Improvements in or connected with the Driving and Brake Gear of Velocipedes and other similar Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1900-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Driving and Brake Gear of
Velocipedes and other similar Machines.
I, ROBERT JAMES WILKINSON, of the Union Club, 73, Mosley Street, Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to clutches used in connection with the driving gear
of velocipedes and other similar machines for the purpose of enabling the pedals
to remain stationary while the gear is rotating or the machine is running, and
more particularly to clutches by which the rider is enabled to apply pressure
through the pedals in the reverse direction to which the machine travels, tending
to retard, through the gear, the progress of the machine and to brake mechanism
operated through the pedals.
The invention consists in improvements in the construction of such clutches,
and in mechanism for applying a brake to the travelling wheel or wheels of
the machine and operating the same by a reverse action clutch, the chief object
of these improvements being to obtain more perfect control of the machine.
In constructing and applying to a velocipede a clutch made in accordance
with this invention I fix to the crank or driving axle a disc having two pawls
capable of moving in the plane of the disc by gravity.
These pawls are arranged with respect to the pedal-cranks preferably at right
angles thereto and at opposite sides of the disc and have their noses in opposite
directions angularly. On the driven part or gear wheel which is made to run
freely upon the driving shaft or crank-axle is a fixed central internally recessed
flange or rim which surrounds the disc and pawls. The inside surface of the
flange has several sinkings preferably arranged opposite to one another which
form internally cut teeth suitable for being acted upon by the pawls from either
direction. According to this arrangement, when the cranks are held stationary
by the feet in a suitable position, in this case horizontal, the pawl above the
centre of the crank-axle lies upon the disc aforesaid out of contact with the
internally cut teeth, and the pawl below the centre of the crank-axle falls into
contact with the teeth. The toothed rim rotating in one direction will engage
the pawl below the centre while in the opposite direction it will slip by it. As
the pawls are arranged with their noses in opposite directions it is obvious one
pawl will drive the toothed rim in one direction and the other pawl in the
other direction but only when each pawl is brought into such a position that
it falls into engagement with the toothed rim by gravity.
More than two pawls may be used .but they would require then to be so
weighted as to keep out of engagement with the toothed rim except as each one
came into its lowest position with respect to the centre of the disc.
The pawls preferably used are hinged to the disc at one of their ends, the
other, end forming the nose.
.
The rim or flange which is fixed to the driven part or gear wheel may be

page_text: formed with externally instead of internally arranged teeth for the pawls to
engage with the latter being suitably mounted upon the crank disc for this
purpose.
As a modification one pawl only or two or more pawls may be arranged so as
to engage the toothed rim of the driven part or wheel in the forward direction
only. For the purpose of offering resistance by the feet of the rider to the
forward motion of the machine through the gear the clutch is
made double acting as heretofore; and by utilising the effect of gravity upon
suitable pawls or their equivalents, when the clutch is held in a certain angular
position indicated in practice by the cranks remaining stationary in an approxi-
mately horizontal position, it is free from engagement with the driving wheel
or wheels of the machine. I propose to make the reverse operating clutch upon
the principle of the silent feed, using, preferably, balls rolling in a groove in
one part and being confined in inclined pockets in the other part. Two balls
are employed by preference in pockets at diametrically opposite parts of the
clutch for instance the pockets will preferably be formed in a disc fixed to the
crank axle and when the cranks are in a predetermined position one pocket
will be above the centre and the other below the centre. The pockets having
inclined bearing surfaces will, when moved by the cranks against the balls in
one direction cause them to bind between the two parts of the clutch and thereby
lock the cranks axle to the gear wheel. One ball or roller only may be used; when
two are used a cage is preferably employed to keep the balls in the same relative
position.
In constructing and applying mechanism for operating a brake applied to the
travelling wheel or wheels of the machine, I freely mount centrally a plate or
lever having a plain annular surface which may be conical or flat. This plate
is allowed a certain angular movement and by means of a projection or a hinged
joint at or near to its outer edge, and an intermediate link in connection with
a wheel-brake of any ordinary construction, when moved angularly in one
direction transmits its motion to the brake tending to apply it to the wheel.
Angular movement is imparted to the plate by means of a disc which is loosely
mounted upon the crank axle and against which bears a number of rollers,
preferably balls carried in pockets inclined in one direction, formed in a boss
carried by the crank. The direction of inclination of the pockets is such that
upon pressure being applied to the cranks in the reverse direction the balls are
carried by friction towards the shallow ends of the pocket where they become
wedged between the pockets and the free disc aforesaid forcing the latter against
the aforesaid plate and by the friction between the two causing it to turn upon
its axis and give motion to the brake. A flat spring is preferably fixed to the
plate so as to bear upon the disc in order to better ensure its coming into opera-
tion under all conditions.
Dated the 10th day of Octalex 1000
Improvements in or connected with the Driving and Brake Gear of
Velocipedes and other similar Machines.
I, ROBERT JAMES WILKINSON, of the Union Club, 73, Mosley Street, Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature

page_text: of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to clutches used in connection with the driving gear of
velocipedes and other similar machines for the purpose of enabling the pedals
to remain stationary while the gear is rotating or the machine is running,
and more particularly to clutches by which the rider is enabled to apply pres-
sure through the pedals in the reverse direction to which the machine travels,
tending to retard, through the gear, the progress of the machine, and to brake
mechanism operated through the pedals.
The invention consists in improvements in the construction of such clutches,
and in mechanism for applying a brake to the travelling wheel or wheels of the
machine and operating the same by a reverse action clutch, the chief object of
these improvements being to obtain more perfect control of the machine.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I have attached
hereunto several sheets of drawings to which I will now refer.
In the said drawings Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a chainwheel and
crank fitted with my improved double action clutch, Figure 2 a section in eleva-
tion and Figure 3 a cross section. Figures 4 and 5 are two similar sectional
views of a modified construction of the same. Figures 6 and 7 are also two
similar views of another modified arrangement in which pawls are employed
for forward driving and rollers for back pedalling. Figures 8 to 12 represent
several views of a clutch and friction device for operating a wheel brake through
a rod by back pedaling.
In constructing and applying to a velocipede a clutch made in accordance with
this invention I fix to the crank a and driving axle a disc a¹ haying two
pawls a³, a³, capable of moving in the plane of the disc by gravity.
These pawls are arranged with respect to the pedal-cranks preferably at
right angles thereto and at opposite sides of the disc and have their noses in
opposite directions angularly. On the driven part or gear wheel which is
made to run freely upon the driving shaft or crank-axle being formed with a
suitable bearing el, is a fixed central internally recessed flange or rim which
surrounds the disc at and pawls a² a³. The inside surface of the flange has
several sinkings preferably arranged opposite to one another which form in-
ternally cut teeth 3 suitable for being acted upon by the paws from either
direction. The noses at of the pawls a² a³ and the teeth are made preferably of
steel suitably hardened. According to this arrangement, when the cranks a
are held stationary by the feet in a suitable position, in. this case horizontal.
the pawl a² above the centre of the crank-axle lies upon the disc, a¹ aforesaid
out of contact with the internally cut teeth 3, and the pawl a³ below the centre
of the crank-axle falls into contact with, the teeth. The pawl a³ rotating in
one direction say that indicated by the arrow will engage the toothed rim.
below the centre, while in the opposite direction it will slip by it. As the pawls
are arranged with their noses in opposite directions it is obvious one pawl will
drive the toothed rim in one direction and the other pawl in the other direction
but only when each pawl is brought into such a position that it falls into engage-
ment with the toothed rim by gravity.
More than two pawls may be used but they would require to be so weighted
as to keep out of engagement with the toothed rim except as each one came into
its lowest position with respect to the centre of the disc.
The pawls preferably used are hinged to the disc at one of their ends a³ as
illustrated, the other end forming the nose a³.
The rim or flange which is fixed to the driven part or gear wheel c may be
formed with externally instead of internally arranged teeth for the pawls a³ a³.
to engage with the latter being suitably mounted upon the erank disc for this
purpose. This is illustrated by Figures 4 and 5. The rim has the teeth
formed upon the outer periphery thereof and the disc al carrying the pawls a² a³
is formed with recesses in which the said pawls are mounted.

page_text: In a modification illustrated by Figures 6 and 7 one pawl only or two or more
pawls aa³ may be arranged so as to engage the toothed rim of the driven part
or wheel a in the forward direction only. For the purpose of offering resistance
by the feet of the rider to the forward motion of the machine through the gear
the clutch is made double acting as heretofore; when the pedals or cranks a
are held stationary by the feet it is free from active engagement with the driving
wheel or wheels of the machine. I propose to make the reverse operating
clutch upon the principle of the silent feed, using preferably a roller or two or
more rollers bearing upon the edge of a disc in one part and being confined in
inclined pockets in the other part. Two rollers are employed by preference in
pockets at about a point at right angles to the cranks when horizontal and
below the centre of the axle as illustrated. The pockets a are preferably
formed in the disc a¹ fixed to the crank axle and when the cranks are in a pre-
determined position in this case horizontal and the right crank backwards the
pockets will be below the centre. The pockets having inclined bearing surfaces
will, when moved by the cranks against the roller a in one direction cause
them to bind between the part a8 and the part of the clutch and thereby lock
the crank axle to the gear wheel.
In some cases rollers may be employed for forward driving and pawls for
back pedaling.
Referring now to Figures 8 to 12, in constructing and applying mechanism for
operating a brake applied to the travelling wheel or wheels of the machine, I
freely mount centrally a plate or lever d Figures 8 and 12 having a plain flat
annular surface which may however be conical. This plate is allowed a
certain angular movement which is limited by the movement of the brake
hereinafter referred to and by means of a hinged joint dat or near to its outer
edge, and an intermediate link d in connection with a wheel brake of any
ordinary construction, when moved angularly in one direction, transmits its
motion to the brake tending to apply it to the wheel. Angular movement is
imparted to the plate by means of a disc c which is loosely mounted. upon the
crank axle end against which bears a number of rollers, preferably balls f carried
in pockets inclined in one direction formed in the boss g carried by the
crank a¹. The disc e is formed either with a continuous groove or preferably
a groove el fort each roller to roll in on one side, and has a plain surface upon
the other side which bears against the plate d. The. direction of inclination
of the pockets in the boss g is such, that upon pressure being applied to the
cranks in the reverse direction the rollers or balls are carried by friction towards
the shallow ends of the pocket where they become wedged between the pockets
and the free disc e aforesaid forcing the latter against the aforesaid plated and
by the friction between the two causing it to turn upon its axis and give motion
to the brake link d. One of the pockets fis illustrated in longitudinal section
in Figure 10. A flat spring his preferably fixed to the plate d. so as to bear
upon the disc e in order to better ensure its coming into operation under all con-
ditions. When the pressure on the cranks is taken off, the spring withdrawing
the brake returns the disc d to its original position.
In some cases the disc e may be omitted and a continuous groove for the
balls formed in the plate d.
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. In a velocipede or like machine the combination with one of the cranks of
a pawl clutch for connecting said crank to the chain wheel or its equivalent
mounted loose upon the crankshaft, so arranged that it will drive the wheel
in either direction and that when the crank is held stationary in a certain
position the backward driving pawl is kept out of engagement by its gravity,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.

page_text: 2. The construction or arrangement of a forward and backward driving paw]
clutch for velocipedes and like machines substantially as herein before described
with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings.
3. The construction or arrangement of a forward and backward driving pawl
clutch for velocipedes and like machines substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
4. The construction or arrangement of a combined pawl and roller clutch for
velocipedes and the like, driving forward by means of the pawls and backward
by means of the rollers or vice versa and disengaged when held stationary in a
certain position substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings.
5. In a machine having a gear for enabling the crank axle to remain stationary
while the machine is running forward, the improved construction and arrange-
ment of clutch for permitting the machine to be retarded when pressure is
applied to the pedals in a backward direction, which consists of a backward
operating roller clutch in which the rollers are laterally arranged, one part of
the clutch being fixed to the crank and the other part being loosely mounted upon
the crank axle and bearing against a shoulder thereon, the loose part of the
clutch having a knuckle joint formed at its periphery and connected by a rod to
the brake shoe, so that the lateral stress due to the application of the clutch by
pressure upon the crank tends to turn the loose plate thereby giving motion to
the brake rod substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 8
to 12 of the annexed drawings.
6. The herein before described improvements in velocipedes provided with
driving gear enabling the cranks to remain stationary while the machine is
running, consisting in the arrangement of a plate mounted loosely upon the
crankshaft and connected by a rod to an ordinary tyre or rim brake, a disc like-
wise loosely mounted upon the crank shaft and pressed against the said plate
by means of rollers carried in inclined lateral pockets in a third disc fixed upon
the crankshaft substantially as described and illustrated with reference to
Figures 8 to 12 of the drawings.
Datad this 10th day of Tu1 1000
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, Manchester & Liverpool.