Improvements in Varying Speed Gear for Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1895)
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug, 1895
Improvements in Varying Speed Gear for Velocipedes.
I, BEAUMARIS WOODWARD 4 Summerhill Villas Chislehurst Kent Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in varying speed gear for velocipedes
and the same is carried out as follows:-
--
To the pedal crank or spindle is secured a wheel having two or more circles of
teeth thereon, ri. :-an inner & outer circle of any suitable pattern, or two wheels
of different diameter with teeth of any suitable pattern.
Respectively gearing with these circles of teeth, are two or more toothed wheels
which run free upon a rod or shaft according to the position of a clutch or sliding
collar or their equivalent suitably placed or formed upon the rod or shaft which
has suitable bearings attached to the frame of the velocipede.
This clutch or sliding collar may be operated by any convenient & well known
system of levers or the like. The rod or shaft operates the driving wheel through
the medium of a toothed wheel or wheels or worm or their equivalent secured to or
formed integral with the rod or shaft and engaging upon a toothed wheel or wheels
secured to or formed integral with the driving wheel or axle thereof which may
either be the front or rear wheel as desired. It will be seen that according to the
position of the clutch or sliding collar or the equivalent, the relative speed of the
pedal crank and driving wheel may be altered or varied, as the relative speed will
depend upon which of the two or more toothed wheels aforesaid is in connection
with the clutch or sliding collar or its equivalent which drives the rod or shaft
through the medium of either of the two or more said toothed wheels; one wheel
driving the rod or shaft through the medium of the clutch or sliding collar or its
equivalent aforesaid, the other or others being inoperative. The difference in
circumference of the circles of teeth upon the wheel or wheels fixed to the pedal
crank or spindle giving the different relative speeds between the rod or shaft & the
pedal crank.
If desired, the clutch, sliding collar or its equivalent may be so arranged as to
allow the wheels upon the driving rod or shaft to run free simultaneously & to be
inoperative.
It will be seen that chains are entirely dispensed with for connecting the pedal
crank to the driving wheel.
It will be also seen that the toothed wheels for varying the speed may operate
either upon the toothed wheel or wheels attached to the pedal crank or driving
shaft as before described or upon a similar toothed wheel or wheels, attached to
the driving wheel or axle thereof as may be found most convenient. The gearing
may be enclosed in a suitable casing. If desired, the wheels may be so arranged
as to enable them to be disengaged and engaged with one another without the use of
the clutch, and also for the purpose of obtaining the relative variation in the speed.
This invention can be applied to machines having their pedal cranks within the
circumference of the driving wheel, in which case one of the circles of teeth for
driving the rod or shaft may be dispensed with inasmuch as one of the speeds may
be obtained by driving the driving wheel direct from the crank spindle.
Dated this 8th day of July 1895.
E. EATON.
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: 1, BEAUMARIS WOODWARD 4 Summerhill Villas Chislehurst Kent Gentleman,
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:-
This invention relates to improvements in varying speed gear for velocipedes
and the same is carried out as follows:-
To the pedal crank or spindle is secured a wheel having two or more circles of
teeth thereon viz. :-an inner and outer circle of any suitable pattern, or two wheels
of different diameter with teeth of any suitable pattern.
Respectively gearing with these circles of teeth are two or more toothed wheels
which run free upon a rod or shaft according to the position of a clutch or sliding
collar or their equivalent suitably placed or formed upon the rod or shaft which
bas suitable bearings attached to the frame of the velocipede. This clutch or
sliding collar may be operated by any convenient and well known system of levers
or the like..
The rod or shaft operates the driving wheel through the medium of a toothed
wheel or wheels or worm or their equivalent secured to or formed integral with
the rod or shaft and engaging upon a toothed wheel or wheels secured to or formed
integral with the driving wheel or axle thereof which may either be the front or
rear wheel as desired.
It will be seen that according to the position of the clutch or sliding collar or
the equivalent, the relative speeds of the pedal crank and driving wheel may be
altered or varied, as the relative speed will depend upon which of the two or more
toothed wheels aforesaid is in connection with the clutch or sliding collar or its
equivalent which drives the rod or shaft through the medium of either of the two
or more said toothed wheels one wheel driving the rod or shaft through the
medium of the clutch or sliding collar or its equivalent aforesaid, the other or
others being inoperative. The difference in circumference of the circles of teeth
upon the wheel or wheels fixed to the pedal crank or spindle giving the different
relative speeds between the rod or shaft and the pedal crank. If desired, the
clutch, sliding collar or its equivalent may be so arranged as to allow the wheels
upon the driving rod or shaft to run free simultaneously and to be inoperative.
