Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Velocipedes.
1, HENRY CHARLES SMITH of 24, Woodside Avenue, South Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved driving gear for velocipedes, and it
consists essentially of a pair of swinging levers fulcrated to any convenient part of the
frame of the machine and connected at their lower ends by means of suitable links
or rods with cranks or their equivalents mounted on or in connection with spur
wheels mounted on axles running in independent bearings on each side of the
driving wheel, the said spur wheels gearing with spur pinions on the driving wheel
or axle thereof.
Motion is transmitted to the swinging levers by means of a pair of links or rods
pivotally attached to the lower ends of the said levers and connected at their front ends
to other links or rods the forward ends of which are pivotted to any convenient part
of the frame of the machine in as forward a position as possible. These forward
links or rods carry short arms on which are mounted treadles of any suitable
pattern.
With this driving gear the movement of the pedals is but slightly out of the
vertical.
As a modification that part of the gear between the swinging levers and the
driving wheel or axle thereof may be arranged on one side of the machine only, in
which construction any convenient device for causing an alternate reciprocating
motion of the two swinging levers may be employed.
Dated this 12th day of June 1896.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
1, HENRY CHARLES SMITH of 24, Woodside Avenue, South Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Watchmaker, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved driving gear for velocipedes, and it
consists essentially of a pair of swinging links fulcrated to any convenient part of
the frame of the machine and connected at their lower ends by means of suitable
rods with cranks or their equivalents mounted on or in connection with spur wheels
mounted on stud axles carried by brackets on each side of the driving wheel, the
said spur wheels gearing with spur pinions on the driving wheel or axle thereof.

page_text: Motion is transmitted to the swinging links by means of a pair of levers or rods
pivotally attached to the lower ends of the said links and connected at their front
ends to other levers or rods the forward ends of which are pivotted to any convenient
part of the frame of the machine in as forward position as possible.
Suitable pedals or bars are carried by either of the levers or rods in a suitable
position at or near their points of attachment to one another.
Referring to the drawing which shows a view in side elevation of a bicycle fitted
with this improved gear. The frame X of the machine which may be of any
suitable shape and construction has a forward extension z and a rear extension ¹.
To the latter are pivotted a pair of swinging links A arranged one on each side of the
machine. On each side of the driving wheel Z are mounted on suitable stud axles b
carried by the frame X of the machine spur wheels B which gear with spur pinions B¹
on the hub of the driving wheel Z on the axle thereof. On the spur wheels B are
mounted crank pins 6' which are connected with the swinging links A by means of
connecting rods C so that the oscillating motion of the said links communicates
motion to the spur wheels and thence through the pinions to the driving wheel.
Motion is imparted to the swinging links by two pair of levers or rods D and E
the former pair D being pivotted to the lower ends of the links A and the latter
pair E being pivotted to the forward extension a of the frame of the machine. The
pair of levers or rods D and E are pivotted together at their free ends and carry
pedals or pedal bars Fas shown. In the drawing the pairs of levers or rods D
and E are shown in the mid-stroke, so that their positions coincide.
In this improved driving gear the path of motion of pedals or pedal bars is
approximately vertical.
As a modification that part of the gear between the swinging links and the driving
wheel or axle thereof may be arranged on one side of the machine only, in which
construction any convenient device for causing an alternate reciprocation of the
two pedal levers may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination of parts hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompany-
ing drawing forming an improved driving gear for velocipedes.
Dated this 12th day of March 1907
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.