Improvements in Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Loft 10th Mov 1000 Ancantad 22nd June 1000
Improvements in Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
We, THOMAS MICHAEL HAYDEN, of 168, Conway Street, Birkenhead, and
MICHAEL DONEGAN, of 200, Peel Street, Tranmere, both in the County of Ches-
ter, Stevedore and Dock Labourer respectively, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to driving gear for velocipedes, the object being to
obtain great speed with a comparatively slow motion of the treadles, the said
gear being strong and durable, and by means of which great power in propelling
the machine can be obtained, while at the same time reducing friction to a
minimum.
In carrying the invention into effect, we provide a train of say three toothed
wheels, one wheel being mounted upon the crank axle and gearing into a
pinion by means of an intermediate toothed wheel. Said wheels are mounted
upon axes which are supported by the bottom fork or by a separate bar or
frame or one part of the fork may be cut away and the axes supported on an
auxiliary bar or frame which is firmly secured in position. On the axis of the
pinion aforesaid, I mount a sprocket wheel and on the axle of the back wheel
a sprocket pinion which are geared together by means of an open-linked chain.
By properly proportioning the diameters of the train of toothed wheels, and
the sprocket wheels, we are able to increase the speed very considerably, and
in fact we are able to gear a velocipede up to an equivalent of a 150 inch driv-
ing wheel or even more.
We, THOMAS MICHAEL HAYDEN, of 168, Conway Street, Birkenhead, and
MICHAEL DONEGAN, of 200, Peel Street, Tranmere, both in the County of Ches-
ter, Stevedore and Dock Labourer respectively, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to driving gear for velocipedes, the object being to
obtain great speed with a comparatively slow motion of the treadles, the said
gear being strong and durable, and by means of which great power in propelling

page_text: the machine can be obtained, while at the same time reducing friction to a
minimum.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gear as applied to a bicycle;
Figure 2 a plan partly in section.
Referring to these figures, A is the crank akle of the machine, B the driv-
ing cranks, C the tyre of back wheel and D the bottom fork. We provide a
train of say three toothed wheels, one wheel E being mounted upon the crank
axle A and gearing into a pinion F-by means of an intermediate toothed wheel G.
Said wheels F and G are mounted upon axes f and which are supported by
the bottom fork of the frame or rather by the fork D being cut away and the
axes mounted in ball bearings in a frame or casting H which is firmly secured
to the bottom fork by socketting at h h or otherwise. On the axis of the
pinion F aforesaid, I mount a sprocket wheel I, and on the axis of the back
wheel a sprocket pinion which are reared together by means of an open linked
chain. By properly proportioning the diameters of the train of toothed wheels
and the sprocket wheels, we are able to increase the speed very considerably,
and in fact we are able to gear a velocipede up to the equivalent of a 150 inch
driving wheel or even more.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. The improvement in driving gear for cycles and other vehicles which
consists in mounting the sprocket wheel of the driving chain that is usually
fixed on the crank axle, on an axis located between the crank axle and the
driving wheel, and in gearing this sprocket wheel to the crank axle by means
of a tooth gear, one wheel of which is mounted on the crank axle and another
on the axis of the intermediate sprocket wheel aforesaid, the two being geared
together by means of an intermediate toothed wheel, whereby by properly pro-
portioning the diameters of the train of toothed wheels and the sprocket wheels,
it is possible to obtain a great speed with a comparatively slow motion of the
pedals substantially as described.
2. The special construction and arrangement of bottom fork for enabling the
sprocket wheels and toothed wheels of the driving gear to be mounted in align-
ment, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th dor of M 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.