Improvements in the Mode and Means for Driving Bicycles and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in the Mode and Means for Driving Bicycles and
other Velocipedes.
I, JOSIAH JACKSON, of 60, Grove Terrace, Nichols Street, Hill Fields, Coventry, in
the County of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in the mode and means for driving
bicycles and other velocipedes by which I dispense with the usual driving chain and
sprocket wheels thereby greatly reducing the friction and consequently lessening
the power required for driving.
In carrying my invention into practice I mount a gear wheel on either side of the
axle of the rear wheel of a cycle. These gear wheels each gear with a larger wheel
preferably mounted in ball bearings to the back forks of the frame. Pivotted
eccentrically to the face of each of these large gear wheels is one end of an arm or
crank, the other end of which is pivotted to the ordinary driving crank to which
the pedals are fixed. The driving cranks are each pivotted to one end of a short
lever or connecting link the other end being pivotted to the bottom bracket axle.
Ball or other anti-friction bearings are provided at all parts where necessary.
Dated this 20th day of October 1897
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode and Means for Driving Bicycles and
other Velocipedes.
I, JOSIAH JACKSON, of 60, Grove Terrace, Nichols Street, Hill' Fields, Coventry,
in the County of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object improvements in the mode and means for driving
bicycles and other velocipedes by which I dispense with the usual driving chain

page_text: and sprocket wheels thereby greatly reducing the friction and consequently lessening
the power required for driving.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto one sheet of drawings upon which [
have illustrated examples of my improved driving mechanism.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ladies' cycle with my improved driving gear
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 with the seat pillar removed.
Figure 3 is a similar view of Figure 1 shewing a slight modification of my driving
gear.
In carrying my invention into practice I fix the gear wheels A on either side of
the axle w of the rear wheel W whether for ladies or gentleman's cycle.
These gear wheels each gear with the larger gear wheels B preferably mounted
in ball bearing b' fixed to the back forks F of the frame.' Pivotted eccentrically to
the face of the gear wheels B are the connecting rods D the other ends of these
connecting rods being pivotted to the short arms h¹ forming part of or attached
to the driving crank H to which the pedals J are secured in the usual manner.
These driving cranks are mounted loosely on the spindle S which is fixed in the
bracket K'secured to the frame of the machine. Or the spindle S may be free to
revolve in the bracket K and the cranks H fixed on the spindle. It will thus be
seen that when the machine is in motion the driving cranks only make a quarter or
about a quarter of a revolution the rotary motion being transmitted by the connect-
ing rods to the gear wheels B and consequently to the gear wheels A and driving
wheels W. In the method as shewn at Figure 3 a rotary motion is imparted to the
driving cranks instead of a part rotary motion and in order to obtain this object I
fix the discs or eccentric blocks N eccentrically to the boss of the driving cranks H
or crank spindle and on the periphery or around the circumference of these discs I
mount the rings or eccentric straps n¹ which are made in two parts held together
by the pins and nuts n² which pass through holes formed in the lugs n³. A groove
or recess is formed around the periphery of the discs N and a corresponding groove
or recess around the inner circumference of the rings n¹ balls being interposed
between the said rings and the disc so as to reduce the friction.
Formed on or attached to one of the halves of the rings n¹ are the lugs or
sockets n¹ onto or into which the front ends of the connecting rods D are secured.
It will thus be seen that when motion is imparted to the driving cranks which may
be fixed on the ordinary bottom bracket spindle the disc N which revolve with the
cranks will impart motion to the connecting rods D thereby transmitting the
motion to the driving wheel through the medium of the gear wheels A and B.
It will be evident the frame shewn is adapted to the particular mode of driving
although I may use a frame of different construction and especially in the method
of driving as shewn at Figure 3 where a rotary motion is obtained. The angles at
which the various parts are set being suitable so that the cranks are never at any
part of their throw at a dead centre.
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
CLAIMS.
First The improvements in the mode and means for driving bicycles and other
velocipedes characterised by the two gear wheels mounted on the driving wheel
spindle gearing into two other wheels mounted on the frame of the machine and
pivotted eccentrically to the latter wheels are connecting rods the other ends of
which are pivotted to arms or supplemental cranks fixed to arms forming part of the
driving cranks in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth
shawn unan the drawings

page_text: ends of the connecting rods to rings or eccentric straps mounted on the periphery
of discs or eccentric blocks fixed to the driving cranks or driving crank spindle so
as to obtain a rotary motion in the manner substantially as herein set forth and as
shewn.
Dated this 26th day of May 1898.
By George Barker,
JOSIAH JACKSON.
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, Agent for Applicant,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.