Improvements in the Driving Power of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Power of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Vehicles.
ROBERT EVANS Manufacturer 2 Roseworth Terrace Gosforth Northumberland
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is for the purpose of reducing the strain on the rider of bicycles,
tricycles and other vehicles and to the increasing of the driving power by an
attachment and use of a flywheel, acting by its giving impetus as an additional
means and power to the rider in driving and assisting in the propulsion of bycycles,
tricycles & other vehicles.
Electric, petrolum and other motors have been used. To the best of my belief
the attachment and use of a flywheel, although invariably used in driving
machinery has hitherto not been applied and used in the driving and in the
propulsion of bicycles tricycles and other vehicles, and is a new and novel
invention. To this end I put a flywheel Fig. 1. a and a. a. preferably in the inside
of the driving wheel Fig. 1. to any and every kind of bicycle, tricycle and other
vehicle. I may however put a flywheel outside the driving wheel, either on one
or both sides or behind the same or in any convenient place on a bicycle, tricycle
or other vehicle.
I may also by ball bearing or otherwise run a flywheel, one, one on each side of
the hub and parallel with the driving wheel and inside the fork. I may also
use any number of flywheels on one bicycle, tricycle and other vehicle. When
I put a flywheel Fig. a. and a. a inside the driving wheel the peripheries of the
said flywheel is just free of the wheel rim, sufficiently far appart to permit the said
flywheel to rotate freely inside the driving wheel and spokes. The hub of the said
driving wheel is devided in two parts which are in fact two independent hubs
baving the same centre and are kept in a devided position further on described.
A centre-hole goes right through the said hubs through which the spindle or axel
of the said flywheel passes and rotates. The said axel or spindle projects on both
ends sufficiently to be pivoted or to have other bearings in a double fork and to
allow for placing a chain wheel, pully or pulleys for actuating the said flywheel
further on described. I may also give the axel of the said flywheel ball bearings
or other bearings inside the centre-hole of the before named hubs, to assist
keeping the same in position. The said flywheel is actuated by chain wheels or
pullys.
I may use catgut or any other band or I may use teeth gearing or any
other gearing to actuate the said flywheel. An enlarged chain wheel Fig. b. b. b.
or pully is on the crank-spindle, preferably on the opposite side and parrallel
with and similar to the chainwheel generally used for the driving wheel and in
order to get greater speed and revolution of the said flywheel a small chain wheel
or pully is put on the spindle or axel of the said flywheel between the double fork
before named. Both ends or pivots of the spindle or axel of the said flywheel run
in the before named double fork, the said hubs run in separate bearings in the fork
in the usual way of bicycles & tricycles. A chain in the ordinary way connects

page_text: the two chain wheels before named; the rotation of the crank-spindle by the
tredle sets the said flywheel in motion. The impetus thus given to the said fly
wheel increases and continues the motion thereby given. By increasing or
reducing the sizes of the chainwheel on the crank-tredle and reducing the size
of the chainwheel of the flywheel the revolutions and impetus can be reduced or
increased. The chain wheel on the crank-tredle can be detached and made free,
or it can be reversed to act as a break. The before named hubs of the driving
wheel are sufficiently far appart to place fastening and screw-nuts between them
and in the middle of the before named axel of the fly wheel. These screw-nuts
hold and secure the bush and centre of the said fly wheel. The fly wheel is
made of a ring of lead or any other material and the spokes are fastened in b.th
the ring and the centre-bush and screwed on the axel by the nuts before named.
I may however use any other kind of fly wheel. The before named hubs on the
faces or outsides are raised right and left, wherin the spokes are alternatly
fastened and further supported & strengthened by cross spokes, in order to keep
the said hubs separated and in position to prevent rubbing or grating the bush of
the said fly wheel. The said hubs may also have ballbearing to assist keeping
them in position or they may for that purpose have double shoulder bearings.
The said hubs run in the fork, as in ordinary cycles, the pivots or other bearings
of the said fly wheel run in the double fork before described. The driving wheel
and the fly wheel are co-central. When the rider is ou the saddle or seat, the
tredle sets the fly wheel in motion, the impetus thereby given increases and is
continued. The impetus thus maintained is exerted by means of the chain and
chain wheels on the tredle, relieving the force necessary to rotate the same and
thereby assist in the propulsion of the driving wheel as hereinbefore described.
I may vary the arrangement to actuate the fly wheel, so that a fly wheel can be
fitted and applied to any and every kind and form of bicycles, tricycles and other
vehicles in order to carry out my invention as herein before described and nominate
them, flywheel cycles flywheel tricycles and flywheel vehicles.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Power of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Vehicles.
1 ROBERT EVANS of 2 Roseworth Terrace, Gosforth, 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 is for the purpose of reducing the strain on the rider of bicycles,
tricycles and other like vehicles to equalize, increase, maintain and make easy the
driving by an attachment and use of a fly wheel acting by its given impetus and
momentum as an additional means to the rider in driving and assisting in the
propulsion of bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles. To this end I put a fly wheel
inside the driving wheel to any and every kind of bicycle, tricycle or like vehicle.
