Driving Mechanism for Velocipedes, or for Communicating Motion to Machinery of any description.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Driving Mechanism for Velocipedes, or for Communicating Motion to
Machinery of any description.
JAMES JOSEPH TYRRELL Furrier 82 Grafton Street City of Dublin do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The driving wheel and the wheel to be driven are constructed like any suitable
kind of water-wheel or turbine. The driving wheel revolves in a closed case or
chamber, but connected with & communicating by tubes or conduits with a similar
chamber in which is situated the wheel to be driven. Both chambers and the
connecting tube are filled with suitable liquid. The driving-wheel and connecting
tubes are so arranged that when the driving-wheel revolves it forces a continuous
column of liquid through one tube or set of tubes, thereby setting the other wheel.
in motion, the liquid returning through the other tube, or set of tubes.
In the case of waterwheels having blades or floats these can, by suitable means,
be arranged so that according as they come into the position in which they cease
to be effective, they are withdrawn into the body of the wheel or made to fold
flat into a groove in the circumference of wheel or by other means made to not
impede the motion of the wheel, until its revolution brings them again into an
effective position. The wheel to be driven & its chamber can be larger or smaller
than the driving wheel according to gear desired. Several wheels may be driven
by increasing number of wheels & tubes in connection with the driving wheel.
Dated this 5th day of June 1893.
JAMES JOSEPH TYRRELL.
Driving Mechanism for Velocipedes, or for Communicating Motion to
Machinery of any description.
I, JAMES JOSEPH TYRRELL of 82 Grafton Street City of Dublin Furrier 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 my invention is to provide a novel means of communicating motion
between the parts of machines and more particularly between the pedals and the
wheel or wheels of velocipedes. I attain this object by substituting for the pulleys
and driving bands, or chain and cog-wheels (or such like) at present in use, two or
more wheels, contained in liquid-tight cases and connected by tubes filled wholly
or partially with liquid. It is manifest that if one of these wheels be constructed
in the form of any suitable water-wheel or turbine and the connecting tubes be
suitably placed, it will, when made to revolve cause a stream of liquid to flow
through one tube or set of tubes and set the other wheel in motion.
In carrying out my invention I do not confine myself to any particular form of
wheel but in the case of velocipedes I prefer to use that type of wheel in which
the vanes, palettes, blades or cups are withdrawn or folded flat against the wheel
when that point in its revolution is reached at which they are no longer of
advantage for propelling the stream of liquid through the tube or tubes leading to
the other wheel.

page_text: .
Having obtained or constructed a pair of such wheels I enclose each in a
liquid-tight chamber and connect these chambers by two tubes or sets of tubes
i.e. one tube or set of tubes conveying the liquid flowing from the motor wheel and
the other tube or set of tubes conveying the liquid returning to that wheel again.
The position and size of the connecting tubes varies with the form of the wheels
employed & should be such in each case as to utilize the utmost available impulse
given to the liquid by the motor wheel. The two chambers containing the wheels
I make such as to fit the wheels closely, & while allowing them to revolve freely,
to prevent as far as possible any liquid from passing the vanes or blades save where
are the outlet & inlet tubes connecting with the second chamber. In using the
type of wheel mentioned in which the vanes or blades are withdrawn or folded back
during a certain part of the revolution, that part of the containing chamber in
passing which the withdrawal takes place is correspondingly contracted so as to
fit the wheel closely and prevent the passage of liquid.
The drawings herewith represent one of the forms of wheel I use.
Fig. 1 is a section of the motor-wheel A with the chamber B in which it is
contained and parts of its outlet and inlet tubes marked respectively C and D:
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of same chamber shewing pair of blades E' and 'E'
of motor wheel when in a vertical position. The wheel A is divided into four
quadrant-like parts by deep slots J in which the blades E', E, E & E* slide
radially. These four blades have on each side projections or studs M which run
in a groove or channel H cut in each side of the chamber as shewn in Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is a section representing the inner face of one of the sides F of the chamber B
and shews the course of the channel H. This channel controls the radial motion
of the blades E¹, E², E', E by means of the projections or studs H which travel
in it, it causes each blade in turn to be extended when traversing the portion of
the chamber from R to R' and withdraws them entirely within the wheel during
the part revolution from P to P¹. The wheel A is attached to a shaft or axis X
from which axis it derives its motion. On the wheel being moved in the direction
of the arrow it is evident that the blades will force a column, through the tube C,
of any liquid entering through the tube D.
The chamber containing the wheel to be moved by the flow of liquid through
the tube C and that wheel itself, are constructed similarly to that drawn but are
reversed & consequently the disposition of the blades & their controlling grooves
are reversed, that is, the blade first receiving the liquid from the tube C is extended
like blade E' and the blade next to receive the liquid flow is arranged like blade E'.
Increase or diminution of speed is attained by proportionately diminishing or
enlarging the circumference of the wheel to be driven as compared with the motor
wheel, the sectional area of the passage through which the liquid circulates
remaining the same in both chambers.
One motor wheel can be made to drive any desired number of wheels by increasing
the number of connecting tubes and chambers.
In some
cases I use flexible tubes for conveying the liquid between the
chambers and by this arrangement the steering wheel of a velocipede can be
driven.
Any suitable liquid may be used; in the case of velocipedes I prefer at present
to use glycerine.
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. The communication of motion between parts of machines by means of the
circulation of a constant or practically constant quantity of liquid in closed com-
municating chambers of suitable form, the liquid being set in motion by the
revolution of a wheel constructed on the lines of any convenient type of hydraulic
wheel, turbine or other liquid engine and causing one or more corresponding wheels
in the communicating chambers to rotate.

page_text: 2. The use of flexible tubes or conduits for the conveyance of the circulating
liquid between these chambers.
3. The use of circulating liquid to drive or communicate motion between the
parts of velocipedes.
4. The substitution for the usual driving gear of velocipedes of an arrangement
of liquid-moving wheels or hydraulic wheels with enclosing cases and connecting
tubes or conduits substantially as described above.
5. The use of flexible tubes or conduits in velocipedes to convey the circulating
liquid between the chambers.
Dated this Sixth day of March 1894.