IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES.
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hix at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 26th May 1883.
JAMES HIX of 8 Station Road Battersea in the county of Surrey, Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES.
An improved mechanism for propelling or driving and improvements in the parts
forming bicycles tricycles and other similar machines
The driving mechanism is particularly applicable to bicycles for purposes of
promoting safety and speed, In one mode of its application to bicycles I attach
to each side of the fork of the front wheel a projection of metal, preferably hollow
steel, or such projection may be a continuation of the fork at the further end of
each of such projections or at any other suitable point in them I attach a lever
the point of attachment forming the fulcrum of such lever, to the levers I attach
the treadles each lever is united to its respective crank by means of a connecting
rod, the levers, connecting rods, cranks and projections are proportioned and
constructed in a novel manner, namely, each of the parts work in close proximity
to one another, the levers and projections being constructed of or about the same
length, which length doubles, or thereabouts, the lengths of the connecting rods
and cranks, which are also constructed of, or about, the saine length, whereby I
altogether avoid a dead centre, and I hold control over the cranks at any point,
and I obtain power over a larger portion of the radius of the crank than heretofore;
which results have hitherto been unaccomplished without the aid of chains, cog,
wheels, straps, pulleys or other such arrangement, this mechanism is applicable to
bicycles in various other ways to suit the size of the driving wheel, it is also
applicable to tricycles and other similar machines, when modified either by adding
further connecting rods or otherwise to suit their special construction
The second part of my invention refers to improvements in the parts forming
bicycles, tricycles and other similar machines these improvements may be
enumerated as follows. Firstly, A section of metal for making the rims or felloes,
forks and backbone, Secondly A section of wire for spokes, and Thirdly an
Improved spring.
Firstly, my section of metal for making the rims or felloes of the wheels is after
the pattern of the ordinary hollow rim, namely a double V or U section or modi-
fications thereof but of one piece of sheet metal steel by preference and I overlap

page_text: the joint at the base of the rim or felloe, and I drill holes through the over-
lapping for the insertion of the spokes which serve the additional purpose of
holding the section of the rim or felloe together, that side of the felloe or rim over-
lapping on the inside does not necessarily terminate but may be produced to form
a circular or other suitable section. The section of metal for making the forks and
backbone is constructed of hollow steel tube, sheet steel, or other suitable metal,
the front of each of the sides of the fork is shaped in the ordinary way, but the
back of these sides is either flat or recessed in a V or U form, the backbone is
formed of one or two of such sections
Secondly, my section of wire for spokes is designed to overcome the difficulty
which is prevalent in spokes as at present constructed, namely resistance to the
wind and atmosphere, I form my wire of steel or other suitable metal of a section
forming an acute angle, it will be observed that a wheel provided with spokes of
this section following one another in such a manner that the sharp edge of one
spoke is facing the recess of the preceding spoke and so on throughout the whole
wheel that when fixed in a bicycle tricycle or other similar machine, the sharp edge
of the spokes at the top of the wheel will be facing forward and when propelled
forward the spokes at the top of the wheel will cut the wind, whilst, those receding,
namely at the bottom of the wheel will hold the wind, and thereby will assist in
propulsion rather, than afford resistance such advantage is gained with the wind
in any direction
Thirdly, my improved spring has for its object to avoid vibration of the small
wheel reaching the saddle and undue strain to the parts forming bicycles, tricycles
and other similar machines; I will describe this spring as applied to a bicycle, for
which it is specially adapted, I form it of wire of any section preferably oval, but
in two parts these parts are fastened one on either side to the neck or solid upper
part of the backbone and are coiled or twisted in one place in any suitable manner
preferably in the recess of the neck or solid upper part of the backbone, and is
from there produced and suspended over the backbone the saddle being placed
thereon at any given point, this spring is constructed in a like manner for tricycles
and other similar machines, but slight modifications will in some instances be
required to suit the special construction of these machines for which also the
adoption of two or more of these springs will be found advantageous.