Improvements in Tricycles
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb, 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar, 1896
Improvements in Tricycles
I, EPHRAIM PHILLIPS of 54, Bissell Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Screw Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention has reference to tricycles of the kind known as sociables which are
constructed for two riders sitting side by side The principal object of my said
invention is to so construct and arrange a tricycle of this kind that it will pass
through any ordinary dooi way and that it will be light and easy running
A tricycle constructed according to this invention has two back driving wheels of
equal size and a front steering wheel and said diving wheels are arrang.d
conveniently near together and mounted upon a cross axle or divided axle supported
by the framework of the machine The two saddles are arranged conveniently
above the two diving wheels so that each rider sits over one of the driving wheels
as in a well known safety bicycle and works on to pedals and cranks in front of the
driving wheels aud from which power and motion are transmitted by diving chains
to differential gearing on the axle of the driving wheels so arranged that both riders
will drive both wheels which can also turn independently of each other The
framework of the tricycle cues a steering head with steering pillar and front
steering wheel fork as in a safety bicycle, but I prefer to make the steering handle
bar of a peculiar form so that it will suit both riders The said steering handle
bar is by preference made long enough to be held by the outer right hand of one
rider and by the outer left hand of the other rider, and springing from the inner
part of the handle bar there is a 1orked stem made with two handles comparatively
near together one of which is gripped by the inner left hand of one 11der and the
other is gripped by the inner right hand of the other rider, thus both riders grip the
handle bar and consequently the tricy cle can be steered by either or both of them,
or instead being made to be gupped by both riders the handle bar may be
constructed so as to we gripped by both hands of one of the riders and only by the
inner hand of the other rider, in this case there is a dummy handle for the outer
hand of the rider who only grips the steering handle bar with one hand
I prefer to arrange the differential gear (which may be of any well known kind)
in a box at about the centre of the tricycle axle provided at each side with a
projecting sleeve within which the axle revolves and on the ends of the sleeve are
fixed the two chain wheels round which pas. the chains from the two pedal axles
By mounting both riders above the two driving wheels and on the centre lines of
the same as stated above, the tricycle can be made even narrower than is a tricycle
for one rider sitting between the wheels, and can also be made very light and will
run very easily
Dated this 4th day of May 1895
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant

page_text: Improvements in Tricycles
I, EPHRAIM PHILLIPS, of 54, Bissell Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Screw Manufacturer, do nereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement
This invention has reference to that kind of tricycle which is constructed for two
riders sitting side by side above and immediately over the two back driving wheels
of the tricycle which has a cential steering wheel in front The two back driving
wheels are mounted upon divided axle supported by the framework of the machine
Each rider works on to pedals and cranks in front of the driving wheels and from
which power and motion are transmitted by driving chains to differential gearing on
the axle of the diving wheels so arianged that both riders will drive both wheels
which can also turn independently of each other
My invention consists of the hei eindescribed improved construction and arrange-
ment of the means for steering the machine so that it can be steered by both or
either of the two rideis
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig is a general view of a sociable tricycle constructed according to this
invention Fig 2 is a side elevation and Fig 3 is a plan of the same,
Fig 4 shews modification of my invention
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures
A B are the two back driving wheels of equal size and C is the front steering
wheel D1 D2 are the two saddles arranged conveniently above the two driving
wheels A and B so that each der sits ovci one of the driving wheels and works on
to the pedals e¹² f1f2 and cranks E¹ L2, 12, mounted on axles G¹ G² turning in
bearings in the frame H of the machine 2¹2² are the two endless driving
chains which transmit power and 10tay motion from the axles G' G2 to
the two sleeves 12 which revolve in the usual way on the divided axle a¹ a² of
the back wheels A and B the motion of the sleeves 12 being transmitted to the
axles a a² by differential gearing K so that both riders dive both the wheels A
and B and the latter can also turn independently of each other The above
described puts of the tuicycle and the arrangement of the driving wheels A and B
and their axles and differential gearing are old and well known and therefore require
no further description here, particularly as I make no claim in respect of them
According to this invention the framework of the said sociable tucycle carries a
cential steering head L with steering pillar M and front steering wheel fork m² m²
like the corresponding parts of a safety bicycle The lower part of the steering
head L is connected by the lower inclined tubes HH2 of the frame to the bottom
forks H H which support the divided cross axle a' a² of the back wheels A and B,
the upper part of the steering head L is stayed by the upper central tube H' from
the back cross tube H which connect together the upper torks H7 H8 of the back
wheels On the upper end of the steering pillar M I provide the steering handle N
which 1 make of peculiar form so that it will suit both riders I make the said
handle bar N (see Figs 1, 2 and 3) long enough that the handle n' at one end of
the same can be held by the outer right hand of one rider and the handle n² at the
other end can be held by the outer left hand of the other rider Springing from
the inner part of the handle bai N there are two stems n³ ne forming a fork and
made with two hardles n³ n comparatively near together one of which namely n³ 18
gripped by the inner left hand of one rider and the other namely n is gripped by
the inner right hand of the other rider Thus both riders grip the handle bar and
consequently the sociable tricycle can be steered by either or both of them Instead

page_text: of the handle bar being made to be gripped by both riders as above described and
shewn by Figs 1, 2 and 3, the said handle bar may as shewn in Fig 4 be con-
structed with only the handles n' n³ fixed on the steering bar N so as to be gripped
and the tricycle steered by both hands of one of the riders say the right hand rider
The left hand rider grips the other two handles n² n which in this case are fixed
and carried by the bracket n³ from the steering head L
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
-
1 In a sociable tricycle of the kind herein referred to provided with two back
driving wheels arranged to be driven by two sets of pedal gearing and endless
driving chains arranged to be operated by the two riders mounted immediately above
said two driving wheels, the combination of the central front steering head L
carried by tubes H H H of the frame, the steering pillar M and fork m' m², and
front steering wheel C, all substantially as described and illustrated by Figs 1, 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings
2 In a sociable tricycle of the kind herein referred to provided with tvo back
driving wheels arranged to be driven by two sets of pedal gearing and endless
driving chains arranged to be operated by the two 1iders mounted immediately above
said two driving wheels, and also made with a central front steering wheel carried
by a steering pillar and fork from the steering head put of the flame, the com-
bination with the said steering pillar and fork and front wheel of the herein-
described improved steering handle bar N made with the four handles n¹ n² n³ nª
arranged so as to be respectively held by both 1ders and thus enable both or either
of the riders to steer the tricycle, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings
3 In a sociable tricycle of the kind herein referred to provided with two back
diving wheels airanged to be driven by two sets of pedal gearing and endless
driving chains ranged to be operated by the two riders mounted immediately
above said two driving wheels, and also made with a central front steering wheel
carried by a steering pillar and fork from the steering head part of the fiame, the
combination with the said steering pilla and fork and front wheel of the hei ein-
described improved steering handle bar N made with two handles n' n³ on one side
for one rider to steer the tricycle and with two fixed non-steering handles n² n* for
the other rider, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Fig 4 of
the accompanying drawings
Dated this 5th day of Februarv 1896
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant