Improvements in Tricycles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tricycles.
I FRANCIS WRIGHT POOL of 20 College Avenue, Saint Paul in the County of
Ramsey and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Salesman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Tricycles and has for its object to diminish friction and enable
the machine to be propelled at a high rate of speed with comparatively little exertion.
The driving axle has right and left handed spiral grooves in it with which engage
respectively two rings loose within a sleeve or clutch box and having clutch teeth to
engage with corresponding teeth on the ends of the clutch box or sleeve which is free
to slide along the axle, but is prevented from turning therewith by a suitable guide.
This sleeve or clutch box is traversed to and fro along the axle by a forked arm
embracing the sleeve, the forked members being slotted and engaging with gudgeons
thereon, said arm being fast on a central horizontal longitudinal pedal shaft.
This shaft is at right angles to the driving axle and receives a rocking motion from
pedals carried by a V frame at its front end, the pedals being pivoted so as to main-
tain their horizontality throughout the angular motion of the pedal carrier.
The operation is as follows:-When the sleeve is moved in the one direction, the
one pair of clutches are engaged, and the parts engaging with the one spiral groove
receive longitudinal motion and being prevented from revolving, cause the axle to
revolve. Similarly, when the motion of the sleeve is reversed, the axle, owing to the
opposite sense of the groove which then comes into operation continuing to be rotated
in the same direction.
The axis of the rear steering wheel fork is carried up behind the seat and provided
with a T head and steering cords and handles.
Dated this 11th day of December 1888.
FRANCIS WRIGHT POOL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tricycles.
1
I, FRANCIS WRIGHT POOL, of 20, College Avenue, Saint Paul, in the County of
Ramsey, and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Salesman, 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 tricycles; and has for its object to diminish friction and
enable the machine to be propelled at a high rate of speed with comparatively little
exertion. The invention consists in the combination of the several-parts, as hereinafter
fully set forth and claimed.
•
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
fication, in which figure 1 is a side elevation of the tricycle, with the nearest driving
wheel removed; figure 2 is a section on line x figure 1, and figure 3 is a perspective
view of the propelling cranks and pedals. Similar figures of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the views.
The frame 10 consists of two spaced side pieces 11 provided with forward and
rearward downwardly-extending arms 12 which arms are united at the lower ends to
form a central bearing for a central horizontal rock shaft 17. From the front ends.of

page_text: the side pieces 10, two spaced arms 18 extend downwards and forwards and 'unite in
horizontal alignment with the junction of the rear arms 12 and a socket 19 is here
formed in which the forward end of the rock shaft 17 is journaled, as shewn in
figure 1. From the socket 19 extends a forwardly and upwardly curved bar 19* in
the extremity of which is swivelled the fork 20 of a small steering wheel 21. 22 is
the steering bar which bar is curved upward and rearward and terminating in a
handle 23. The drivers' seat is provided with any approved form of spring and is
fastened to a standard 25 secured to the centre of a cross bar 26 uniting the upper
front portion of the frames, as. shewn in figure 1. Upon the rock shaft 17 is keyed
the V-shaped pedal carrier 27 consisting of two crank arms 28 and 29 cast or forged
in one with the sleeve, as shewn in figure 3. The ends of the crank arms 28 and 29
are bifurcated, as shewn at 30, and the pedals 31 are pivoted thereto.by longitudinal
pins parallel to the rock shaft 17, the pin passing through holes in the bifurcated ends
and through a knuckle or knuckles attached to the under side of the pedals which are
usually shaped to the contour of the shoe-sole and aro provided with toe straps. The
crank arms extend upwards towards the seat 24, which is preferably so mounted that
the rider will sit immediately over the centre of the driving axle and, near thereto.
The axle 13 on which the driving wheels 14 are fixed is provided with continuous
right and left handed spiral grooves 15 and 16 extending from end to end of the axle,
as shewn in figure 2. A sleeve 32. is free, to slide upon the driving axle, but is pre-
vented from turning with it by lugs 39 on the upper side of the sleeve travelling in a
grooved guide bar 40 directly above, and parallel to, the driving axle, said guide bar
extending across and being fixed to the frame of the machine. The sleeve consists of
a shell in which two abutting rings 33 and 34 are loosely held and each ring has a
spiral lug, the said lugs 35 and 36 being respectively inclined to correspond with the
grooves in which they work, the lug 35 travelling in the right hand spiral groove, and
the other lug 36 in the left hand spiral groove, of the axle, as shown in figure 2. The
rings 33 and 34 have clutch teeth on their outer ends to engage the correspondingly
toothed rings 37 and 38 fixed in the opposite ends of the shell. The sleeve 32 is
moved to and fro along the driving axle 17 through the medium of a bifurcated arm 41
fixed to the rock shaft, the upper end of the arm 41 being forked and embracing the
sleeve, the forked arm and sleeve being connected by gudgeons 42 on the front and
rear of the sleeve engaging in longitudinal slots in the forked arms.
In operation, when the arm 41 is moved to the left, by pressure upon the left hand
pedal, the fixed ring 38, meshing with the loose ring 33, causes the lug 35 of the
latter to travel in the right hand groove, turning the axle and, consequently, the
wheels fixed thereon. When the arm 41 is thrown to the right, the ring 33 is
released and the opposing central ring 34 engaged with the fixed ring 37, whereupon
the lug 36 travelling in the left hand groove continues to revolve the axle in the same
direction.
1 desire it to be understood that, although specific constructions have been described,
other equivalent constructions may be employed:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is:
1. In a tricycle, the combination, with a right and left hand spirally grooved axle,
of a rock shaft at right angles to said axle, a sleeve travelling upon said axle, rings
loosely held in the sleeve provided with lugs entering the grooves, and a connection
between the rock shaft and sleeve, substantially as shewn and described.
2. In a tricycle, the combination, with a right and left hand spirally grooved driving
wheel axle and a rock shaft at right angles to the axle, of a sleeve reciprocating upon
the axle, rings loosely-held in said sleeve provided with lugs ontering the grooves, a
connection between the rock shaft and sleeve, and pedal arms secured upon the rock
shaft, all as shewn and described.
3. In a tricycle, the combination, with a right and left hand spirally grooved driving
wheel axle and a rock shaft at a right angle to the axle, of a sleeve reciprocating upon

page_text: the axle, rings loosely held in said sleeve provided with lugs entering the grooves, a
guide bar connected with the sleeve a connection between the sleeve and rock shaft
and means, substantially as shewn and described, for manipulating said rock shaft.
4. In a tricycle, the combination with a right and left hand spirally grooved driving
wheel axle and a rock shaft at right angles to the axle, of a clutch-carrying
sleeve reciprocating upon the axle, rings loosely held in said sleeve having lugs
entering the axle grooves, a connection between the rock shaft and sleeve and a sub-
stantially V-shaped pedal carrier secured to the said rock shaft, substantially as shewn
and described.
5. In a tricycle, the combination with a right and left hand spirally grooved driving
wheel axle and a rock shaft at right angles to the axle, of a sleeve reciprocating upon
the axle, toothed rings centrally and loosely held in said sleeve having lugs entering
the axle grooves, toothed rings secured to the sleeve, a forked arm uniting the rock
shaft and sleeve, and a V-shaped pedal carrier secured upon said rock shaft, sub-
stantially as shewn and described.
F. W. POOL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.