An Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I CARL RAMP, of Sandhofen, near Mannheim, in the German Empire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 construct an improved form and arrangement of
driving gear for cycles and other vehicles, whereby the driving power will be more
effectively utilised than hitherto.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation, showing the application of my invention to a
bicycle.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the driving gear, showing the right hand lever a
raised, and the left hand lever a' down.
Fig. 3 is also an enlarged view of the gear, with the left hand lever raised, and
the right hand lever down.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2.
The pedal lever a is fast on the axle b, and the pedal lever a¹ is fast on the
axle 6, the axle being in a vertical line above the axle b. c is a toothed wheel
fast on the axle b, and c is a similar toothed wheel fast on the axle 6. The
wheels c and care geared together, so that the descent of one lever causes the
other to ascend. d is a toothed segment integral with the lever a, and d¹ is a
similar toothed segment integral with the lever a'. e and e¹ are mutilated toothed
wheels or segments, both fast on the chain wheel axle f. The segments d and d¹
have terminal elongated teeth, as shown.
Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 it will be seen that on the descent of the lever a,
in the direction of the arrow, the pinion c causes the lever a¹ to rise to the position
shown in Fig. 3. This movement causes the segment d¹ to drive the chain wheel
through half a revolution, by means of the segment e¹, the segment d passing freely
upwards out of gear with e. In like manner, on the descent, of the pedal a¹ from
the position shown in Fig. 3, the pinion c¹ causes the lever a to rise to the position
shown in Fig. 2. This movement causes the segment d to drive the chain wheel
through another semi-revolution, by means of the segment d the segment d' being
then out of gear with e. By these means the alternate up and down motions of
the pedal levers impart a continuous rotary motion to the chain wheel.
The mechanism may be otherwise arranged, the axles 6 and 6' being in some
cases placed in a horizontal position relatively to each other, and above or below
the chain wheel axle.
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 driving gear for cycles and other vehicles substantially as
described.
2. In a driving gear for cycles and other vehicles, the combination therewith of
two pedal levers fast on separate axles, two spur wheels fast on the same axles in

page_text: gear with each other, two toothed segments fast on the same axles gearing with
mutilated toothed wheels or segments fast on the chain wheel axle, severally
operating substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 15th February 1897.
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents.