New or Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and other similar Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and other similar Vehicles.
I, ARMAND WEBEL, of 1, Domstrasse, Mayence, in the German Empire,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The realization of the idea forming the basis of the present invention namely
the utilization of muscular power and weight without dead points, for the pro-
pulsion of cycles and other similar vehicles, has been attempted in many ways;
but, heretofore without successful results, chiefly because the driving mechanism
employed has been too complicated and has produced too much friction, the
advantages being neutralized by the disadvantages.
The object of the present invention is to provide a driving gear which carries
out the above mentioned idea in a very simple manner and which exactly accords
with the material proportions of the power in the feet and legs of human beings
and fully utilises the great power of the leg when fully stretched out.
The driving gear is constructed as follows:-Two friction hars guided at the
sides of the vehicle by guiding arms, and set in motion by pedals, take into and
act upon friction pulleys fixed to the hind wheel, in such manner that they
cause the said pulleys to rotate when they descend, but have no action thereon
when they ascend. As this action occurs alternately on both sides of the vehicle,
the propulsion of the latter is effected steadily and uniformly thereby.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a side view of a bicycle with
my invention applied thereto, and Figure 2 a partial plan showing the propelling
gear to a larger scale.
At each side of the machine are pivotted at a to the front part of the frame,
(which latter may be of any suitable construction) more or less flexible carrying
or guiding arms bb. Each of these arms b, 6 supports a pedal by means
connecting pieces c, and has pivotted to it at ee two lever arms 99 which have
jointed or hinged to their outer ends at mm friction bars f of segmental shape
struck to the radius of a circle the centre of which is at a. The other ends of
these lever arms bear against the ends of adjusting screws tapped into lugs k
on the arms bb.
The friction bar f being pressed by the arms bb downwards against the friction
pulley moves in frictional contact with the latter and causes it to rotate in the
direction of the arrow. Just before the friction bars reach their lowest positions,
the free arm of the upper lever g, comes in contact with a pin i fixed to the
frame of the machine and is thereby caused to turn on its pivot e so as to withdraw
the friction bar out of contact with the friction pulley into the positiou
shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.
Without this pin the friction pulley would force the friction bar f into its
lowest position.
The adjusting screws serve as bearings or points of resistance for the free arms
of the levers gg during the downward movement of the friction bar f, and enable
the pressure of the latter against the roller to be adjusted according to require-

page_text: The two carrying or guiding arms are connected together, so as to move up
and down in unison with one another by means of arms and connected links as
shown in Figure 1.
The action of the driving gear is as follows:-
By means of the corresponding pedal d the friction bar f on one side of the
machine is pressed down so as to take into the groove of its friction pulley and
its movement in frictional contact therewith effects a rotation thereof in tho
direction of the arrow, and consequently of the hind wheel to which the said
friction pulley is connected.
When the friction bar f on one side has reached its lowest position, it becomes
disengaged from the pulley h by the free end of the arm g striking against the
pin, and the hind wheel together with the friction pulleys turn freely until
the pedal action brings the friction bar on the opposite side of the machine
into action and the wheel is again urged forward thereby.
The friction bars return upwards without coming in contact with the friction
pulley h, but when the inner end of the lower lever arm g comes in its upward
movement against the pin the friction bar f is restored to its position so as to
come again in contact with the groove of the friction pulley when the down-
ward movement is repeated.
If no pressure be applied to the pedal, the machine continues its motion for a
time by reason of its momentum without the aid of the driving gear.
If the pedal action be discontinued before the downward movement of the
friction bar is completed the friction pulley carries the friction bar into its
lowest position and the hind wheel continues to turn by the momentum of the
machine until such momentum is exhausted or until the pedal action is removed.
The same thing occurs when the hind wheel of the machine moves faster than
the rider can operate the pedals.
From the foregoing it will be seen that any unnecessary muscular exertion
can be avoided, and the power oconomised according to actual requirements.
By this invention a perfectly smooth pedal action can be obtained with as high
a rate of speed as heretofore, with the advantage that the rider can make a pause
between each movement of the pedal, and thereby guard against any over exertion
of the lungs or heart.
New or Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and other similar Vehicles.
I, ARMAND WEBEL, of 1', Domatrasse, Mayence, in the German Empire,
Merchant, 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, reference being had to the drawings filed with the
Provisional Specification:
The realization of the idea forming the basis of the present invention namely
the utilization of muscular power and weight without dead' points, for the pro-
pulsion of cycles and other similar vehicles, has been attempted in many ways;
but heretofore without successful results, chiefly because the driving mechanism
employed has been too complicated and has produced too much friction, the
advantages being neutralized by the disadvantages.

page_text: The object of the present invention is to provide a driving gear which carries
out the above mentioned idea in a very simple manner and which exactly accords
with the material proportions of the power in the feet and legs of human beings
and fully utilises the great power of the leg when fully stretched out.
The driving gear is constructed as follows:-Two friction bars guided at the
sides of the vehicle by guiding arms, and set in motion by pedals, take into and
act upon friction pulleys fixed to the hind wheel, in such manner that they
cause the said pulleys to rotate when they descend, but have no action thereon
when they ascend. As this action occurs alternately on both sides of the vehicle,
the propulsion of the latter is effected steadily and uniformly thereby.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a side view of a bicycle with
my invention applied thereto, and Figure 2 a partial plan showing the propelling
gear to a larger scale.
At each side of the machine are pivotted at a to the front part of the frame,
(which latter may be of any suitable construction) more or less flexible carrying
or guiding arms bb. Each of these arms b, b supports a pedal by means of
connecting pieces c, and has pivotted to it at ee two lever arms gg which have
jointed or hinged to their outer ends at mm friction bars of segmental shape
struck to the radius of a circle the centre of which is at a. The other ends of
these lever arins bear against the ends of adjusting screws
on the arms bb.
tapped into lugs k
The friction bar f being pressed by the arms bb downwards against the friction
pulley moves in frictional contact with the latter and causes it to rotate in the
direction of the arrow. Just before the friction bars f reach their lowest position,
the free arm of the upper lever g, comes in contact with a pin i fixed to the
frame of the machine and is thereby caused to turn on its pivot é so as to withdraw
the friction bar f out of contact with the friction pulley h into the position
shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.
Without this pin the friction pulley would force the friction bar f into its
lowest position.
The adjusting sorews serve as bearings or points of resistance for the free arms
of the levers gy during the downward movement of the friction bar f, and enable
the pressure of the latter against the roller to be adjusted according to require-
ments.
The two carrying or guiding arms bb are connected together, so as to move up
and down in unison with one another by means of arms and connected links as
shown in Figure 1.
The action of the driving gear is as follows:
By means of the corresponding pedal d the friction bar f on one side of the
machine is pressed down so as to tako into the groove of its friction pulley h and
its movement in frictional contact therewith effects a rotation thereof in the
direction of the arrow, and consequently of the hind wheel to which the said
friction pulley is connected.
When the friction bar on one side has reached its lowest position, it becomes
disengaged from the pulley h by the free end of the arm g striking against the
pin, and the hind wheel together with the friction pulleys h turn freely until
The pedal action brings the friction bar on the opposite side of the machine
into action, and the wheel is again urged forward thereby.
The friction bars f return upwards without coming in contact with the friction
pulley h, but when the inner end of the lower lever arm g comes in its upward
inovement against the pin the friction barf is restored to its position so as to
come again in contact with the groove of the friction pulley when the down-
ward movement is repeated.
If no pressure be applied to the pedal, the machine continues its motion for a
time by reason of its momentum without the aid of the driving gear.
If the pedal action be discontinued before the downward movement of the
friction bar f is completed the friction pulley A carries the friction bar into its

page_text: lowest position and the hind wheel continues to turn by the momentum of the
machine until such momentum is exhausted or until the pedal action is renewed.
The same thing occurs when the hind wheel of the machine moves faster than
the rider can operate the pedals.
From the foregoing it will be seen that any unnecessary muscular exertion
can be avoided and the power economised according to actual requirements.
By this invention a perfectly smooth pedal action can be obtained with as high
a rate of speed as heretofore, with the advantage that the rider can make a pause
between each movement of the pedal, and thereby guard against any over exertion
of the lungs or heart.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A driving gear for cycles and other similar vehioles which consists of friction
bara carried on and guided by arms bb operated by pedals dd, and of friction
pulleys connected with the hind wheel, constructed and operating substantially
h
as described.
Dated this 28th day of January 1898.
Per W. H. Beck,
A. WEBEL, 2
Agent. 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.,