IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, VELOCIPEDES, AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Barnabas Russ at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
July 1869.
I, BARNABAS Russ, of Lime Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BICYCLES, VELOCIPEDES, AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in bicycles and other
descriptions of velocipedes worked by hand or foot, or both, the objects
being to effect greater rapidity of motion and safety of propulsion than
has hitherto been accomplished. With regard to the bicycle I propose
to construct it in such manner that it shall be capable of maintaining
its vertical position at rest or in motion without the aid of the operator,
to effect which I form the leading or driving wheel and trailing wheel of
a duplicate, twin, or compound form, viz., with two sets of felloes or
hoops, tyres, and spokes from one stock nave or hub; the stock being
made of sufficient width the spokes are caused to cross each other at a
point between the axis of the stock and the periphery of the wheel or
otherwise continuing to the felloes. These spokes may be of wood,
malleable iron, tube metal, steel, or other material suitable, and may be

page_text: screwed or cast into the stock or tightened to the stock or felloe by
screw nuts or otherwise fastened. The tyres of the compound wheel
(which thus forms in effect a single wheel) may be from about four
inches to six or seven inches apart, more or less, according to their
diameter, and the bearing area thus presented by contact of the duplicate
wheel or wheels and the trailing wheel or wheels will be sufficient to
maintain the equilibrium of the machine. The trailing wheel may be
an ordinary single wheel, or if I make a tricycle I may use two separate
wheels on a fixed axle or axles. Now inasmuch as the base of the
driving wheel is increased by the duplicate arrangement it is evident
that in traversing inequalities of surface on a rough and uneven road
some compensation or play should be given to allow of oscillation, and
thus prevent its extension to the main body or bar of the machine. I
therefore make the seat bar or main bar of the bicycle in two parts or
divisions connected by means of a forked or socket joint with a collar,
nose, or rim in which the pin or pindle moves in the socket or fork, so
that the fore part is free to turn from side to side or partly round in the
rear division without affecting the same or warping the construction
generally, and straining the uprights from the trailing wheel or driver.
This is easily effected by aid of a holdfast, screw key, or pin traversing
the fork or socket, and passing across and within a slot or groove cut
partly round the cylindrical portion of the fore carriage bar, pin, or
spindle, whereby it is prevented from escaping from the fork or socket,
and yet is free to turn from side to side or partly round in the socket or
fork. The fore bar is secured and regulated in position by aid of a
washer, nut, and back nut, and when the screw or thread is cut in the
rear of the pin or pindle in any one part of the bar it will in all cases
finish at the cylindrical part of the pin or spindle. The fore part of the
bar has cast, forged, or screwed thereon a seat and tube to sustain and
contain the guiding stem holding the fork and bearings of the driving
wheel. The seat spring yielding in the first instance to the turn of the
fore carriage joint constantly acts to restore the true position of the fore
carriage. The stem is provided with a screw above the tubular
receptacle for the purpose of applying a washer and nuts and back nuts
to hold the stem and fore carriage together. A further application of a
nut and washer and feather or key are also applied to the stem, so, that
when the guiding handle and collar are placed on the upper part of the
stem and a nut applied at the top of the stem these under nuts and washer
may be brought up and serve to regulate and tighten the same.
I

page_text: propose to apply to or on the stem and into the socket of the fore
carriage or to the rear carriage wheel a helical spring in order to break
the force of concussion or jolting. I also apply a break by means
of a rocking lever on a fulcrum on the main bar acted on by a cord
from the steering handle. This lever may be under the bar and between
the duplicate wheel. By my arrangement of duplicate wheel I am also
enabled to produce a machine travelling on one such wheel, and of
balancing the rider, for since the lateral tendency to fall is obviated by
the construction it only remains to remove the forward and backward
tendency. I use two triangular frames having cross bars which rest on
the axis bearing of the wheel; fastened to these I use at the top and
bottom two bars having slots in which two vertical bars on each side can
be moved to and fro at any angle so as to properly adjust the weight of
the rider and position of his seat, and small friction wheels placed
in front and behind the base of the frame will serve to prevent any
undue pitch; the rider then works the driving wheel with his feet and
may travel with ease, a slight inclination of his body forwards and
backwards being necessary according to the ground passed over. I
propose to apply to each division of the compound wheel a lever handle
or handles to which rollers are connected, which rollers when depressed
trail or come in contact with the ground, or I can bring them into
contact with the tyres if thought advisable, thereby exercising friction on
either or both of the tyres of the compound wheel, or on the ground, so
as not only to act as a break, but to steer the velocipede. I also propose
to construct a one-wheeled machine after a modification of my com-
pound wheel, but by a totally different method of working. I make
an internal iron or steel tyrc, rim, or circle of T or angle iron to form
a T, and to each side of it I attach oblique spokes or stays crossing
each other to two distinct external tyres, hoops, or felloes and tyres;
thus the external and internal flange may be composed entirely
of iron or other metal. Or I employ a band of steel or iron placed
edgewise and encased on each side with wood bolted thereto or fixed
with pins or burrs through and through, by which means the entire
stress is borne by the internal tyre, the working grooved wheels (here-
after described) gearing on the steel or iron tyre, the wood serving
to secure the oblique spokes crossing each other, and between each
series of cross spokes two diagonal spokes are extended, one to each tyre,
in order to strengthen the exterior tyres and keep them from diverging
and yet permit of their clastic or yielding play to suit the inequalities of

page_text: the ground without transmitting the jar to the internal tyre and to the
operator. Or instead of bolting the wood and metal in close contact I
propose in some cases to keep the three series apart by means of a screw
bolt passing through them, and by the intervention of nuts and washers
of suitable dimensions according to the distance or spaces required,
whereby the base of the angle from which the spokes spring may be
increased, and consequently a greater strength of wheel acquired.
Within the internal tyre the rider is seated on a spring saddle and
seat attached by means of a fulcrum to a bar bent at an obtuse
angle, to each extremity of which a grooved roller or wheel is set
in bearings, such wheels bearing on the internal tyre, rim, or circle;
these rollers are kept well in position by curvilinear springs passing over
them and having a roller at each end. A supporting roller is also
attached to a rod beneath the seat bar, and a handle or handles are
provided in front of the rider and attached to the bar, whereby he steers
the machine by putting one or other of his feet to the ground, and by
the motion of his body he raises the front grooved wheel and depresses
the same by the rocking action of the bar; the depressing action of the
front roller acting on the internal tyre, rim, or circle of course forces the
wheel over its centre and propels it onwards, the bar and roller easily
retreating with the operator for the next stroke of his body. Two
steering handles (descending to or having friction rollers on the end
bearing behind the driver, which rollers when depressed or lowered come
in contact with the ground) are used, or the rollers may be adjusted so
that by the action of raising or drawing the handles towards the operator
the rollers may come in contact with the tyres of the wheel, so that in
either case whether brought in contact with the ground or tyre they
would act as a break or steering gear. The rider starts by placing his
feet on the ground on each side of the driving wheel, and having created
motion removes them into rests or supports suspended or hung from the
axis or main bar frame until his feet are again required. In a wheel of
7 feet diameter, which would be large enough for ordinary purposes,
a space of over twenty-one feet would be passed at cach revolution, and
on ordinary ground or in going down hill a very great speed would be
obtained. It will be observed that the steering rollers act also as steadiers
or breaks to the machine; they are not however required for this purpose,
because the centre of gravity is so placed by the position of the rider's
seat below the centre of gravity of the wheel that the machine is self-
.balancing. The supporting grooved wheel may be made with pinion

page_text: teeth each side, or, in other words, a pinion wheel may have the central
portion of its teeth removed to form a groove, in which case it is made
to gear with a similar wheel set in front on a bearing attached by a
bracketed arm to the lower or vertical bar of the frame. A crank or
cranks are attached to this second motion, whereby the rider may employ
his feet and so actuate the machine by the supporting roller gearing on
the internal tyre aided by the superincumbent weight of the rider. The
cranks in this case may be placed at the same angle on each side of the
wheel, so that both feet move simultaneously in the same direction, but
they may be at different angles if required. An endless band or coupling
strap is passed round a pulley on each wheel and on both sides to prevent
the back lash motion. For the purpose of aiding the operator a double
handle bar is set on a vertical stem in his front, secured to the bar by
a key and nuts or otherwise to enable him to grasp; these handles also
serve for the attachment of india-rubber or other springs connected with
the breaks. On the fore and rear portion of the bar, and also on the
vertical supporting bar, a connection is formed by means of right and
left handed screws cut on the bars, secured by corresponding collars or
sockets with female screws and nuts and washers at each end, by which
means the length of the bars or frame may be increased or diminished
so as to elevate or depress the position of the rider. A rack or pall
motion or other equivalent may be applied to the axis and crank in
order to throw them out of gear when required.
In four-wheel velocipedes I propose to employ in addition to the
ordinary connecting rod a supplementary rod which actuates the crank.
This latter rod is provided with a pin and friction roller at the end, which
works in a slotted junction of the foot crank or motion, whereby when
the crank is going over the centre and the treddles are not required
the fect may be at rest, since the slot permits of the play of the
working crank. In these machines also my jointed frame may be
applied as in the bicycle to prevent shock or jar from the oscillation
of the front wheels and also the trailers. In order to maintain the
leading wheel in line with the trailing wheel or wheels when the rider
releases his grasp of the handle, I propose to lock the leading wheel
by means of a catch or catches or other equivalent operated by the
rider, who may release the same at pleasure. This may be effected by
the application of a collar or rings to the exterior of the socket holding
the guiding stem, or on the stem itself, one, two, or more pins or catches
being attached thereto, and being capable of passing through apertures

page_text: or slots in the seats of the stem or socket and back bearing bar, so that
the passage of the pins or catches within such apertures or slots may
control or release the guiding wheel in regard to its turning action,
by holding the seat of the carriage bar fixed to the bearing surface of the
front wheel iron. So also a forked piece may be applied to the socket
or stem, being set on a fulcrum and actuated by a handle, whereby it is
elevated or depressed, thus causing the catches or pins to enter their
corresponding cavities. The guiding handle may be connected to these
appliances, whereby on turning it the contrary way to that required for
the break it may cause the locking gear to operate. A flat pressing
spring serves to maintain the position of the appliance when left free
by the operator if required. Other equivalents may be applied, such
as clutches, sliding wedges, or other holdfast and releasing gear, the
object being to control or hold the guiding wheel in a fixed position and
in line with the trailer during the will of the rider, as when travelling on
a straight road, so that he may relinquish the handle for a short time
without risk of the leading wheel deviating from a straight course.