It will be seen that chains are entirely dispensed with for connecting the pedal
cranks to the driving wheel.
It will be also seen that the toothed wheels for varying the speed may operate
either upon the toothed wheel or wheels attached to the pedal crank or driving
shaft as before described or upon a similar toothed wheel or wheels attached to
the driving wheel or axle thereof as may be found most convenient.
The gearing may be enclosed in a suitable casing. If desired the wheels may be
so arranged as to enable them to be disengaged and engaged with one another
without the use of the clutch and also for the purpose of obtaining the relative
variation in the speed.
This invention can be applied to machines having their pedal cranks within the
circumference of the driving wheel in which case one of the circles of teeth for
driving the rod or shaft may be dispensed with in as much as one of the speeds
may be obtained by driving the driving wheel direct from the crank spindle.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will now refer to the
aunexed drawings in which for purposes of illustration have shown my invention
applied to what is known as a safety bicycle and in which :-
--
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my invention applied to a bicycle.

page_text: Figure 2. is a sectional view to enlarged scale showing one of the forms of
clutches which 1 find suitable and convenient to employ.
Figure 3. Cross section through line x-y.
Figure 4. Enlarged view in sectional elevation of a modified form of clutch.
Figure 5. Plan view of bolt in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 1, a is a wheel having two or more sets or circles of teeth b
and c upon same. dande are toothed wheels which gear with the teeth and c
respectively. The toothed wheels d & e are carried upon a rod or shaft f having
suitable bearings such as at g upon the frame of the machine. This rod or shaft f
carries the toothed wheel h which gears with the toothed wheel i fixed upon the
axle of the driving wheel or attached to the driving wheel itself j. The sliding
collar or clutch k has a pin or projection which engages in a spiral groove
running round the bolt m terminating in openings or slots parallel with the
longitudinal axis of the bolt; this bolt having studs or projections n and n. By
moving the collar k in a lateral direction the bolt m which lies in a recess in the
rod f is caused to make a partial revolution and one of the studs n or will
engage with one of the wheels d or e according to the direction of motion, thus
driving the rod f. The sliding collar k may be operated in any convenient way
such as by the forked lever p, operated by the rider. By this arrangement it will
be seen that when the one wheel e is driving the rod f the other wheel dis
inoperative or running free on the rod f.
In Figure 4 an alternative arrangement is shown in which the bolt g enters
apertures in the wheels d & e alternately according to which of the wheels d & e is
to be operative upon the rod f. It will be readily seen that any of the well known
arrangements, of clutches may be employed to render the wheels operative or
inoperative upon the rod f. By the use of the rod and wheels d & e for varying
the speed the usual chain is dispensed with altogether and if desired a similar
arrangement of wheels and clutch can be employed in place of the fixed wheel h.
I sometimes find it convenient to cause the wheels d & e to slide upon the rod f
and engage or disengage with the wheel or wheels d, through the medium of a lever
operated by the rider thus dispensing with the clutch, as this will not in any way
depart from the principle of my invention.
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
(1.) The improved gearing for giving differential speed all in combination sub-
stantially as described and illustrated herein.
(2.) The improved bicycle all in combination substantially as herein described
and illustrated for the purpose set forth.
(3.) In combination with means for obtaining a differential speed of a bicycle or
other velocipede a rod or shaft having two or more toothed wheels thereon for
transmitting variable speeds substantially as herein described and illustrated.
(4.) In combination with means for obtaining a differential speed of bicycles or
other velocipedes a toothed wheel or wheels having one or more differential
concentric circles of teeth thereon for communicating power from the pedal cranks
to the driving rod or medium substantially as herein described and illustrated.
(5.) In combination with means for obtaining differential speed of a bicycle or
velocipede a bolt having projections upon its ends for engaging in the toothed
wheels upon the rod or shaft, said bolt being operated by a collar having a pin or
projection which engages in a spiral groove upon said bolt said spiral groove
terminating in recess or grooves parallel with the axis of said bolt.
Dated this 19th day of Tul 1005
E. EATON, C.E., Fel. Soc. P.A.,
Agent for Applicant.