IMPROVEMENT IN BICYCLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ROBERT P. SCOTT of Baltimore City in the State of Maryland U.S.A., a
manufacturer of hardware Temporary address care of Martin Pulvermann
12 Cooper Row Crutched Friars London E.C., do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENT IN BICYCLES to be as follows:-
My invention relates principally to the ordinary arrangement of two wheels,
where there is a large wheel and a smaller one following but my invention is more
or less applicable to many bicycles and tricycles My object is to apply the power
more conveniently; to lessen danger of tilting forward; to stop the treadles on
down grade and make the machine more or less powerful whenever dosired, My
invention consists mainly in up and down treadles swinging on or concentric with
the driving axle, in an arc to the rear of said axle or otherwise more directly
under the rider said treadles clutching the hub on the up stroke and connected
together by a cable or other device running from one treadle up over a pulley
above the tire thence down to the second treadle, The distinctive feature is that
power applied downward on one side is transmitted to the other side thus driving
the machine by raising the second treadle and vice versa from either treadle to the
other.

page_text: improvement in Bicycles.
I ROBERT P. SCOTT of 67, German Street Baltimore City in the state of Mary-
land U.S.A., Temporary address care of J. E. Greenhil Cox Street Coventry Eng.
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN BICYCLES 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 the ordinary form of bicycle; specifically to a driving
mechanism therefor My object is to apply the power more conveniently and
economically, making a safer; more adjustable machine; at the same time avoiding
extra weight; friction;-complication and waste of energy in every way so far as
possible.
My invention consists primarially in a pair of treadles clutching to the hub on
the up stroke and connected together by a cable running over the periphery of
the drive wheel; and further in concomitant parts appertaining thereto which go
to simplify and make practicable the general principle embodied in this invention
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing treadles at their greatest stroke.
Fig. 2 is a rear clevation of same.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation showing treadles at a medium stroke.
We have a drive wheel A, hind wheel B, front fork C, and back bone D.
The drive wheel A, has axle a, running in suitable bearings in the fork C.
The treadles E and F. swing upon the axle a. between the sides of the fork C,
and the drive wheel hub K.
Connecting the treadles E, F. and the hub K, we have roller clutches or rachets,
that is, such a device that grips in one way only; we use for illustration a roller
clutch of ordinary construction.
Now if this clutch gripped on the down stroke, or the way the power is
applied, it will be seen that the wheel would revolve backwards; hence it is that
we make it clutch on the up stroke, but this necessitates the power being applied
upwardly also.
To accomplish the desired end without the use of reversing gears we use a
device, at first sight apparently old, but it will be seen that we make a new use
thereof.
The device aforesaid is simply connecting the two treadles E. and F. together by
means of a chain or cable G., passing from the treadle F. up over the pulley. H.
thence down to the other treadle E.
A light cable similar to mine has been used to pick up the treadles; therefore
notice that my connection must be strong enough to resist the entire strain caused
by the downward pressure on the treadle by the rider, that is to say, we transmit
the entire driving power from one side to the other through this chain.
This transmission of the power from one side to the other constitutes the germ
of my invention, hence it is that I do not confine myself to any particular sort of
cable and I would further say that many cables and lever connections could be
made to do the same thing and yot they would probably be mere modifications of
my invention in a minor detail.
E

page_text: The connection as I now use it consists of a chain G rods e¹ and ƒ¹, also two
other metal pedal extensions e and f.
Now these pedal extensions, or bars 6. and f. as I will call them, serve a distinct
purpose namely: to cause a new lease of power to the treadles when they would
otherwise be at dead center.
The action is as follows: as the treadle E, is borne downward the bar e. strikes
a rubber stope and the rod e¹ does not approach nearer the fork C. though the
treadle may be pushed on forward for considerable part of a revolution. The
rod el does not pull at so great a leverage after the bar e. has struck the stop e³
and by this means I acquire greater speed than if the treadles are worked through
the short arc as shown in Fig. 3, the rider then will have much greater power
working as he is through that part of the sweep which has only the greatest
leverage.
In my machine the seat can be set farther back for safety and still the rider will
be more over the work than in a crank machine; also the feet can remain at rest
on the treadles on down grade.
Some of the results accomplished by my machine åre not altogether new but
I claim to combine a greater number of advantages and use simpler and inore
effective mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what
I claim is
*1st. In a bicycle a wheel A. driven by the treadles E. and F. which are connected
by means, substantially such as described, whereby the power is transmitted from
one side, over the periphery of the drive wheel, to the other, a downward stroke
on the one causing an upward pull on the other substantially as described.
2nd. In a bicycle the bar e. jointed to the treadle E at one end and to the rod e¹
at the other in combination with the stop e³, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Signed this 28th day of September A.D. 1885.