Year: 1885

page_text: I NICOLAS BESOBRASOFF lawyer and ex Solicitor, 14 Brunswick Square W.C.
London, I 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in velocipedes and mainly consists (1) in
means whereby they can be propelled either by the hands or by the feet at the
option of the rider or riders, (2) in an additional or reserve fork for the front
wheel to be brought into position under certain circumstances and used in
connection with the steering lever or handle; and (3) in a special construction
of steering lever which can be folded up and then be used as a steering handle or
be temporarily removed from the velocipede.
The accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention represent a
velocipede with two hind wheels and one front wheel.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the outside of the off hind wheel; Figure 2 an
elevation of the inside of the near hind wheel, Figure 3 an elevation partly
sectional and Figure 4 a front view of the front wheel; Figure 5 a front elevation
of the fork, Figure 6 a front elevation of the additional or reserve fork; Figure 7
an elevation of the velocipede; Figure 8 a plan of the velocipede without the front
wheel and the seats.
Upon the nave or boss of each of the hind wheels is keyed or fixed a chain
pulley or pinion A and upon the axle of the hind wheels adjoining each of the
pinions A is a bar B the outer end of which supports a chain wheel C. Over each
pulley A and the corresponding wheel C a chain D is passed so that whatever
motion is imparted to the wheels C is transmitted at increased speed to the
pinions A. Each wheel C is fitted with a crank handle E by means of which,
when these wheels are in the position shown in the figures, motion is imparted
thereto by hand. When instead of driving these wheels by hand it is desired to
drive them by the feet, the wheels CC with their bars D D are lowered to bring
the crank handles into a suitable position to be used as pedals; in this lowering
movement the spindles of the wheels CC pass down the slotted bars F fixed to the
frame G of the velocipede and are fixed at the required point by means of clamping
screws or otherwise.
The front wheel of the velocipede has in like manner two chain pulleys or
pinions HH, fixed respectively on opposite sides of its nave or boss and from these
pulleys chains II are respectively passed to two chain wheels K K on the inside of
the fork L; these wheels are similarly fitted with crank handles M M by means of
which when the fork L and wheels K K are in the position shown in the drawings
motion is imparted thereto by hand so as to drive the front wheel. The fork L with
its wheels K K can like the chain wheels C C of the hind wheels of the velocipede
be lowered into position to enable the handles M M to be worked by the feet of a
rider seated on the saddle N which is fixed to the frame G. The position of the
fork L and wheels K K when lowered for this purpose can be adjusted as required

page_text: by means of the chain O which is hooked at the necessary length to the additional
or reserve fork P which would then be in the vertical position. The reserve fork P
when in the position shown in Figure 7 is prevented from being drawn into the
rotation of the front wheel by means of a bar Q and clamp R, the bar Q being
connected to the frame G of the velocipede by a universal joint S which allows for
the steering of the front wheel. When the fork L and wheels K K are in the
position shown and these wheels are to be driven by hand the saddle N will not be
occupied and the velocipede will be steered by the lever T which passes freely
under the saddle. When on the other hand the saddle N is to be occupied the
fork L and wheels K K are lowered to bring the handles M M into position as
pedals, and the reserve fork. P takes the place previously occupied by the fork L,
for which purpose the steering lever T and the front end of the frame G must be
first detached from the fork L and then connected to the fork P. The steering
lever Tis constructed so that it can be folded (as seen in dotted lines in Figure 7)
to bring its outer end into position to serve as a handle by which the rider on the
saddle N can steer the velocipede through the intermediation of the fork P. Or,
if preferred, the lever T can be removed altogether and a steering handle be
fitted to the fork P; or the lever T in a folded position may be fitted to the fork P¹
transversely of the vehicle like the ordinary steering handle of a bicycle.
The frame or back bone G may be of any suitable construction; it is preferred to
make the front portion of a single flat bar and then to divide this bar, as seen in
Figure 8, right and left, the back ends passing over and embracing the axle of the
hind wheels, to which it is attached. by screws or otherwise.
The frame or backbone may be constructed to hold any desired number of seats.
.I have shown a back seat for two persons at U; this seat may be fitted to the
frame G by hooking at the upper end on to the back bar V of the frame and by
clamping at the lower part on to the bottom of the frame. I have also shown a
seat for 2 persons at W who may sit looking either backwards or forwards; when
looking forwards they can work the handles M. The two double seats U and W
and the saddle N will together accommodate five persons and any of them can be
removed when not required. Instead of the seats U and W a couch can be
clamped on to the frame G. An awning or hood can also be fitted to the frame in
any suitable manner such for example, as by passing vertical bars of the awning
frame through holes made for the purpose in the frame G and then fixing these
bars by screws or pins.
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 in respect of velocipedes is :-
1. Means or mechanism, substantially as herein before described, whereby a
velocipede can be propelled either by the hands or by the feet at the option of
the rider or riders.
2. The additional or reserve fork, substantially as described, for use when the
other fork is lowered into position to allow of the chain wheels that it carries being
driven by the feet.
3. The folding steering lever, substantially as described.
4. The combination of parts forming an improved velocipède as hereinbefore
described and shown in the annexed drawings.