IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES, PARTS of WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Steele, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES, PARTS of
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Steele at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th December 1880.
JAMES STEELE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
My Invention consists, first, of the following method of transmitting the motion
of the pedals to the driving shaft of the tricycle.
On the middle of the driving shaft of the tricycle is a strong metallic disc,
having on each side or face a deep circular groove concentric with the shaft.
On each side of the said disc is an arm or lever turning loosely on the shaft, the
free ends of the said arms or levers carrying the pedals on which the feet of the
rider act. A band or chain connected at each of its ends with the levers respectively
passes over a pulley working on an axis carried by the frame of the tricycle. When
by the pressure of the foot of the rider one of the pedals is depressed, the said band
or chain produces the raising of the other lever, and the reverse. The said arms or
levers are not continuous from end to end, but each has a joint immediately opposite
the groove in the face of the disc, thus dividing the lever into a short part
connected with the shaft, and a long part terminating in the pedal. The joint pin
is fixed in the pedal part of the lever, and carries at its inner end an elliptical piece
or cam which travels in the groove in the face of the disc. When the two parts of
the lever are in a line the said elliptical piece or cam can move freely in its groove,
but when by the depression of the long part of the lever the elliptical cam is made
to take an oblique position in its groove, it binds or wedges in the said groove
and carries the disc and shaft round with it. The depression of the lever just
referred produces the elevation of the other lever; and when the rider depresses
the said other lever the elliptical cam carried by it wedges in its groove in the disc
and carries round the said disc and shaft. Thus the alternate depression of the
two pedals produces continuous rotatory motion in the same direction in the
D 071

page_text: driving shaft. In place of the said grooves and elliptical cams, ratchet wheels and
pawls may be employed with nearly the same effect.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the following method of reversing the motion
of the driving shaft so as to produce a backward movement in the tricycle. Near
the toothed wheel carried by the driving shaft is a nearly horizontal lever turning
on the framing of the tricycle. The front end of this lever terminates in a nearly
vertical arm, the lower end of which is inclined and is situated near the end of the
driving shaft. The rear end of the lever carries a handle by which it is worked.
When the handle of the lever is raised the inclined end of the vertical part or arm
descending comes against the end of the driving shaft and produces a sliding motion
in the said driving shaft, whereby the toothed wheel carried by it is thrown out of
gear with the pinion by which its motion is transmitted to the travelling wheels of
the tricycle. By still further raising the handle of the lever a pinion carried by it
is thrown into gear with the said toothed wheel and the driving pinion described,
and communicates a backward movement to the tricycle.
The method of transmitting the motion of the pedals to the driving shaft
herein before described with respect to a tricycle may also be applied to bicycles
and other velocipedes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Steele in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th June
1881.
JAMES STEELE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO OTHER VELOCIPEDES."
My Invention consists, first, of the following method of transmitting the motion
of the pedals to the driving shaft of the tricycle.
On the middle of the driving shaft of the tricycle is a strong metallic disc having
on each side or face a deep circular groove concentric with the shaft.
On each side of the said disc is an arm or lever turning loosely on the shaft, the
free ends of the said arms or levers carrying the pedals on which the feet of the
rider act.
A band or chain connected at each of its ends with the levers respectively passes
over a pulley working on an axis carried by the frame of the tricycle. When by
the pressure of the foot of the rider one of the pedals is depressed, the said band
or chain produces the raising of the other lever, and the reverse. The said arms or
levers are not continuous from end to end, but each has a joint immediately opposite
the groove in the face of the disc, thus dividing the lever into a short part connected
with the shaft, and a long part terminating in the pedal.
The joint pin is fixed in the pedal part of the lever, and carries at its inner end
an elliptical piece or cam which travels in the groove in the face of the disc. When
the two parts of the lever are in a line the said elliptical piece or cam can move
freely in its groove, but when by the depression of the long part of the lever the
elliptical cam is made to take an oblique position in its groove, it binds or wedges
in the said groove and carries the disc and shaft round with it. The depression of
the lever just referred to produces the elevation of the other lever, and when the
rider depresses the said other lever the elliptical cam carried by it wedges in its
groove in the disc and carries round the said disc and shaft. Thus the alternate
depression of the two pedals produces continuous rotatory motion in the same
direction in the driving shaft. Instead of the band or chain and pulley described
for connecting together the pedal ends of the levers, a rocking lever or beam and
connecting rods may be used.
