Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and other Vehicles, and Self-contained Motors therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov.. 1396-Accepted, 23ra Jan., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and other Vehicles, and
Self-contained Motors therefor.
I, JOHN JAMES HENRY STURMEY, of 19 Hertford Street, Coventry, in the
County of Warwickshire, Journalist do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to velocipedes and other vehicles and self-contained motors
therefor, and is especially applicable to direct steering velocipedes (such as the
well known rear driving safety bicycle) and motors of the kind known as the
Pennington, though it may be applied in whole or in part to other velocipedes and
other vehicles, & also to other motors than the Pennington.
In the Pennington motor, as at present constructed for bicycles, the supply of
oil to the cylinders is regulated by a wheel or star handle connected by a rod to a
tap situated near the double branch of the supply pipe. Rotating the handle
increases or decreases the flow of oil and hence the power of the motor according
to the direction in which the said handle is turned. The said handle is placed at a
considerable distance from the steering handles of the bicycle.
The object of my invention is to provide better means for controlling the motor,
and preferably in such a manner that the hands shall be moved but little or at all
from the positions they naturally occupy in steering the velocipede or vehicle.
And my invention consists in providing on or about the handle bar a button or
similar device for breaking the electric circuit on which the ignition by sparking
depends; and in an improved system of connections for the oil supply, whereby
the said supply can be regulated accurately and with facility, and preferably in
euch a manner that cutting off the supply of oil also breaks the electric circuit ;
and it also consists in an addition to or modification of the ordinary brake gear so
that the operation of the brake handle automatically operates on the oil supply
connections and preferably either through the said connections or more directly,
also on the above mentioned or another device for breaking the electric circuit.
But the brake is preferably not conversely operated on by either of the other two
devices.
I will describe one method of carrying out my invention as applied to a safety
bicycle and a Pennington or similar motor attached to any suitable part of the
bicycle and adapted to drive the rear wheel (though it may also be readily adapted´
to drive the front wheel). Near one end (preferably the left) of the handle bar
I provide a spring button or similar device in such a position that it may be readily
operated by the thumb or one of the fingers. The button or the like is so
connected with the electric circuit of the sparking and vaporising device that the
current is normally free to pass, but upon the button or the like being pressed or
correspondingly operated, the circuit is broken, the sparking ceases, and the motor
discontinues driving.
Along the same end or half of the steering bar I mount a rod so that it may
rotate more or less on its own axis. At the outer end of this rod and preferably at
right angles thereto I secure a handle (hereinafter referred to as the "rocking
handle" within easy reach of the steering handle. The rocking handle is provided
with a suitable rack adapted to hold it when moved in one direction, but to let it
run in the other; the rack may conveniently consist of a quadrant of spring sheet

page_text: metal bearing a series of indentations suitably shaped for the purpose. The other
end of the rocking rod is provided with an arm to which is attached a depending
rod connected, through a bell crank lever pivotted to the frame and a third rod or
other suitable parts, with an arm projecting from the spindle of the oil tap.
When the rocking handle is at its highest position the oil tap is fully open, but as
the said rocking handle is brought down and back to the steering handle the tap
is gradually closed. The rocking handle is held in any of the intermediate
positions by the rack and when it is brought to its lowest position the oil supply is
entirely cut off. At the same time the electric circuit is preferably broken by the
rocking handle, or a projection provided for the purpose thereon, coming into
contact with the before mentioned button or similar device, so that the cessation of
the motor from driving is doubly secured, by the shutting off of the oil supply, and
the discontinuation of the sparking. Upon the rack being sprung away from the
rocking handle the circuit is restored and a greater or less quantity of oil allowed
.to pass the tap into the cylinders, and the motor recommences to drive.
The brakes on safety bicycles are commonly operated by a lever of the first
order fulcrumed on the right half of the bandle bar. I duplicate or bifurcate the
shorter or resistance arm of the lever and carry the additional part back or
otherwise adapt it to engage with the depending rod of the oil supply connections.
The said additional part preferably engages with the said depending rod by the
extremity of the former being constructed as a fork with curved under surfaces
adapted to engage with a correspondingly curved-topped stop fixed to the said
depending rod normally just below the said forked extremity. Thus, when the
brake is applied, the oil supply connections are operated and the top corre
spondingly closed, and (preferably) through the said connections when the oil
supply is cut off the electric circuit is broken also, and the velocipede checked
directly or indirectly in all three ways. It will be understood that the forked
addition to the brake lever embraces the depending rod and that as the stop on
such rod is below the fork on the lever, the depending rod can be depressed without
having any effect to operate the brake. The depending rod is preferably provided
with ball joint connections so that the steering of the bicycle or free working of
the connections shall not be interfered with, and it is made adjustable in length to
allow the handle bar to be raised or lowered in the usual way as required.
My invention may be carried out in other ways and applied to other velocipedes
and vehicles and other suitable motors with such modifications, as circumstances
may require.
Dated this 1st dor of Webruary 1896.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18 Hertford Street, Coventry, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Velocipedes and other Vehicles, and
Self-contained Motors therefor.
1, JOHN JAMES HENRY STURMEY of No. 19 Hertford Street, Coventry, in
the County of Warwick, Journalist 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 velocipedes and other vehicles, and to self-contained
motors for the same, and is especially applicable to direct steering velocipedes
(such as the well known rear driving safety bicycle) and motors of the kind known
as the Pennington.

