Improved Change Gear for Cycles and other Appliances and Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Change Gear for Cycles and other Appliances and
Machines.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of No. 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
London Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Louis Rosenfeld of 56 Beaver Street,
New York City, State of New York, United States of America, Merchant) to be
as follows:
The object of this invention is to construct a simple compact, easily operated
and reliable change gear more especially adapted for use on cycles whereby the
rider may change from speed to power, or from power to speed while his machine
is in motion as well as when it is at rest.
The desirability of providing a construction or means whereby a change may be
readily effected from speed to power or from power to speed in cycles when in use,
is well understood among those familiar with the manufacture and use of cycles
and various mechanisms have been proposed for accomplishing this purpose.
Although it is designed to apply this invention more particularly to cycles of
the prevailing type in which a chain and sprocket wheels are used, the improve-
ments are applicable also to other kinds of cycles and also to various other
machines in which change gear is needed.
The invention may be conveniently applied to the rear driving wheel of a cycle
of that type in which the wheel is driven from the pedal shaft through a chain
passing over the sprocket wheels or the invention may be applied directly to the
pedal shaft.
In such case, instead of fixing the sprocket wheel to the hub of the wheel of the
machine or to the pedal shaft, as the case may be, the sprocket wheel is made movable
with reference to the said hub or pedal shaft by mounting it in a movable bearing, so
that the sprocket wheel may be moved substantially vertical to a limited extent.
Upon the sprocket wheel there is formed or provided a gear, preferably internal, and
upon the hub of the cycle wheel or upon the pedal shaft there is provided a gear, pre-
ferably external, but of smaller diameter than the internal gear, and within the latter.
There is also provided a movable locking ring or equivalent device in combination with
means for moving it to a limited extent, preferably laterally upon one of the gears,
so that when the two gears are arranged concentrically such locking device may
be interposed between the two to lock the sprocket wheel to the hub of the wheel
of the machine, or to the pedal shaft, as the case may be. When the locking
device is moved in the other direction it disengages one of the gears, so that then
the sprocket wheel with its bearing may be moved to cause the two gears to engage
with each other and thus by driving one from the other, obtain the desired change
from speed to power or from power to speed as the case may be.
The described movements of the sprocket wheel with its bearing and of the
locking device are under the control of the rider of the cycle or operator of the
machine, through any suitable means, and by preference one and the same means
will be used to produce, in succession, the two movements, that is, the movement of
the locking ring and the movement of the sprocket wheel with its bearing.
Dated this 20th day of September 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Change Gear for Cycles and other Appliances and
Machines.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of London.
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Louis Rosenfeld of 56 Beaver Street, New
York City, State of New York, United States of America, Merchant) and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple, compact, easily operated and
reliable change gear, more especially adapted for use on cycles whereby the rider
may change from speed to power or from power to speed while his machine is in
motion as well as when it is at rest.
The desirability of providing a construction or means whereby a change may be
readily effected from speed to power or from power to speed is well understood
among those familiar with the manufacture and use of cycles and various
mechanisms have been proposed for accomplishing this purpose.
Although the invention is described in this Specification with reference to the
accompanying drawings as applied to cycles of a prevailing type, in which a chain
and sprocket wheels are used, it should be understood at the outset that the
invention may be applied to other types of cycles and to various other machines in
which a change gear is needed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in vertical section one form
of the invention as applied to the rear wheel of a bicycle.
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the movable parts in another position.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 1-1, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on the line 2-2, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a face view of the sprocket wheel to which the invention is applied.
Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modification;
Figure 7 is a similar view of another modification shewing the invention as applied
to the crank axle of a cycle and
Figures 8, 9 and 10 are views of parts thereof detached.
The
Referring to Figures I to 5 C is a part of the hub of the rear wheel of a cycle
which wheel turns upon the fixed axis or shaft A which passes centrally through
the hub, ball bearings being provided in any suitable or well known manner.
ends of this shaft A may be secured to the frame X of the machine by nuts & or in
any other convenient and suitable manner. Instead of fixing the sprocket wheel D
to the hub of the wheel of the machine as usual, the said sprocket wheel is made
separate and moveable and adapted to turn upon a moveable bearing which in this
case is a shell E preferably with intermediate ball bearings d held in place by a
screw ring F as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 or otherwise. Formed on or secured to
the hub is an elongated external gear B and upon the sprocket wheel D is
formed an internal gear D' of larger diameter but of narrower width than the
external gear B upon the hub of the wheel. To the elongated gear B is fitted,
so as to slide laterally thereon a locking ring G which has internal teeth gl
adapted at all times to engage with the teeth of the gear B. The ring G has
also external teeth 92 and is of such thickness that when the sprocket wheel D is
placed concentric with the gear B, the said locking ring can be moved inward
laterally upon the gear B and fit between the said gear and the internal gear D'
of the sprocket wheel D. The external teeth 9 upon the locking ring G then
engage with the said internal gear D' as shewn in Figures 2 and 4 thereby

page_text: locking the sprocket wheel to the hub of the wheel of the machine so that the
latter must move with the sprocket wheel and at the same speed. When the
locking gear G is moved outward laterally to disengage it from the internal
gear D of the sprocket wheel the latter with the shell E on which it turns may
then be moved in a plane at right angles to the axis of the gear B (downward in
the case illustrated) until the internal gear D₁ of the sprocket wheel meshes
directly with the gear B of the hub of the wheel as shewn in Figures 1 and 3 so
that then motion is transmitted from the sprocket wheel D to the wheel of the
machine with an increase of speed.
In order that the shell E with its sprocket wheel may be moved in a plane at
right angles to the axis of the wheel of the machine from the position shewn in
Figure 1 to that shewn in Figure 2 or vice versa, only to the desired extent, and
this substantially at right angles to a line drawn through the axis of the front and
rear axles of the machine (so that there may be no substantial change in the
tension of the chain in the different positions of the sprocket wheel D) there is
provided upon the fixed axis or shaft A a projecting piece a which enters a vertical
slot e in the shell E. Over this slot there is placed a shield or guard a' carried
within the frame of the machine by the projecting piece a.
In Figure 5 the sprocket wheel D and connected parts are shewn detached from
the frame of the machine and the shield a¹ removed.
Various constructions of devices may be employed for securing the lateral move-
ment of the locking ring G and the up-and-down movement of the sprocket wheel
or in other words the change from the concentric to the eccentric position of the
sprocket wheel with reference to the gear on the hub of the wheel of the machine,
but in all cases one movement of the operating device is made to produce in proper
succession the two movements of locking ring and sprocket wheel.
In the construction shewn in Figures 1 to 5 the following devices are employed
which for convenience are arranged at the lower side of the hub of the wheel,
although they may, in many instances be placed at the upper side. In the ring G
there is formed a groove g into which enters the fork h of an arm R. This arm is
connected to a block which moves laterally and is guided in its lateral movement
by a horizontal pin J, carried by an extension e' on the shell E. On the face of
this extension e' there are under-cut guides or grooves for the flanges of a vertical
sliding piece L which is provided with cam slots k which act on pins K carried by
the block l. These cams or slots are such that when the slide L is moved down to
its lowest position in this case, the block and arm H will have moved outward
laterally and disengaged the locking ring G from the sprocket wheel D then by the
further downward movement of the slide L, the latter will carry with it the shell E
and sprocket wheel D until the internal gear D' of the latter comes into engagement
with the external gear B on the hub of the wheel of the machine, as illustrated in
Figures 1 and 3. On the other hand when the slide L is moved upward from the
position shewn in Figures 1 and 3, the first action will be to raise the sprocket
wheel D from the eccentric to the concentric position and disengage its internal
gear from the external gear on the hub of the wheel of the machine, and then the
locking ring G will by the continued upward movement of the slide L be moved
inward to lock the sprocket wheel D to the pinion B as shewn in Figures 2
and 4.
This invention is not limited to any special means for moving the slide L as
various arrangements of rods, wires or levers may be provided.
In the drawings the lower end of a rod or lever L' is indicated as pivotally
connected to a slide L and this rod or lever L' may have any suitable or convenient
connection with a handle at a point on the frame of the machine within reach of the
rider, whereby he may when riding the machine, as well as when the latter is at rest,
operate the change gear as already described, to change from power to speed or
from speed to power as may be desired.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 6 the gear B' on the hub of the wheel of

page_text: the machine is made in the form of an internal gear, while the gear D² on the
sprocket wheel D is external. In this case the hub C of the wheel of the machine
is extended through the moveable shell E carrying the sprocket wheel D and has
an outwardly extending flange C' terminating in the internal gear B' and within
the latter is fitted the laterally moveable locking ring G¹.
The ring Gis shewn in Figure 6 in a position in which it locks the sprocket
wheel D to the gear B' on the hub of the wheel but by moving the ring in the
direction of the arrow the locking ring may be moved out of contact with the
gear D2 and then by moving the shell F and its sprocket wheel vertically,
the gear D² may be caused to mesh with the internal gear B' on the hub of the
wheel of the machine, giving in this case an increase of power by such change.
The movements of the locking ring and shell carrying the sprocket wheel may be
accomplished in various ways and in the drawings there is shewn an adaptation of
the means already described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The ring has at
suitable points radial pins 5 passing through slots in the gear ring B' and connected
to an exterior grooved ring which may be moved laterally upon the exterior of
the gear B by an arm'H' similar to the arm H shewn in Figures 1 to 5. In this
instance these operating devices are shewn at the upper part of the device instead
of below.
The shell E, Figure 6 is provided with slots y to facilitate the placing of the
sprocket chain on the wheel D.
In the application of this invention to the crank axle of a cycle as shewn 'in
Figure 7 there is provided upon the hub C¹ of the crank shaft an elongated gear B¹
upon which is fitted a laterally sliding locking ring G which when moved inward
as shewn in Figure 7 can lock the front sprocket wheel D³ to the crank axle by
engaging with an internal gear of the said sprocket wheel. The sprocket wheel
turns upon ball bearings on a shell E2, which can be moved vertically with
reference to the fixed tubular part X' of the frame of the machine when required.
The part X is formed with a squared and flanged projecting portion a Figure 8
(similar to the part a of the fixed axle in Figures 1 to 5) over which projecting
part is fitted the slotted part e' of the shell E (Figure 9) which slotted part permits
of a limited vertical movement of the shell upon the frame. On the shell E, which
is retained in place laterally by the split lock nut N (Figures 7 and 10) are the
guides J, for the cam slide (L) by which the bleck and arm L2, H2 are moved
laterally and the sprocket wheel inoved vertically in a manner similar to that
already described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As will be seen, the arm H
in this case is in the form of a loop to pass over the top of the sprocket wheel D³.
By the term "shell," as here used, it is not to be understood as necessarily
limiting the invention to a part absolutely shell-like in shape. The term "shell"
is used simply as a convenient description of the movable part carrying the
-movable wheel and gear.
When the means employed for moving the locking ring & the shell carrying the
chain wheel embrace the use of the cam slotted slide L, and arm H, it is preferred
to make the cam slots k with their opposite ends slightly reversed as at Figures 1
and 2 in order that when the locking ring G has been moved to either of its two
extreme positions by the armn H, the latter will then be moved by the reverse k¹
slightly in the opposite direction to free the forked end of the arm H from
frictional contact with either wall of the groove g in the ring G. It is preferred
to employ a spring S (Figure 5) connected at one end to the frame and at the other
to the shell E to normally tend to return the shell E with the chain wheel to a
position concentric with the gear on the hub.
It will be seen that the levers and parts under the control of the rider to operate
the gear as herein before described may be so manipulated as to disengage the gear
on the hub of the cycle wheel or pedal shaft without throwing the locking ring into
place between the two gears the cycle wheel being then free and in condition
suitable for "coasting" on down grades.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A cycle having a frame and a sprocket wheel provided with a gear in com-
bination with a rotating hub or shaft having a gear, a locking device movable
laterally with reference to the two gears, and means for moving the said sprocket
wheel, substantially vertically, to either mesh or operate the locking device to
lock the said two gears together substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described.
2. A cycle having a frame and a sprocket wheel provided with a gear in com-
bination with a hub or shaft having a gear, one of the gears being internal and the
other external, a locking device laterally movable with reference to the two gears,.
and means for moving the said sprocket wheel substantially vertically to either
mesh or operate the locking device to lock the said two gears together, as and for
the purpose herein before described.
3. A change gear comprising two gear wheels, one elongated and one having
external teeth and the other internal teeth, and means for moving one into and out
of gear with the other, in combination with a locking ring fitted upon the elongated
gear to slide laterally thereon and means for moving it between the two gears to
lock them together, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. A change gear comprising a fixed frame, a movable bearing and two gears, one
external and the other internal and one carried by the frame and the other by the
bearing, with means for moving the bearing to bring the two gears into and out of
engagement with each other and a movable locking ring having internal and
external teeth adapted to be interposed between the two gears to lock them together,.
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. A cycle having a frame, a rotating hub carried thereby and having a gear in:
combination with a bearing movable on the said frame and carrying a wheel
provided with a gear, the said gears being one external and the other internal, means.
for moving the said bearing to bring the two gears into or out of engagement with
each other and a movable locking ring having internal and external teeth adapted
to be interposed between the two gears to lock them together, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
6. A cycle having a frame, a hub provided with a gear, a bearing movable on the
frame and carrying a wheel provided with a gear and a locking ring adapted to be
interposed between the gears, of which one is external and the other internal, in
combination with means under the control of the rider for changing speed to power
or from power to speed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 10th dex of June 1891
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.