IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM BURGESS of Battle in the County of Sussex, Draper do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES" to be
as follows:
This invention has for its object, firstly the construction of tricycles in such a
manner as to admit of certain parts being folded so as to allow the machine to
pass through an ordinary doorway without taking it to pieces. Secondly, the
arrangement of parts whereby the machine which has two front guiding wheels
that rotate on their own centres, may be made to turn sharp corners with greater
facility than usual, and Thirdly, providing an arrangement of differential driving
gear to enable the rider to ascend hills with less exertion than is commonly
required.
Firstly in reference to the means for folding the machine, the invention consists
in hinging to each outer side of the fore part of the frame two horizontal bars,
placed one above the other, and at or near the outer extremities of which, they are
fashioned into eyes or collars through which passes the spindle of the fork of the
front or guiding wheel. At or near the outer extremities of these bars there is
also a vertical rod, which while it connects the two bars together, also serves as a
pin upon which two stays or struts can turn. These stays or struts are joined
together at their rear ends and are there formed into a loop or eye, so as to allow
of their sliding back upon a wire rod when the machine is being folded up, but
when in use the stays are extended and held firmly in that position by a catch that
takes into a suitable recess or counterpart formed on the middle upright part of
the frame. It is to be understood that the foregoing arrangement is applied to
each of the front or guiding wheels, and all that is necessary to fold the machine is
to release the catch on each side and draw back the stays, when the machine will
occupy a very much reduced area, and admit of its passage through a comparatively
narrow space.
Secondly, in reference to the arrangement for guiding the machine and enabling
one guiding wheel when turning a corner to assume a more acute angle to the
driving wheel than the other, the invention consists of a pair of handles one
attached to each side of the upper part of the frame and capable of being turned.
To each handle is fixed a spindle the lower part of which carries a grooved pulley.
At a short distance from them in the rear, and at each side of the frame aud

page_text: pivotted thereto, there is placed horizontally a double grooved pulley. A cord from
the front pulley passes round one of the grooves of the rear pulley, and another
cord passess across the machine from one rear pulley to the other, so that the turning
of the handle on either side has the effect of not only turning each pulley on its
own side, but on those of the opposite side also. Beneath each of the rear pulleys
and fixed eccentrically to the same spindle there is a larger chain pulley, round
which a chain passes, the extremities of which are fastened to a sliding bar that is
hinged or pivotted to the cranked arm of the spindle carrying the fork in which
the guiding wheel revolves. The centre of this larger chain pulley is adjusted a
little behind the spindle which turns it. The result of this arrangement is that on
turning one [that is, either] of the handles the chain is let out or taken up more
rapidly, or to a greater extent than the opposite one, and the consequence is that
one of the guiding wheels is caused to assume a more acute angle to the driving
wheel than the other, and will describe a segment of a smaller circle than its fellow,
so that corners may be turned with greater facility and with less danger to the
machine.
Thirdly, in reference to the differential driving gear, the invention consists of
two chain wheels of different diameters fitted to the crank shaft, so as to revolve
freely thereon, exterior to the frame of the machine. There are also two chain
wheels of different diameters firmly fixed to the axle of the driving wheel. Chains
from each of the wheels on the crank shaft pass over and around the wheels on the
driving axle, the chain of the small wheel on the crank shaft passing over the large
wheel on the axle, and the chain of the large wheel on the crank shaft passing over
the small wheel on the axle,- -or both chain wheels on the driving axle may be
made of the same diameter as the large wheel on the crank shaft. Between the
two wheels on the crank shaft there is sufficient space to allow of a stud being
firmly clipped or otherwise attached thereto. This stud has an indent cut in its
end so as to receive a piece of metal which projects beyond it and is pivotted
thereto, thus forming a clutch. In the bottom of the indent in the stud there is
fixed a spring or other contrivance so as to keep the clutch either in line with the
stud, or at right angles thereto, at the will of the rider. Above the stud and fixed
to the frame of the machine there are three handles, each connected with a rod
working in a guide, and has a short curved arm. Upon raising or depressing one
or other of these handles, the curved arm operates upon the clutch and throws it
into or out of gear with one of a number of spaces or indents formed in the sides of
each wheel. By thrusting the clutch into gear with the large wheel the rider can
acquire the speed so desirable on a level road, but if he wants to obtain more power
for ascending a hill for instance, he will withdraw the clutch from the large wheel
and throw it into gear with the small one, when the power will be increased,
though at some expense in speed. By these means the power may be varied
according to the requirements of the circumstances, and consequently the use of the
machine extended.
It is preferred to use flat chains with rectangular links connected together by
short tubular ones.
Dated this Twenty-fourth dots of Januari 1001

