Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th M.r., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
1, ARTHUR GOWER of 7 Brightland Road, Eastbourne, in the County of
Sussex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
This invention refers to the application of improved driving gear as hereafter
described whereby the rotation of the pedal driven axle is communicated to the
driven wheel (or axle) and generally or when required, the gearing is arranged or
combined in such manner that the speed of the driven wheel or axle exceeds in a
desired degree that of the driving or pedal axle, the object of the invention being
to obtain a very advantageous transfer of the power applied at the pedal axle to
the propulsion of the machine.
According to my invention, and as, for example, applied to the propulsion of a
rear driven bicycle of safety type. I fix upon each side of the pedal axle, an
excentric adapted to give any desired throw, and one such is preferably set 90° in
advance of the other. Each excentric carries a strap from which a connecting rod
extends rearwards to a crank upon the axis of the driven wheel, thus the parts upon
each side of the machine are symmetrical, and of course the cranks upon the rear
axis must have the same throw as have the excentrics. The excentrics and straps
are grooved to form a ball race, or other suitable provision is made to provide ball
bearings between the strap and excentrics.
The gearing 1 employ to increase the speed of the driven wheel relatively to the
driving axle is similar to that of an ordinary lathe, that is, for example I employ
4 spur pinions the rear pair of which are combined, the outward one of the two
forward spur wheels is turned by the rear cranks aforesaid and the inner one of
the two forward spur wheels is fixed or formed on the hub of the driven road
wheel.
In some cases other forms of speed gearing may be employed say such as is or
has been employed for so-called front driven safeties. The gear should be cased
to protect same from wet, mud and dust, and if desired the case may be oil
containing.
By my invention an economical transfer of motion is made, with many advantages
in its present application, thus wet, dust, and dirt can be easily excluded from the
working parts, the gearing is not susceptible of becoming thrown out of action by
any slight spring of the frame, and there is no liability of the parts catching or
injuring the dress of the rider, while at the same time by my invention I obtain
increased driving combined with brake power, the latter being produced by the
action of back pedalling.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Driving Gear for Velocipedes:
I, ARTHUR GOWER, of 7 Brightland Road, Eastbourne, in the County of
Sussex, Mechanical Engineer, 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 refers to mechanism whereby the rotation of the pedal driven
axle of a velocipede, particularly of a rear driven bicycle, is communicated to the
driven wheel, this mechanism hereafter described possessing special advantages in
its present application in that its parts are easily manufactured, that when in use
the said parts are well protected from the detrimental effects of wet, dust, and mud
of the road, gear cases or covers not being a necessity; that there is much greater
speed obtainable, with an equal expenditure of power than in machines as usually
constructed, there being fewer points of contact, that great brake power is obtained
by back pedalling, so that an ordinary brake may be dispensed with, and in the
manufacture of the gearing the speed of the driven wheel, relatively to the pedal
axle, can be arranged as required.
Hitherto in velocipedes, motion has usually been communicated from the pedal
shaft to the rear wheel, by means of an endless chain passing over chain wheels on
both driver and driven parts, or in other cases bevil toothed wheels have been
fixed respectively on the pedal shaft, and on the rear wheel hub, such being
connected by a longitudinal shaft carried in bearings on the framework, and having
bevil wheels at either end to gear with the aforesaid toothed wheels. It has been
proposed to employ a cam on the pedal shaft capable of communicating at each
revolution two or more throws to a loop or bowl, carried by a longitudinal
connecting rod, which latter by its opposite end, operated a crank or the like on
the driven wheel.
Now according to my invention, and as shewn 'in sectional elevation at Fig. 1 and
sectional plan Fig. 2, I fix on the pedal 'driven shaft A, on one side of the machine
an eccentric B, having a race C, containing anti-friction balls D, between the
periphery and a surround sheave or strap E; fixed to the strap E is a connecting
rod F, extending rearwards to a crank G, fixed on the shaft G', this 'shaft being
capable of being revolved on ball bearings H carried by the framework J.
Upon the opposite end of the shaft G is a similar crank to the crank G, and the
parts of the mechanism in connection therewith are identically similar to those
I have described, the said parts being indicated by like letters, but it should be
'particularly observed 'that the front eccentric (in the drawing), is set at 90° in
advance of the other eccentric, and therefore the front crank G and co-acting
'parts, are in corresponding positions.
In the construction shewn the eccentrics Bare screwed onto the shaft A, as are
also the cranks A', the latter having arms A2 screwed to the eccentric plates B,
and the said cranks 'are secured to the shaft A by cotter pins 'A³. The wear of the
ball bearings of the eccentrics may be compensated by the adjustment of the straps
through the 'flanged connections at E¹; the ball bearings H as also the bearings F¹
of the crank pins, are of ordinary construction consisting as in the case of those
marked H, of an inner grooved collar fixed on the shaft G, and outer cones
screwed into a ring forming part of the frame J.
Rigidly fixed to the shaft 'G' is an oblong plate K, (see Fig. 3) which is a side
elevation, shewing a part removed, in order to shew the plate K. The said plate K
carries pivots K on which two toothed pinions K2 K' are free to turn; these
pivots K are revolved with the shaft G1, and the pinions K* gear with the internal
teeth of a stationary wheel L fixed to the framework J of the machine, while the.

page_text: same pinions K³, also gear with a central pinion M, fixed to the hub N, of the
wheel P to be driven. By these means upon the shaft G₁ being rotated by
the action of the eccentrics B, the plate K will be revolved, and by the
pinions K taking into the fixed rack L the wheel P will be revolved at a speed
greater than the shaft G'. The hub N is carried on ball bearings G upon the
shaft G.
In cases where a narrow tread is desired, that is, that the distance between the
pedals should be as small as possible, I may bring the eccentrics closer together,
and bend the connecting rods outwards as they extend towards the driven wheel,
and in some cases other forms of- or constructions of speed gearing may, if so
desired, be employed in conjunction with the eccentric driving gear as hereinbefore
described although I have found the latter convenient in practice.
By my invention an economical transfer of motion is made, with many advantages
in its present application; thus wet, dust, and dirt can be easily excludel from the
working parts, the gearing is not susceptible of becoming thrown out of action by
any slight spring of the frame, and there is no liability of the parts catching or
injuring the dress of the rider, while at the same time by my invention I obtain
increased driving, combined with brake power, the latter being produced by the
action of back pedalling as aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In driving gear for velocipedes, the employment of two eccentrics on the
pedal driven shaft, one at each side of the machine, connecting rods extending
from the eccentric straps, to cranks on a rear axle, turning in bearings on the
frame of the machine; in combination with speed gearing connecting the rotated
rear axle with the driven road wheel, and whereby the speed of the latter is
increased relatively to the rotated rear axle, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
2. A velocipede having two eccentrics on the pedal driven shaft, one at each side of
the machine, connecting rods from the eccentric straps thereon, to cranks on the
driven axle, the latter being thus driven and turning in bearings on the frame,
toothed pinious carried by a plate fixed to the axle, a circular stationary toothed
rack, fixed to the frame, into which the revolved pinion gears, and a central pinion
fixed to the hub of the road wheel, into which pinion, the pinions gear and drive, so
that the hub and its road wheel are driven at an increased speed, relatively to the
pedal shaft, the driven axle, and the driven hub turning in the same direction, but
at different speeds, substantially as herein before described and illustrated, with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The general construction and combination of parts composing my improvements
in or connected with driving gear for velocipedes all arranged and acting substan-
tially as and for the purposes described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th dor of March 1907