Improvements in Safety Bicycles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Bicycles.
BENJAMIN RILEY MILLS 9 Borough Road London Bicycle Maker do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For Improvements in that class of Safety Bicycles with one large driving wheel in
front and a small wheel in the rear.
The First part of my Improvement consists. In placeing the saddle or seat of the
rider much further back then in any other large wheel safety bicycle. As shown in
Fig. 1 and 2 the saddle being at A. By this method I am enabled to use a large
wheel up to, or over, 60 inch if desired without interfering with the height of the
rider from the ground. And by means of the low saddle in combination with the
use of a revolving bottom axle B. And by carrying the motion of the bottom axle B
by effective method to the driving wheel. In such a manner as to cause the driving
wheel to make the same number of revolutions as the riders feet and pedal axle B.
The second part of my Improvements is for the method of communicating the
motion of the riders feet to the driveing wheel.
This accomplish by haveing one or more cranks or their equivalent (an eccentrik)
on the peadal axle, connected to one or more cranks or their equivalent on the
In such a way
driving wheel axles, by streight rods and bearings or other method.
as to cause crank or cranks on pedal axle to revolve simultaneously with the crank
or cranks on the driving wheel axle. By this method I dispense with the use of cogg
wheels or chains.
One method of driving is by fixing a revolving axle at an equal distance from the
driving wheel axle and revolving pedal axle, that distance being the distance between
the driving wheel axle and pedal axle. Ón this axle I. fix a crank of the same
length as the crank on the driving wheel and pedal axle connecting the cranks by
streight rods and bearings so as to cause them to revolve simultaniously. I do not
confine myself to this method of driving by one crank on the pedal axle and one
crank on the driving wheel axle neither do I confine myself to the use of equal size
cranks on the driving wheel and pedal axle.
In one method of driving by 2 cranks fixed on the pedal axle and 2 cranks fixed.
on the driving wheel axle, the cranks are set at quarter centre connected in pairs by
streight rods D and E as shown in Fig. 1 and 2 the rods D and E have plain or ball
bearings at each ende, working on the crank pins. When one pair of cranks are
passing the dead point the other pair of cranks are transmitting the motion of the
pedal axle to the driving wheel axle.
In one method of driving by 3 cranks on the pedal axlo and 3 cranks on the
driving wheel axle the cranks are fixed at thirds connecting them in pairs by streight
rods and bearings simelar to the method for working with 2 pair of cranks. When
one pair of cranks are passing the dead points 2 pair of cranks are transmitting the
motion of the pedal axle to the driving wheel axle. 4 pairs of cranks may be used in
a similar manner connected by rods and bearings plain or ball.
The third part of my Improvements consists in the use of the rear-wheel as the
steering wheel in large wheel bevel geared safety bicycles.
Dated this 5th day of November 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Bicycles.
BENJAMIN RILEY MILLS 9 Borough Road London Bicycle Maker do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement -
My Improvements is for that class of Safety Bicycles with one large wheel in
front and a small wheel in the rear.
The First part of my Improvements consists in placeing the saddle or seat of the
bicycle much farther, back then in any other large wheel safety bicycle. As shown
in Fig. 1 of the Drawing filed with my Provisional Specification. By this method I
am enabled to use a large wheel up to or over 60 inches if desired without interfering
with the height of the rider from the ground. And by means of the low saddle in
combination with the use of revolving bottom axle B and by carrying the motion of
the bottom axle by effective method to the driving axle so as to cause the driving
wheel to make the same number of revolutions as the riders feet and pedal axle B.
The Second part of my improvements is-The method of communicating the
motion of the rider's feet to the driving wheel.
This I accomplish by having one or more cranks, or their equivalent (an
eccentric) on the pedal axle, connected to one or more cranks, or their equivalent on
the driving wheel axle, by straight rods and bearings or other method, in such a
way as to cause the crank or cranks on the pedal axle to revolve simultaneously with
the crank or cranks on the driving wheel axle, by this I dispense with the use of cog
wheels or chains.
One method of driving is by fixing a revolving axle at an equal distance from the
driving wheel axle and revolving pedal axle. That distance being the distance
between the driving wheel axle and the pedal axle.
On this axle I fix a crank of the same length as the crank on the driving wheel
axle and the pedal axle, connecting the cranks by straight rods and bearings so as to
cause them to revolve simultaneously.
I do not confine myself to the method of driving by one crank on the driving
wheel axle and one crank on the pedal axle.
Neither do I confine myself to the use of equal size cranks on the driving wheel
and pedal axle.
In one method of driving with two cranks fixed on the driving wheel axle and two
cranks fixed on the podal axle-the cranks are set at quarter centres, connected in
pairs by straight rods D and Cas shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the rods D and C
would have plain or ball bearings at each end working on the crank pins when one
pair of cranks are passing the dead point, the other pair of cranks are transmitting
the motion of the pedal axle.
In another method of driving with three cranks on the driving wheel axle and
three cranks on the pedal axle-the cranks are fixed at thirds, connecting them in
pairs by straight rods and bearings similar to the method for working by two pair
of cranks.
When one pair of cranks are passing the dead point, two pair of cranks are
transmitting the motion of the pedal axle to the driving wheel axle.
Four pairs
of cranks may be used in a similar manner connected by rods and bearings plain
or ball.
The Third part of my improvements is-The use of the rear wheel as the steering
wheel in large wheel bevel geared Safety Bicycles and not for any particular method
of steering

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I, declare that what I have claimed is
as follows:-
1.-Application of the saddle behind the driving wheel in combination with a
bottom axle as described in the first part of my Invention and by Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
2. Application of the method of driving by cranks and connecting rods as described
in the Second part of my Invention.
3. Application of the steering to the rear wheel as described in the Third part of
my Invention.
Dated this 3rd day of Amanet 1980
BENJAMIN RILEY MILLS.