Improvements in Regulating Devices for Flywheels, applicable to the Wheels of Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regulating Devices for Flywheels, applicable to
the Wheels of Vehicles and the like.
We, LEON ERNEST FRENOT, Mechanician, and HENRI LOUIS MARIE ACHILLE
FARJAS, Engineer, both of Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an adjustable balancing device applicable to vehicles
of all sorts, such as velocipedes autocars and the like, for example, and also to
inachines and machine tools of every description.
The characteristic feature of such balancing device is that it is composed of a
movable weight which is subject to the action of centrifugal force and that this
weight is affected by such force proportionately to the speed at which the part to
which it is applied rotates. It has this advantage that its regulating weight does
not represent a dead weight at the start, contrary to what obtains with regulating
fly-wheels as hitherto used.
The adjustable balancing device may be either simple or compound, that is to
say that, upon the same wheel the motion of which is to be regulated, either one or
several movable weights may be arranged. In this latter case the balancing
device would resemble a divided fly-wheel of which the constituent portions, inde-
pendent one of the other, would travel from the centre to the circumference of the
wheel under the influence of the speed of rotation.
In principle the adjustable balancing device comprises a weight, block or mass
connected with the hub of a wheel of any description by means of a
spring or
other suitable elastic body. According to one form or modification the weight is
of cylindrical shape and hollow, but it will of course be understood that this shape
is not essential and that the weight may be made of any other desired shape with-
out in any way affecting the results produced. The spring or elastic body is at-
tached by a screw for example, to. the bottom of the cavity in the weight, in such
a mauner as to permit the latter to approach the hub of the wheel as nearly as pos
sible when the wheel is not in motion, owing to the fact, that the said spring or
elastic body will then be lodged within the cavity.
The weight may be left uncovered but must be suitably guided. With this
object it may be passed upon a rod arranged radially in relation to the centre of
the wheel or, and this is preferable, it may be arranged within a tube, such tube
guiding the weight and at the same time protecting it from shocks or from dust
which might interfere with its action.
This protecting tube may be fixed to the hub of the wheel and to its rim in any
suitable manner. However, when the appliance is to be attached to the wheel, of a
velocipede, the following arrangement is preferably employed. At the extremity
of the tube adjacent to the hub of the wheel, is screwed a plug upon which is the
point of attachment for the spring or elastic body, and to this plug is fixed a spring
blade bent so as to form a fork or clip which embraces the hub of the wheel.
branches of this spring fork or clip are connected by means of a screw bolt and nut
The

page_text: or in any other suitable manner. This method of fixing, it will be understood,
may be varied according to the form of the hub.
that owing to the plug and to the recessed form of the weight this latter approaches
In any case it will be noticed
the hub very closely when the wheel is at rest.
The opposite extremity of the tube is fixed to the rim of the wheel by means of
a press formed by a stirrup embracing the said rim and provided with a screw
upon which two nuts are screwed, which, by bearing upon the 'plug at this end
press the stirrup upon the rim. The tube is in addition connected with the spokes
by means of a spring blade which embraces them in such a manner that the tube
is rendered quite immovable. The stirrup, the blade, and the screw are rigidly
connected by means of a rivet. It will be understood that this method of fixing
to the rim, which is specially intended for safety bicycles, is not arbitrary, and may
be replaced by any other suitable method appropriate to the different wheels to
which our adjustable balancing device is susceptible of being applied.
In any event the action is as follows:-
In a condition of repose the movable weight or weights of our adjustable balanc-
ing device is or are arranged at the centre of the wheel, their springs acting in
such a manner as to always bring them back to this point. Under the influence
of a greater or less speed of rotation, the weight or weights, by virtue of centrifugal
action, approach the periphery to a greater or less extent, and their regulating
action is so much the greater as the speed of rotation is increased. The displace-
ment of the movable weight or weights is rendered possible, when protecting guide
tubes are employed, by openings for the admission and outlet of air suitably formed
in proximity to the plug or in the plug itself.
As a consequence, these weights, which on starting do not constitute any dead
weight to be carried round, nevertheless act in such a manner as to regulate the
motion. In any case they assist the motion and, more especially as regards veloci-
pedes, they assist the riders in climbing hills.
In addition, the possibility of adapting to the same wheel a greater or less num-
ber of weights or movable masses will be understood. Thus, for instance, a wheel
may be provided with two such weights diametrically opposed one to the other.
Their number may be increased in such conditions that all the weights as a whole,
will constitute a divided and extensible fly-wheel, its extension being proportionate
to the speed:
A further advantage of our arrangement consists in the facility with which it
may be adapted to the wheels of vehicles, more especially velocipedes. It will
also be observed that the vehicle is not appreciably loaded having regard to the
results thereby effected.
We would point out in conclusion that we do not in any way limit ourselves as
regards the forms, dimensions or materials to be employed in making the con-
stituent parts of our apparatus, which latter may be equally well applied to vehicles
as to tools or fixed machines.
Dated this 5th of 11
improvements in Regulating Devices for Flywheels, applicable to
-the Wheels of Vehicles and the like.
We, LEON ERNEST FRENOT, Mechanician, and HENRI LOUIS MARIE ACHILLE
TARJAS, Engineer, both of 4, Rue de la Charissee d'Autin, Paris, in the Republic 5
of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to an adjustable balancing device applicable to vehicles
of all sorts, such as velocipedes autocars and the like, for example, and also to
marbines and machine tools of every description.
The characteristic feature of such balancing device is that it is composed of a
movable weight which is subject to the action of centrifugal force and that this
weight is affected by such force proportionately to the speed at which the part to
which it is applied rotates. It has this advantage that its regulating weight does
not represent a dead weight at the start, contrary to what obtains with regulating
fly-wheels as hitherto used.
The adjustable balancing device may be either simple or compound, that is to
say that, upon the same wheel the motion of which is to be regulated, either one or
several movable weights may be arranged. In this latter case the balancing
device would resemble a divided fly-wheel of which the constituent portions, inde-
pendent one of the other, would travel from the centre to the circumference of the
wheel under the influence of the speed of rotation.
In order that the arrangement of our adjustable balancing device may be readily
understood and also the method of mounting the same upon a wheel, we will now
describe it with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 shews, by way of example, a transverse section taken through a safety,
bicycle provided with our adjustable balancing device.
Figure 2 is a corresponding front elevation shewing more particularly the
methed of mounting the apparatus upon the hub and upon the felloe or rim of the
wheel.
Figure 3.is a detail view of one of the parts of the attachment which serves
for fixing the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a front elevation, on a smaller scale, of a complete wheel (a safety,
bicycle wheel for example) furnished with several movable weights.
L
In principle the adjustable balancing device comprises a weight, block or mass A
connected with the hub of a wheel of any description by means of a spring or
other suitable elastic body B. In the example shewn the weight A is of cylind-
rical shape and hollow, but it will of course be understood that this shape is not
essential and that the weight may be made of any other desired shape without
in any way affecting the results produced. The spring or clastic body B is attached
at d, upon a screw for example, to the bottom of the cavity a in the weight A, in
such a manner as to permit the latter to approach the hub of the wheel as nearly as
possible when the wheel is not in motion, owing to the fact that the said spring
or elastic body will then be lodged within the cavity a.
The weight A may be left uncovered but must be suitably guided. With this
object it may be passed upon a rod arranged radially in relation to the centre of
the wheel or, and this is preferable, it may be arranged within a tube C as shewn
in the drawing, such tube guiding the weight and at the same time protecting it
from shocks or from dust which might interfere with its action.
This protecting tube may be fixed to the hub of the wheel and to its rim in any
suitable manner: However, when the appliance is to be attached to the wheel of
a velocipede, the arrangement shewn in the drawing is preferably employed. At
the extremity of the tube adjacent to the hub of the wheel, is screwed a plug b
upon which is the point of attachment c for the spring or elastic body B, and to
this plug is fixed a spring blade e bent so as to form a fork or clip which embraces
the hub of the wheel. The branches of this spring fork or clip are connected
by means of a screw bolt and nut for in any other suitable manner. This method
of fixing, it will be understood, may be varied according to the form of the hub.
In any case it will be noticed that owing to the plug 6 and to the recessed form
of the weight A this latter approaches the hub very closely when the wheel is
at rest.
The opposite extremity of the tube is fixed to the rim 2 of the wheel by means

page_text: of a press formed by a stirrup 9 embracing the said rim and provided with a screw h
upon which two nuts i are screwed, which, by bearing upon the plug b¹, press the
stirrup 9 upon the rim 2. The tube is in addition connected with the spokes 3
and 4 by means of a spring blade (Figure 3) which embraces them in such a
manner that, the tube C is rendered quite immovable. The stirrup g, the blade j
and the screw are rigidly connected by means of a rivet. It will be understood
that this method of fixing to the rim, which is specially intended for safety.
bicycles, is not arbitrary, and may be replaced by any other suitable method
appropriate to the different wheels to which our adjustable balancing device is
susceptible of being applied.
in any event the action is as follows:-
In a condition of repose the movable weight or weights of our adjustable balanc-
ing device is or are arranged at the centre of the wheel, their springs acting in
such a manner as to always bring them back to this point. Under the influence
of a greater or less speed of rotation, the weight or weights, by virtue of centrifugal
action, approach the periphery to a greater or less extent, and their regulating
action is so much the greater as the speed of rotation is increased. The displace-
ment of the movable weight or weights is rendered possible, when protecting
guide tubes are employed, by openings for the admission and outlet of air suitably
formed in proximity to the plug 61 or in the plug itself.
As a consequence these weights, which on starting do not constitute any dead
weight to be carried round, nevertheless act in such a manner as to regulate the
motion. In any case they assist the motion and, more especially as regards
velocipedes, they assist the riders in climbing hills.
In addition; the possibility of adapting to the same wheel a greater or less num-
ber of weights or movable masses will be understood. Thus, for instance, Figure 4
represents a safety bicycle wheel provided with two such weights diametrically
opposed one to the other. Their number may be increased in such conditions
that all the weights as a whole, will constitute a divided and extensible fly-wheel,
its extension being proportionate to the speed.
A further advantage of our arrangement consists in the facility with which it
may be adapted to the wheels of vehicles, more especially velocipedes. It will also
be observed that the vehicle is not appreciably loaded having regard to the results
thereby effected.
We would point out in conclusion that we do not in any way limit ourselves.
as regards the forms, dimensions or materials to be employed in making the con-
stituent parts of our apparatus, which latter may be equally well applied to vehicles
as to tools or fixed machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The adjustable balancing device above described, for use with vehicles of all
sorts such as velocipedes, autocars and the like for example, also with fixed or
portable machines such as motors, machine tools and the like, and characterised
by the combination with one or more of the wheels of such vehicles or machines,
or one or more movable weights capable of displacement, from the centre to the
periphery of these wheels, under the action of centrifugal force to an extent
proportionate to the speed imparted to the said wheels, with the object of regulating
the motion without however constituting a dead weight to be carried round on
starting, as above specified.
2. In an adjustable balancing device as above described, the combination of the
movable weight or weights with springs or elastic connections of any description,
tending to cause them to constantly return towards the centre, whilst the greater
or less speed imparted to the vehicles or machines to which they are applied tends
to make them approach the periphery to a greater or less extent and causes them
to produce an effect proportionate to the speed, as above specified.

page_text: 3. In this adjustable balance or fly, the special construction of the movable
weight or weights of hollow form with a point of connection for the spring or
elastic body at the part most distant from the centre of the wheel to which it is
applied, in such a manner that, when the wheel is at rest, the weight or weights
may be as near as possible to the centre of the said wheel, as above specified.
4 Jn this adjustable balance or fly, the combination of each of the movable
weights attached to the centre of the wheel to which it is applied by means of a
spring or other elastic connection, with a tube which serves at the same time both
as a guide and protection, as above specified.
5. In view of the application of this adjustable balancing device to the wheels
of velocipedes, the combination of the protecting guide tube for the movable
weight with a connection permitting its being fixed to the hub and a connection
permitting its being fixed to the rim, as above described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
6. The special arrangement of the connection to the rim in combination with a
blade embracing two spokes of the wheel and assuring an absolutely fixing of the
appliance as a whole, as above specified.
7. The adjustable balancing device as above described both as a whole and in its
details and, except as regards forms and dimensions, with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
.
exc
1 1007
HASELTINE LAKE & Co., .
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.