Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
The present invention consists of a device for driving bicycles and tricycles, in
which the power is not transmitted to the driving axle by means of cranks as
hitherto, but through reciprocating levers, working vertically guided rods, having
rolls attached thereon said rolls engaging in an internal twisted groove of a rotary
sleeve carrying a chain wheel or other gearing for transmitting the rotary motion
to the driving axle.
In order to make the present invention more easily intelligible, reference is had
to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout
the several views.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the device,
Fig. 2 a plan,
Fig. 3 a side elevation and
Fig. 4 a detail view of the divided sleeve.
d is a divided sleeve having the twisted grooves g g arranged therein as shown,
said sleeve-halves being held together by the driving wheel h into which they are
screwed. bare semicircular rods, moved vertically up and down in the sleeve d by
means of levers a a pivotally attached to the upper part of the frame A in which
the whole device is mounted. Each of the rods bb carries a stud f with roll c, said
roll being adapted to run in the grooves g g of the sleeve d.
It is obvious that as applied to the ordinary rear driven safety bicycle on working
the pedals with which the levers a a are provided up and down, a rotary movement
will be imparted to the wheel which may be geared to another wheel revolving
in a vertical plane, through the agency of which the rear wheel of the cycle may
be driven in the ordinary way.
Instead of interior grooves g exterior ones may be employed in which case the
rolls cc must be suitably guided. By employing this present device for driving
bicycles and tricycles a more convenient transmission of power may be effected,
since the length of the levers a a may be increased to a considerable extent without
making the stroke for the legs of the rider inconveniently long.
Fig. 5 shows the general arrangement of the driving apparatus for a velocipede,
in side view.
Fig. 6 the same as seen from above.
From these Figs. (5 and 6) the working of the driving apparatus is clearly to be
seen.
The bow or frame A is screwed to the curved bar which connects the fore and
hind wheels and also carries the saddle and steering gear.
By the tread of the rider ou the pedal-lever a,.the sleeve d with the geared
wheel secured to it is caused to rotate, by means of the roller c (Fig. 1) secured
to the vertical rod b. The geared wheel / engages with another geared wheel /¹
which is also carried by the frame A and mounted on the same axis as the chain-
wheel; the latter is thereby also set in rotation, so that by means of the chain
the movement is communicated to the rear-axle by means of the chainwheel i¹
which is secured thereto.
C

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;-
с
A device for driving cycles, consisting of a rotary sleeve d having suitable
gearing wheel rods bb having rolls c and a twisted groove in said sleeve in which
the rolls c c engage and levers a a for operating the rods up and down within
the sleeve substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 7th day of September 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.