AN IMPROVE MENT IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dove Ellson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1883.
JOHN DOVE ELLSON of Coventry in the County of Warwick "AN IMPROVE
MENT IN VELOCIPEDES"
The object of this invention is to enable the rider to obtain at will different
rates of speed thereby increasing or diminishing the power required for propelling
a velocipede
.
To effect this object I place upon one or both ends (as may be desirable) of the
crank shaft a loose running wheel such wheel being a combination of a spur and
chain wheel having holes to receive pins of sliding clutch hereafter described.
Keyed on the same shaft and near to the wheel described I place another and
smaller spur wheel having holes in it suitable to receive the studs or pins of a
sliding clutch (the spur portion of the combination wheel having similar holes).
hereinafter described. Upon the crank shaft and alongside the wheel last
described I place a loose collar or clutch having pins projecting from its face the
said pins being so placed as to correspond with the holes in the spur wheel which
is keyed to the crank shaft and also to holes in the combined spur and chain
wheel as above described. To the frame of the velocipede I fix a stud which
carries a lever and 'on this lever is a two speeded spur wheel which corresponds in
pitch and breadth and also in relative position so as to gear into the two spur wheels
first above described. The lever upon which this two speeded wheel last described
is carried has a suitable arrangement whereby as the two speeded wheel is thrown
into gear the clutch or loose collar having the pins projecting from its face is
withdrawn from the spur portion of the combination wheel which receives the
same thus obtaining an accelerated power through the gearing as described. If
speed and not power be required the lever is moved in a contrary direction when
the two speeded wheel falls out of gear and at the same time the pins of the
clutch move into the holes provided for them in the spur portion of the combi-
nation wheel as described above thus producing a direct transmission. I do not
wish to limit myself to two speeds as above described as if desired the same
principle could be extended to give further increase of speed or power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Dove Ellson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1883.
JOHN DOVE ELLSON of Coventry in the County of Warwick
MENT IN VELOCIPEDES
"
"AN IMPROVE-
The object of this invention is to enable the rider to obtain at will different
rates of speed thereby increasing or diminishing the power required for propelling
a velocipede.
To effect this object I place upon one or both ends (as may be desirable) of the
crank shaft a loose running wheel such wheel being a combination of a spur and
chain wheel having holes to receive pins of sliding clutch hereafter described.
Keyed on the same shaft and near to the wheel described I place another and
smaller spur wheel having holes in it suitable to receive the studs or pins of a
sliding clutch (the spur portion of the combination wheel having similar holes)
hereinafter described. Upon the crank shaft and alongside the wheel last described
I place a loose collar or clutch having pins projecting from its face the said pin's
being so placed as to correspond with the holes in the spur wheel which is keyed
to the crank shaft and also to holes in the combined spur and chain wheel. as
above described To the frame of the velocipede I fix a stud which carries a lever
and on this lever is a two speeded spur wheel which corresponds in pitch and
breadth, and also in relative position so as to gear into the two spur wheels first
above described. The lever upon which this two speeded wheel last described is
carried has a suitable arrangement whereby as the two speeded wheel is thrown
into gear the clutch or loose collar having the pins projecting from its face is
withdrawn from the spur portion of the combination wheel which receives the
same thus obtaining an accelerated power through the gearing as described. If
speed and not power be required the lever is moved in a contrary direction when
the two speeded wheel falls out of gear and at the same time the pins of the clutch
move into the holes provided for them. in the spur portion of the combination
wheel as described above thus producing a direct transmission I do not wish to
limit myself to two speeds as above described as if desired the same principle
could be extended to give further increase of speed or power.
And in order to explain my said Invention more fully I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig 1 shews section of my improvements applied to the crank shaft of a tricycle.
when in gear.
Fig 2 also shows section of same when out of gear.
Fig 3 shews end view. In all the views the same letters denote the
same parts.
a shews the crank shaft. b loose running wheel which is a combination spur
and chain wheel and has holes c therein to receive the pins d of a sliding clutch e-
f is another spur wheel keyed on the shaft a this wheel as will be seen is of
smaller diameter than the wheel b. The wheel fhas also holes in it to receive the
pins d of the clutch e. The clutch is placed on the shaft a alongside the wheel f
the pins d being fixed to the clutch face so as to correspond with the holes in the
spur wheel as shewn-g is an arm or lever fixed to the frame h of the velocipede
this lavan
two ancoded
Onun
whool corresponding in nitch to the

page_text: wheels 6 and f so as to be capable of engaging therewith this lever which is
connected to the lever 8 is actuated by means of the handle ò so that upon pushing
such handle in the direction of the arrow it oscillates on pin p draws with it the
speed wheel i and thus disengages such wheel from the wheels b and f
k is a bent lever fixed to the clutch at land pivotted to the arm m at m'. This
lever is acted upon by the spring n so as to throw the clutch e into action when
the projection or lug r is drawn from the tail of such lever which is done in the
act of throwing the speed wheels out of gear.
The action is as follows supposing the velocipede to be running in the ordinary
way the spur wheel i would be out of gear and the combination wheel b would be
acted on direct from the crank shaft a that is in the position shewn in Figure 2.
but if more power be required (as in ascending gradients for instance) the handle o
is pushed in the direction of the arrows flight which has the effect of releasing the
tail of the lever or arm k and thus withdrawing the clutch pins from the wheel b
and at the same time engaging the speed wheel i with the wheels b and fand
thereby increasing the power the whole arrangement now assuming the position
shewn at Figs 1 and 3. It is obvious that I may by the employment of more
wheels still further vary the power.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention and the
means whereby the same may be carried into practical effect I would remark in
conclusion that what I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is
The arrangement of gearing for varying the speed or power when required in
velocipedes substantially as set forth
In Witness whereof I the said John Dove Ellson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirtieth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
JOHN DOVE WILSON
Witness to the signature of
John Dove Ellson
DUGALD MACLACHLAN
Clerk to Richardson, Ellson & C
Lower Ford Street
Coventry
JOHN DOVE
LL CON
MAANVA
(L.C.)