IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCI- PEDES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO THAT DESCRIPTION OF VELOCIPEDES KNOWN AS BICYCLE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Dennistoun Scott, of Derby, in the County of
Derby, Engineer, and George Henry Phillott, of Cheltenham, in the County
of Gloucester, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCI-
PEDES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO THAT DESCRIPTION OF VELOCIPEDES KNOWN
AS BICYCLE"
Sealed the 28th June 1878, and dated the 2nd March 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Dennistoun Scott and
George Henry Phillott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
2nd March 1878.
GEORGE DENNISTOUN SCOTT, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Engineer, and
GEORGE HENRY PHILLOTT, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Architect.
IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO THAT DESCRIPTION OF
VELOCIPEDES KNOWN AS BICYCLES."
ss
It is obvious that in certain conditions of travelling on bicycles, ascending a hill,
for instance, it is desirable that the motion of the feet may be more rapid than
the revolution of the wheel, and that the power generated by two or more beats of
the foot, and consequent revolutions of the cranks, may be applied to one revo-
lution of the wheel; while in other conditions, descending a hill or incline, for
instance, or when on a perfectly smooth surface, it might be possible to travel at a
very great speed, it would be desirable that more than one revolution of the
driving wheel shall take place for each beat of the foot, and the corresponding revo-
lution of the crank. And it is equally clear that in many instances it would be
convenient if the motion of the cranks and driving wheels could be rendered inde-
pendent from one another.
Now the object of the Invention is to so construct velocipedes, and especially that
class of velocipedes known as bicycles, so that the action of the feet of the driver
may be communicated to or shut off from the driving wheels or wheel in such a
manner that the revolutions of the latter may be multiplied, diminished, or

page_text: rendered independent with regard to the action of the feet of the rider, and the
consequent revolutions of the crank at his will. We effect this object by an
arrangement of mechanism contained in the hub, boss, or centre of the driving
wheels or wheel, or velocipedes or bicycles, which we will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which our Invention is shown as
applied to the driving wheel of an ordinary bicycle.
Figure 1 is a view of the driving wheel shewing in section the interior of the
circular-shaped boss or hub; Figure 2 is a detached view of the clutch B¹, and
Figure 3 of the wheel A. The crank spindle B revolves loosely within the hub or
boss of the driving wheel within the hollow shaft G. At or near its centre is a
clutch or driver B₁, shown separately at Figure 2, keyed solidly to, or cast or forged
in one piece with it. The crank spindle B is allowed a slight lateral motion from
right to left, or vice versa, through its hollow shaft or quill G (which projects from
the side bevil wheel A, and may be either cast in one piece with, or fixed rigidly
with it), at the will of the bicycle rider, by the means presently explained, and the
driver B¹ of course moves with it. When the crank spindle B is moved to the left,
the driver B¹ gears into the bevil wheel A, shown separately at Figure 3, which
being rigid with the driving wheel, actuates the latter directly, and the revolution
of the crank spindle is imparted directly to the driving wheel of the bicycle so
that the motion of the feet of the rider and the revolution of the driving wheel
are at the same speed. But when the crank spindle is moved to the right the
clutch B' takes or gears into the cross head C, on which a corresponding clutch is
formed to receive it, and which carries the two central bevil-shaped wheels D, D,
running loosely upon the gudgeons E, which project from the opposite sides of the
cross head C at right angles to the axis of the driving wheel, and gearing into the
fixed wheel F, which is fixed on to or is solid with the hollow shaft or quill G, this
hollow shaft G being held by the lever G¹, attached to the standard of the bicycle.
When this is the case the driving wheel of the bicycle is driven in the arrange-
ment, shown at Figure 1, at double the speed of the crank and the motion of the feet
of the rider, because the motion imparted to the central wheels D, D, by the crank
spindle B, through the driver B', not only drives the wheels D, D, in their orbit
round the central axis, but those wheels D, D, are themselves compelled at the
same time to revolve upon their own axis round the gudgeon E, E, because they
gear into the fixed wheel F, and thus a doubled or multiplied motion is imparted to
the wheel A, which being rigid with the driving wheel of the bicycle compels the
Intter to revolve at the same doubled or multiplied speed. When the crank spindle
B, with its driver B¹, is in the position as is shewn at Figure 1, the crank spindle
revolves freely, and without imparting any motion to the bicycle driving wheel,
and vice versa, the driving wheel can revolve while the crank remains stationary.
By the mechanism just described it will have been understood that in the three
positions of the crank spindle B and driver B', that no motion at all, that a motion
at the same speed, and that an increased motion of the crank spindle are imparted
to the bicycle driving wheel at the will of the rider.
Another arrangement of the Invention is shewn at Figure 4, which is a view
in vertical cross section through the boss or hub of the driving wheel, by which, in
addition to the no motion at all, the same motion, and the increased motion which
can be imparted to the driving wheel through the crank spindle B, as shown at
Figure 1, the diminished motion of the driving wheel before referred to can be
imparted to it at the will of the rider.
We effect the application of this diminished motion in the following manner :-It
will be remembered that the increased motion is effected by the clutch B¹ gearing
into the cross head C, upon which the two wheels D, D, turn, and the cross head C
being carried round with the crank spindle B, the wheels D, D, are carried round
with it, and at the same time gearing into the fixed wheel F, are caused to revolve
upon their spindles E, E, and thus impart a doubled or multiplied motion to the
wheel A, which is fixed to the driving wheels. Now, if the cross head C is fixed to
or made solid with the boss of the driving wheel within which all the mechanism

