Improvements in Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1896
Improvements in Cycles.
1, CARL SCHÖNLANK of 14, Holstenplatz, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Banker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manuer the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to cycles and consists essentially in that a nechanical
musical instrument fixed to the cycle, is adapted to be operated by the rotation
of the wheel.
It is preferable to employ that class of mechanical musical instruments which
are provided with rotating circular music sheets, so that the rotary motion of the
wheel can be conveniently transmitted to the music sheet.
The principle of this invention may be carried out in various ways.
Referring to the accompanying.drawings in which ;
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the front portion of a cycle to the front
fork of which is attached the musical instrument.
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof through the axle of the wheel.
Figures 3 and 4 are a rear elevation and a side elevation respectively of the
musical instrument, and
Figure 5 shows the details of the coupling apparatus on a larger scale.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate another mode of carrying out the invention, in
general arrangement and in detail.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
To the front wheel fork A there is attached in any suitable manner the
mechanical musical instrument B which comprises in its interior a rotating
circular music sheet C. By the rotation of the music sheet C, which is
suitably perforated by punching, in the usual manner, the reed comb of the
musical instrument is "plucked" and thus the piece of music is rendered
audible. In order to cause the musical instrument to play when the cycle is
travelling forwards, and to prevent the musical instrument from playing when
the cycle is moving backwards, there is provided a coupling apparatus or clutch
which I shall now proceed to describe more fully. This clutch serves to enable
the musical instrument to be placed out of operation at will during the forward
movement of the cycle, that is to say, to prevent the instrument from playing. On
the axle of the front wheel there is arranged as shown in Figure 2 a toothed
wheel b with which engages a toothed wheel e that is connected to the clutch, so
that the toothed wheel e will always rotate whilst the cycle is travelling. The
axle of the toothed wheel is adapted to be rigidly connected by means of
the aforesaid clutch with the axle of the toothed wheel d which engages with the
toothed rim of the music sheet C. The aforesaid clutch consists of a part' e which
is provided with ratchet teeth and is fixed on the toothed wheel c, and of a movable
part el which is provided with corresponding ratchet teeth and which is always
connected to the axle of the small toothed wheel d that is capable of rotating in
the axle of the toothed wheel c. On the part e¹ there is also mounted the sliding
disc g acted upon by the spring f which has a constant tendency to keep the teeth
of the part el in engagement with the teeth of the part e.
The bearing his designed for the axle of the small toothed wheel d and is
The axle of the
arranged on the bottom plate of the musical instrument B.
small toothed wheel d is held so as to be incapable of longitudinal movement

page_text: in this bearing by means. of a screw stud k which takes into a groove i in the
axle d.
The ratchet teeth of the clutch parts e and e' are arranged in such a manner
that when the cycle is moving in a forward direction, the rotation of the toothed
wheel e also produces rotation of the small toothed wheel d and consequently also
of the circular music sheet C. But if the cycle moves in a rearward direction, the
ratchet teeth of the clutch parts eel slide over each other, whilst the sliding disc
moves with the clutch part e on the axle of d. Consequently no rotation of the
small toothed wheel d can take place, and therefore. the musical instrument cannot
come into operation.
Now in order to be able to place the musical instrument out of operation at will,
the following arrangement is provided.
As shown in Figure 3, there is arranged on the bottom of the musical
instrument B, a double armed lever m which takes with its wedge-shaped
head part n into the bearing box or sleeve D of the clutch. If now the arm m
of the double-armed lever 7 m be pulled the wedge-shaped head n of the arm
enters the box D and forces with its wedge surface the sliding disc g out of its
former position, that is to say the teeth of the coupling part e move out of
engagement with the teeth of the coupling part e, and the toothed wheel c runs
idly. For the purpose of actuating the double-armed lever there is connected
to the arm a rod or cord o (Figure 1) for instance, which is led to the handle
bars and is there provided with a suitable handle.
Another method of carrying out this invention consists in employing a tension
spring for operating the music sheet. This tension spring which may be similar to
that of automatic musical boxes, is wound up by suitable means by the rider, or
can be wound up by the rotary movement of the wheel whilst the cycle is travelling.
An arrangement of this kind is illustrated by way of example in Figures 6, 7 and 8,
in which there is further shown the above described disconnecting apparatus for
placing the musical instrument out of operation at will.
B (Figure 8) is a rear elevation of the mechanical musical instrument which is
provided interiorly with a spring barrel and a tension spring, upon the axle of
which the toothed wheel p is keyed. In this toothed wheel there engages the
rack ? which is also carried up to the steering bar, and can be moved up or down
from the latter. The toothed wheel p is provided with the same clutch coupling or
ratchet arrangement as the toothed wheel e in Figure 5 so that when the toothed
rack g is moved in the one direction, the toothed wheel is coupled with the spring
barrel, whilst when the toothed rack q is moved to the other side those parts are
disconnected. Consequently by moving the toothed rack q up or down, from the
steering bar, the tension spring which actuates the music sheet is wound up.
Instead of the tension spring being wound up by means of a toothed rack
adapted to be moved up or down, as first described, the said tension spring may
be wound up by the rotary motion of the wheel during travelling, in such a manner
that the toothed wheel p is connected with a toothed wheel mounted on the front
wheel axle. There is then provided in such a case a device for automatically
disconnecting the toothed wheel p (which is connected to the tension spring barrel)
when the spring is wound up."
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.) In cycles, the arrangement of mechanical musical instruments which are
capable of being thrown into and out of operation and are adapted to be operated
by the rotation of the wheel or from the steering bar or handle bar.
(2.) In cycles as specified in Claim 1, an apparatus for transmitting the rotary
motion of the wheel to the mechanical musical instrument B, characterized by a
clutch coupling eel which is operated from the wheel axle by suitable means, such
"as for instance by toothed wheel gearing be, and which, when the cycle travels

page_text: forwards, causes the music barrel or roller, or circular music sheet C to rotate, and
thus operates the musical instrument B, and throws the music sheet C automatically
out of operation when the cycle moves backwards, as set forth.
(3.) In cycles as specified in Claims 1 and 2, an apparatus for enabling the
coupling eel to be, thrown out of operation at will during forward travel also,
characterized by a lever l m which is adapted to be operated from any suitable part
of the cycle, for instance from the handle bar, said lever l m having a wedge-
shaped head n which takes under a sliding disc g arranged on the movable part el
of the clutch, as set forth.
(4.) In cycles as specified in Claim 1, an arrangement for operating the music
roller or sheet C, characterized by a tension spring which is connected with the
wheel axle or crank axle or is wound up from the handle bar by means of lever or
toothed rack mechanism, as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of Tule 1806
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.