaging
a friction-clutch m, by which the wheel is normally fixed to the axle. Figures 1
and 2 and figure 7 (in sectional elevation) show friction-clutches which, for the

page_text: sake of lessening their dimensions and weight, are enclosed in the hollow naves of
the wheels, these naves forming the loose parts of the clutches. The clutches and
their disengaging devices which are adapted to be operated by means of the
shafts 1, and handles, can however be of any known construction. Figure 7.
shows a socket m', movable end wise on and rotated by the axle of the vehicle,
the said socket m¹, being rigidly connected to the inner cone of the clutch, which
can be adapted to automatically engage the outer one; the said socket m¹, is
provided with annular grooves, so as to form a cylindrical rack, which engages
with a pinion 2, carried by the shaft l, arranged transversely to the axle and
provided with the handles -In the modified arrangement shown in figures 3
and 4 I employ two shafts l, journaled on either side of and level with the axle of
the machine, each of the said shafts carrying a cam or eccentric 13, adapted to
displace a cam-shaped lever n, which is jointed to the suspended frame d; the
lever n, operates the clutch either directly or by means of a socket, m³, movable
endwise.
.
Or each wheel can be driven by a separate mechanical movement of the
construction herein before described. Thus, in this arrangement the working of the
machine by two persons not only suitably balances the load, but. the working
power of each wheel is wholly independent of that of the other wheel and under
the control of the operator. When it is required to turn the machine it is only
necessary for one of the operators to tread faster or slower, or to ceasing treading,
and in this manner my two-track-bicycle can be caused when travelling to describe
any required curve, while on the other hand, the machine will run in a straight
line when both riders tread together at the same rate of speed; in the latter case
means can be provided for rigidly connecting the wheels with each other. In two-
track bicycles arranged to be steered in the manner just described, the mechanical
movements actuated by the treadles, the suspended frames carrying the same, and
the ratchets are mounted on tubular extensions of the nave of both wheels, (which
in this case are not made hollow) instead of on the axle itself. It will he obvious
that by this arrangement, the wheels will be driven instead of the axle. In
machines of a more simple construction one wheel only may be adapted to be
driven in this manner, the other wheel being driven by the axle, to which the
second driving mechanism is mounted.
Bearings for the axle are formed within the naves and tubular extensions of the
same, by preference on the points where the load is suspended. The tubular
extensions of the naves may be made of sufficient length to nearly meet, and a
clutch o, shewn in figure 9, (which is a diagrammatic plan view of a machine
illustrating this arrangement) may be provided, allowing of these extensions
being connected to each other or to the axle; or the said clutch may be
dispensed with.
When a separate driving mechanism is provided for each wheel, a separate pair
of treadles ought also to be provided for each operator. As shown in figure 9 and
in figure 8, which is a sectional elevation of figure 9, these treadles form one-arined
levers p, p, p³, p*, arranged transversely to the axle, each one being connected to
one end of the cord of the driving mechanism of which it forms a part. The
fulcrums of these levers are formed in a frame loosely suspended to the axle, in
such a manner that each rider has placed at his side the fulcrums of the levers
upon which the other rider situated on the opposite side of the axle is acting, the
strain exerted on the said frame being thereby rendered uniform.
The position which the riders occupy with respect to each other allows of
arranging the handles in the manner shewn in figure 9. By turning the two
middle handles placed opposite each other, the clutch o, is operated, and the two.
outer handles are respectively connected to the brakes by means of cords.
The position occupied by the two riders moveover affords facility for adapting
the machine to be driven by riders in a sitting position. In this case, saddles
arranged one on each side of the axle, correspond with pairs of stirrup-shaped

page_text: treadles, each of which is arranged on the opposite side, the legs of the two riders
crossing beneath the axle.
My improved bicycle is intended. to be driven backwards as well as forwards,
.1 therefore provide two brake-blocks for each wheel, the said brake-blocks being
fixed to the ribs of a truss-shaped frame. The parts of this frame are made movable
with respect to each other, and, by means of springs and stops, they are held in
such a position as to keep the brake-blocks off from the wheels.
.
The cords by which the brakes can be actuated are connected to bobbins or
arms fixed to the shafts 1, which carry the handles . In machines, the wheels of
' which are connected to the axle by means of clutches, as first hereinbefore
described, the cords run from each brake-block to the shaft, by which the clutch
of the corresponding wheel can be disengaged, the said disengagement and the
application of the brake being effected at one time. In bicycles of this description,
having each wheel driven by a separate mechanism as hereinbefore described, the
turning of both outer handles in either direction may be made to actuate the
brake-blocks of either, wheel. For this purpose the cords of the brake-blocks of both
wheels run to the same shaft, on which they are wound in opposite directions or
fixed to diametrically opposed arms; by this means, the brake can be applied to
either wheel by suitably turning either of the outer handles. In order to allow of
the brakes being applied to both wheels at once, the brake cords can be provided
with separate handles; or cords can be wound on the spindle of the middle handles
in such a manner as to cause the brakes to be applied to both wheels, when the
said shaft is turned to disengage the clutch. The frame carrying the brakes can
be covered with a woven fabric, which then forms a sort of tent, as shewn in
figures 1 and 2.
For the sake of. clearness, I have described my two-track bicycle as being
operated by two persons only; it will be obvious, however, that, by providing
several driving mechanisms and pairs of treadles, the machine can be adapted for.
the use of any number of riders within the limits of the space available; some of
the riders can be placed side by side, and some behind one another.
When the treadles are constructed in the form of one-armed levers, a two-track
bicycle of the herein described construction can, in case of need, be driven by one
person, the part of the suspended frame, where the fulcrums of the levers are formed,
being in this case suitably weighted.
The frame carrying the brakes, the handles by which the 'clutches are operated,
the frame to which the lever like treadles are connected, the saddles for seated
riders, the hooks s or simliarly shaped parts provided for carrying the luggage,
etc. etc., and generally speaking, all parts intended to be kept in fixed unvarying
positions are connected to the frame or frames, suspended from the axle or from
the tubular extensions of the naves.
The riders can be provided with girdles, or belts having suitable hooks, which
can be hooked onto corresponding parts of the suspended frame, in cases where it
is desired to exert a stronger power on the treadles, or to have both hands free.
All the bearings hereinbefore referred to are anti-friction bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a two-track bicycle, a bodily axle from which the whole load is suspended,
and which is curved into two cranks or provided with other mechanical movements
by which a reciprocating motion can be converted into a rotary motion, the said
axle forming the connection between two wheels, which it serves to keep at an
unvarying width of track.
2. In a two-track bicycle, a driving mechanism consisting of pulleys b b or two-
armed levers; which are oscillated by means of treadles, and geared to the axle, or
to the wheels, by means of ratchets.

page_text: 3. A ratchet consisting of an elastic ball or roller f arranged between an
oscillating surface and an idle surface, these surfaces being so inclined towards
each other as to form a suitable friction-angle.
4. The arrangement of the cord for driving the oscillating pulleys in such a
manner as to compensate the strain exerted on one pulley by that exerted on the
other.
5. Treadles formed by cross-plates suspended at their centres and weighted at
both ends.
6. In a two-track bicycle, the employment of a separate driving mechanism for
each wheel.
7. The improved two-track bicycle hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.