Improvements in and relating to "Home Trainers" Apparati Analogous to Cycle Riding. or Exercising
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to "Home Trainers"
Apparati Analogous to Cycle Riding.
or Exercising
I, JOHN RANDOLPH HAMILTON, of 115 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improvement relates to apparati for obtaining exercise analogous to that of
cycle riding technically known as "Home trainers," and it consists in an improved
device for recording and showing the distance covered equivalent to the number of
revolutions of the said machines, the object being to better adapt these machines for
use in competitions by recording the performance of each machine so that the
competitors can see at a glance their respective performances.
The type of "home-trainer to which my invention is specially applicable is that
consisting of a heavy fly-wheel mounted in bearings in a suitable frame and having
bicycle cranks and pedals fitted to the ends of the axle carrying the said fly-wheel.
On the stand in suitable positions are mounted a handle bar and saddle, in such
positions relative to the cranks as give approximately the respective positions on an
ordinary bicycle. Any suitable friction arrangement may be fitted to the fly-wheel if
desired, to increase the resistance.
A suitable number of these machines being placed in a row side by side, and
parallel with each other, a large dial is mounted in any convenient manner in front
of them. On this dial are as many arbors carrying hands as there are machines.
These arbors are preferably arranged one within the other, so that the hands when
at zero are one behind the other, but each hand may have a separate dial if
desired. Each hand bears a color corresponding with the color of or on the machine
it indicates. Motion is communicated from the crank axles of the machines to the
various arbors by means of worm wheels and screws, and chain or spur gearing,
so arranged and geared as to make each hand travel at the same speed of rotation,
for a given number of revolutions of the crank axles. I prefer to arrange the
gearing so that when the hands have moved once round the dial the crank axles
of the machines have rotated equivalent to a quarter of a mile. The dial may be
sub-divided into suitable divisions, and any convenient device for setting the hands
at zero may be used.
1
1000
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers, 70, 71 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to "Home-trainers" or Exercising
Apparati Analogous to Cycle Riding.
I, JOHN RANDOLPH HAMILTON, of 115 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Cycle Manufacturer, 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 :-
i
My improvement relates to apparatus for obtaining exercise analogous to that of
" Home-trainer'
"and it consists in an improved
cycle riding, technically known as a
device for recording and showing the distance covered equivalent to the number of
revolutions of the said machines, the object being to better adapt these machines

page_text: for use in competitions, by recording the revolutions of each machine so that the
competitors can see at a glance their respective performances.
The type of "Home-trainer" to which my invention is specially applicable is that
consisting of a heavy fly wheel mounted in bearings in a suitable frame, and having
bicycle cranks and pedals fitted to the ends of the axle carrying the said fly wheel.
On the stand in suitable positions are mounted a handle bar and saddle, in the
same positions relative to the cranks, as they would be on an ordinary bicycle or
other velocipede. Any suitable friction arrangement may be fitted to the fly wheel
if desired to increase the resistance.
A suitable number of these machines being placed adjacent to one another, and
preferably side by side and parallel with each other, a large dial is mounted in any
convenient manner in front of them; on this dial are as many arbors carrying
hands as there are machines. These arbors are preferably arranged one within the
other so that the hands when at zero are one behind the other, but each hand may
have a separate dial if desired. Each hand bears a collar corresponding with the
color of, or on, the machine it indicates. Motion is communicated from the crank
axles of the machines to the various arbors by means of worm wheels and screws,
and chain or spur gearing, or their equivalents, so arranged and geared as to make
each hand travel at the same speed of rotation for a given number of revolutions
of the crank axles. The gearing is preferably arranged so that when the hands
have moved once round the dial the crank axles of the machines have rotated equi-
valent to a quarter of a mile. The dial is subdivided into suitable divisions and
any convenient device for setting the hands at zero may be used. In order that
my invention may be fully understood I herewith append a drawing illustrating one
method of carrying it into practical effect. In this drawing Figure 1. is a per-
spective view of the apparatus adapted for two riders. Figure 2. is a transverse
section of the recording dial, and Figure 3. is a back view thereof.
a
The apparatus consists of one or more frames A of any suitable shape and construc-
tion, each carrying an axle a fitted with cranks a¹, pedals a², and a fly-wheel a³,
seat or saddle a and a transverse handle bar a constituting machines capable of being
operated in a similar manner to a bicycle or other velocipede. There may be as many
of these machines as desired.
In close proximity to these machines is a dial B of any suitable size. This dial
carries hands or indices b the arbors b¹ of which are connected with the axles a of the
machines by means of small shafts C. C receiving motion from the axles by means of
worm wheels and screws, or equivalent devices, and communicating it to the arbors 6¹
by means of chain wheels c and a chain c¹ or their equivalents. It will be understood
that there are as many hands or indices on the dial as there are machines. In order
that the vibration set up by working the machines may not be transmitted to the dial
the shafts C are mounted in bearings fixed to the floor independent of the dial.
Each hand is marked with a color or otherwise corresponding with a similar color or
mark on the machine which operates it.
If desired friction may be applied to the fly wheels a' by means of straps aⓇ encircling
the said wheels and adjusted by means of hand screws a as illustrated.
The face of the dial is subdivided into suitable divisions to denote miles, métres,
kilometers, or other measurements of distance.
It will be seen that with this apparatus riders can compete against one another, thus
rendering it suitable for competitions, for the purpose of training, or for the purpose
of pleasure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1st. An apparatus for giving exercise analogous to cycle riding, and denoting the
speed of the riders, as hereinabove described.
2nd. An exercising apparatus consisting of machines analogous to cycles, imparting
motion to the hands or indices on a dial as and for the purnose set forth

page_text: 3rd. The combination with two or more exercising machines technically called
"Home-trainers," of a dial carrying two or more hands preferably rotating about one
common centre and each receiving motion through suitable gearing from one of the
exercising machines, all combined arranged and operating as and for the purpose set
forth.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers, 70, 71 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.