Improvements in Hand Levers for the Driving-mechanism of Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand Levers for the Driving-mechanism of
Velocipedes.
I, AUGUST VONHAUSEN of 2 Rheinbahnstrasse, Wiesbaden in the German
Empire, 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:-
This invention relates to velocipedes driven by hand and foot power and consists
in improved arrangements of the hand levers for the purpose of effecting a ready
engagement and disengagement of said levers from the shaft operated by then and
actuating the chain wheel without removing the hands from the handles of the
hand lever so as to enable the rider to change from driving the velocipede by
combined hand and foot power to driving by foot power only whenever he wishes
to do so, and in order to keep the hand levers out of action when mounting
bicycles.
On the drawing appended hereunto two modified arrangements of the
improved hand levers disengageable without removing the hand from the handle
are represented.
Fig. 1 showing a hand lever curved downwards at the handle, in longitudinal
vertical section in its engaged position, a similar arrangement being adopted if the
lever is curved laterally at the handle part.
Fig. 2 the same, when disengaged.
Fig. 3 a cross section through the disengaging catch.
Fig. 4 a horizontal longitudinal section of a straight band lever with a modified
disengaging mechanism.
Figs. 5 and 6 top views of the same in two positions.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the mounting of both kinds of hand levers on the shaft in side
view and section.
The hand lever according to Figs. 1 to 3 consists of a straight or curved tube a
fitted at its shaft end with a strap b surrounding a pulley e formed with or connected
to a shaft d by which the motion of the handlever is transmitted to cranks or their
equivalent for rotating the chain wheel or wheels of the velocipede in any
suitable way.
The pulley c is formed with a recess e for the reception of the locking bolt f
which can slide in the tube a or in a tubular extension 6' of the strap b. Angular
cheek plates
or hoops are screwed to the strap to hold it on the pulley.
The bolt f as shewn by Figs. 1 and 2, is subject to the action of a spring g
interposed between a shoulder of the bolt and a cap screwed upon the tubular
extension b or an equivalent abutment fixed in the tube a. The bolt is attached to a
chain or its equivalent passed through the tube
connected to a bell crank
trigger i, 1 fulcrumed on the lower edge of the handle k. On the trigger arm a
projecting catch m is formed, which when the hand lever is disengaged from its
shaft engages with a corresponding catch n formed on a latch lever p hinged cross-
wise to the handle & and pressed down upon the handle by a spring o.
and
When the latch p.is depressed in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3, which can
be done by the rider without releasing the handle k, the trigger I, i is liberated and
the bolt is pressed by the spring 9 against the rim of the pulley c, and when
meeting the recess e enters into it, thereby locking the hand lever to the pulley c
and the driving mechanism.

page_text: To disengage the handlever the trigger arm is pulled towards the handle k
when the catch m engages with the catch n on the latch lever p and holds the bolt
out of the recess e as shewn on Fig. 2, so that the hand lever is disconnected from
the pulley c.
In the straight hand-lever represented by Figs. 4 to 6 the disengagement and
re-engagement of the locking bolt f is likewise effected by withdrawing the same
from the recess e and releasing it again, but this is done in this case by turning and
pulling the handle k itself. The latter is connected in this case to an internal
tube a to which the bolt f is connected by a screw 9 screwed into the link f
joined to the bolt. The screw q passes freely through a U shaped slot rs in the
outer hand-lever tube a.
To withdraw the bolt f from the recess e of the pulley c, when the screw q is in
the position shewn on Figs. 4 and 5, the handle k is turned round to bring the
screw out of the slot into the longitudinal part of the slot, the handle then
drawn outwards and turned back again to bring the screw into the slots, as
shewn on Fig. 6, when the bolt f is disengaged from the pulley and held in this
position. To re-engage the bolt, the handle k is turned so far that the screw g
leaves the slots; the spring g then pushes the bolt against the rim of pulley c
till it encounters the recess e and by entering it re-establishes a firm connection
between the handlever and the pulley c.
The details of the arrangements may be varied from those shewn on the
drawings without departing from the essential feature of this invention, which
consists in disengaging and re-engaging the bolt by means of mechanism
operated by the rider without removing his hand from the handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The arrangement or construction of a disengageable hand lever for velocipedes
which is fulcrumed ou and bears at its inner end against a pulley or shaft formed
with a recess and contains a sliding lock bolt under spring pressure and mechanism
for withdrawing the bolt from or inserting it into the recess which mechanism can
be operated without the rider removing the hand from the handle of said hand lever
substantially as herein before described and for the purposes set forth.
2. The arrangement or construction of a handlever for velocipedes substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings and for the
purposes set forth.
3. The arrangement or construction of a hand-lever for velocipedes substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings and for the
purposes set forth.
Dated the 24th day of March 1900
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.