Year: 1896

page_text: I, DOWNES ELLAND NORTON, of Laurel Dene, Hampton Hill, Hampton, in the
County of Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to increase the speed of bicycles, tricycles and the
like by providing ineans whereby one hand (or both if necessary) may be utilized for
assisting the movement of the cranks and pedals driving the hind wheel of the
machine.
I employ on the outside of the ordinary cranks and loosely connected to the
spindles of the pedals another crank (one to each pedal), the special or additional
cranks being connected together by any pliable connection such as chain or wire over
a pulley centered in a support on the front fork of the machine. From this pliable
connection another connection is taken over the same or another pulley terminating
in a handle to be operated by the rider of the machine.
The action of this portion of my invention consists that the rider by pulling the
handle attached to the cord or connection towards him gives assistance to the upward
movement of the pedals and so obtains increased speed.
Another part of my invention consists in providing a spring connected preferably
from the centre or spindle of a pulley on the front fork of the machine to my special
crank as above described; the connection in this case would terminate at the handle
and the crank would be kept in an upward position by the contraction of the spring.
A guide or hood would be provided to the pulley support so that the handle could
not travel forward beyond the front fork and the pliable connection get out of working
position.
Another portion of my improvements consists that, in lieu of the spring being
fixed in the position above referred to, the said spring can be fixed as part of the
handle, operating that the spring in taking up the slack and getting to its normal
position would become locked by the hand of the rider and so he would be able to
form a rigid connection for moving the special crank upwards, but by loosening the
fingers or otherwise freeing the catch the spring can be paid out as much as the
travel of the crank required.

page_text: I, DOWNES ELLAND NORTON, of Laurel Dene, Hampton Hill, Hampton, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to increase the speed of bicycles, tricycles and the
like by providing ineans whereby one hand (or both if necessary) may be utilized for
assisting the movement of the cranks and pedals driving the hind wheel of the
machine.
I employ on the outside of the ordinary cranks and loosely connected to the
spindles of the pedals another crank (one to each pedal), the special or additional
cranks being connected together by any pliable connection such as chain or wire over
a pulley centered in a support on the front fork of the machine. From this pliable
connection another connection is taken over the same or another pulley terminating
in a handle to be operated by the rider of the machine.
The action of this portion of my invention consists that the rider by pulling the
handle attached to the cord or connection towards him gives assistance to the upward,
movement of the pedals and so obtains increased speed.
Another part of my invention consists in providing a spring connected preferably
from the centre or spindle of a pulley on the front fork of the machine to my special
crank as above described: the connection in this case would terminate at the handle
and the crank would be kept in an upward position by the contraction of the spring.
A guide or hood would be provided to the pulley support so that the handle could
not travel forward beyond the front fork and the pliable connection get out of working
position.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle showing the attachment of my auxiliary
driving mechanism, the near pedal being removed to better show the connection to
the spindle of the pedal.
Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the two figures.
f
a is the crank or lever attached at one end to the spindle of the pedal and at the
other end to the one end of the pliable connection b which is taken round the pulley c
preferably fixed to the front pillar of the machine; the other end of the pliable
connection b is attached to the spring drum d centered in a support which may be a
clamped or otherwise fixed to the frame of the machine; the drum d by means of its
spring tends to wind up the connection b and keep it taut. e is the sheaf or bracket
of the pulley c which also acts as a guide to prevent the connection being jerked off
the pulley. f is the handle on the connection b which when operated by the rider
engages with a stop g which is in the form of a ball a corresponding cup being 4
provided on the end of the handle f. h are clips for holding the handle firmly when
it is not required to be operated by the rider as hereinafter described. In Figure 2
the pulley c is shown in section.
I will now describe the action of my invention as follows:-
In driving bicycles not provided with my invention as above described, when the 4
pedal (for example j, Figure 2) is at its lowest position and the foot is moving upward
no assistance is given to the driving of the bicycle by that pedal. With my invention
however when it is desired to assist the driving of the bicycle by hand the rider by

page_text: grasping the handle f and pulling it towards him forces, by means of the connection b
and lever a, a rapid upward movement of the pedal j and the crank to which it is
attached, the foot of the rider again coming into operation to depress the pedal in
the usual way. When it is desired to discontinue the auxiliary driving by hand the
handle is moved forward towards the front fork of the machine and pressed
between the clips h which hold it firmly, the pliable connection b being free to move
freely to and fro through the cup on the end of said handle.
It is obvious that when the hand is not pulling the connection to assist the upward
movement of the crank, the spring drum d to which the end of the connection b is
attached will itself give such assistance, the said connection in its movement
towards the rider being automatically wound round the drum d.
A modification or further improvement, in lieu of the spring being fixed in the
position above referred to, the said spring can be fixed as part of the handle,
operating that the spring in taking up the slack and getting to its normal position
would become locked by the hand of the rider and so he would be able to form a
rigid connection for moving the special crank upwards, but by loosening the fingers
or otherwise freeing the catch the spring can be paid out as much as the travel of the
crank requires.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination in a bicycle or tricycle of a crank connected to the pedal spindle,
a cord, wire or other pliable connection, a handle working in the manner described
and a take up spring (such as d, Fig. 1.) the whole operating that the hands may be
used for giving assistance in propelling the machine, substantially as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
по
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 and 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.