Improvements in or relating to Speed Gear Mechanism for Cycle and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Speed Gear Mechanism for Cycle
and other Vehicles.
I, OSCAR LUTHER, of 76ª Gabelsberger Strasse, Munich in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, do hereby 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:—
The present invention relates to speed gear mechanism for cycles and other
vehicles.
The new device is characterised by the coupling devices of any desired shape
being arranged in the hollow hub of the driving wheel, said parts throwing in or
out of gear sprocket or toothed wheels mounted loose on the hub of the driving
wheel.
In the accompanying drawing
Figs. 1 and 3 show two different constructions according to the present invention,
in longitudinal sections.
Figs. 2 and 4 being sections on the line a b of Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.
The apparatus is substantially as follows:-
Sprocket wheels 1 and 2 of similar size are loose on the hub of the rear or
driving wheel of, say, a cycle, and are driven by one or other of unequal sized
wheels keyed on the crank shaft, by means of a chain or the like.
According as one or other of these loose wheels 1 and 2 is coupled to the driving
wheel, either one or the other gear becomes operative.
The coupling parts are arranged within the hollow hub of the driving wheel and
the necessary parts can pass through the walls of said hub at any desired point.
The construction and operation of the coupling is as follows:-
The hollow or partly hollow wheel-spindle which is detachably secured in the
cycle frame or fork 4 carries the hollow wheel hub 5 to which the spokes 6 are
attached.
1 and 2 are the sprocket wheels loose on the hub 5. They are provided with
holes 7 parallel to the axle 3, similar openings 8 in the sides 9 of the hubs being
formed at the same distance from the axle.
In the openings 8 are supported one or more longitudinally movable pins 10,
which in their central position do not engage with either of the wheels I and 2,
but when moved to the right or left hand side, enter the holes 7 thus connecting
either the wheel 1 or 2 with the driving wheel hub 5.
In order to arrange a connection between the coupling pins 10 and the hand of
the rider, so as to enable the latter to effect the coupling when riding arms 12
carrying the pins are secured to a sleeve 11.
The sleeve 11 is loose on the partially recessed fixed wheel axle 3.
Next to the sleeve 11 there is mounted loose on the spindle 3 a sleeve 13.
The latter is connected with a longitudinally movable bolt or rod 16 by means
of a cross pin 15 passing through a transverse slot 14 in the hollow wheel spindle 3,
the bolt 16 passing through the hollow spindle 3.

page_text: By means of a spring 17 surrounding the spindle 3 and acting against the
sleeve 11 the wheel 2 is normally coupled to the wheel hub 5.
By pressing the bolt 16 movable 'in the spindle 3 inward by means of a bell
crank lever 19 pivoted at 18 to the framing 4, said lever being easily accessible
to the driver by means of a cord or chain 28 or the like, the wheel 1 will be thrown
in, and the wheel 2 out of gear, the helical spring 17 being at the same time
compressed by the sleeve 11.
In the construction described the movement of the pins 10 is caused by a bolt 16
movable in the hollow spindle 3 and a bell-crank lever 19 to which a cord or the
like is attached. In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pins 10 are
caused to move in the following manner.
Owing to the wheel hub rotating in this case directly in the bearings of the
framing 4 by means of extensions 20, a cross piece 21 carrying the pins 10 will be
sufficient swivel pins 24 and 25 being arranged on either sid of said cross piece
and provided with cords 22 and 23, said cords passing over pulleys 26 and 27
secured to the framing 4 being arranged so as to be easily accessible to the driver.
R pulling one cord and releasing the other, one of the wheels 1 or 2 will
becomes coupled to the wheels 5 or 6.
In this modification Figs. 3 and 4 the pins 10 also pass through holes 8 in the
walls of the wheel hub in order to enter into the corresponding holes 7 in the
sprocket wheels 1 or 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A variable speed driving gear for cycles and other vehicles, comprising
locking pins as 10 secured to arms 12 inside a hollow wheel as 5, the arms 12
being mounted on the hollow central spindle 3 in a yielding and longitudinally
movable manner and being coupled to a rod 16 arranged in said spindle, by means
of a cross pin passing through longitudinal slots in the spindle 3, so that the
locking pins passing through holes 8 in the hub walls 9 are adapted to enter
corresponding passages in one or other of the gear-wheels 1 or 2, when the
rod 16 is moved in one or other direction, substantially as described.
'
2. In mechanism of the character described, the arrangement within the hollow
hubs of a laterally movable cross piece provided with coupling pins also arranged
within the wheel-hub operating cords being attached to the cross piece by means
of swivel rings substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete variable
speed gear device for cycles and other vehicles substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of May 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant. I