Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1890
Com lete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, WILLIAM JAMES LANCASTER of Colmore Row in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturing Optician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the driving and speeding mechanism of velocipedes,
whereby the same are speeded and propelled without the employment of chain gear,
as now commonly adopted.
The speeding and transmitting motion to the main axle of the driving wheel,
consists essentially in the employment of swinging treadle levers, jointed and
supported from the lower extremities of swinging radius bars, of unequal lengths,
and jointed to the crank arms, and framing of the machine respectively.
By the employment of such a system of hanging pedal levers, with shifting fulcra,
the rider both controls the speed, and propells the machine by the same levers,
which admit of raking fore and aft.
The said raking, which is a transposition of the treadle levers, gives power and
speed, which is entirely controlled by the foot at the will of the rider.
Further, a machine is propelled without dead points in the crank arms, as
hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention, I will describe it in connection with a front-
steering tricycle.
I take an ordinary machine, with suitably constructed and arranged framing,
and to the ends of the crank arms, which are connected to the main axis of the
driving wheel, I joint and suspend, radius bars, one for the one crank arm, and the
other for the other crank arm, and which rods, are of any length that may be
desired, but for my present purpose, I arrange them of about double the length of
the crank arms before named.
Disposed at a considerable distance rear of the crank axle, are supporting radius
bars, preferably of less length than the crank radius bars as before named.
These radius bars, swing from, and are jointed to, the fixed framing of the
machine, whilst the lower ends of both crank and supporting radius bars, are linked
or connected together, by treadle levers in the form of connecting rods, or shafts,
and upon the top sides of them, the feet of the rider come.
It will be understood, that this system of suspended levers, is in duplicate, one
for the right-hand foot, and the other for the left-hand foot.
A rider, in pedalling, places his feet upon the top sides of the levers, then by a
downward thrust of the one, whilst force is releived from the other, the crank
arm of the one side, will be depressed, and that of the other side raised, and by a
slight backward movement of the foot in pedalling, dead points or centres are
avoided, by the alternative rear shifting of the levers.
Thus, a rider first treadles one side, and again at the lower end of the stroke, he
shifts slightly rearwardly with his foot, one or other of the levers, which bring the
crank radius bars out of the line of the direction of the crank arms, thereby
avoiding dead centres.
When a rider requires to obtain power for hill climbing, the treadle levers
are moved into a forward position by his foot, while he, at the same time, applies
the usual treadle thrusts for imparting motion.
This raking forward, gives increased leverage, by increasing the distance between
the treadle tread and the crank arms.
For speed, the rider rakes the treadle levers forwardly, which decreases the

page_text: distance between the tread of the treadle levers, and the crank arm, thus giving a
diminished throw, with less leverage.
The tread of the levers, are adjacent to the crank radius bars, so that the rider
takes the most favourable position to acquire the best mechanical results.
The application of my invention to safety and other bicycles and tandems,
differs in no essential respect, from its application to that of a tricycle as herein
described.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, WILLIAM JAMES LANCASTER of Colmore Row in the City of Birmingham
Manufacturing Optician, 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 primarily to the driving and pedalling mechanism of
velocipedes, and consists essentially in the employment of swinging pedal bars, or
treadle levers, jointed and supported from the lower extremities of swinging links,
radius bars, or movable fulcra, jointed to the crank arms, and framing of the machine
respectively.
By the employment of a system of pedal bars or treadle levers, with connection
link and shifting fulcra, the rider overcomes dead centres, speeds, propels, and
controls a machine by the same means by which he pedals.
In one form of my invention as applied to a safety bicycle, I take suitably
arranged and constructed framing, fitted a front and rear wheel, and provide the
front wheel, which may be the driving wheel, with swinging pedalling bars,
jointedly connected at their front ends, by links, to cranks of the axle of the front
wheel, whilst the rear ends of the said pedalling bars, are connected to the framing
by loose jointed radius bars, which form with the links as aforesaid, a type of
parallel motion.
Thus, the pedalling bars, upon which the feet of the rider come, swing or are
capable of changing their respective positions, relatively with respect to the
angular movements made by the crank, and by so shifting the said bars, a
differential power is obtained, and dead points overcome.
It will be understood that the system of pedalling bars, with links and radius
bars, are arranged upon the opposite sides of the wheel.
A rider in pedalling, places his feet upon the top sides of the pedalling levers,
then by a downward thrust of first one and then the other of them, the propelling
is obtained, and at the same time, the rider shifts the said levers fore and aft, and
by so doing, follows up the cranks, and takes them over their dead centres.
For hill-climbing, the treadle levers are made to rake rearwardly, hence
increased leverage, by increasing the distance between the pedalling treads and
the crank arms.
For speed, the rider rakes forwardly the pedalling levers, so as to decrease the
distance between the said treads, and the cranks, thus giving diminished throw,
with fast pedalling.
As a further form of my invention, I arrange swinging pedalling bars, mounted
upon the ends of shifting fulcra, and with the middles of the said pedalling bars,
connected to the cranks by links.
As a still further form, I provide the first described arrangement, with chain
gear, with the chain wheel, supported within bearings in front of the rear and