page_text: I, WILLIAM BURGESS of 43 Market Street, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
formerly of Battle in the same County, Hardware Dealer late Draper, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
This invention has for its object firstly, the construction of tricycles in such
a manner as to admit of certain parts being folded so as to allow the machine to
pass through an ordinary doorway without taking it to pieces, Secondly the
arrangement of parts whereby the machine, which has two front guiding wheels
that rotate on their own centres, may be made to turn sharp corners with greater
facility than usual, and Thirdly, providing an arrangement of differential driving
gear to enable the rider to ascend hills with less exertion than is commonly
required.
In order that the invention may be more easily understood drawings are
attached hereto of which the following is a description. Fig 1 is a side elevation
of the machine, Fig 2 an elevation on the opposite side to that of Fig 1, Fig 3 is
a front end elevation showing the front or steering wheels in their position for
travelling and Fig 4 is a plan of the machine with the wheels in the same position.
Figs 5 and 6 are elevations of the large and small differential wheels. Figs 7,
8 and 9 are views of the clutch arrangement with the clutch itself in three different
positions. Figs 10, 11 and 12 show the clutch arrangement applied to the different
wheels, and Figs 13 and 14 represent the apparatus for actuating the clutch.
Similar letters refer to the same parts in each of the views, but in neither view is
the machine shown complete, as the doing so would involve an apparent compli-
cation that would make the drawings difficult to understand. The machine is
however shown complete in the drawings taken collectively.
Firstly, in reference to the means for folding the machine the invention consists
in hinging to each outer side of the fore part of the frame A, one or two horizontal
or curved bars B and C, placed one above the other, and at or near the outer
extremities of which, they are fashioned into eyes or collars C¹ through which
passes the spindle D of the fork E of the front or guiding wheel F. At or near
the outer extremities of these bars, in one arrangement there is a vertical rod
which while it connects the two bars together also serves as a pin upon which two
stays or struts can turn. These stays or struts are joined together at their rear
ends and are there formed into a loop or eye, so as to allow of their sliding back
upon a wire rod or bar C when the machine is being folded up, but when in use
the stays are extended and held firmly in that position by a catch that takes into
a suitable recess or counterpart formed on the middle upright part of the frame at G.
In the arrangement shown in the drawing there is a horizontal bar B and a curved
bar C. In addition to these there is a bar x which turns upon the spindle D and
extends to the rear as far as G and slides upon the wire rod or bar C2 when the
machine is to be folded up. It is to be understood that the foregoing arrangement
is applied to each of the front or guiding wheels and all that is necessary to fold
the machine is to release the catch at G on each side, disconnect the sliding bar S
from the arm T to which it is attached at 1 by a pivot and spring, and draw back
the stays together with the bars B and C, when the machine will occupy a very
much. reduced area, and admit of its passage. through a comparatively narrow:
space,

page_text: =
Secondly, in reference to the arrangement for guiding the machine and enabling
one guiding wheel when turning a corner to assume a more acute angle to the
driving wheel than the other, the invention consists of a pair of handles H, I, one
attached to each side of the upper part of the frame A and capable of being
turned To each handle is fixed a spindle J the lower part of which carries
a grooved pulley K. At a short distance from them in the rear and at each side of
the frame and pivotted thereto, there is placed horizontally a double grooved
pulley L. A cord M. from the front pulley passes round one of the grooves of the
rear pulley, and' another cord N passes across the machine from one rear pulley to
the other opposite to it, so that the turning of the handle on either side has the
effect of not only turning each pulley on its own side, but on those of the opposite
side also. Beneath each of the rear pulleys and fixed eccentrically to the same
spindle there is a larger chain pulley O, round which a chain P passes, the
extremities of which Q and R áre fastened to a sliding bar S that is hinged or
pivotted to the cranked arm T of the spindle carrying the fork in which the guiding
wheel revolves. The centre of this larger chain pulley is adjusted a little behind
the spindle which turns it. The result of this arrangement is that on turning one
(that is either) of the handles the chain is let out or taken up more rapidly, or to
a greater extent than the opposite one, and the consequence is that one of the
guiding wheels is caused to assume a more acute angle to the driving wheel U than
the other, and will describe a segment of a smaller circle than its fellow, so that
corners may be turned with greater facility and with less danger to the machine.
Thirdly in reference to the differential driving gear, the invention consists of two
chain wheels V and W of 'different diameters to the crank shaft X, so as to revolve
freely thereon, exterior to the frame of the machine. There are also two chain
wheels Y and Z of different diameters firmly fixed to the axle of the driving wheel.
Chains a and b from each of the wheels on the crank shaft pass over and around
the wheels on the driving axle, the chain of the small wheel on the crank shaft
passing over the large wheel on the axle, and the chain of the large wheel on the
crank shaft passing over the small wheel on the axle, or both chain wheels on the
driving axle may be made of the same diameter as the large wheel on the crank
shaft. Between the two wheels V and W on the crank shaft there is sufficient
space to allow of a stud c Figs 10, 11 and 12 being firmly clipped as shown in
Figs 7, 8 and 9, or otherwise attached thereto. This stud bas an indent cut in its
end so as to receive a piece of metal d which projects beyond it and is pivotted
thereto, thus forming a clutch. In the bottom of the indent in the stud there is
fixed a spring or other contrivance so as to keep the clutch either in line with the
stud, or at right angles thereto, at the will of the rider. Above the stud and fixed
to the frame of the machine there are three handles e, f, and g, each connected
with a rod h working in a guide i, and has a short curved arm j. Upon raising or
depressing one or other of these handles, the curved arm operates upon the clutch d
and throws it into or out of gear with one of a number of spaces or indents k
formed in the sides of each wheel. By thrusting the clutch into gear with the
large wheel the rider can acquire the speed so desirable on a level road, but if he
wants to obtain more power for ascending a hill for instance, he will withdraw the
clutch from the large wheel and throw it into gear with the small one, when the
power will be increased, though at some expense in speed. By these means
the power may be varied according to the requirements of the circumstances, and
consequently the use of the machine extended.
It is preferred to use flat chains with rectangular links connected together by
short tubular ones.
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,
1.-The construction of tricycles with the arrangement for increasing or reducing,
the distance between each of the front wheels, as herein described and shown on:
the drawinga

page_text: 2.―The construction of the guiding apparatus as herein described and shown on
the drawings, and
3. The construction and arrangement of the differential gear with the appliances
for actuating a change in it as herein described and shown on the drawings.
Dated this 92nd day of Antahan 1801.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.