In place of the said grooves and elliptical cams, ratchet wheels and pawls may
be employed with nearly the same effect.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the following method of reversing the motion
of the driving shaft so as to produce a backward movement in the tricycle.
Near the toothed wheel carried by the driving shaft is a lever having a handle
at top for working it.
The said lever carries a toothed wheel and pinion, arranged as herein after
explained, and by the motion of the said lever, either the said toothed wheel or
the pinion may be thrown into gear with the toothed wheel on the travelling
wheel, and a forward or backward movement be thereby given to the said
travelling wheel.
The method of transmitting the motion of the pedals to the driving shaft,
herein before described with respect to a tricycle, may also be applied to bicycles
and other velocipedes.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, and Figure 2 in side elevation, a tricycle
containing my improvements.

page_text: Figure 3 represents in side elevation, Figure 4 in front elevation, Figure 5 in
plan, and Figure 6 in side elevation my method of transmitting the motion of the
pedals to the driving shaft, drawn to a larger scale; Figure 7 represents in edge
view one of the pedal levers detached, and Figure 8 represents the pedal or long
part of the said lever; Figure 9 represents in front elevation and cross section the
disc which is fixed on the driving shaft; Figures 10 and 11 represent the disc and
parts of the pedal levers, drawn of the full size, the said Figures 10 and 11
illustrating the action of the cams of the pedal levers in the grooves in the disc, as
herein after fully described; Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent the mechanism,
drawn to a larger scale, for reversing the motion of the driving shaft, and for
throwing the said driving shaft out of gear with the travelling wheels of the
tricycle.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the driving shaft of the tricycle, and b, b, are the travelling wheels of the
tricycle; c is a strong metallic disc fixed on the driving shaft a, and having in
each side or face a deep circular groove d concentric with the shaft (see Figures 9,
10, and 11); e, e², e, e2, are the pedal levers, one on each side of the disc c, the said
levers turning freely on the driving shaft a. Each pedal lever consists of two
parts, namely, a long part, marked e, and a short part, marked e², the two parts
being jointed together by the joint pin f. On the outer end of the long part e of
the lever e, e², the pedal g is situated.
The short part 2 of the lever has a loop or eye at one end, which embraces and
turns upon the driving shaft a. Opposite the joint pin f, and rigidly fixed on the
inner face of the pedal part e of the lever, is an elliptical piece or cam h, which
travels in the groove d in the face of the disc c.
The way in which the joint of the two parts of the pedal lever is made is best
seen in Figure 7, where it will be seen that the short part e² of the lever is
cranked, and the jointed end of the pedal part e works in the cranked part. The
two parts of the lever are thus capable of independent motion. A coiled spring 12
is connected to the two parts e, e2, of the pedal lever, the action of the said spring
being to give a slight inclination to the part e of the lever immediately the foot is
removed from the pedal attached to the other lever, and thereby to cause the
cam h immediately to grip the groove d ready for the pressure of the foot to
continue and complete the gripping action. In order to compensate for the wear
of the acting parts of the elliptical cam h, the prolongation e3 of the pedal part e of
the lever, which overhangs the short part e², is furnished with a set screw e³, which
can be made to project more or less from the part e as required.
The pedal parts e, e, of the two levers are connected together by the rocking
lever or beam i and connecting rods k, k, the said rocking lever turning on the
fixed framing of the tricycle, as seen in Figure 4. When by the pressure of the
foot of the rider one of the pedal levers is depressed, the rocking lever i and
connecting rods k, k, raise the other lever, and the reverse. In Figures 3 and 4 the
pedal levers are represented in the middle of their stroke, and in Figure 6 the two
pedal levers are represented at the top and bottom of their strokes respectively.
When the pedal lever makes its rising motion the two parts e, e², of the said lever
are in a line, and the elliptical cam h on the said lever moves freely in the groove d
in the disc c, as represented in Figure 11, where the pedal lever is represented in
the middle of its up stroke. When the pedal lever is depressed its two parts e, e²,
make a small angle with each other, and the elliptical cam h is thereby made to
take an oblique position in its groove d, as seen in Figure 10, where the pedal
lever is shown in the middle of its down stroke, and the said cam binds or wedges
in the said groove and carries the disc c and shaft a round with it. The depression
of one pedal lever produces the elevation of the other pedal lever by means of the
connections described and represented. Thus, the alternate depression of the two
pedals produces continuous rotary motion in the same direction in the driving
shaft.

page_text: The grooves d, d, in the disc are covered and protected from dirt by plates,
through holes in which the cams h, k, are passed into the grooves d, d, (see
Figure 9).
Instead of using the rocking lever i and connecting rods k, k, for connecting
together the two pedal levers, a band or chain passing over a pulley and connected
at each of its ends with the pedal levers respectively may be employed..
Figure 11ª represents my arrangement for transmitting the motion of the pedals
to the driving shaft by means of ratchet wheels and pawls in conjunction with the
connected pedal levers.
On the driving shaft a are two ratchet wheels, one of which is marked x, and
over each ratchet wheel a hollow box or drum y works, the said boxes or drums
turning freely on the shaft a. Each hollow drum or box carries two or more
pawls w which are pressed into gear with the ratchet wheels by springs. The
pedal levers are connected to the said pawl boxes or drums y, and the said pedal
levers are connected together in either of the ways herein before described. When
one of the pedal levers is depressed the pawl box or drum y is partially rotated,
and its pawls w gearing with the teeth of the ratchet wheel x carry round the
driving shaft a; and when the pawl lever is raised the pawl box or drum y rotates
in the opposite direction and the pawls w slide over the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, and no motion is communicated to the driving shaft. By the alternate
depression of the two connected pedal levers a continuous rotary motion in the
same direction is produced in the driving shaft a. Instead of two ratchet wheels
on the driving shaft a single broad ratchet wheel for the two pawl boxes to work
upon may be employed.
In applying the connected pedal levers e, c², to a bicycle, the rocking lever i is
placed over the highest point of the driving wheel, the connecting rods k, k, being
of sufficient length to reach from the ends of the lever i to the pedal levers on the
axle of the driving wheel. The pulley and cord or chain arrangement for connecting
the pedal levers may also be applied to bicycles.
The application of these parts of my Invention to velocipedes other than bicycles
and tricycles differs in no material respect from their application to tricycles as
herein before explained.
The reversing gear of the tricycle is constructed as follows:- is a lever turning
turning freely on the bearing of the driving shaft a and working in a slot in the
fixed plate n. The said lever is provided at top with a handle at 2 for moving it,
and with a spring sliding bolt m for fixing it in the required position, the said spring
bolt m taking into one of a series of holes in the fixed plate n. The said lever
carries a toothed wheel p and a pinion q, the said wheel p being always in gear
with the toothed wheel r on the driving shaft and with the said pinion q; & is a
toothed wheel on the axis of one of the travelling wheels b. By moving the lever
into the position represented in Figure 13, the toothed wheel p is thrown into gear
with the toothed wheels on the travelling wheel b, and the motion of the driving
shaft is transmitted to the said travelling wheel so as to cause the advance motion
of the tricycle. When the lever is moved into the position represented in
Figure 12, the toothed wheel p is thrown out of gear with the wheels and the
pinion q is put into gear with the said toothed wheels on the travelling wheel, and
the motion of the tricycle is reversed so as to give a backward movement to the said
tricycle. By moving the lever into the intermediate position represented in
Figure 14, neither the toothed wheel p nor the pinion q is in gear with the toothed
wheels on the travelling wheel, and the driving shaft is thrown out of gear with
the said travelling wheel.
The lever is held in either of the positions represented by the spring bolt m,
taking into one of the holes in the plate n (see Figure 15), the said bolt m
being lifted for disengaging it from the plate n by pressing it upwards by the
handle m².
The reversing gear described may be applied to four wheel velocipedes.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Tricycles, Parts of which Improvements may also be Applied
to other Velocipedes,"―
First. The construction and arrangement of parts, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, for transmitting the
motion of the pedals to the driving shaft of the tricycle or other velocipede so as
to obtain by the alternate action of the pedal levers a continuous rotary motion
in the same direction in the driving shaft.
Secondly. The arrangements or combinations of parts, herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, for connecting together the two
pedal levers of the driving mechanism.
Thirdly. The combination of the connected pedal levers and the ratchet and
pawl arrangement described and illustrated for transmitting the motion of the
pedals to the driving shaft of the tricycle or other velocipede.
Fourthly. The combination of the parts of gearing, herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, for reversing the motion of the tricycle
or other velocipede, and for throwing the driving shaft out of gear with the
travelling wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Steele, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WILLIAM MCGEE,
Rhyl,
North Wales.
JAMES STEELE. (L.S.)