page_text: In the Pennington motor as at present constructed for rear driving safety
bicycles the supply of oil to the cylinders is regulated by a wheel or star handle
connected by a rod to a tap situated near the double branch of the supply pipe.
The movement of the handle in one or other direction opens or closes the oil
supply tap and thereby increases or decreases the flow of oil and hence varies the
power of the motor. The said handle is placed at a considerable distance from
the steering handles.
The chief object of my invention is to provide better means for controlling the
motor in such a manner that the hands of the rider shall be moved little, if at all,
from the position they normally occupy in steering the velocipede or vehicle.
And my invention consists in providing on or in proximity to the handle bar a
button or contact device for breaking the electric circuit on which the ignition of
the working charges by sparking depends. My invention also consists in an
improved system of connections for the oil supply to the working cylinders
whereby, the said supply can be regulated accurately and with facility and
preferably in such a manner that cutting off the supply of oil also breaks the
electric circuit. My invention furthermore consists in an addition to or modification
of the ordinary brake gear so that the actuation of the brake handle causes the
oil supply connections to be automatically operated and the electric circuit to be
automatically broken.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will describe one method
of carrying out the same when applied to a velocipede provided with a Pennington
or similar motor adapted to drive the rear wheel thereof. And I will, in describing
the said invention, refer to the accompanying drawings which show the general
construction and arrangement which I prefer to adopt, but I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details shown therein as these may
be varied without departing from my invention.
Figure I is a side elevation showing as much of a velocipede as is necessary for
the understanding of my invention as applied thereto.
Figure II is a rear elevation viewed from point A in Figure 1.
Like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
Near one end (preferably the left) of the handle bar 2 I provide a spring
contact button 3 or similar device in such a position that it may be readily
operated by the thumb or one of the fingers. The button is so connected in any
well known and suitable manner with the electric circuit of the sparking and
vapourizing device employed with the motor that the current is normally free to
pass, but upon the button being pressed or correspondingly operated the circuit
is broken and the sparking ceases, and the motor discontinues driving. The
handle bar is also provided with a rotary rod or spindle 4 having near the outer
end thereof a handle 5 which is situated within easy reach from the steering
handle 6. The said handle 5 is provided with a suitable rack 7 which is adapted
to retain the handle 5 in any suitable backward position to which it may be set,
until the rack is shifted laterally away from the said handle to release the latter
and permit it to return forward under the influence of a suitable spring or the
like. The rack may conveniently consist of a segmental shaped piece of resilient
sheet metal hearing a series of indentations suitably formed to receive a detent
on the handle 5. The other end of the rotary rod or spindle 4 is provided with
an arm 8 to which is attached a depending rod 9, connected, through a rocking
lever 10 (pivotted to the upper member 11 of the frame) and a connecting rod or
rods 12, with an arm 13 projecting from the spindle of the oil tap 14.
When the
handle 5 occupies its highest position the oil tap 14 is fully open, but as the said
handle is moved downward towards the steering handle 6 the tap is gradually
closed. The handle 5 is held in any of its intermediate positions by the rack 7
and when it is moved into its lowest position the tap is quite closed and the oil
supply is entirely cut off. At the same time the electric circuit is preferably broken
by the rocking handle (or a projection 15 provided thereon for the purpose) coming
into contact with the before mentioned contact button 3 so that the stoppage of

page_text: the motor is doubly secured, by the shutting off of the oil supply and by the
discontinuation of the sparking. Upon the disengagement of the rack 7 from
the handle 5 the latter promptly rises whereby the electric circuit is restored and
a greater or less quantity of oil is allowed to pass the tap 14 and reach the
cylinders 16; the motor then recommences to drive.
The brakes on velocipedes are commonly operated by a lever of the first order
fulcrumed to the right hand portion of the handle bar. I duplicate or bifurcate
the shorter arm of the lever and connect one part thereof, viz. the part 17 to a
rod 18 jointed to and depending from the aforesaid arm 8. The said part 17
preferably engages with the depending rod-18 by the extremity 19 of the part 17
being constructed as a fork with curved under surfaces adapted to engage with a
stop 20, on the said rod 18, which stop has a correspondingly curved top. Thus,
when the brake is applied, the arm 8 is pulled backward and downward by the
rod 18, whereby the oil supply connections are operated and the tap 14 corre-
spondingly closed. By the means above described the operation of the brake-lever
also breaks the electric circuit, and the movement of the velocipede is thus checked
directly or indirectly in all three ways. It will be understood that the bifurcated
portion 17 of the brake lever loosely embraces the depending rod 18, and that as
the stop 20 on such rod is below the said bifurcated portion the depending rod 18
can be depressed without affecting the brake. The depending rods 9 and 18 are
preferably provided with ball joint or similar connections so that the steering of
the velocipede and free working of the connections shall not be interfered with.
These parts are also made adjustable in length to allow the handle bar to be raised
or lowered in the usual way according to the requirements of the rider.
My invention or parts thereof may be carried out in other ways and applied to
other vehicles and other motors, with such modifications as circumstances may
require, without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a velocipede or vehicle provided with a motor for propelling it, the
combination with the steering handle of a contact contrivance for enabling the
rider to readily make or break the electric circuit of the ignition device without
removing the hands from the steering handle, substantially as described and for
the purpose specified.
2. In a velocipede or vehicle of the kind herein before referred to, the
combination with the steering handle of means substantially as described whereby
the supply of the working charges to the motor can be regulated or stopped either
simultaneously with or independent of the breaking of the ignition circuit, for the
purpose specified.
3. In a velocipede or vehicle of the kind hereinbefore referred to, means
substantially as described whereby the operation of a lever to apply the brake,
will also regulate or stop the supply of working charges to the motor, or break the
ignition circuit, or perform both of these operations simultaneously for the purpose
specified.
4. A bicycle with my improvements applied thereto substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18 Hertford Street, Coventry, 75 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
49 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.