Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOSEPH WELLS, of 59 Cavendish Street Barrow in Furness, in the County of
Lancashire Millwright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The novelty of this invention is the application of an internal toothed driving
wheel. The average size of this wheel is about 2 inches in diameter, on the pitch
line of the tooth, with a projection outside of the rim of the wheel, to receive a steel
pin for working round the rim on a face plate fixed on the driving wheel fork.
This face is grooved about of an inch deep and leaves a rim outside for the
internal wheel to revolve against. By this method, the internal wheel works round
without centre pin, and is turned round by the steel pin outside of the rim, with
pedal crank, having a slot hole made in the side of the crank, to receive the pin on
the internal toothed wheel, which is worked by excentric motion with the crank
working on the main axle of the inner revolving pinion wheel. This pinion wheel
is placed inside of the internal toothed wheel, and can be regulated in the making
for the speed required for travelling. I intend to change the travelling wheels if
desired by putting in a smaller wheel into the same fork. As the axles are made
to screw out, 2 sett screws are fixed in the boss of the travelling wheel, to prevent
the axles winding out when working. By loosening the 2 sett screws you can take
out the axles, and fit in another size of wheel. These axles pass through the forks
and forms the forks bearings, and holds the frame work in proper working order.
For example of the size of travelling wheel, I recommend one of 36 inches in
diameter driven by an internal wheel 24 inches diameter on the pitch line 11 cogs
pitch and of an inch broad on the face of the tooth, the inner pinion wheel on the
axle to have 6 cogs diameter on the pitch line 1 inches pitch and of an inch
broad on the face of the tooth. The pinion wheels require to be of fine steel and
made spring temper, before being used, the pinion and the axle in one solid piece,.
made long enough at one end to reach the centre of the travelling wheel, the other
end long enough to receive the pedal crank and nut, and washer to hold the crank
to its work when screwed up, against a pin of steel fastned in the face plate on the
fork, in space between the cogs, for the crank to rub against to prevent any side
pressure against the internal wheel sides of the rim. The face of the crank centre
is 34 in. diameter and covers the wheels when working from dust or dirt and is made
of steel and spring tempered and with the slot hole on the side an excentric motion
is kept up changing its position passing dead centres an inch forwards and an
inch backwards in each revolution of the crank, whereby, considerable force is
obtained in driving, and giving great power for back pedalling down a hill. This
improvement can be most beneficially applied for front steering and front driving
bicycles, and may be applied for other vehicles driven by manual power, each
bicycle having on two driving apparatuses.
The second part of my improvement is for steering travelling wheels, by
applying a pair of bevel or mitre wheels on a spindle on each fork for each
wheel, connecting them by a spindle across the back bone, between the two wheels.
To accomplish this, one small wheel box is required, to be bored and fitted to the
spindle of each fork, and made open on both sides to allow the wheels to be fixed
in them when placed in their proper position. The diameter of these wheels are
24 inches and in. broad on the cogs and the wheels are covered in by a thin plate
and each fastned by 3 small screws on each side of the box and easy to get at.
The travelling wheels will be of varying diameters and the back bone formed to
When coupled up
suit makers designs, allowing the spindle to cross to each fork.

page_text: the wheels will turn to any curve in any direction. This arrangement is to cast
the weight of the rider and all the framing on to the centre of the wheels to be
steered, and each wheel act as steering wheels and reduce the twist on the handle
barone half, and allow freedom to the rider to be seated further back on the saddle,
to drive and steer the front wheel, and make this one of the best riding 'bicycles in
the realm.
N.B. It is not my intention to bind the working of the two improvements
together, as a cheaper machine can be made for the driving apparatus alone,
and worked in the ordinary manner of trailing the back wheel with the ordinary
back bone.
The advantages of useing my driving apparatus are the reducing of the
diameter of the ordinary bicycle driving wheel, for the safety of the rider by
obtaining the travel required by wheels of less diameter, and making the machines
better to control and an extraordinary safety bicycle for either hill or dale
travelling. On the outer end of the axles of the travelling wheel to cover up the
nut and washer a second bearing is formed and fixed on the side of the crank,
also a plate to cover over the slot hole on the side of the crank, ornamentally.
Dated this 25th day of May 1891.
JOSEPH
WELLS,
59, Cavendish Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, Millwright.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOSEPH WELLS of 59 Cavendish Street, Barrow-in-Furness, in the County
of Lancashire 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 the construction of velocipedes generally,
and has for its object, a method of and means for materially augmenting the speed
of the machine, without imposing an equivalent strain upon the operator, or
operators, and steering the same with half the motion, strain, or stress upon the
handle, or steering bar, required by the machines as hitherto made and used.
The novelty of my invention consists
Firstly Of an internal toothed spindleless driving wheel, arranged to revolve
within a recess formed in a face plate connected to, or formed integrally with, the
lower ends of the fork of the front, or driving wheel, or such other part of the
machine as may carry the driving spindle, such for instance as the bottom bracket,
when the driving wheel is operated by a chain, or the like, from the pedal spindle.
