IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS WARWICK of Alma Street Aston near Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES to be as
follows:-
"
My Invention has for its object to afford the rider of the bicycle tricycle or
velocipede the power of lengthening or shortening the cranks carrying the pedals
on which the feet operate without moving from his seat or arresting the motion of
the bicycle tricycle or velocipede. By my Invention the rider at pleasure increases
the length of the cranks on which his feet operate when ascending a hill or when
any obstacle such for example as a rough road has to be encountered and shorten
the said cranks when travelling on a level road or when there is no special obstacle
to be overcome.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a bicycle and will refer to only one
of the cranks it being understood that the description applies to both cranks.
Instead of making the crank in one piece I make it in two parts of unequal
lengths the longer part being attached to the axle and the shorter part being
jointed to the end of the longer part. The free end of the short part of the crank
carries the pedal. The short part can either be turned upon its joint so as to be
in a line with the longer part or it can be turned from this position through a semi
circle when it will be folded on the longer part and the pedal will now be nearer
the shaft than when in its former position by a length equal to double the length of
the short part. The short part can only move through a semi circle. When
opened out its motion is arrested by the shape of the joint when it is in a line with
the longer part and when it is folded upon the longer part it is supported upon the
said part. A spring taking into notches holds the short arm in either of the
positions described or in an intermediate position with a force which can be
overcome by gentle pressure of the foot.
The action of the parts described is as follows:-When the rider using the crank
in its lengthened position wishes to shorten it he presses upon the pedal when it is
performing its ascending motion he thereby brings the short part of the crank into
a position at right angles to the other part in which position it is retained by the
spring. When the pedal begins to descend the rider has only to press upon the

page_text: short part with a drawing in motion when he will shut it down on the longer part
where it will be held by the spring. When the rider wishes to open out the short
part of the crank he similarly presses on the pedal while it is performing its
ascending motion thereby bringing the short part of the crank at right angles with
the longer part and when the pedal begins to descend he presses upon it with an
outward motion when it is brought into a line with the other part of the crank and
held there by the spring.
The application of my Invention to tricycles and other velocipedes differs in no
essential respect from its application to a bicycle as hereinbefore explained.
Dated this Eighth day of January 1884

page_text: I THOMAS WARWICK of Alma Street, Aston near Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to afford the rider of the bicycle, tricycle or
velocipede, the power of lengthening or shortening the cranks carrying the pedals
on which the feet operate without moving from his seat or arresting the motion of
the bicycle, tricycle or velocipede. By my Invention the rider at pleasure increases
the length of the cranks on which his feet operate when ascending a hill or when
any obstacle, such for example as a rough road has to be encountered, and shortens
the said cranks when travelling on a level road or when there is no special obstacle
to be overcome.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a tricycle and will refer to only one
of the cranks it being understood that the description applies to both cranks.
Instead of making the crank in one piece I make it in two parts of unequal
lengths the longer part being attached to the axle and the shorter part being
jointed to the end of the longer part. The free end of the short part of the crank
carries the pedal. The short part can either be turned upon its joint so as to be
in a line with the longer part, or it can be turned from this position through a
semi-circle when it will be folded on the longer part and the pedal will now be
nearer the shaft than when in its former position by a length equal to double the
length of the short part. The short part can only move through a semicircle.
When opened out its motion is arrested by the shape of the joint when it is in a
line with the longer part and when it is folded upon the longer part it is supported
upon the said part. A spring taking into notches holds the short arm in either of
the positions described or in an intermediate position with a force which can be
overcome by gentle pressure of the foot.
The action of the parts described is as follows:-When the rider using the crank
in its lengthened position wishes to shorten it he presses upon the pedal when it is
performing its ascending motion; he thereby brings the short part of the crank
into a position at right angles to the other part in which position it is retained
by the spring. When the pedal begins to descend the rider has only to press
upon the short part with a drawing in motion when he will shut it down on
the longer part where it will be held by the spring. When the rider wishes to
open out the short part of the crank he similarly presses on the pedal while it
is performing its ascending motion, thereby bringing the short part of the crank
at right angles with the longer part and when the pedal begins to descend be
presses upon it with an outward motion when it is brought into a line with the
other part of the crank and held there by the spring.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in plan, the adjustable cranks
of a tricycle constructed according to my Invention, the two cranks being
represented in their shortest positions; Figures 2, 3 and 4 represent one of the
cranks of the crank axle in the three positions which the short part of the said
cranks is capable of taking; Figure 2 showing the crank in its shortest position;
Figure 3 in its intermediate position and Figure 4 in its longest position; Figure 5
represents the short part or arm of the crank detached.
a is the crank axle and b is the chain wheel thereon; c, c² are the two parts of
which each of the cranks is composed, c being the longer part attached to the crank

page_text: axle a and c the short part or arın jointed at d to the said longer part and capable
of motion through a semi-circle. The free or unjointed end of the part or arm c² of
the crank carries the pedal e. The short part or arm c³ can be turned on its joint d
so as to be in a line with the longer part c as illustrated in Figure 4 or the said
short part or arm c³ can be turned through a semi-circle from the position
represented in Figure 4 to that represented in Figure 2, when it will be folded on
the longer part c. In the position Figure 4, the pedal e carried by the short arm c³
is situated at its greatest distance from the crank axis a and in the position
Figure 2 at its shortest distance from the crank axle a. In the face of the longer
part c of the crank are two semi-circular depressions f and g. When the short
arm is in its opened out position Figure 4, a collar h on the axis of the pedal e
drops into the semi-circular depression g and its further motion is prevented and
when the short arm c³ is folded upon the longer part c as in Figure 2 its further
motion is prevented by the collar h engaging with the other semi-circular
depression in the longer part of the crank. The short part or arm c² of the
crank is held in either of the three positions Figures 2, 3 and 4 by the V shaped
end of a spring i on the longer part c taking into one of a series of depressions in
the joint end d of the said short arm c². The force of the spring i can be overcome
so as to disengage it from the short arm c² by gentle pressure of the foot.
On the rider wishing to shorten the crank when it is in its lengthened position
Figure 4, he presses upon the pedal e when it is performing its ascending motion;
the short arm of the crank is thereby disengaged from the longer part c and
brought into the intermediate position Figure 3 in which position it is retained by
the spring. When the pedal e begins to descend, the rider presses upon the short
arm c³ with a drawing in motion when he shuts it down on the longer part c of the
crank as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 where it is held by the spring . The rider
opens out the short part c² of the crank in a similar way, that is, while the pedal e
is performing its ascending motion he presses it into the intermediate position
Figure 3 and when the pedal begins to descend he presses it with an outward
motion so as to bring it into the position Figure 4.
The application of my Invention to bicycles and other velocipedes differs in no
essential respect from its application to a tricycle as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
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
Making the cranks of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes in two parts, the
said parts being constructed and jointed together and retained and operating
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, whereby the rider can lengthen or shorten the cranks carrying the pedals
without moving from his seat or arresting the motion of the bicycle, tricycle or
velocipede.
Dated this Third day of September 1884.