IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Thomas Davey at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1883.
HENRY THOMAS DAVEY, of 76 Disraeli Road Putney, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
"
The object of my invention is the increasing of the speed of Velocipedes and
making them more adaptable as a quicker means of locomotion, especially where
long distances have to be traversed, thereby proving of great advantage to rural
postmen, telegraph messengers, Tourists and many others.
Numerous schemes have I believe been tried for the purpose of increasing the
speed of Velocipedes, but hitherto the speed obtained has not in my opinion been
so great in proportion to the physical power exerted by the rider as is possible with
a machine constructed according to my invention.
In the construction of my machine, I so arrange the frame work and seat for
the rider that he is in a position to drive by means of cranks, pedals or levers a
much larger wheel fitted with cogs for gearing and imparting motion than has
hitherto been adapted for increasing the motion of the shaft and consequently the
speed of the road wheels
The said cog or gear wheel worked by means of cranks pedals or levers and
which I will here call N° 1 is mounted in bearings on the frame work about the
centre of the machine, said, wheel N° 1 gearing with and working a smaller
cog or gear wheel which I will here call N° 2 said cog or gear wheel N° 2
working in bearings likewise supported on the frame work and gears with another
smaller cog or gear wheel N° 3 which is keyed fast on the shaft of the main road
wheels.
Now suppose the said cog or gear wheel N° 1 fitted with and working by
means of cranks, pedals or levers suitably applied thereto is four times larger in
diameter than the cog or gear wheel N° 3 which is keyed fast on the shaft
of the road wheels it follows that the speed of the machine will be increased
fourfold.
The sizes and diameter of the cog or gear wheels may of course be varied but
the wheel N° 1 worked by means of cranks pedals or levers might at the least be
twice the size of the cog or gear wheel N° 3 which is made fast on the shaft
of the road wheels and in this case the speed of the machine would be doubled.
Extending upwards from the bearings of the cog or gear wheel N° 1 is a fork

page_text: similar to the ordinary fork of a Bicycle but with this difference, viz, that the
T piece or steering handle is fitted to work or turn on the top or neck of the
fork independantly of the fork itself and by means of a connecting rod or rods
extending from the T piece to the front guiding wheel or wheels the steering of
the machine is effected.
From the upper part of the fork and extending with a suitable curve resting on
the frame work is what I call the Back bone or support for the saddle or seat of
the rider who when seated will be placed in such a position as to work the said
driving cog or gear wheel No 1 and steer the machine by means of the T piece
or handle which as aforesaid is fitted to work and turn on the top of the
aforementioned fork.
.
If preferred the machine may be driven by means of cords bands or chains, in
which case wheel N° 2 can be dispensed with and wheels N° 1 and 3 must be
grooved or otherwise suitably fitted for the
purpose.
The working parts of the machine that is the gearing wheels may be enclosed
in a metal case or covering in order to keep them free from dirt or dust which
might otherwise impede the working.