page_text: is contained, and the wheel A is detached from the boss of the driving wheel while
the clutch B₁ is geared into the cross head C, as in the increased or multiplied
motion, it is obvious that the following effect will be produced and the two wheels
D, D, in their orbit round the central axis are retarded by the fixed wheel F into
which they gear, so that the motion which is imparted thereto, and consequently to
the main driving wheel, is only half that of the crank spindle B instead of as in
the increased motion arrangement being double.
In Figure 4 the arrangement of parts similar to that in Figure 1, there being
only added the mechanism necessary for effecting the diminished motion just
explained at the will of the rider. Figures 5 to 12 are detached views of the
various parts of Figures 1, and are sufficiently indicated by the letters of reference
attached thereto. To effect the diminished motion the wheel A is not attached
directly to the boss of the driving wheel as in Figure 1, and its normal position
runs free of it; the clutch B¹ is geared into the wheel A, which is thus rendered
solid with the crank spindle B. The cross head C, carrying the wheels D, D, is
secured to and made rigid with the boss of the driving wheel by means of the
spring bolt M, which is held in a notch in the boss. The wheel F is held stationary
by means of the friction clutch or brake F' grasping the friction pulley F, which
is rightly secured to and made solid with the wheel F by means of the hollow shaft
or quill & connecting them.
The parts are so arranged that when the shaft B is moved by the rider by the
means presently described into the position shown at Figure 4, the spring clutch F¹
is caused to grasp the friction pulley F2, and thus to hold the wheel F solid
with it.
In order to change the diminished motion which takes place when the parts are
in the above-described position into the increased motion, the crank spindle B is
moved laterally from left to right, and is secured in that position by the forked bolt
F, situated at the extreme right end of the crank spindle B. By this motion from
left to right the clutch B¹ comes into contact with the spring bolt M, which fastens
the cross head C to the boss of the driving wheel, and releases it therefrom, and
also permits the spring N₁, situated to the left of the wheel A, and shown separately
at Figures 11 and 12, to act against a clutch N with which the wheel A is pro-
vided, and this spring N¹ throws the clutch N into such a position that the wheel
A is locked to or rendered rigid with the boss of the wheel. The clutch B' is
geared into the cross head C, and thus the increased motion is effected, as will have
been understood from the description of Figure 1.
In order to change from the increased speed to the same or single speed it
is only necessary to release the friction clutch or break F', and consequently the
wheel F.
And in order to change from the diminished speed to no speed, or rather no
actuation from the rider through the crank, or in other words to let the crank
revolve free of the driving wheel, it is only necessary to release the friction clutch
or break F, and consequently the wheel F.
It will be obvious that by the means above described all the interchanges of
speed, such as from no speed to double speed, from double speed to half speed, and
so on, can be produced at the will of the rider, and it is unnecessary further to
specify them.
The means whereby the lateral motion of the crank spindle B is communicated
to it may vary according to the size or construction of the bicycle to which our
Invention is applied. One means which we have found convenient and to answer
well in practice is as follows, but we do not limit ourselves thereto, and it must be
understood that we include in our Invention other modes of effecting the same
objects which are mechanical equivalents. Springs H and J shewn in Figure I. are
fastened at the upper ends to the standards rising from the boss or hub to support
the seat of the bicycle on either side of the driving wheel, while their other ends
press against the inside of the cranks just where they are connected to the crank
spindle B. The spring I being very much stronger than the spring H, the tendency

page_text: is to keep the crank in gear with the clutch which is nearest to the spring L when
it revolves, whichever side of the bicycle the spring I may be put. A cord K is
attached to one of these springs J, and the other end of the cord is fastened to one
side of the handle of the bicycle (not shown in the Drawing) by which the rider
holds when riding the bicycle. This side of the handle is free to turn once or
twice in the other side, so that by turning the side of the handle to which the cord
K. is attached, the latter can be drawn taut or loosened; the cord is held taut by
means of a ratchet and pawl upon the handle. Figure 13 represents a cross section
through boss or hub of wheel at A, A.
Although we have described our Invention as applied to bicycle, yet it is obvious
that it is equally applicable to other forms of velocipedes.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we do not limit ourselves precisely to
the forms and dimensions above described; but what we claim as our Invention
is,
1. Constructing velocipedes and bicycles substantially in the manner herein-
before described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, so that the motion
of the feet of the rider may be communicated directly, at an increased or
diminished speed, or not at all, to the driving wheel of the vehicle at the will of
the rider.
2nd. The arrangement of the four wheels A, D, D, and F, in relation to one
another to the cross head C, and to the clutch B, as herein-before described, and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
3. The construction and arrangement of velocipedes and bicycles, with the boss or
hub mechanism, substantially as herein-before described and shown with reference
to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
4. The construction and arrangement of velocipedes and bicycles with the boss or
hub mechanism, substantially as herein-before described, and shown with reference
to Figures 4 to 12 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The arrangement whereby the rider effects the lateral motion of the crank
spindle so as to put the clutch or driver B' in and out of gear as herein-before
described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere mechanical
equivalent therefore.
6. The arrangement of the friction clutch or brake F', and the parts con-
nected therewith, substantially as herein-before described, and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Dennistown Scott and George Henry
Phillott, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-third day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
G. D. SCOTT.
(L.S.)
G. H. PHILLOTT.
(L.S.)