Year: 1897

page_text: I THOMAS GRACE of Darlington near Sydney in the Colony of New South
Wales, Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;
-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the driving mechanism of
Velocipedes or those cycles which are actuated or propelled by the motion of the
legs and feet and it has been specially devised in order to obviate the necessity
of the feet travelling in a circle while driving the machine. By this invention
a Velocipede may be driven at an increased speed or at the same speed with less
expenditure of power than heretofore while yet at the same time the feet are only
required to have an up and down motion.
These improvements consist in the combination and arrangement with the
driving axle of a pair of linked levers having their fulcrums on or attached to
the frame of the Velocipede so that one said lever will receive the impulse from the
foot of the operator and the other said lever will impart said motion to a crank
upon the driving axle. The first or foot lever is a lever of the first order lying
above the driving axle with its fulcrum proximately vertically above the centre
of the driving axle while the second or lower lever is a lever of the third order
and it lies below the driving axle approximately parallel to the first lever and it
has a connecting rod or link from midway or thereabouts of its length to the
crank or the crank pin of the disc of the driving axle. Between these two leverз
is a connecting rod or link whose ends are extended to form stops as preventives
against any excessive movement of either lever.
These attachments may be geared to the axle of the driving wheel but preferably
the driving axle would be an independent axle with gear to the driving wheel as in
the present form of bicycles, and in this case the levers and connecting rods and links
which I have described would be in duplicate one set on either side of the frame
of the machine and the crank pins or the crank discs would be on either end of the
driving or pedal axle and would preferably have the cranks either diametrically.
opposite or set at some very obtuse angle. In so applying this driving mechanism
to an ordinary bicycle I clamp an angle piece to the diagonal and the forward
stay or backbone in the angle at which these two meet and this angle piece carries
the axle whose ends are the fulcrums of the pair of the pedal, the upper or the
"first order" levers. The fulcrum pins or the axle of the lower or second order
levers I clamp to the side stays connecting the rear fork of the diamond frame
or bearing of the rear wheel to the angle made by the diagonal and the backbone
or the bearing of the driving axle each of the two lower levers having its inde-
pendent fulcrum or knuckle joint on an axle clamped to said side stays across the
frame in front of the rear wheel.
Dated this Nineteenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and

page_text: Improvements in Driving Mechanism of Velocipedes.
I, THOMAS GRACE of Darlington, near Sydney, in the Colony of New South
Wales Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "Improvements
in driving mechanism of velocipedes," 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 certain improvements in the driving mechanism of
velocipedes and it has been specially devised in order to obviate the necessity of
the feet travelling in a circle while pedalling and by its means a velocipede may
be driven with less exertion and more comfort than heretofore the feet being only
required to move up and down.
66
"
These improvements in driving mechanism of velocipedes consist in the combi-
nation and arrangement with the axle of the driving gear or "driving axle" of a
duplicate set of two linked levers having their fulcrums on or attached to the
frame of the velocipede so that one of said levers will receive the impulse from the
foot of the operator and the other of said levers will impart the motion to a crank
upon the axle of the driving gear.
The first or
"foot
lever is a lever of the
first class" conveniently fulcrumed above the driving axle while the second or
"crank" lever is a lever of the "second class" conveniently fulcrumed behind
the driving axle and it has a connecting rod or link from. midway or thereabouts
of its length to a crank pin on the sprocket wheel or on a disc on the driving axle.
Between the two levers the connecting rod or link is preferably adjustable in
length so as to provide suitable margin for "lead" in the passing of the crank
pin over its dead centre. At each end of this rod or link is a nosing or stop against
any excessive movement of either lever. The two levers and the connecting rods
and links described are in duplicate one set on either side of the machine and
the crank pins or the crank discs are on either end of the driving or pedal axle
and would preferably have the cranks either diametrically opposite or set at some
very obtuse angle.
In applying this driving mechanism to an ordinary bicycle an angle piece is
formed integral with or is clamped to the diagonal and the forward stay of the frame
in the angle at which these two meet and this angle piece carries pivots or
fulcrums of the pair of the foot levers. The fulcrum pins or the pivot of the
crank or second class levers I forge on or clamp to lower back fork.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now
be made to the drawings herewith in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a
bicycle having these present improvements affixed thereto Figure 2 is a side
elevation on an enlarged scale of these improvements in position and Figure 3 is
a plan of Figure 2.
The first class or "foot" lever B has on one end the pedals B1 pivotted or
fulcrumed at B2 to angle piece A clamped or forged to forward stay and the
diagonal of the bicycle frame above the hanger or centre bracket. The other
end B3 is knuckle-jointed to the connecting rod C. The connecting rod C is split-
or divided and has screw junction and adjustment C3 so that its length
may be varied and its lower end is knuckle-jointed at D1 to the
lever of the second class от crank"
lever marked D; it also has
«
nosings or stops C¹ and C² which are adapted to take against the
ends of the jaws of the levers B and D respectively to prevent excessive
movement or the displacement of either lever from its proper working position.
The "crank "lever D is fulcrumed at D³ to bracket piece A¹ forming junction of
back lower fork though the pivots D³ might be the ends of a pin passed through

page_text: and held in the prongs of the back lower fork or be the ends of a clamp taking over
the prongs or over the tang of said back fork. From a knuckle joint D² about
midway of the length of the lever D or at such point as the ratio of the speed
or power requires a connecting rod or link E2 extends to crank pin E on a disc E¹
or on the sprocket wheel side of the bicycle to a crank pin E upon said sprocket
wheel.
In operation the motion of the foot and leg of the rider (mounted upon the
saddle of the velocipede as ordinarily) pressing upon the pedal B₁ depresses the
lever B on its fulcrum B2 causing the end B³ by means of the connecting rod C
to lift or pull the lever D upwardly on its fulcrum D³. As one lever B is thus
depressed the other lever B on the other side of the machine is rising (the weight
and pressure of the foot being relieved the connecting rod or link E³ from crank
pin E causing the upward movement). The alternate upward and downward
motion of the lever B and crank E by means of the connecting rod E³ causes the
disc E' and the sprocket wheel to revolve the axle of the driving gear and thus
by the chain gear as well understood or equivalent substitutes actuating the
driving or rear wheel of the bicycle.
It is to be understood though the best known manner of combining these present
improvements with an ordinary pattern of safety" bicycle has been illustrated
and described that these said improvements are not confined to the precise detail
of construction so long as the nature of this invention be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. In a velocipede the combination with the axle of the driving gear or
driving axle having on its ends devices carrying crank pins of two levers pivotted
conveniently to the frame one said lever having a pedal on one end and connected
forwardly of its fulcrum by a link or rod to the other said lever said other lever
fulcrumed backwardly and having a rod or link connection to crank pin. of said
driving axle substantially as herein described and explained.
Second. The combination and arrangement with a velocipede having a driving
axle of the levers and mechanical devices distinguished by reference letters and
numerals substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawings.
Dated this Thirtieth day of April One thousand eight hundred and ninety-
seven.