Said face plate is provided with a circular hole, bored, or otherwise formed
eccentrically thercin, into which is fitted a bearing bush, carrying the driving spindle,
or driving wheel axle, upon which is mounted, or formed integrally therewith, a pinion
wheel, in gear with the said internal toothed wheel. The pedal cranks are formed in
two pieces, held together by screws, pins, or the like, the inner of which is provided
with a slot through which passes a pin, or stud fixed upon a projection formed upon the
driving wheel. The pedal cranks are fulcrumed loosely upon the driving spindle, or
driving wheel axle, and by means of the slot therein, and the pin passing therethrough,
gives motion to the internal toothed, or driving wheel, and causes it to revolve within
the recessed face plate. Thus, by the direct motion of the crank, an eccentric
motion is given off from the driving, or internal toothed wheel, which imparts
motion to the pinion upon the driving axle, or spindle, and so gives a multiplied
movement thereto for the propulsion of the machine.
The above described arrangement is fitted upon both ends of the 'driving axle,
or spindle, the further details of which will be hereinafter more fully explained.
Secondly-Of a novel, quick and effective steering gear, which, by a single

page_text: movement of the steering handle, or bar, imparts a duplex steering motion to the
machine, and consists of a pair of mitre, or bevelled wheels, within a suitable box,
arranged upon the fork of both the front and rear wheels; said pairs of wheels are
connected to each other by a horizontal, or approximately horizontal rod, or spindle,
passing along, under, over, or across the back bone, or like part of the machine.
Thus, a right handed movement given to the front steering wheel, or wheels,
imparts a left handed movement to the rear wheel, or wheels, and vice versa, and by
this means both the front and rear wheels become steering wheels, and I am enabled
thereby to steer the machine with half the movement, strain, or stress of the
steering bar, or handle, and attain a more rapid guiding of the machine, and at
the same time place the seat of the rider, or riders more centrally upon the
machine, consequently more evenly dividing the burden between the front and hind
wheels, as compared with the methods of steering hitherto adopted.
I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the employment of the said
driving gear, and steering gear, both upon the same machine but may adopt either,
or both as circumstances may require, and further, although in my Provisionai
Specification I mentioned, as examples, the dimensions of certain parts relatively
to each other, I do not confine myself to those, or any other dimensions, but may
vary them to suit the varying conditions and sizes of the type of machine upon
which my said invention may be employed.
In order that my invention and the manner of the operation thereof may be
clearly understood, I have appended the accompanying sheet of drawings, in
which,
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the driving apparatus as applied to the hub of a
driving or front track wheel.
Fig. 2 is a detached view of the driving, or internal toothed wheel and pinion,
seated within the recessed face plate.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the pedal crank as it would appear when fixed in
position.
Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the face plate, and fork end broken off, shewing
the position of the circular hole carrying the bearing bush and axle, or driving
spindle.
Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the mitre wheel boxes, with side plate removed,
to shew the position of, and the manner of arranging, the pair of mitre wheels
therein..
Similar letters of reference are employed throughout the drawings to indicate
the same or similar parts.
In describing my invention I have chosen to illustrate the driving mechanism as
applied to the hub of a front, or driving track wheel.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct of any suitable metal, or alloy
of metals a hub, or boss A, bored and threaded internally to receive the axle B,
said axle B is made in two parts, one of which is screwed into each end of A,
and are held in position by two set screws a a', passing through holes in the
hub A. The projecting ends of B are both fitted exactly alike with the apparatus
to be hereinafter described, therefore by describing and shewing the one end, its
duplicity will be understood.
Upon the axle B, I place a hearing bush C, upon which is mounted the recessed
face-plate D, the bush C, with the axle B entering an eccentrically positioned
hole formed therein, for the reception thereof. Said face plate D is connected
to, or formed integrally with one end of a fork D', and collectively form the bearing
for the hub A of the leading track wheel. Within the recess in D is placed the
internal toothed wheel E, which is free to revolve therein. Upon E is formed
a projection F, carrying a pin, or stud G, upon the axle B, within the recess in D,
is fixed, or formed integrally therewith, and preferably made of tempered steel,
a pinion H, which gears with the internal teeth of E. The pedal crank is
formed in two parts, I and J, the former of which is provided with a recess b,

page_text: and a slot c. A circular hole bored, or otherwise formed through I, in
receives the axle B, the pin, or stud G, passing into the slot c. The lower
part of I is circular and covers the internal toothed wheel E, and the pinion H,
and so protects them from dust, or dirt. A steel stud, or pin d, is fixed within
the recess in D, clear of E, and H, and of a height equal to the thickness of E,
and in rubbing contact with I, and serves the double purpose of steadying the
circular travel of I, and preventing undue pressure from I, upon E, and consequently
undue friction between E, and D, upon the axle B, within , is screwed a nut, or
nut and washer K, which retains C, D and E in position upon B, and I, abutting
against E. The second part of the crank J, has upon its inner face a recess e,
similar to , in I, so that band e collectively form a recess for K, and is held in
close contact with: I, by means of screws passing through J, into I, and a
similar screw g, passing through an extension upon I, into J. The axle B may
extend through a hole in J as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, and be covered by a fancy
cap fixed upon J, or may extend beyond I, and be borne within a bearing forming
a cap and fixed upon the outer face of J. The pedal crank J, is provided with a
slot for the reception of the pedal in the usual way. The manner of operation
is as follows.
