Year: 1888

page_text: A communication from FRANCIS ROURK, M.D., of 273, Wellington Street, London,
in the County of Middlesex, and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada,
Physician.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the hature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent loss of power in the pedal passing a dead
point or centre while imparting motion to the axle of a cycle or velocipede of any
description. It consists of the attachment of a friction clutch or clutches to the
pedal-bar, the edges or faces of which clutches are brought to bear with each stroke
of the pedal against the rim of a wheel which connects by gearing with the axle of
a cycle or velocipede. The action of the clutches is continued over the arc of the
"dead
gear wheel which covers the area of freest movement and does not pass a
point" or "centre."
An arm or extension is provided on say the front wheel fork and to this arm or
extension is journalled a wheel and also a bar on which is carried the pedal.
To the underside of this bar are pivotted friction clutches so as to bear upon the
rim of the last mentioned or applied wheel. Upon the pedal being pressed down by
the rider's foot the other end of the pedal bar is correspondingly raised this brings
the edges or faces of the friction clutches in contact with the rim of the wheel and
the eccentricity of those edges or faces being in the line of motion will cause them to
bite against the rim of the wheel while the pedal is descending, causing the said wheel
to partially revolve with each movement of the pedal, and this rotary movement is
communicated from the wheel to the axle or axles of the cycle by means of toothed
gear when the cogs on the applied wheel mesh into cogs of a pinion centred on the
driving wheel axle; or motion may
be communicated from the said applied
wheel to the axle pinion of either the front or rear wheel or wheels by chain, belt or
friction gear.

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centres
و,
The movement of the before mentioned clutches of which any number may be
attached to the pedal bar extends only over an arc of the applied wheel. This arc
covers the area of freest movement and does not pass the "dead points" or
at top and bottom and thus all loss of power or risk of stopping on a centre is
prevented. The clutches are so shaped as to bite upon the applied wheel only in
the downward stroke of the pedal, their enlarged ends being then brought in contact
with the rim from which they free themselves in the upward movement of the pedal
bar which is effected by a spring one end of which is attached to the bar and the
other end to the journal or centre pin of the applied wheel and as soon as the rider's
foot is raised after making the down stroke of the pedal this spring brings the
pedal bar back to its position ready for the next down-stroke.
Dated this 17th day of December 1888.

page_text: A communication from FRANCIS ROURK, M.D., of 273, Wellington Street, London,
in the County of Middlesex, and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada,
Physician.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 object of this invention is to prevent loss of power in the pedal passing a dead
point or centre while imparting motion to the axle of a cycle or velocipede of any
description. It consists of the attachment of a friction clutch or clutches to the
pedal-bar, the edges or faces of which clutches are brought to bear with each stroke
of the pedal against the rim of a wheel which connects by gearing with the axle of a
cycle or velocipede. The action of the clutches is continued over the arc of the gear
wheel which covers the area of the free-est movement and does not pass a
"dead
point" or centre."
"
In the accompanying drawings;—
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle embodying this invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the friction clutches and portion of the pedal
bar, taken from the inner side.
Fig. 3 is a view of the mechanism on an enlarged scale.
A is the front wheel of a bicycle chosen for the purpose of illustrating this inven-
tion, B being the axle and C the fork.
D is the pedal and E the bar on which it is carried. F is an arm or
extension of fork C and to this arm or extension is journalled a wheel G and also
the bar E.
HH are friction clutches pivotted to the underside of bar E so as to bear upon
the rim of the wheel G. Upon the pedal being pressed down by the rider's foot the
other end of the bar E is correspondingly raised; this brings the edges or faces of
the friction clutches in contact with the rim of the wheel G and the eccentricity of
those edges or faces as shown in the drawings being in the line of motion will cause
them to bite against the rim of the wheel while the pedal is descending, causing the
wheel G to partially revolve with each movement of the pedal and this rotary move-
ment is communicated from the wheel to the axle or axles of the cycle by means
of toothed gear as shown in the drawings when the cogs I on wheel G mesh
into cogs of pinion J centred on the axle B; or motion may be communicated
from wheel G to axle pinion either of front or rear wheel or wheels by chain, belt or
friction gear.
The movement of the clutches H of which any number may be attached to pedal
bar E extends only over an arc of the wheel G as shown by the dotted lines and

page_text: "
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arrows on the outside of that wheel. This are covers the area of free est movement
and does not pass the "dead points" or centres at top
and bottom and thus all
loss of power or risk of stopping on a centre is prevented. These clutches are so
shaped (as shown more particularly in figure 2) as to bite upon the wheel G only in
the downward stroke of the pedal, their enlarged ends being then brought in contact
with the rim from which they free themselves in the upward movement of the bar E
which is effected by a spring K one end of which is attached to the bar and the
other end to the journal or centre pin of the wheel G and as soon as the rider's foot
is raised after making the down stroke of the pedal this spring brings the pedal bar E
back to its position ready for the next down-stroke.
I do not claim the friction-clutches as new in themselves but in their application
to the driving mechanism of a cycle or velocipede.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In a cycle or velocipede the clutches H pivotted to the pedal bar E and trans-
mitting motion by friction to the wheel G which communicates motion to the axle
or axles of the cycle or velocipede by toothed chain belt or friction gear substantially
as shown and specified.
2. In combination with the above described mechanism of a cycle or velocipede
a spring K attached at one end to the journal or central pin of wheel G and
at the other end to the pedal bar E for restoring the pedal bar to its posi-
tion after completing the down stroke of the pedal substantially as shown and
specified.