Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVIDIUNAL DI BULTICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me from abroad by Frank M. Goodhue, and James E. Goodhue, of St. Charles,
in the County of Kane, State of Illinois, U.S. America, Manufacturers,) to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in bicycles, and has for its object to provide
means whereby the speed may be varied.
According to my invention I fashion the frame preferably of "diamond" form,
with the exception that the lower frame piece in which the rear-wheel is journaled,
is horizontal, and upwardly turned at its forward end terminating in the inclined
forward frame-piece in the usual manner.
At the forward angle or toward the front portion of the horizontal frame-piece,
is journaled a short shaft with the crank-arms on which the pedals are pivoted.
This said shaft is the driving-shaft, operated by the feet of the rider. Loose upon
this shaft is the driving sprocket-wheel over which plays the driving-chain which
also plays about the sprocket-wheel on the axle of the rear wheel.
A combined gear-wheel and clutch is feathered upon the driving-shaft and
adapted to slide back and forth upon such shaft, while always rotating with it.
This wheel and the driving sprocket-wheel, are provided with interlocking
portions, whereby they may be made to rotate together.
A spring is provided which normally keeps the combined gear-wheel and clutch
against the other wheel.
An elbow crank-lever adapted to retract the former and controlled by means of
a rod by the rider, is also provided.
A gear-wheel is mounted on a shaft journaled in the horizontal frame, a sprocket-
wheel being also mounted on the same shaft.
The driving-chain travels over the driving sprocket-wheel and under the sprocket-
wheel which is mounted on the second or rear shaft, at all times, and the combined
gear-wheel and clutch is either serving as a clutch to lock the driving sprocket-
wheel to the forward shaft, or as a gear to engage the rear gear and thus drive the
rear shaft.
Dated this 10th day of December 1892.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (a com-
munication to me by Frank M. Goodhue and James E. Goodhue, of St. Charles,
in the County of Kane, and State of Illinois, U.S. America, Manufacturers)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in bicycles, and has for its object to
provide means whereby the speed may be varied. It is illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, wherein :
Fig. 1 is a side view of a bicycle containing my improvement.
Fig. 2 is a similar but enlarged view of the mechanism.

page_text: is a plan detail view of the drive mechanism.
Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all figures.
A Aare the bicycle-wheels, connected and supported by the frame-piece B. B. B,
upon which the controlling-handle C and the seat D are properly mounted.
F is a horizontal frame-piece in which the rear-wheel is journaled and which is
upwardly turned at its forward end and terminates in the frame-piece B.
At the forward angle or toward the front portion of the frame F is journaled
the short shaft G with the crank-arms H H, on which the pedals J J are pivoted.
This is the driving shaft, operated by the feet of the rider. Loose upon this
shaft is the driving sprocket-wheel K, over which plays the driving-chain L,
which also plays about the sprocket-wheel M on the axle Ŏ of the rear wheel A.
P is a combined gear-wheel and clutch feathered upon the shaft G at P¹ and
adapted to slide back and forth upon such shaft, while always rotating with it.
The wheels P and K are provided with interlocking portions P2, whereby they
may be made to rotate together.
P³ is a spring which normally keeps the wheel P against the wheel K, and P₁ is
an elbow crank-lever adapted to retract the wheel P and controlled by means of
the rod P³ by the rider.
R is a gear-wheel on the shaft R¹, journaled in the frame F and R2 is a sprocket-
wheel on the same shaft. The driving-chain L travels over the sprocket-wheel K
and under the sprocket-wheel R2 at all times, and the wheel P is either serving as a
clutch to lock the wheel K to the shaft G or as a gear to engage the gear R, and
thus drive the shaft R'.
These parts may be greatly changed and altered in form and shape and relation
without departing from the spirit of my invention.
The use and operation of my invention are as follows:
In the normal operation of a bicycle the operation of the pedals will rotate the
driving-shaft G, and since the sprocket-wheel K is rigid therewith, by reason of
the engagement of the wheel with the wheel K, the wheel K will be rotated
with the driving shaft and will operate the driving chain L. Since this chain
engages both the sprocket-wheel K and the sprocket-wheel M, the latter will
be rotated and with it the axle of the rear wheel A, and thus the bicycle
will be propelled. In the meantime the shaft R¹ is being rotated in the direction
of the arrow by the engagement of the driving-chain L with the sprocket-
wheel R on such shaft. At such times this shaft is an idle though rotating shaft.
If now it is desired by the rider to speed down-as, for example, in the event of
approaching a hill or incline-it is easily accomplished by operating the rod P³
to move the elbow crank-lever P on its pivot and retract the wheel P, which up to
that time has been acting as a clutch to operatively connect the wheel K with the
shaft G, and by retracting it far enough against the spring P³ it will be brought
into engagement with the gear-wheel R, whereupon the latter will be set in motion,
being driven by the wheel P.
The relation of the parts is such that the wheel R will continue to rotate,
though no longer idle, but now driven in the direction indicated by the arrow. The
wheel R2 will therefore not lock when continuing to travel in the same direction,
but will now serve as a driving-wheel to impart to the chain L the same motion
which it had before when driven by the wheel K. The relation of the gears as to
size, however, is such that the wheel R² under the same speed of action of the pedals
will rotate much slower under the new conditions than under the old conditions.
Thus the same power put forth by the rider will continue to operate the machine,
though slower, to correspond with the increased difficulty of propulsion incident to
the effort to ride up the incline.
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 combination of bicycle wheels and frame with a driving-chain, two

page_text: driving-wheels adapted to be connected therewith, driving connections from each
driving-wheel to the pedal-shaft, and means for throwing the two driving wheels
alternately but not simultaneously in or out of driving connection with the chain.
2. The combination of bicycle wheels and frame with a driving chain, two
driving-wheels, adapted to be connected therewith, driving connections from each
driving-wheel to the pedal-shaft, and means for throwing the two driving-wheels
alternately but not simultaneously in or out of driving connection with the chain,
said driving-wheels adapted to impart different speeds to the driving-wheels, while
the speed of the pedal-shaft remains constant.
3. The combination of bicycle-wheels and a frame therefor with a driving-chain,
two driving wheels continuously in engagement therewith. driving connections from
the same to the pedal-shaft, and means for alternately but not simultaneously
operatively connecting the driving-wheels with the pedal-shaft.
4. The combination of bicycle-wheels and a frame therefor with a driving-chain,
two driving-wheels continuously in engagement therewith, driving connections from
the same to the pedal-shaft, and means for alternately but not continuously
operatively connecting the driving-wheels with the pedal-shaft, said driving-wheels
adapted to impart different speeds to the bicycle-wheels while the speed of the
pedal-shaft remains constant.
5. In a bicycle, the combination of the pedal-shaft with two wheels thereon, one
loose on the shaft, the other adapted to slide along but rotate with the shaft, with
a second shaft carrying two wheels, one adapted to be put into engagement with
the sliding-wheel on the pedal-shaft, a driving-chain continuously in contact with the
two remaining wheels and with a sprocket-wheel on the axle of the bicycle, a
clutch device on the opposed surfaces of the two wheels on the pedal-shaft, and
means for moving the sliding wheel so that it is alternately in engagement with the
other wheel of the pedal-shaft or with the opposed wheel on the shaft, whereby
power is communicated from the pedal-shaft to the bicycle-wheels by either of two
transmitting connections.
Dated this 11th day of September 1893.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for Applicant.