Improvements in Cycles, and in Driving Gear for same,
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles, and in Driving Gear for same,
I, WILLIAM LANGBRIDGE, Schoolmaster, of 64, Spring Gardens, Doncaster,
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 to improvements in cycles and in driving gear for the
same, and is designed to enable the ordinary chain driving gear to be dispensed
with and to permit a very high gear to be obtained independent of the size of the
driving wheel, besides giving greater elasticity than do the ordinary driving gears,
and so obviating risk of breaking the teeth of the gear wheels.
To this end the power is transmitted to the driving wheel according to my
invention, by means of a pneumatic tyred friction wheel which bears upon the tyre
of such driving wheel, and which driven from the pedal cranks through a suitable
series of gear wheels which can be changed when it is desired to vary the gear of
the machine.
The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a bicycle with my improved driving
gear applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an edge view showing the said driving gear
separately. In both figures the teeth of the gear wheels are omitted for the sake
of clearness.
a is the driving wheel which is of ordinary construction and is pneumatic tyred
in the usual manner. is the pneumatic tyred friction wheel which is supported
on an axle carried by a pair of short horizontal stays forming part of the
frame of the machine. dd' are the gear wheels by which the power is transmitted
from the axle e of the pedal cranks to the friction wheel b. These gear wheels are
mounted on axles d' carried by the diagonal stays c and are alternately of large
and small diameter, d being the large and d the small wheels, thereby giving au
increase in the relative number of the revolutions of the friction wheel to each
revolution of the cranks.
Suitable ball bearings are provided when necessary to diminish the friction of
the wheel of the gearing.
It will be seen that the gear of the machine depends on the circumferential
velocity of the friction wheel b since this wheel imparts to the driving wheel, by
frictional contact, the same or practically the same velocity as it has itself.
The gear is consequently independent of the size of the driving wheel and can
be varied either by varying the sizes of the wheels d d' on the principle of the
change wheels of a lathe, or by increasing the size of the friction wheel b. In the
latter case when the size of the friction wheel b is increased, I find it advantageous
to decrease the size of the front and rear wheels of the cycle, so as to avoid
increase of weight.
It will be seen that the arrangement above described affords a very elastic form
of driving gear for in the event of any sudden strain or obstruction upon or in the
gearing, the friction wheel b would slip on the driving wheel and thus avoid damage
to the teeth of the wheels d 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.) A driving gear for cycles in which the power is transmitted to the driving
wheel he means of a proumatic treed friation aboal exbatantialle os doceribad

page_text: (2.) In a driving gear for cycles, the combination of a pneumatic tyred friction
wheel bearing upon the circumference of the driving wheel, and a series of gear
wheels between such friction wheel and the axle of the pedal cranks, substantially
as described.
(3.) A cycle having its frame constructed with horizontal and diagonal stays
between which are supported a series of gear wheels and a pneumatic tyred friction
wheel for transmitting the power from the cranks to the driving wheel, substantially
as described.
Dated this 13th day of August 1896.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.