Improvements in or relating to the Driving Gear of Cycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Driving Gear of Cycles.
A communication from CHARLES T. HOWELL, of the City of Canton, County of
Stark, State of Ohio, United States of America, Draughtsman, and WILLIAM
C. ASHDOWN, of 46 Maitland Street, City of Toronto, County of York,.
Province of Ontario, Canada, Mail-clerk.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,-
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to increase the speed of a bicycle without
perceptibly increasing the strain upon the rider, and it consists essentially of an
upwardly projecting lever formed upon or connected to a bar journalled on the end
of the ordinary treadle lever and extending back through a bearing connected to
the axle of the rear wheel of the bicycle, substantially as hereinafter more
particularly explained.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a bicycle provided with the improved gearing.
Figure 2 is a detail of the new treadle lever.
Figure 3 is a detail partially in section showing the connection between the old:
and the new treadle.
Figures 4 and 5 are details partially in section of the bearing by which the rear.
end of the treadle bar is supported.
A is a treadle which as shown in Figure 2, is adjustably connected to what is.
termed a treadle lever B projecting upwardly from and formed upon the bar C
which is journalled on the pin D projecting from the ordinary treadle crank E,.
which latter crank is fixed to a spindle F journalled as usual in the frame of the
machine and has a sprocket wheel G fixed to it.
Recesses a are made in the bar C around the hole through which the pin D passes..
Balls b are made in the recesses a forming a ball-bearing on the pin D. The
pin D has a head H which butts against the bar C and closes the recess a on the
The other recess a is
outside of the bar C thus holding the balls b in this recess.
closed by the bar C butting against the crank E.
I is a screw formed upon or connected to the axle of the hind wheel J and K is
nut screwed upon the screw I and shaped to form a bearing for the flanged roller L.
M is a bracket suspended from the sleeve portion of the nut K and shaped to
receive the bar C which in passing through this bracket M is held up against the
roller L by the spring N. This bracket M with its friction roller L forms a
support for the bar C so that it will move freely longitudinally as the treadle E.
revolves and as the treadle A is connected to the bar C the said bar will hold the
treadle A in an upright position during the whole period that the treadle lever E.
revolves but it will of course be understood that each treadle lever E is provided.
with a treadle lever B controlled by this bar C; the throw of the two treadle
levers E are set opposite to each other so that when one lever is at its weakest.
point, the other lever is at its strongest point.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 1 that at the point where the driver can.
exert the greatest force, the entire length of the treadle lever B is added to the
treadle lever E thus securing the greatest leverage at the point where it can be
best applied, and owing to the fact that the treadle lever B projects upwardly and
that its motion is given by the revolving of the treadle lever E, the treadle A is
held so that it does not descend below the centre of the sprocket wheel G, and
consequently by the application of the improved treadle motion, my correspondent
is able to get enormous leverage without requiring any longer stroke of the legs,.

page_text: and as the treadle A is adjustable on its treadle lever B the length of the leverage
can be increased or diminished as required. As the leverage of this treadle may
be increased, a large sprocket wheel G may be used, consequently the speed of the
hind wheel would be increased.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. An upwardly projecting lever formed upon or connected to a bar journalled
on the end of the ordinary treadle crank and extending back through a bearing
connected to the axle of the rear wheel of the bicycle substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. An upwardly projecting lever formed upon or connected to a bar journalled
on the end of the ordinary treadle lever and extending back through a bearing
connected to the axle of the rear wheel of the bicycle in combination with a treadle
adjustably connected upon the upwardly projecting lever substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
3. The lever B formed upon the bar C a pin D projecting from the treadle
crank E a series of balls b fitted into recesses a in the bar C and forming a ball
bearing on the pin D in combination with the bar C extending through the
bracket M between the flanged roller L and spring N substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
aced this 10th da
Of July 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.