Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a velocipede, having two wheels, viz: a large one
arranged in front of a small one, as in an ordinary bicycle. The backbone,
however, leads from the small wheel horizontally, or nearly so, forward, and at its
forward end is connected with a frame-work arranged within the rim of the large
wheel, near the lower part thereof. The large wheel has no hub or spokes. The
standard for supporting the rider's seat is held in the plane of the large wheel, the
lower end of the standard being supported upon the frame-work with which
the backbone is connected, and the upper end being provided with or attached to a
grooved roller, which is adapted to roll upon the inner edge of the wheel-rim at.
the upper part of the wheel. The framework referred to also carries the pedal
shaft, a grooved roller adapted to roll upon the inner edge of the wheel-rim at the
lower part of the wheel, and a train of gearing for transmitting the pedal-shaft
motion to the lower grooved pulley, which is thereby caused to travel upon, and,
by friction to drive the large wheel, and thereby to drive the bicycle. The large
wheel, in use, inclines from an upright position sufficiently to enable the rider to
be seated alongside the wheel and directly over that part of the wheel which is
toward the ground. In this position the rider can pass one arın over the top of
the wheel and grasp a handle-bar upon the opposite side of the wheel which coines
between that one of his arms and the side of his body.
· The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode of carrying out the
improvements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, looking toward that side of the large wheel upon
which is the seat.
Figure 2 is a front elevation, a portion of the wheel-rim (at the lower front of
the wheel) being broken away.
Figure 3 is a plan.

page_text: Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the forward or main portion of the frame-
work used to support the driving mechanism, rider's seat, &c.
Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the rear portion of the frame-work, and
Figure 6 is a view in perspective shewing the lower end of one of the handle-
bars and the part that connects therewith.
The same letters of reference denote the same parts throughout the drawing.
A represents the large wheel, B the small wheel, and C the rider's seat.
The
D represents the standard to which the seat is attached, the standard having an
arm & Figures 1, 2, which projects from the standard, and on which the Beat, by
some suitable means, such as the rod c is vertically adjustable. The standard at its
lower end is held in a socket e in the frame-work E. At its upper end it carries
the grooved pulley F. The pulley is journalled in a forked extension d' of the
standard, and its grooved face f is adapted to roll on the inner edge g of the
wheel-rim a. The standard D, from the point of connection with the pulley F, is
extended to form or is provided with an arm H, which extends forward and has,
by means of the fork h journalted in it a pulley I, whose grooved face i rolls on the
inner edge of the wheel-rim at a point in front of the centre of the wheel A.
frame, work E at the three points e¹ es, e³, respectively, has journalled in it. the
pedal-shaft J, the shaft K, and the shaft L. The, pedal-shaft is also supplied with
the gear wheel J. The shaft K has attached to it the pinion K¹ and the gear K³.
The shaft L has attached to it the pinion L' and the pulley L³, whose grooved
face rolls on the inner edge of the wheel-rim a at the lower part of the wheel.
The standard D, the frame-work E and the various parts above described as
being connected with the standard and frame-work, are thus held in place within
the wheel-rim by means of the grooved pulleys F, I, L'; and the wheel A is
-propelled by means of the pulley L, which acts by friction upon the wheel-rim.
This last-named part is suitably shaped to co-act with the pulleys L', &c. In
place of constructing the pulley L³ and wheel-rim to act by friction, the wheel-rim.
may be in the form of, or be furnished with, a circular rack, and the pulleys L³, FI
be in the form of gear to engage therewith. In either case the rider operates the
pedal-shaft in the ordinary manner. Its motion through the gear-wheel J¹ is
transmitted to the pinion K¹ and shaft K. The gear-wheel K transmits the
motion of the shaft K, through the pinion L' to the shaft L and pulley L. The
motion of the pedal-shaft is thus multiplied to any desirable degree before being
applied to the wheel-rim; but, if preferred the shafts J, K and the gear wheels J¹, K',
K³, L' may be omitted and the pedals j be attached to the shaft L; in which case
the frame-work E is suitably modified to accord therewith, and the diameter of
the pulley L may be enlarged.
A further modification of the construction consists in grooving the wheel-rim at
its inner edge, and adapting the pulleys L³, F, I to run in the groove.. The wheel-
rim is widened in the direction of the plane of the wheel, partly to keep the
part upon which the pulleys roll well out of the dirt and partly to strengthen the
wheel.
To prevent the dirt from being thrown by the large wheel onto the rider, a
guard M may be used. Its preferable shape and arrangement are shewn in
Figures 1, 2, the guard being exhibited in sectional elevation in Figure 1. It
extends over the wheel tire and rim at that part of the wheel which comes between
the rider's arm and side, and it is held in place by means of the fastenings m, m.
which uphold the guard from the arm H.
•
N represents the back-bone, perch, or rod which connects the two wheels A, B.
As it extends forward from the small wheel, the backbone bends laterally
sufficiently to pass the rim of the large wheel and also to provide sufficient room.
for the large wheel to swing in when it is turned to the left or right, as the case
may be. After passing the large wheel the backbone curves inward, and at its
forward end is connected with the frame-work above mentioned, and in such
manner as not only to provide for turning the large wheel upon its point of
connection with the backbone to the right and left, but also, preferably, so that

page_text: the backbone carrying the small wheel can be turned upward and downward upon
the frame work of the large wheel and thereby enable the small wheel to be raised
when the bicycle is going upon a downward inclination, and to be lowered when
the bicycle is upon an upward inclination. To these ends the back bone at its
forward end has an upright extension n, Figures 1, 5, which at its ends n¹, n' is.
pivotted in a frame N¹, so that it can be swung. horizontally in the frame. The
frame N in turn is connected with the framework E, so that carrying the
backbone, it can be turned upward and downward thereon, and this is accomplished.
conveniently by journalling the arms n², n³ of the frame №¹ upon the shaft L of the
frame-work E.
:
To effect the last described movement of the backbone, the frame N¹ is provided
with or is constructed to form, a nut n³ Figure 5. A threaded rod O, adapted to
engage in the nut. n³, extends thence upward through and is held vertically in a
suitable bearing, such as the arm d; and is provided with a handle o arranged
within reach of the rider. By turning the rod O around in the nut n³, the
frame N (and backbone and small wheel) is raised or lowered as the rod is turned
upon the frame-work E.
To enable the large wheel to be turned to the right or left, the backbone is
also supplied with a cross-arm n', which from the backbone extends laterally to
each side, curving forward, and at its ends no, n³ connecting respectively, with
the handle levers P, P¹. These handle levers are, respectively, pivotted to the
bearings ppl and at their lower ends are, by means of the slot p³, Figure 6, and
the pin n upon the arm n', jointed to that arm n', so that as the rider moves
the handle-levers forward and backward on their respective bearings p p', as in
steering the ordinary bicycle the large wheel is turned upon the extension n of
the backbone to the right or left, according to the direction in which the handle-
levers are moved; that is, by drawing the right hand handle-lever backward and
moving the left hand handle-lever forward, the large wheel is turned to the right,
and with a contrary movement of the handle-bars is turned to the left. The
bearing p¹ projects from the standard D. The bearing p is attached to the frame
work E curving thence downward sufficiently to provide for the movement of the
pedal on that side of the frame work, and thence outward and upward sub-
stantially as is represented in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First A bicycle whose driving wheel is inclined and having the rider's seat
alongside the wheel and over the bottom part, as described.
Second A bicycle whose driving wheel is inclined, and having the rider's seat
alongside it, as described.
Third A bicycle whose rider's seat is alongside the driving wheel, as described.
Fourth-The combination of the inclined wheel A and the standard D, supported
at its ends in said wheel, and supporting the rider's seat at its side, as described.
Fifth The combination of the wheel A, the standard D, the pulleys F, I, L³, the
framework E, and the arm H, as described.
Sixth-The combination of the inclined wheel A, the small wheel B, and the
backbone N, said backbone leading from the small wheel forward and connecting
with a frame-work within the rim of the large wheel.
Seventh The combination of the large wheel A, the small wheel B, and the
back-bone N, said backbone leading from the small wheel forward and connecting
with a framework within the rim of the large wheel, which framework supports
the standard to which the rider's seat is attached.
Eighth The combination of the wheels, A, B and the backbone N, said back-
bone at its forward end being jointed so as to swing laterally, to a frame-work held
within the rim of the large wheel.

page_text: Ninth The combination of the wheels A, B and the back bone N, said back-
bone at its forward end being jointed so as to swing vertically, to a bearing held
within the rim of the large wheel.
Tenth The combination of the wheels A, B, the backbone N, the frame N¹, the
framework E, the pulleys F, I, L* the standard D and the arm H as described.
Eleventh The combination of the wheels A, B, the handle-bars P, P¹, the
standard D, the framework E, the bearings p, p', the backbone N, and the cross
arm n*, as described.
Twelfth The combination of the wheels A, B, the frames E, N', the backbone N,
the standard D, and the screw O, as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.