Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 28th Jan., 1887.
1, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to velocipedes or carriages driven by the action of the feet of
the person using the carriage upon pedals suitably arranged so as to impart movement
to the driving wheel or wheels.
It has for its object novel methods of constructing and arranging the mechanism so
that it is simple and effective in its action, and the speed can be readily and easily
increased or diminished as desired.
The improved mechanism consists of a small toothed wheel fixed upon the axle of
the driving wheel of the velocipede, and gearing with a larger toothed wheel fixed
upon a separate parallel axis carried in bearings upon the machine. Upon each of
these two axles are also fixed two ratchet toothed wheels upon each side of the geared
wheels first described, which latter may either gear directly together as first described
or may be connected by an ordinary pitch chain. Each of the ratchet wheels is
actuated by a driving pall at the lower end of a rod and above cach pair of ratchet
wheels is arranged a horizontal lever or pedal, to which the rods are jointed near their
upper ends. The extremities of the rods rise above the pedals for a short distance and
have attached to them spiral springs, the other ends of which are connected to bell
cranks or other levers which are connected by rods to vertical levers jointed to the
pedals near the outer ends of the latter, so that the rider of the machine can readily
by moving the levers throw the bars and palls in or out of gear with their respective
ratchet wheels as desired.

page_text: Palls or catches are also provided upon the levers, engaging with notches upon the
pedal levers so that they can be retained in any desired position. By this method of
arrangement, the position of the palls can be varied so as to increase or diminish the
speed of the machine as desired.
The inner ends of the pedal levers are hinged to bearings carried by the frame of
the carriage, and the outer ends are coupled together by a chain passing over a pulley
fixed between them, so that they work alternately.
The steering of the velocipede is effected by means of two parallel rods connected at
one end to a cross bar or yoke upon the frame which carries the steering wheel or
wheels, and at their other end to a crossbar fixed upon a vertical central axis turning
in bearings and having fixed upon its upper end a tangent toothed wheel with which
gears an endless screw having a wheel or handle by turning which the carriage can be
steered in any direction.
Instead of being placed above the axles the pedal levers may be arranged below the
axles and toothed wheels, the position of their centres and of the bars and palls being
suitably altered; and pedal levers may also be arranged so that the carriage can be
driven either forward or backward or in either direction.
The bar carrying the pall is preferably made of two parallel bars embracing the
edge of the ratchet wheel between them and having a transverse pin fitted between
them which forms the pall.

page_text: Improvements in Velocipedes.
A communication to me from abroad by EMILE LHOEST, of Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
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, and accompanying drawing, (that is to say) :-
-
This invention relates to velocipedes or carriages driven by the action of the feet of
the person using the carriage upon pedals suitably arranged so as to impart movement
to the driving wheel or wheels.
It has for its object novel methods of constructing and arranging the machine so
that it is simple and effective in its action, and the speed can be readily and easily
increased or diminished as desired.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of the invention, Figure 1 being a side
view and figure 2 a plan, of one form of the apparatus.
The improved mechanism consists of a small toothed wheel a fixed upon the axle b
of the driving wheel of the velocipede, and gearing with a larger toothed wheel c fixed
upon a separate parallel axis d carried in bearings upon the machine. Upon each of
these two axles band d are also fixed two ratchet toothed wheels e, f, upon each side
of the geared wheels a, e, first described, which latter may either gear directly together
as first described or may be connected by an ordinary pitch chain (as shewn in
figures 3, 4, and 5). Each of the ratchet wheels e and is actuated by a driving
pall g at the lower end of a rod, and above each pair of ratchet wheels is arranged a
horizontal lever or podal h, to which the rods are jointed near their upper ends. The
extremities of the palls g rise above the pedals for a short distance and have attached
to them spiral springs k, the other ends of which are connected to bellcranks i or other
levers which are connected by rods to vertical levers or handles m jointed to the
pedals h near the outer ends of the latter, so that the rider of the machine can readily
by moving the levers alter the relative position of the palls with their respective
ratchet wheels as desired and vary the speed of the velocipede. Palls or catches n are
also provided upon the levers m, engaging with notches upon the pedal levers / so
that they can be retained in any desired position.
By this method of arrangement, the position of the palls can be varied so as to
increase or diminish the speed of the machine as desired.
The inner end of the pedal levers are hinged to bearings carried by the frame of
the carriage, and the outer ends are coupled together by a chain o passing over a
pulley fixed between them, so that they work alternately.
The steering of the velocipede is effected (as shewn in figure 2) by means of two
parallel rods connected at one end to a cross bar or yoke upon the frame which

page_text: carries the steering wheel or wheels, and at the other end to a crossbar fixed upon a
vertical central axis turning in bearings round the point s and having fixed upon its
upper end a tangent toothed wheel t (as shewn in figure 7) with which gears an
endless screw having a wheel or handle by turning which the carriage can be steered
in any direction.
Instead of being placed above the axles the pedal levers may be arranged below the
axles and toothed wheels (as illustrated in figure 3), the position of their centre and
of the bars and palls being suitably altered; and pedal levers may also be arranged so
that the carriage can be driven either forward (as illustrated in figure 5) or backward
(as illustrated in figure 4) or in either direction, (as illustrated in plan in figure 6), in
which four pedals are shewn, the two outer ones acting directly upon ratchet wheels
upon the axle whilst the two inner ones act upon ratchet wheels upon a separate axle
which is connected to the main axle by chain wheels and chain, the first pair of pedals
driving the carriage in one direction and the second pair in the other direction. The
bar carrying the pall is preferably made (as shewn in figure 8) of two parallel bars g,g.
embracing the edge of the ratchet wheel between them and having a transverse pin
fitted between them which forms the pall.
I do not confine myself to the precise form and method of arrangement of the
different parts of the apparatus, which may be varied more or less, but having now
particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of the levers, ratchet wheels, palls, and springs, substantially
as described and shewn.
2. The combination with the driving gear of the velocipede, the steering devices,
substantially as described and shewn.
EDWARDS & Co..
Agents for the Inventor.