The pedal cranks I J, when revolving upon the axle B, carry with them the
internal toothed wheels E, by reason of the pins G, being within the slots C, which
form a sliding fulcrum therefor. The wheels E as before mentioned, have no centre
pins or spindles but revolve by the agency of I, c, G, within the recessed face-
plates D, thus the pins G travel once to and fro within the slots e, at each
revolution of I, J, and the wheel E. The internal teeth of E, being always in gear
with the pinion wheels H, upon the axle B, gives motion to the hub A, of the
leading track wheel, such motion being in excess of E, equal to the difference in the
number of the teeth upon E, and H. I am thus enabled by the motion described to
construct a machine with track wheels of lesser diameter than those in general
use, thereby bringing the seat of the driver, or drivers nearer to the ground, and
consequently less exposed to danger arising from falls, and by reason of the
multiplied speed attained by the mechanism described and shewn, the reduction in
the size of the wheels is fully compensated. It will be easily understood that, by
extending, or lessening the difference in the number of teeth in E, and H, a machine
may be arranged for almost any speed desired.
The second part of my said invention relates to an improved compound steering
mechanism, and I carry this into effect in the following manner.
I arrange the forks of both the front and rear wheels of the machine to be
employed as steering forks, and to attain this, I construct the frame of the machine
in such a manner that the bearing within which each fork revolves, or oscillates,
consists of a wheel box, preferably of the form shewn by Fig. 6.
Dealing with the front fork in illustration of my invention, the box L, having
removeable side plates, (one of which is shown removed by Fig. 6) a mitre wheel M,
is placed therein, and the fork spindle N passed upward through M, and L, until
the proper position is attained, the wheel M, is then fastened firmly to N, by means
of a set screw O, a second mitre wheel P, is placed in L, in gear with M, and is
fastened by means of a set screw R, to a horizontal, or approximately horizontal
spindle S, the side plate is then placed in position upon L, and retained therein by
means of screws engaging with the holes x, x, x. A similar arrangement, but in
opposite order, carries the back steering fork, the spindle S connecting both
apparatus, may be arranged to pass, under, over, or across the back bone according
to the construction or type of machine. By this means a right handed movement
imparted by the handle bar to the front fork gives a left handed movement to the
back fork by the same operation and vice versa, I am thus enabled to give a quicker
steering motion to the machine by operating both the front and back wheels in
opposite directions at the same time with less thrust, strain or stress upon the
handle bar than obtains by any of the methods of steering hitherto adopted.
By this arrangement of the front and back wheels, I am enabled to place the

page_text: saddle more centrally, and to cast the weight of the rider, or riders and the frame
of the machine, equally upon both the front and rear wheels and by so equalizing
the strain I prolong the life of the machine.
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 [
claim is.
1st. For improvements in velocipedes the apparatus, or mechanism herein
described, and shewn, for driving or steering, combined and operating substantially
as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.
2nd. For improvements in the driving mechanism of velocipedes, the construction
and use of a track wheel hub, or boss A, bored and threaded internally, into each
end of which is screwed one half of a threaded axle B, held in position within A
by set screws a u¹. The manner of arranging the driving mechanism by mounting
upon each exposed end of the axle B, a bearing bush C, carrying a recessed face-
plate D, connected to, or forming part of the fork D'. The method of carrying
within the recess in D, a spindleless revolving internal toothed wheel E, in gear
with a pinion H, fixed upon, or formed integrally with B, the method of imparting
multiplied motion to H, by the wheel E, operated by the pedal crank I, J,
giving eccentric leverage thereto, by means of the slot c, forming a sliding
fulcrum for the pin G upon E. The manner of constructing I and J in two
parts, in order that I may be retained upon B, by a nut, or nut and washer K,
and I and J connected by ff and g substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth, and operating in the manner described and shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. For improvements in the steering gear of velocipedes, the manner of
arranging the forks of the front and back track wheels as steering forks, by
carrying each fork N within a bearing consisting of a box L, containing two mitre
wheels M, and P, in gear with each other, the former fixed by a screw O, upon
the fork spindles N, the latter by a screw R upon the spindle S, connecting
the said mechanism of both forks in order that when the front fork, operated
by the handle bar thereon turns in a right handed direction, the connecting
spindle S may impart a left handed motion to the fork of the rear wheel, and
vice versa, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by
Fig. 6 of the appended drawings.
Dated this 8th dow of August 1891.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.