Improvements in or relating to Driving Gear for Cycles or other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Driving Gear for Cycles or other
Vehicles.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK PENNY, of 39, The Woodlands, Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Chief Steward, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to driving gear for cycles and other purposes. It is well
known that the driving gear of a cycle forms one of the most important working
parts of the machine. Overslackness of chain is liable to cause side-play and
uneven wear, with a consequent knocking against the gear-case, and moreover
there is the danger of the teeth of the chain wheels breaking through excessive
friction, rendering the driving gear absolutely useless, while the friction between
the teeth and chain links is considerable.
Now my invention is designed among other things to avoid the defects inherent
in the cycle driving gears hitherto used, and moreover to provide a
driving gear which will be strong and durable, and by means of
which great power of propelling the machine can be obtained, whilst at the same
time reducing friction to a minimum and securing noiseless and easy movement.
In carrying my invention into effect, I do away with the chain and provide an
intermediate sprocket wheel adapted to gear with the sprocket wheel on the
driving axle and that on the crank axle, so that the machine is driven by the
intermediary of the wheel, gearing with the other two, without the intervention
of a driving chain at all. The intermediate wheel is supported by making an
alteration in the bottom fork, that is by making it a double fork at one side and
mounting the intermediate wheel between in a suitable bearing, or one arm of
the fork can be stopped off at the bearing on one side of the wheel and continued
on the other side of the wheel. That arm of the fork in which the wheel is
mounted is made in a parallel plane with the gearing. The intermediate wheel
may, if desired, be made with roller sprockets so as to reduce friction and secure
noiseless and easy running.
101
1
T 1
1000
Improvements in or relating to Driving Gear for Cycles or other
Vehicles.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK PENNY, of 39, The Woodlands, Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Chief Steward, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
[Price 8d.1

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
1
This invention relates to driving gear for cycles and other purposes. It is well
known that the driving gear of a cycle forms one of the most important working
parts of the machine. Overslackness of chain is liable to cause side-play and
uneven wear, with a consequent knocking against the gear-case, and moreover
there is a danger of the teeth of the chain wheels breaking through excessive
friction, rendering the driving gear absolutely useless, while the friction between
the teeth and chain links is considerable.
of
Now my invention is designed among other things to avoid the defects inherent
in the cycle driving gears hitherto used, and moreover to provide a
driving gear which will be strong and durable, and by means
which great power of propelling the machine can be obtained, whilst at the same
time reducing friction to a minimum and securing noiseless and easy movement.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle fitted with my invention;
Figure 2 a plan.
I do away with the usual driving chain and provide an intermediate sprocket
wheel A adapted to gear with the sprocket wheel B on the driving axle and the
sprocket wheel C on the crank axle, so that the machine is driven by the inter-
mediary of the wheel A gearing with the other two without the intervention
of a driving chain at all. I are the cranks and c and e¹ the two members of the
bottom fork. The axle a of the the intermediate wheel A is supported by making
an alteration in this bottom fork, namely by stopping off one arm e at the
bearing at one side of the wheel and continuing it on the other side of the wheel
leaving a space between for the wheel A so that it is in exact alignment with
the other two wheels. In other words the member e of the bottom fork is not
continuous but its adjacent ends are placed a little distance apart with the
wheel A between, and the said ends are strengthened and secured by the diagonal
stays F. The members e of the fork in which the wheel A is mounted are made
in parallel planes with the gearing A, B, C. The intermediate wheel A may, if
desired, be made with roller sprockets so as to reduce friction and secure noise-
less and easy running.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The improvement in driving gear for cycles and other vehicles, which consists
in dispensing with the usual driving chain and providing instead an inter-
mediate sprocket wheel adapted to gear with the sprocket wheel on the driving
axle and the sprocket wheel on the crank axle, whereby the machine is driven
by the intermediary of this intermediate sprocket wheel, gearing with the other
two without the intervention of a driving chain at all substantially as described.
2. The special construction and arrangement of bottom fork with its stay rods
for enabling the said intermediate sprocket wheel to be mounted in alignment
with the sprocket wheels on the crank shaft and driving wheel axle, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 10th dose of Inail 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Of Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester & London.