IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson of 47 Museum Street Oxford
Street in the Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLES communicated to
him from abroad by Wilhelm Bäuerle, Civil Engineer of the city of Augsburg
Bavaria in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles Henderson
.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1883.
"
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street Oxford Street in the
Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BICYCLES A communication to me from abroad by Wilhelm
Bäuerle, Civil Engineer of the city of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the Empire of
Germany
The first part of the invention refers to the treadles of bicycles, and consists in
an arrangement by which they may be raised higher than those at present in use,
the object of so raising them being to admit of the use of a considerably larger
driving wheel than is possible by the present method of construction with a single
crank; as to reach the treadles with a large wheel would be next to impossible.
The improvements in this part of the bicycle consist in supporting the treadles
in a bracket mounted on a long treadle arm or bar, working by a crank directly
on the axle of the driving wheel: the lower part of this bar is connected to a
second or lower crank which is guided and supported in its parallel motion by
three small toothed wheels gearing one with the other
The first of which is mounted on the axle of the driving wheel, the second or
intermediate wheel for transmitting motion is loose on its axis, whilst the third is
fixed to the axis on which the lower crank is mounted.
These three wheels are all enclosed in a metal case. The height of the treadles
being determined the bars or arms must be of a sufficient length or height to
bring the treadles within the reach of the rider at the desired distance from the
saddle

page_text: The second part of the invention relates to the spokes of bicycles and tricycles;
in this case they are made of twisted wire instead of rods of metal as at present.
The object of the employment of wire for the spokes is to obviate the drawbacks
occasioned in fixing the rods, and to avoid their breakage at the points of junction
to the nave and periphery of the wheel.
The advantage of the wire spokes is their lightness and the facility of attach-
ment, which renders repair easy, as fresh spokes can be instantly inserted by the
rider himself without any mechanical assistance.
Round the periphery of the wheels just below the tire are an equi-distant
number of slots or openings, through which the ends of the wire spokes are
passed, and wound: the opposite ends being twisted round the nave (which consists
of an open ring strengthened by bars) and the ends are fixed with screws
Two pairs of spokes only are made from one pair of wires, so that in onse of
breakage, they are easily repaired.
The naves are provided with disks working on a screw with a right and left
handed worm or thread so that the wires can be tightened by turning the disks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Patent Office on the 21st February
1884.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street Oxford Street in the
Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BICYCLES [communicated to him from abroad by Wilhelm Bäuerle,
Civil Engineer of the City of Augsburg Bavaria in the Empire of Germany]
The first part of the invention refers to treadles of bicycles, and consists in an -
arrangement by which they may be raised much higher than those at present in
use, the object of so raising them being to admit of the use of considerably larger
driving wheels than is possible by the method of construction at present in vogue
with a single crank, as to reach the treadles with a large wheel would be next to
impossible.
Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of a bicycle provided
with the improvements referred to. Fig 2 is a front view of the bicycle. Fig 3
is an enlarged view of the treadle and its accessories. Fig 4 is a side view of
the same. Figs 5. 6. 7 show the method of attachment of the wire spokes to the
periphery and to the nave of the wheel.
Fig 8 is a part section showing the naves of the driving wheel, and the treadles
with the mechanism for tightening the wires hereafter mentioned.
The first part of the improvements consist in supporting the treadles in a bracket
mounted on a long treadle arm or bar T, working by a crank, mounted directly
on the axle of the driving wheel, the lower part of this bar is connected to a
second or lower crank which is guided and supported in its parallel motion by
three small toothed wheels A. B. and C. gearing one with the other. The first of
which A is mounted on the axle of the driving wheel, the second B or intermediate
wheel for transmitting motion is loose on its axis, whilst the third C, is fixed to
the axis on which the lower crank is mounted.
These three wheels are all enclosed in a metal case G. The height of the
treadles being determined, the bar or arm T, must be of a sufficient length or
height to bring the treadle P, the requisite distance from the saddle.
The second part of the invention relates to the spokes of bicycle and tricycle
wheels; in this case they are made of twisted wire instead of rods of metal as at
present
The object of the employment of twisted wire for the spokes is to obviate the
drawbacks occasioned in fixing the rods, and to avoid their breakage at the points
of junction to the nave and periphery of the wheel.
The advantage of the twisted wire spokes is their lightness and the facility of
attachment, which renders repair easy, as fresh spokes can be instantly inserted
by the rider himself without any mechanical assistance.
Round the periphery of the wheels just below the tire are an equidistant
number of slots or openings a, vide Figs 5 and 7 through which the ends of the
wire spokes are passed and wound, the opposite ends being merely twisted round
the nave (which consists of an open ring b, strengthened by bars c) and the ends
are fixed with screws d.
Two pairs of spokes are made from one pair of wires vide Fig 7, so that in case
of breakage they are easily repaired.

page_text: The naves are provided with disks e, working on a screw ƒ, with a right and
left handed worm or thread, so that the wires can be tightened by turning these
disks.
In witness whereof, I the said Arthur Charles Henderson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twentieth day of February in the Year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.