Improvements in and connected with the Gear of Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Gear of Velocipedes.
We RICHARD HEAPS WOOD of Hope Cottage, Doods Road, Reigate, and
JOHN GUSTAV SEEX, of 68 Leander Road Brixton, Surrey, Gentlemen, 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:-
Our invention relates to Improvements in and connected with the Gear of
Velocipedes and refers more particularly to an improved method of gearing two
wheeled velocipedes known as "tandem safeties."
The object of this invention is to provide an improved method of gearing the
aforesaid machines which shall enable them to be built considerably lighter, as the
frame may be shorter than those of ordinary construction, at the same time doing
away with the unpleasant swaying which is common to this class of machines, while
the speed is in no way decreased. Our improved gear consists essentially of a.
combination of the ordinary chain gearing to be operated by one rider and a geared
hub for the back wheel to be operated by the second rider.
In carrying our invention into practical effect, the frame may be of any suitable
construction although where a well known type of frame is employed it may be some-
what shorter than is usually required. The front wheel is carried within the steering
fork in the usual manner and the front bracket is furnished with the usual pedals,.
cranks, chain wheel, and chain, the latter passing over a small gear wheel secured
to one side of the rear wheel, while to the other side of the said wheel is attached a
case containing any well known and suitable gear, such as the "Crypto gear" for
instance. The front rider thus operates the first set of pedals and drives the
machine in a similar manner to an ordinary velocipede, by means of the chain and
chain wheels, while the second rider, who is seated slightly to the rear of the hub
of the back wheel, drives the machine by means of the geared hub in a similar
manner to a front driven safety" or a "geared ordinary," the chain gear being
placed on one side of the machine while the geared hub is placed upon the opposite
Bide of the back wheel.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood we will now proceed.
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tandem safety fitted with our improved gear and
Fig. 2 is an end view of the rear wheel fitted with the chain wheel upon one side
and the geared hub on the other side thereof.
Our improved gear consists of the chain wheel w carried in the front bracket in
the usual manner and operated by the first rider, the said gear wheel being
connected by means of the chain C to a smaller gear wheel wl placed upon one side
(the right hand for instance) of the rear wheel, the said front rider thereby
operating the machine in a similar manner to an ordinary velocipede, while the
other or left hand side of the rear wheel is furnished with a geared hub, the second
rider being placed slightly to the rear of the hub of the back wheel so as to enable
him to operate the said wheel in a similar manner to the "geared ordinary" or
"front driven safety."
The frame may be of any suitable and well known construction, the one shown
in the drawings being merely employed to illustrate the application of our
invention, a slightly modified form of the said frame is also shown in the dotted
lines, in which the bottom tubes e are extended and the tube c dropped
perpendicularly to meet same, while the back stays or rods e² connect the junction.

page_text: of the tubes c c¹ to the top of the frame in a similar manner to that shown in the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The new or improved method of gearing velocipedes commonly known as
"tandem safeties" consisting of the combination of the ordinary chain gear w, w³,
and C with a geared hub g substantially as herein described and shown in the
drawings.
2. The improved method of gearing velocipedes known as "tandem safeties,"
arranged, constructed, and operated, substantially as here: described and shown
and for the purpose specified.
wwwww
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regen Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicants.