Improvements in Driving Gear for Bioyoles, Tricyoles, and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Bioyoles, Tricyoles, and other
Road Vehicles.
We, GEORGES JEAN JULES CATON, of Chateau du Cormier, Corme-Ecluse,.:
Dopartment of Charente-Inferieure, Engineer, and PIERRE LANGAT, of 15 Rue de
Fontenay, Vincennes, Department of Seine, Mechanician, both in tlie Republic of
France, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and
other road vehicles, and has reference more particularly to that class of gear, known
as chainless gear, in which the power is transmitted from the crank axle to the driving
wheel by means of a shaft and gearing instead of by a chain.
Now the object of the said invention is to provide in a more effectual manner than
heretofore for the gearing of the said shaft with the crank axle and with the driving
wheel or wheels of the vehicle,, and also to enable the ratio of gearing to be varied.
without stopping the vehicle, as well as to enable the cranks or other driving
mechanism to be thrown out of action, if desired.
According to our said invention, for the purpose of gearing the crank axle to the
shaft, we provide on the said axle a gear wheel having, say, two concentric series : of
helical or inclined teeth on one side or face thereof. On the shaft we arrange. ȧ
pinion having corresponding teeth and provided with means whereby it.can be thrown
into gear with one or other of the concontrio series of teeth on the gear wheel in
order to vary the ratio of the gearing, or can be made to occupy an intermediate
position when it is desired to throw the pedals out of action.
The connection between the shaft and the driving wheel or wheels may be effected
either by a gear wheel and pinion having helical teeth, or by suitable helical or screw
wheels.
:
In order that the said invention may be readily understood we will proceed to-
describe the same more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 shows partly in section and partly in elevation one form of the improved
driving gear as applied to a bicycle and the means for varying the ratio of the gear.
Figure 2 is a detail view of a modification showing the application of helical or
screw wheels for actuating the driving wheel of the bicycle.
a represents the shaft, 6 the crank axle, and c the axle of the driving.wheel. The
said shaft is mounted in ball bearings a in a suitable casing a rigidly secured at
each end to the frame of the bicycle. d is the gear wheel on the crank axle, which
wheel is enclosed in a casing dx to protect it from dust, and e is the pinion on the
shaft whereby the said shaft and axle are put into gear. d, are the two concentric
series of helical or inclined teeth on the gear wheel, the pinion having also two sets
of teeth to correspond with the said teeth di, d.
To cause the pinion to engage one or other of these series of teeth, it is arranged
so that it can be moved to and fro on the shaft, whilst remaining in rotary connec
tion therewith, the part of the shaft on which it is mounted being for example inade
square as indicated at a'. The pinion is acted upon by a fork engaging in a
groove e between its two sets of teeth, this fork being carried by a rod working
in. a pair of lugs f³ on the casing a³, and acted upon by a tension spring fwhich
"

page_text: tends to draw the pinion e into engagement with the inner and smaller series of
teeth d².
To enable the rod f' and with it the pinion e to be easily operated by the ridor
without dismounting, we provide any suitable arrangement such for example us that
shown in the drawing for connecting it with a handle or the like placed upon the
steering head. This comprises a lover g pivoted to a projection g' extending from
the casing a and connected with the rod by a pin and slot connection. At its
other end the lever g is attached to a rod h parallel with one of the frame tubes, and
connected to one arm of a boll crank lever i pivoted at it on the steering head. The
other arm of the bell crank lever is connected by a rod k with a sliding rod working
in a tubular guide on the steering head and having attached to it a handlo
The connection between the rods k and is effected by means of a forked piece k,
the upper end of which forms a socket.to receive the lower end of the rod 7. By
means of a pin and groove (not shown), or like arrangement with which the socket is
provided, the rod is free to turn therein on its axis but is prevented from leaving
the socket. The object in making the rod turn is to permit it to be locked in
position. The guide has a slot in which the handle can be moved up and down,
and recesses,, into which the said handle can be turned to keep it respectively
in its interinediato and its lowest position. In its highest position it is retained by
being turned to lie on the top edge of the guide. Obviously instead of the handlo
itself working in the groove and forming part of the locking arrangement, a pin
might bo provided on the rod / to serve the same purpose.
It will be seen that in the drawings, the handle is in the intermediate position and
engaged in the recess and the pinion e is situated between the two series of
teeth d', d, the driving gear and pedals being thus thrown out of action. By moving
the handle down into the recess the pinion will be brought into engagement with
the teeth thereby obtaining a slow-speed gear, while by raising the handle till it
rests on the upper edge of the guide 1, the pinion will engage the teeth d' and a
quick-speed gear will be obtained.
The connection of the side shaft a with the driving wheel of the bicycle may
advantageously be effected by means of wheels n, m, adapted to gear at right
angles to each other, the former having a series of helical or inclined teeth on the
side thereof, while the latter is provided with corresponding teeth around its
periphery.
This connection may however bo effected as shown in Figure 2 by means of helical
or screw wheels, n, n' each provided with teeth around its periphery, and arranged
to revolve in gear at right angles to one another, the wheel mounted upon the
driving wheel of the bicycle, having its teeth formed with an inward curvature after
the manner of those of an ordinary worm wheel.
It is obvious that by varying the relative sizes of the wheels m m² and n n² any
desirod relation can be established between the speed of the side shaft and tho driving
wheel.
In some cases where it is not of importance to be able to vary the ratio of the
gear, we provide the gear wheel d on the crank axle with only one series of teeth
such as:d, the pinion e also having only one set of teeth.and the arrangement for
throwing the wheel and pinion into and out of gear remaining as before.
We may also apply the invention to obtain more than two ratios of gearing, for
example by providing another side shaft with corresponding gear wheels, on the
opposite side of the bicycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our suid inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what we
claim is
1. In a chainless driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and othor road vehicles, the
combination of a gear wheel having concentric series of helical or inclined teeth and
a pinion movable to and fro on a shaft in gear with the driving wheel or wheels, the
said pinion' being so arranged that it can be put into gear with one or other of the

page_text: series of teeth on the gear wheel or be caused to occupy an intermediate.
position, so as to throw the driving mechanism out of action, substantially as
described.
2. In a chainless driving gear of the kind set forth in the preceding claim, the
arrangement for moving the pinion in and out of gear, consisting of a fork engaging
in a groove in the said pinion and operated by a series of rods and levers or other
equivalent means leading up to a handle or the like on the steering head, sub-
stantially as herein before described and shown.
3. Our improved driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and other road vehicles,
constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure 1, or modified as described with reference to Figure 2, of the.
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of December 1806
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.