IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert Phillips at the Office of tho
Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1881.
ALBERT PHILLIPS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Velocipedo
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
The object of my Invention is the construction of bicycles, tricycles, and
velocipedes, generally in a manner whereby greater loverage and propelling power,
together with other advantages, are attained than by the ordinary crank and
other actions and means usually employed. Also the adaptation of motive power
to velocipedes as hereinafter set forth.
The hub or knave of the wheel or wheels is constructed with one or more
recesses cast or formed in its or their outer part in such a manner that the said hub
or hubs form a ratchet or clutch box or boxes. These said recesses (if more than
one are employed) are placed or cast at suitable angle or angles in the said clutch
or ratchet boxes, or more correctly described combined hubs and ratchet or clutch
boxes, the said ratchet or clutch box being also capable of construction independently
of the hub for the purpose of receiving one or more loose pieces of metal (preferably
of a wedge shape or of a bolt shapo with suitable taper) such piece or pieces acting
as the gripping, tightening, or actuating catch or catches by automatically or
otherwise dropping into a suitably toothed or geared pinion or ratchet wheel,
working loosely upon a spindle such as the main shaft or axle, in the inside of
this said combined hub and ratchet or clutch box or modification thereof.
By operating the treadle or treadles in an "up and down" direction or manner
the pinion or ratchet wheel or wheels to which the said treadle or treadles are
connected are worked round by the alternate tightening and releasing of the said
wedges or other gripping piece or pieces carried in the aforesaid recesses of the
combined hub and clutch, or ratchet box. It is not necessary however that the
recessed part of the aforesaid hub shall rotate with the wheel, as it can be so
constructed as a kind of sheath or casing connected to the treadles, and in such a
case the geared pinion or ratchet wheel is made fast to the wheel bub and caused
to rotate with it by the ratchet action of the wedges when operated by the
aforesaid pedals or treadles.

page_text: When set in operation by pressure of the pedals or treadles the aforesaid wedge,
wedges, or other shaped gripping piece or pieces drop into the said toothed ratchet
wheel and rotary motion is thereby effected.
The teeth of the said ratchet or toothed wheel are formed or constructed at such
an angle or angles and in such a manner that the wedge, wedges, or other gripping
pieces are alternately allowed automatically or otherwise to drop into gear and
forced out again (by the special angular shape of the tooth or teeth) to take a fresh
grip, and in so doing the rotary motion obtained is not impeded in the said
taking of any fresh grip in the ratchet wheel by the aforesaid downward pressure
on the actuating pedal or pedals.
If a quicker action of the gripping piece or pieces is required it is only necessary
to place a small spiral or other spring at the back part of the wedge or other
gripping piece or pieces and thus throw same into gear more instantaneously. A
screwed cap or caps can also be made to receive the spring or springs and be placed
on the outside of the said ratchet box directly over and at the extremity of the
recess or recesses which contain the wedge or other shaped gripping piece or
pieces. The same aperture or apertures for the screwed cap or caps can also be
utilized for cleaning out and the finishing up of the said recesses to receive the
wedge or other shaped gripping piece or pieces.
The same object of obtaining rotary motion can also be obtained whether either
the recessed casing or combined hub and ratchet box or the toothed ratchet wheel
(or any suitablo modification of same) is affixed to the velocipede wheel, the
main object being to have one part fixed and the other part loose, in such a
manner that the aforesaid gripping pieces shall firmly bite and effect the required
rotary motion.
A modification of the aforesaid principle can be made by arranging the teeth
around the inside rim or flange of the aforesaid clutch or ratchet box. This
internal gearing requires the gripping piece or pieces to be placed between guides
or projecting lugs in and operating outwards from the centre of the clutch or
ratchet box and to be thrust or allowed to drop or pass outwards to gear into the
said internal teeth of the clutch or ratchet box. To ensure the wedge, wedges, or
other shaped gripping pieces operating more instantaneneously it is necessary to
apply a band or other spring (somewhat similar to that of an ordinary clock
spring) around the spindle, one end of which being affixed to the said spindle and the
other end to the inner part of the clutch or ratchet box. By a downward pressure
on the operating handle the said spring is caused to open or expand and so force the
wedge or wedges into the internal gearing of the ratchet box, and on the said
handle being raised the spring is again contracted and the wedge or wedges
allowed to return again or pass back again towards the centre.
Another kind or modification of clutch, ratchet, or gripping mechanisms I
construct with one or more rollers or balls running on an inclined plane on an
arched or curved (outwards from the centre) construction, and such rollers or balls
being by preference externally milled or serrated for the purpose of increasing the
gripping or biting power of the said rollers or balls on the smooth or rough surface
on the arched inclined plane and the circular interior part of the clutch or ratchet
box. With the modification or exception of milled, scrrated, or otherwise roughened
balls or rollers running loosely on an inclined and arched plane, the general
principle or object of the system is similar to those before described.
In each of the aforesaid clutch or ratchet mechanisins it is necessary to provide
a quick and effective means of recovering or bringing up the pedals ready for
treading down again, and to accomplish this I place or fit around the spindle and
suitably connect a flat or other suitable spring (by preference one similar to those
used in clocks) in such a concealed and protected manner that tho pedals are at all
times ready for action. One end of the said spring is affixed to the pedal and the
other to the interior of the hub or ratchet box. If desirable in some instances to
avoid the use of a spring it can be overcome by connecting the two pedals in a
manner that in treading one down the other is thereby raised.

page_text: It is obvious therefore from the foregoing description of my automatic
mechanisms that this ratchet action imparts the rotary motion to the wheel or
wheels of the velocipede in one and the former direction, and that there can be no
dead centres to overcome or any cessation of movement of the machine so long
as the operating pedal or pedals are kept at work. In turning curves or corners
with the machine it is only necessary for the rider to work one pedal with
greater force than the other and thus steer the machine in the required
direction.
To provide for the reversing of the motion and machine a suitable disengaging
apparatus and a double clutch or ratchet operating in the opposite direction is
necessary, but when the machine is merely required to be wheeled in a backward
direction a pin or pins or any other suitable means can be employed for the
purpose of allowing the hub to be secured to or to run loosely upon the axle or
inain shaft.
By preference I construct my velocipedes in such a manner that the rider or
riders shall sit between two wheels upon a seat fitted on the main shaft, which is ..
cranked or dipped in such a manner as to allow the rider or riders to be seated
below the centre of the sail wheels and thus be suspended, held, or balanced
without the necessity of a third wheel. As the steering can be accomplished by
the pedals acting on the ratchet wheel or clutch, the usual steering wheel and other
apparatus may be dispensed with, and likewise by the said dip in main shaft the
hind or pilot wheel can be rendered unnecessary. According to the pressure or
force exerted on the pedal or pedals so is regulated the revolutions made by the
wheel or wheels at each or any number of treads on same.
In connection with the aforesaid or any other suitable kind of clutch, ratchet,
or gripping action, and to any and all kinds of velocipedes, 1 adapt to same a
suitable inotor or engine acted by electricity stored and carried on or by the said
velocipedes in an accumulator or other portable apparatus or device, and such as
any modification of that known as Faure's patent system of storing and carrying
electricity by "Faure's accuculators," yet at the same time I do not confine or
limit myself to this special means of carrying or storing the actuating current or
force as other systems can also be rendered equally applicable without departing
from the general system set forth.