Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
I, AIMÉ LOUIS VUILLIER, of 73 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn, in the County of Kings
and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 a multiplying gear for bicycles and similar vehicles, the
objects in view being to provide a gear adapted to be operated by levers in
contradistinction to cranks, said gear being so constructed as to allow free rotation
of the driving wheel except during the depression of the free ends of the operating
levers.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
In the drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gear embodying this invention applied in the
operative position to a bicycle.
Figure 2 is a detail view in section of the gear to show the construction of the
clutch for communicating motion from the crank to the gear.
Figure 3 is a detail view in section of the yoke for connecting the lever to the
frame of the machine, to show the return spring which is employed in connection
therewith.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the gear.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawing.
In the construction illustrated in the drawing, 1 represents a driving wheel to the
axle of which is fixed a pinion 2, and with this pinion meshes a large gear 3 which is
recessed as shown at 4. The recess is closed at one side by a web 5 which is integral
with the rim 6, and at the other side by a removable cap 7 held in place by a central
stud 8 which is rigidly secured to the web 5, and extends through a central
opening in the cap plate. This opening 9 in the cap plate is of larger diameter
than said stud, and is of sufficient size to receive a circular core or block 10 having
a central opening 11 which is fitted rotatably upon the fixed stud, and formed
integral with said core or block is the crank 12 which is arranged parallel with the
plane of the gear 3, and preferably extends rearwardly from its fulcrum. The core
or block is provided at its outer side in the plane of said crank with a slight
projecting edge or flange 13 of greater diameter than the opening in the cap plate
whereby it overlaps the outer surface of said plate, and the core or block and the
crank are held in place by means of a nut 14 upon the reduced projecting extremity
of the stud.
The core or block 10 is provided with a plurality of seats 15 in which are fitted
the rounded heads 16 of the pivotal clutch levers 17 said levers being spread or
enlarged toward their outer extremities and terminating in broad friction surfaces 18
adapted to bear against the inner surface of the rim of the gear. These clutch
levers are slightly longer than the distance between the seats and the inner surface of

page_text: the rim, whereby when the core or block is turned in the direction indicated by the
arrow in Fig. 2, the levers are forced at their outer ends against the inner surface of
the rim in a manner similar to a toggle lever, whereby the greater the pressure or
strain upon the core or block in said direction the more positive will be the
frictional contact of the outer end of the lever or levers with the inner surface of
the rim.
Hence, when the free end of the crank arm 12. is depressed, as in imparting
downward movement to the free end of one of the foot levers, the clutch levers will
be forced into engagement with the rim and will remain in engagement until the
foot lever is released when the forward rotation of the gear will trip the levers and
throw them into a slightly inclined position thereby disengaging their outer
extremities from the rim. The clutch levers are provided contiguous to the heads 16
with reduced neck portions, and the sockets are of such construction as to extend
more than halfway around the heads and thus prevent the detachment of the levers
and limit the swinging movement thereof to prevent too wide a deflection from their
positions in contact with the rim, the sides of the levers being diverged regularly
from said reduced neck portions to their outer contact extremities. Thus, after each
downward movement of the free end of the crank arm the clutch levers are
disengaged automatically from the rim of the gear and allow free rotation
thereof.
The means for depressing the free ends of the crank arms consist of foot levers 19
fulcrumed at their rear ends upon the frame of the machine, and connected at
intermediate points by means of links 20 with the crank arms. In order to provide
for the attachment of the foot levers to the frame, and adjusting the elevation of the
fulcrums of said levers and, as a result, the height of the pedals, I employ a band 21,
split as at 22, and provided with ears 23 which are connected by a bolt 24, and
projecting radially from this band is an enlargement from which projects a spindle 25
upon the extremity of which is mounted the foot lever. By loosening the bolts 24
the bands 21 may be moved up or down on the rear braces of the frame, the pedals
correspondingly raised or lowered. The retaining screw 26 is threaded in a socket 27
in the endof the spindle and a washer 28 is interposed between the head of the
screw and the head of the spindle. I also employ a return spring 29 to elevate the
free end of the foot lever after each depression, said spring being seated in an
annular cavity 30 surrounding the spindle, and being attached at its extremities,
respectively, to the band and the foot lever, as shown at 31 and 32 respectively.
From the above description it will be seen that the clutch mechanism by which
motion is communicated from a foot lever to the driving wheel is of such a
constructionthat it is tripped automatically by the forward motion of the gear,
whereby the feet of the operator may be allowed to rest upon the foot levers while
coasting or progressing under the influence of momentum.
It will be seen, furthermore, that the plurality of clutch levers provides for the
positive engagement of the clutch mechanism with the gear in any relative positions
of the parts, and at the same time balances or equals the strain upon all parts of the
power gear 3.
It will be seen furthermore, that the construction of the device is simple and the
parts thereof are so connected as to provide for their detachment and disconnection
with facility for the purpose of cleaning when such becomes necessary.
Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may
be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages
of this invention.
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 combination with a driven gear, of a power gear connected with the driven
gear and having a rim provided with a continuous inner surface, and a side provided
with a central opening, a core or block arranged rotatably in said opening in the

page_text: side and provided in its surface with spaced seats, clutch levers provided at their
inner ends with rounded heads fitted for lateral removal in said seats and adapted to
bear at their outer ends against the inner surface of the rim, and means for
imparting rotary motion to the core substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a driven gear, of a hollow power gear having a rim
provided with a continuous inner surface, a web integral with said rim and provided
with a lateral hub, and a cap closing the other side of the cavity in the gear removably
seated therein a central spindle arranged concentric with the rim and extending
through a central opening in the cap, a core or block fitted rotatably upon said spindle
and provided in its periphery within the cavity of the gear with seats, clutch levers
mounted at their inner ends in said seats and adapted to engage the inner surface of
the rim at their outer ends, a crank arm attached to said core or block, and means
for imparting an oscillatory movement to the crank arm, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of a gear having an internally smooth friction rim closed at
one side by a web 5, a loose concentric core adapted to be connected with driving
means as a crank, a removable cap-plate for closing the opposite side of said gear and
having an opening to receive the core, a circumferential flange on the core outside of
the plane of said cap-plate to bear against the exterior surface of the latter and
exclude dust from the interior of the gear, means for maintaining the core in
operative relation with the gear, and clutch levers arranged between said web and
cap-plate, provided at their inner ends with rounded heads fitted in sockets in the
core which extend more than half-way around the heads whereby the vibration
of the clutch-members is limited, the latter being adapted for engagement with
the sockets by a lateral sliding movement when the cap-plate is removed and being
normally held in place by the cap-plate, substantially as specified.
4. In a bicycle of the safety pattern embodying a frame and a rear driving wheel,
the combination with said wheel having a spur pinion fast on its hub, of a hollow
spur gear journaled on the reach bar of the frame in advance of said pinion, a
concentric core independently journaled within said gear, a crank rigidly connected
to said core, a pedal lever arranged above the hollow gear and fulcrumed at its rear
end on a band which is adjustable up and down on one of the rear braces of the
frame for rendering the pedals adjustable in height, a pivotal link connected at one
end to said lever and at its other end to the crank, and clutch levers interposed
between the inner surface of the rim of the hollow gear and the core, substantially as
specified.
5. The combination of the bicycle frame, the drive wheel mounted to turn therein,
a band connected to the frame and provided with an enlargement from which projects
a spindle and in the end of which is formed an annular cavity surrounding said
spindle, a foot lever pivotally mounted on the spindle and geared to the drive wheel,
said foot lever serving to close said annular cavity, a screw engaging a socket in the
end of the spindle and arranged to hold the foot lever in position, and a spring coiled
in said annular cavity and connected at one end to the band and at the other end to
the foot lever to retract the same, substantially as specified.
Dated this 27th day of Jul, 1907
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.