I use two chains, one for the fly wheel the other for the driving wheel jointly or
separately actuated and controlled by the pedals.
I dispense with the arrangement of a hollow axle described in my Provisional
Specification on account of the weakening effect to the axle and I use the usual
solid axle.
The hub of the driving wheel is in two parts (hollow) and in fact being two

page_text: independent hubs having the fly wheel in the middle or between but all have the
same centre.
My invention will be understood by the following detail description and by the
annexed drawings.
Figure 1, transverse section through hub of rear drive wheel and part section
through hub of fly wheel.
Figure 2, skeleton section of rear drive wheel and of fly wheel.
Figure 3, side view of rear drive wheel and part of machine also of the two
chains, one for the fly wheel and one for propulsion purposes.
Figure 4, face view of sprocket wheel.
Figure 5, internal view of sprocket wheel to illustrate a method by which the
fly wheel can be released from the drive wheel at the will of the rider without
necessitating the fly wheel to be first stopped before the rider can get off the-
machine.
Figure 5 enlarged view of pawl, bolt, releasing, and spring holding appliance.
Figure 1. A is the hub of the drive wheel, said hub terminating near the
centre as at B to the flanges C. D. of which, spokes E. F. are connectel their
opposite ends being located near one edge of the rim G, as indicated at-
Figure 2.
H is a collar or sleeve constituting the remainder of the hub this sleeve having
other flanges I. J. for connection of other spokes K. L. the opposite ends of which
are located to the other side edge of the rim G. This sleeve or second hub Has
well as the hub A and fly wheel hub S run on ball bearings carried partly by the
axle bearings M. N. and partly on collar bearings P. Q. secured on the neck R of
the fly wheel hub S said hub S having a single T shaped flange T exposed from.
between the inner edges of the hub A and the sleeve H as shown, and from which
flange T the spokes U. U. of the fly wheel V are affixed, said fly wheel and it.
hub S having rotatory motion imparted from or by the rear chain gear W, the
propulsive action of the machine by the rear drive wheel X. Figure 3, being
obtained from the main chain gear Y.
The pedal cranks a. b. as shown at Figures 3 and 6, are secured to the axle c of
the usual bracket for giving motion to the chain driving sprocket d but since I
have also a second sprocket e for a second chain I obtain joint motion of the said
second sprocket e with the sprocket d when both sprockets are secured to the
axle e but when the sprocket wheel e is loosely mounted I obtain motion
for the sprocket wheel e from the toothed wheel secured to the axle c on its
reverse end the loose sprocket e being of shrouded formation for the small
wheel to be enclosed as at Figures 5 and 6 and capable of being covered as at
Figure 4.
The wheel e on one of its spokes carries a pawl g to hold and engage in a cut.
or tooth of the wheel when the machine is driven during which in back pedalling
the pawig is released, also pushed or forced out of the said cut or tooth by the
sliding bolt supported by spring 9 which said bolt is actuated upon by the
ratchet/affixed to the axle c and so disconnects and releases the sprocket e from
the inner wheel and so prevent them running together, see Figure 5 or a bolt
can be provided to engage holes in the periphery of the wheel, in which case the
pawl g can be dispensed with.
This pawl g is in connection by a lever the end of which carries a right.
angled double knob i shown at Figure 4, in a horizontal line with the axle c and
in Figures 5 and 6 in a near vertical down line which on the movement of the
handle lever o. o. as shown by the transverse and side view Figure 4, o. o. and when
brought between the knob i. i. can be set on either side of a spring
to be in or out of action, when out of action Figures 5 g and
which is governed by the loose sprocket wheel e rotates and runs
inner wheelf stops but not the fly wheel.
for the pawl g
the fly wheel
itself out, the
The description thus far relates to an enclosed fly wheel such as is indicated at
Figures 1 and 2.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Attaching to an ordinary bicycle tricycle and the like an independently
acting fly wheel-exerting its momentum on the pedals, capable of joint or separate
action and disconnectable by back pedalling or otherwise as and in the manner
described for the purposes set forth.
2. In combination with a mid fly wheel as at Figures 1 and 2 the pedal erank
gear with freed or secured pawl g. g', lever h, spring j, bolt 92 wheel or ratchet f',
spring for transmitting motion to sprocket e by which, loosely mounted or
affixed to the axle c the second chain is driven for actuating the rear chain
driving wheel by which the fly wheel V is rotated all as set forth and as
shown.
3. The two part arrangement of mid and devided huhs having a chain wheel on
the hub of the fly wheel, and a chain wheel on the hub of the drive wheel, capable
of separate or combined motion the hubs having separate chain driving gear as in
the manner and for the purpose set forth.
11007