Improvements in or connected with the Driving Mechanism of Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept.,
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Mechanism
of Bicycles.
I, LOUIS BOONEN, of 21 bis Avenue de la Motte-Piquet, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Efforts have long been made for facilitating the climbing of hills or gradients
by cyclists. By a better distribution of the power, that is applying to the front
a portion of the power exercised on the rear of the machine, it has been thought
that there could be obtained a more regular and better running on the level com-
bined with a diminution of fatigue on climbing a hill. The devices constructed
according to this train of ideas and which are all designed to produce by means
of the arms a supplemental power in order to allow the cyclist to get over the dead
point (which is produced when the line of the pedal cranks is normal to the
ground) all have the inconvenience of destroying the benefit which they bring
to the travelling by an increase of weight and a complicated costly mechanism
difficult to operate.
The present invention, although based on the principles hereinbefore enumerated,
is of so simple a construction and its operation is so easy that it introduces so to
speak no complication in the construction of the machine or its maintenance, but
it has particularly the advantage of solving the problem of the diminution of
exertion by utilising the natural pull which the cyclist is accustomed to exert on
the handle bar when climbing a hill.
I have realised all these advantages by driving the front or steering wheel by
means of a very simple mechanism which normally runs automatically whilst the
machine is running, but to which the cyclist may impart a driving action at will,
whilst maintaining his hand on the steering or handle bar by a very slight pull
exerted by the fingers on a lever arranged under the handle bar like a brake lever.
My invention is shown in detail in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figura 1 is a front elevation;
Figure 2, a side elevation of the whole mechanism;
Figure 3 is a plan view;
Figures 4 and 5 represent on a larger scale in horizontal and vertical section
respectively, details of the guide boxes of the rod transmitting the motion.
On the hub of the steering wheel a little pinion m is fixed which gears with
a wheel M mounted on a spindle U revolving in a ball bearing L provided with
a regulating device. This bearing is fixed by two screws u to a plate forming an
extension of the end of one arm of the front fork f. A little crank K fixed at
the end of the shaft U is pivoted to a rod J which is pivoted to a socket I in
which is fixed by means of a collar I' the end of a rod E. This rod is guided in
a plane parallel to the steering wheel by boxes F F1 attached to the fork by
means of clips G, H, G¹, H¹. The upper end of the rod E is connected by a small

page_text: link D to a lever C pivoting on a clip B attached to the steering or handle bar A.
The steering or handle bar has a flat part formed at g on which the hand can
rest without danger of slipping.
This little meclianism normally runs automatically in consequence of the
rotation of the steering wheel. When however the cyclist wishes to accelerate
the movement of the steering wheel and by the movement of the latter assist the
driving wheel over the dead point, it suffices for him to exert with his fingers a
slight pull on the lever C at the moment when the rod E is rising. This action
is transmitted, as will be easily understood, to the steering wheel and from thence
to the whole machine.
I have given the lever C a special form enabling the fingers to exert their pull
in the direction of the axis of the rod E. In this manner the effort is as reduced
as possible.
In order to avoid a too strong and useless pull on the part of the cyclist,
stops T keyed on the rod E are placed at suitable points. These stops, when the
rod E is naturally at the highest point of its course, encounter the covers of the
guide boxes F. "At the same time these stops form part of a small system of
ball bearings and lubricators represented in detail by Figures 4 and 5.
R is a
washer saturated with oil. By screwing down the cover S slightly, the oil with
which the washer is impregnated is forced to escape by the holes in the box F;
the balls r, which roll between their race in the stop T and the interior surface of
the box F, are covered with oil in passing in front of the holes o.
My invention may be adapted with the greatest facility to any existing machine.
The modifications which it necessitates are absolutely insignificant.
Dated this 19th day of February 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Mechanism
of Bicycles.
I, LOUIS BOONEN, of 21 bis Avenue de la Motte-liquet, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Architect, 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:-
Efforts have long been made for facilitating the climbing of hills or gradients
by cyclists. By a better distributing of the power, that is applying to the front
a portion of the power exercised on the rear of the machine, it has been thought
that there could be obtained a more regular and better running on the lever com
bined with a diminution of fatigue on climbing a hill. The devices constructed
according to this train of ideas and which are all designed to produce by means
of the arms a supplemental power in order to allow the cyclist to get over the dead
point (which is produced when the line of the pedal cranks is normal to the
ground) all have the inconvenience of destroying the benefit which they bring
to the travelling by an increase of weight and a complicated costly mechanism
difficult to operate.
The present invention, although based on the principles hereinbefore enumerated,
is of so simple a construction and its operation is so easy that it introduces so to
speak no complication in the construction of the machine or its maintenance, but
it has particularly the advantage of solving the problem of the diminution of

page_text: exertion by utilising the natural pull which the cyclist is accustomed to exert on
the handle bar when climbing a hill.
I have realised all these advantages by driving the front or steering wheel by
means of a very simple mechanism which normally runs automatically whilst the
machine is running, but to which the cyclist may impart a driving action at will,
whilst maintaining his hand on the steering or handle bar by a very slight pull
exerted by the fingers on a lever arranged under the handle bar like a brake lever.
My invention is shown in detail in the drawing accompanying the provisional
specification, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation ;
Figure 2, a side elevation of the whole mechanism;
Figure 3 is a plan view;
Figures 4 and 5 represent on a larger scale in horizontal and vertical section
respectively, details of the guide boxes of the rod transmitting the motion.
On the hub of the steering wheel a little pinion m is fixed which gears with
a wheel M mounted on a spindle U revolving in a ball bearing L provided with
a regulating device. This bearing is fixed by two screws to a plate forming an
extension of the end of one arm of the front fork f. A little crank K fixed at
the end of the shaft U is pivoted to a rod J which is pivoted to a socket I in'
which is fixed by means of a collar I¹ the end of a rod E. This rod is guided in
a plane parallel to the steering wheel by boxes F F¹ attached to the fork by
means of clips G, H, G, H¹. The upper end of the rod E is connected by a small
link 1) to a lever C pivotted on a clip B attached to the steering or handle bar A.
The steering or handle bar has a flat part formed at g on which the hand can
rest without danger of slipping. The pinion m and wheel M may be made of equal
diameter and thus the pull which has to be exerted on the rod E will be diminished.
This little mechanism normally runs automatically in consequence of the
rotation of the steering wheel. When however the cyclist wishes to accelerate
the movement of the steering wheel and by the movement of the latter assist the
driving wheel over the dead point, it suffices for him to exert with his fingers a
slight pull on the lever C at the moment when the rod E is rising. This action
is transmitted, as will be easily understood, to the steering wheel and from thence
to the whole machine.
I have given the lever C a special form
in the direction of the axis of the rod E.
as possible.
enabling the fingers to exert their pull
In this manner the effort is as reduced
In order to avoid a too strong and useless pull on the part of the cyclist, stops T
(Fig. 4) keyed on the rod E are placed at suitable points. These stops, when the
rod E is naturally at the highest point of its course, encounter the covers of the
guide boxes F. At the same time these stops form part of a small system of
ball bearings and lubricators represented in detail by Figures 4 and 5.
R is a
washer saturated with oil. By screwing down the cover S slightly, the oil with
which the washer is impregnated is forced to escape by the holes in the box F;
the balls 7, which roll between their race in the stop T and the interior surface of
the box F, are covered with oil in passing in front of the holes o.
My invention may be adapted with the greatest facility to any existing machine.
The modifications which it necessitates are absolutely insignificant.
My invention may also be utilized as a brake at the sides or on the centre of
the wheel by reversing the movements of the rod by means of the lever C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A mechanism for driving bicycles and the like, consisting of a pinion (m)
keyed on the hub of the steering wheel, said pinion gearing with a cog-wheel (M)
mounted on a spindle (U) revolving in a ball bearing (L) fixed at the extremity
of the fork (f), the spindle (U) receiving a rotary movement by means of a pull
exerted on a lever (C) pivotted on the steering or handle bar and connected with

page_text: the axle by means of a series of cranks and transmission shafts, substantially as
herein before described and shown in the drawings accompanying the provisional
specification.
2. In mechanism for driving bicycles and the like, a means of guiding, sup-
porting and lubricating the transmission shaft (E) composed of guide boxes or
lubricators (F F¹) acting as ball bearings and also as stops for catches (T) fixed
on said transmission shaft; substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 26th day of June 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.