A Velocipede Fire Engine.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1897-4Accepted, 29th May, 1897
I, PIERRE LORMANT of The London and Midland Bank Chambers, Brighton,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a velocipede with pump, hose and other
accessories so that it can be run rapidly to a spot where there happens to be a fire
and there employed as a fire engine. The velocipede is preferably made as a
quadricycle to carry several riders with the pump accommodated near its middle and
ahove it a reel or reels for the hose. When the velocipede is used for pumping
its one end is propped up raising its driving wheels from the ground so that they then
revolve as flywheels while the pedal axle is clutched to gear which works the pump.
The velocipede may be provided with a petroleum electrical or other motor which may
aid in propelling it and may serve either alone or along with the pedals to work the
pump.
Dated this 20th day of Tul 1906
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A Velocipede Fire Engine.
I, PIERRE LORMANT, of The London and Midland Bank Chambers, Brighton,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly describod and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to the construction of a velocipede with pump, hose and other
accessories so that it can be rapidly run to a spot where there happens to be a fire
and there employed as a fire engine. The velocipede is preferably made as a
quadricycle to carry several riders, the pump being accommodated in the middle, and
above it, reels for lose.
The velocipede may be provided with a petroleum, electrical or other motor to
propel it and work the pump, or to aid the working of the pedals for these
purposes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view and Figure 2 is a plan of a
quadricycle fire engine, according to this invention, provided with a petroleum
engine for driving it and for working the pump. P is the petroleum reservoir
connected by a pipe and cock to the vaporiser V, CC are the engine cylinders,
S the engine shaft which is connected by gearing to the driving axle A and by a
chain to the shaft of a rotary pump Q. In the middle between the two pairs of
saddles Z, are mounted reels Ŕ for the hose.

page_text: On the axle A inside and outside each of the wheels is pivotted a radius rod D to
which is jointed a strut E and a foot plate F.
While the velocipede is travelling these parts are in the position shewn by the
dotted lines D', E', F in Figure 1 the strut E being attached to the upper part of
the frame. When the velocipede is to be worked as a fire engine, the driving
wheels are raised a little from the ground by detaching E' from the upper part of the
frame, lowering D' to the vertical position D, bringing F on to the ground under.
the wheels and securing the parts D, E, F, in the position shewn by the full lines by
attaching E to the lower part of the framing, the wheels being thus left free to
operate as fly wheels for the engine. The chain wheel which drives the pump is
provided with a clutch to disengage it from the engine shaft when the pump is not
to be worked.
In order to avoid complexity of the drawings I have shewn rests X for the feet of
the riders. These however might be pedal axles connected by chain gear to the
driving axle A so that the riders could propel the velocipede or work the pump
without the engine or could work along with the engine.
Although I have shewn a rotary pump Q obviously a pump of other known kind
could be substituted for it; and although I have described a motor engine applicable
for propelling the velocipede and working the pump, both these operations might be
effected without the aid of a motor engine, the apparatus in this case being at once
available for extinctions of fire without incurring loss of time in starting an engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A velocipede fire engine, constructed and operating substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.