Improvements in Driving Gear for Cycles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 16th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Cycles.
I, CHARLES BUCHANAN LAWSON, of 61 Bath Street, in the City of Glasgow.
Commission Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be.as
follows:--
This invention which relates to driving gear for cycles has for its object to
obtain greater driving power with less expenditure of muscular energy than is
required with the usual crank and chain gearing.
To that end I replace the cranks by two treadle levers one placed on each side
of the cycle frame and centred thereon, each lever being provided with an
oscillating or other pedal for foot pressure at one end and having at its opposite
end a rack-like toothed segment gearing with a toothed pinion carried on the
frame preferably at rear of the driving wheel axle.
The toothed pinion has fitted in its hub, and free to turn therein, a larger
toothed wheel gearing with a pinion on the hub of the driving wheel of the cycle
the latter pinion taking the place of the usual chain driven pinion; and the first
mentioned pinion and toothed wheel are connected, so that the one drives the other
in one direction only, by means of a pawl or series of pawls on arms or a disc on
the side of the pinion engaging with the teeth of a ratchet formed on the side of
the toothed wheel, or alternatively the ratchet may be on the pinion and the pawls
on the larger wheel. By this arrangement the downward pressure exerted on each
of the treadle levers in turn by the drivers feet causes the segmental racks to
rotate the toothed pinions with which they engage, the pinions being alternately
acted on, and the larger toothed wheels are rotated through the intervention of the
ratchet and pawls; whilst on the return or upward movement of the treadles the
pawls slip over the teeth of the ratchet. As the treadles are actuated alternately
and one pinion communicates movement to the ratchet and the toothed wheel as the
other makes its return movement slipping over the ratchet, continuous rotatory
motion is imparted to the driving wheel of the cycle.
To ensure that the one treadle will rise as the other descends under the
pressure exerted by the driver the treadles are connected by a chain and pulley
or by rods or links through a rocking lever centred on the framing or by other
means.
In applying the invention to tricycles and like vehicles propelled by hand or
foot power and in which two wheels are carried on one axle the pawl and ratchet
driving devices may be fitted on each side and arranged to act on a single toothed
wheel gearing with a pinion on the axle.
Dated this 15th dor of November 1894

page_text: I, CHARLES BUCHANAN LAWSON, of 61 Bath Street, in the City of Glasgow,
Commission Merchant, 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 which relates to driving gear for cycles has for its object to
obtain greater driving power with less expenditure of muscular energy than is
required with the usual crank and chain gearing.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a front
elevation of the rear wheel of a bicycle with the improved driving gear applied
thereto, Figure 2 a plan of the same, Figure 3 a plan showing a modification,
Figure 4 a detail view of part of the driving mechanism, and Figures 5, 6 and 7
diagramatic views of modifications of the driving gear.
To effect the object of the invention I replace the usual cranks by two treadle
levers A. A, one placed on each side of the cycle frame B and centred thereon
at C each lever A being provided with an oscillating or other pedal for foot
pressure at one end and having at its opposite end a rack like toothed segment E
gearing with a toothed pinion F carried on the frame B preferably at rear of the
driving wheel axle G.
The toothed pinion F is fitted over the hub of a larger toothed wheel H and is
free to turn thereon the toothed wheel H gearing with a pinion I on the hub of
the driving wheel J of the cycle the latter pinion I taking the place of the usual
chain driven pinion. The first mentioned pinion F and toothed wheel H are
connected, so that the one drives the other in one direction only, by means of a
pawl or series of pawls K on pins fixed in the toothed wheel H as shown
particularly at Figure 4, or in sockets formed in said wheel, the pawls K engaging
with the teeth of a ratchet L formed on the toothed wheel F, or alternately the
ratchet L may be on the toothed wheel F and the pawls K on the pinion F. Or
the ratchet and pawl mechanism may be on the hub of the driving wheel while the
toothed wheels H and F are in one piece immovable with respect to each other.
Any ordinary clutch mechanism serving the same purpose may be used instead of
the ratchet and pawl above described. By this arrangement the downward
pressure exerted on each of the treadle levers A in turn by the drivers feet causes
the segmental racks E to rotate the toothed pinions F with which they engage and
the ratchet wheels L formed on the pinions F act on the pawls K pivoted on the
toothed wheels H to rotate said wheels H. The toothed wheels H gear with a
pinion I on the hub of the driving wheel thereby transmitting the power of the
downward pressure to drive the cycle. On the return or upward movement of the
treadles A the pinions F return with the racks E, and the teeth of the ratchet
wheels L on the pinions F, slip past the points of the pawls K carried on the
toothed wheels H so that the forward movement of said wheels H, pinions I, and
driving wheel J is not interrupted.
To ensure that the one treadle A will rise as the other descends under the
pressure exerted by the driver the treadles A are connected by a chain M carried
over a pulley N as shown, or instead of connecting the treadles A as above
described, a chain may be secured to an extension of each of the segmental racks E
as shown at Fig. 3 in which case two pulleys N fixed on a spindle and arranged as
shown are employed to which the chains are attached on opposite sides. The
raising of the treadles A may also be effected by rods, or links through a rocking
lever centred on the framing or by other suitable means.
The obiect of the invention may be attained by pivoting the treadle levers A

page_text: in a variety of ways some of which are illustrated at Figures 5, 6 and 7 in which
case the arrangement of the gearing is modified to suit the requirements.
The above described mechanism may be applied to the front wheel of any cycle
or like vehicle.
In applying the invention to tricycles and like vehicles propelled by hand or
foot power and in which two wheels are carried on one axle the pawl and ratchet
driving devices may be fitted on each side of and made to act on a single toothed
wheel gearing with a pinion on the axle, the treadles and other parts being
suitably arranged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved driving gear for cycles
substantially as herein described under several modifications with reference to the
annexed drawings.
2. In driving gear for cycles the arrangement in combination with treadle levers
centred on the cycle frame and having foot treadles at one end and toothed
segments at the opposite end of gearing composed of toothed wheels meshing with
said segments and through the intervention of ratchet or clutch mechanism
operating intermediate toothed wheels meshing with pinions on the cycle driving
wheel hub substantially as described.
1005
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.