IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Singer and Richard Henry
Lea at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March 1882.
GEORGE SINGER of Coventry in the County of Warwick Velocipede
Manufacturer and RICHARD HENRY LEA of the same place Commercial Clerk
IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
"
Our invention relates to a means of driving a tricycle or velocipede (in which
two of the side wheels are the driving wheels) in such a manner that both driving
wheels may be propelled either forwards or backwards, and at same time; in
turning a corner, each wheel will run independently of the other and revolve at
the required rate of speed without any attention on the part of the rider, i.e. the
mechanism acts automatically.
In one arrangement, we apply this driving motion to a tricycle having the
steering wheel behind the rider aud the wheels revolving on separate axles, the
space between the wheels being then left open. To carry out this, we provide
a wheel about six inches in diameter having teeth on its outer edge to carry chain
or to form the connection with the driving wheels. In the centre of the inside of
this wheel which is recessed to a depth of about half an inch) a pinion about two
inches in diameter is firmly fixed. The wheel revolves freely upon the crank
shaft to which the pedals are attached.
To the crank shaft and next to the pinion, is fixed a collar which we prefer to
make round and same size as the pinion, and upon a boss on one side of the collar,
an arm is fitted, about four inches long which moves upon the boss between two
studs which are fitted to the collar
:
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To one end of the arm is attached an oscillating pawl the centre of which is
pivotted to the arm and which falls into the teeth of the pinion at either end as
required ie when driving forward one end of the pawl engaged with pinion and
when driving backwards the other end engages with it.
To the other end of the arm which comes close to the inner side of the rim of
the toothed wheel is attached a small spring which presses lightly upon the inside
of the rim and causes the arm to remain stationary while the crank is moved
either backwards or forwards sufficiently to reverse the oscillating pawl The
reversal of the pawl is effected in the following manner. To each end of the pawl
ID 077

page_text: a small spring is attached, the other ends of the springs being attached to the
collar; (one on each side of the arm).
When the crank is driven forward the spring in the end of the arm presses
against the inner side of the rim of toothed wheel, thus keeping the arm stationary
while the crank and collar more forward and thus pull the forward end of the
pawl into gear with the pinion.
Two studs or projections are formed upon the collar, one upon either side of the
arm and so arranged that the arm comes into contact with one of these studs, as
soon as one end of the pawl engages with the teeth of the pinion and the arm,
pawl, collar and pinion to which the chain wheel is attached are thus all driven in
the same direction together.
As soon as the crank shaft is checked the motion of the collar is reversed and
the other end of the pawl comes into play. In turning the machine round, the
pinion of the wheel on the outer side of the circle described by the tricycle, and
which thus requires to revolve faster than the inner wheel of the tricycle is
allowed to escape from the pawl by means of the spring connection between the
pawl and the collar.
This arrangement as decribed is fitted to each end of the crank shaft and each
wheel is connected to the corresponding driving wheel by separate chains or other
suitable connections.
In arranging this invention for a tricycle having the two side wheels both
running upon one axle placed across the frame of tricycle, we drive the axle itself
from the crank shaft and fix the pinions to the hubs of the wheels.
The collars are fixed to the axles and the details are carried out as already
described.
We may also make use of another method constructed as follows.
The wheel carrying chain or other connection with driving wheel revolves freely
on crank shaft and is recessed on one side about three quarters of an inch. Also
loose on crank shaft is an arm upon one end of which is a small spring pressing on
internal rim of the chain wheel as described in previous arrangement. The other
end of arm is continued past the centre of the wheel about one inch.
Pivoted (in its centre) at this end of the arm is an oscillating Y piece so arranged
that by the movement of the crank shaft either end of the Y piece is wedged
against the internal rim of wheel.
The control of the oscillating Y piece is effected by the crank shaft as follows.
Firmly keyed upon the crank shaft is a collar carrying a stud or projection
which fits into a groove or slot in the bottom part of the Y piece. The Y piece is
thus moved on its centre by the crank and the centre of Y piece being out of centre
with the wheel, one arm is caused to bind against inner rim of wheel and so carry
all round together; when crank is reversed, the other arm of Y piece comes into
use.