page_text: driving wheel, and with the said chain wheel, having upon its axis, crank arms,
which are connected to pedalling bars, or foot rods, supported at their other ends,
by radius links.
By mounting the said pedalling bars or foot rods as described, and fitting the
crank arm axis with chain gear, all the aforesaid mechanical advantages are
obtained, supplemented by speed.
The application of my invention to tricycles and other velocipedes, differs in
no essential respect from its application to that of a safety bicycle as herein
described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents a safety bicycle, provided
with propelling and controlling mechanism, constructed and arranged according to
one form of my said invention.
a is the crank axis, of the driving wheel b; c is a horizontally directed frame,
supported at its inner ends, upon the ends of the said axis, and at its outer ends, by
obliquely directed stays c², connected at their inner or upper ends, to near the
crown 2, of the fork d.
e are pedalling levers, jointed at their ends, to links f, and radius bars g; the
former are jointedly connected to the ends of cranks h, fitted on the end of
the crank axis a, while the latter are jointedly connected to the framing, at g².
The pedalling levers, have foot holds e², for preventing the feet in pedalling,
from changing their positions.
i is the back bone or main framing of the machine, and j is the hind or trailing
wheel.
The joints of the pedalling bars, may be fitted with ball bearings, or other like
anti-friction expedients.
Figure 2 represents in side elevation a safety bicycle provided with propelling,
controlling, and dead centre overcoming means, constructed and arranged according
to another form of my said invention.
The said mechanism is shown in connection with the hind wheel, which is the
driving wheel.
a is the crank axis of the driving wheel b; c, c², c³ is the principal framing of
the machine, d is another portion of the framing, equivalent to the branches of the
fork in the last arrangement, e are pedalling levers, supported upon shifting props,
or movable fulcra g, and by means of which, the said pedalling levers, e are
sustained, or they constitute the points, about which they turn in propelling. are
pedals at the extremities of the said levers, and fare links, jointedly connected at
their ends, to about the middles of the pedalling levers e, and the cranks h
respectively.
The fulcra bars g, are also jointedly connected to the framing c, and to the
end 3, of the pedalling levers, at joints e¹, 92. i is the steering fork, of the front
wheel j.
Figure 3 represents a sectional view of the joints, which are of the ball bearing
type.
Thus, g is shifting fulcra bar, e is the pedal, with the inner end 3, made into a
sleeve bearing, through the middle of which, an outstanding trunnion or centre g,
passes, and between the presented surfaces of the said parts, spheres or balls g,
are interposed, and kept in their places by an adjustable cap g
Figure 4 represents a safety bicycle, arranged and provided with, propelling,
controlling, and dead centre overcoming means, constructed and arranged according
to a further form of my invention.
The said mechanism, is shown, provided or acting in conjunction, with chain
gear speeding mechanism.
a is the axle, of the rear and driving wheel b; c, c², c³ and d, is the principal
part of the framing. are links, jointedly connected at their outer ends, to the
ends e¹, of pedalling bars e, and to the ends of cranks h, carried by a crank axle i,
working within bearings, carried and supported at the junctions of the lower
parts of the framing c², c³.

page_text: are radius bars, jointedly connected at their ends, to the offside ends e³, of
the pedalling bars e, and to the axle a, of the wheel b, respectively.
The pedalling bars e, have jointed pedals e³, while the axis i, has fast upon it, a
chain wheel k, which communicates motion to the wheel b, through a chain 1,
passing around a pinion 2, on the axle of the said wheel. m is the fork of the
front wheel n. Like chain gear as in Figure 4 or other chain gear may be
employed in connection with the propelling and controlling mechanism as
represented in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First In velocipedes, propelling, and controlling the same, by swinging
pedalling bars, or hanging foot rests, supported and hung by links and radius bars
connected and jointed to crank arms, and framing, respectively, substantially as
described and set forth in Figure 1 whereby propelling is performed, differential
motion for power and speed obtained, and all dead points avoided or overcome.
Secondly-In velocipedes propelling and controlling the same, by swinging
and oscillating pedalling levers, supported and hung by links, and shifting-fulcra
rods or links connected and jointed to crank arms and framing respectively,
substantially as, and for the purpose as described, and set forth in Figure 2.
Thirdly-In velocipedes, propelling and controlling the same by swinging foot
bars supported by radius bars and links, in combination with chain driving gear,
substantially as described and set forth in Figure 4; or swinging foot levers with
links and shifting fulcra rods or links in combination with chain gear as described.
Dated this 31st day of July 1891.
WILLIAM JAMES LANCASTER.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicart.
WILLIAM JAMES LANCASTER.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicart.