Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug.,
1899
or axle.
Special features of the invention are of special utility for various purposes, and
are herewith illustrated and described as applied to the propulsion of bicycles
and for driving a shaft or axle.
As applied to bicycles, the invention contemplates a novel gear to take the
place of the customary sprocket mechanism for the propulsion of the wheels.
In the drawings, A represents portions of a bicycle frame.
A is the axle of
A3 is one of the
the rear wheel, the same being stationary. A2 is a rock shaft.
pedal cranks provided with a crank arm A rotatably engaged upon the rock
shaft. A is the other pedal crank rigidly engaged upon the rock shaft. A6 is
the hub of the rear wheel. A is the rock shaft hanger. A8 denotes the rear
wheel. Upon the hub A is engaged a pinion or gear, indicated at B.
pinion B is provided with a hub b, which may have a threaded engagement with
the hub A".
The
C is a case constructed with a longitudinal channel C', and with vertical
channels, indicated at C2, C2. Two vertical channels are shown, although one
might be employed instead, the same projecting upward and downward, above
and below the channel C₁ and intermediate the ends of the channel C¹, the latter
The case C
channel extending forward and rearward of said vertical channels.
is engaged astride the rear axle and arranged to be reciprocated over the axle, said
axle projecting through the channel C.
D) is an elongated gear toothed on its outer edge meshing with the pinion B,
said elongated gear being formed with an elongated channel, indicated at 1)'.
The gear is provided with one or more tongues 12 corresponding to the number
of vertical channels C2 and projecting into said vertical channels, said tongues
made reciprocatory in said vertical channels.
E is a crank loosely engaged at one end upon the hub b of the pinion B, as

page_text: shown in Figure 4, the opposite end of said crank being provided with a roller
or pine projecting into the elongated channel 11 of the elongated
gear D. The object of the crank and its engagement with the gear 1)
is to hold said gear in mesh with the pinion B, said pin or roller
riding back and forth in the elongated slot D. When the case C
is reciprocated, it will be obvious that the elongated gear D will be carried
thereby in mesh with the pinion B causing said pinion to rotate. The rearward
movenient of the case will cause the elongated gear to be carried rearward until
the forward end of said gear is in mesh with the pinion B, when the elongated
gear will move downward in the channels C², so that the upper edge of the
elongated gear will come into mesh with the pinion B. The forward movement
of the case will cause the elongated gear to be carried forward until the rear end
thereof is in mesh with the pinion D), when the elongated gear will move upward
in the channels C². In this manner, the elongated gear will ride about the
pinion B and about the axle. The pinion B and gear 1) are shown engaged in
place on the inside of adjacent portions of the frame A. When the elongated
gear is in front of the pinion, the tongues D2 will rise upward in the vertical
slots C, and when the elongated gear is at the rear of the pinion, said tongues will
ride downward in said vertical channels, the crank E holding the gear and pinion
in constant mesh the one with the other. The mechanical movement herein-
before described, in connection with said case and in mesh with said pinion, may
be readily attached to any ordinary bicycle, although the invention is not limited
to the application of said mechanical movement, simply in connection with the
bicycle axle, as the same mechanism may be applied to any other shaft or axle
with equal facility. As shown in Figure 8, the pinion is engaged directly with
the axle to rotate the axle. As regards these particular features for driving
said pinion, it should also be understood that the invention is not limited to
any specific means for reciprocating the case carrying the elongated gear, as
said case may be reciprocated in various ways within the scope of the present
invention. The elongated gear D is in the nature of a planet gear, and while
it is preferred to have it elongated, as described herein before, it is not essential
in all cases that it should be of this particular form.
As shown, the case C is driven by means of the pedal cranks engaged upon
the rock shaft A2, said rock shaft being provided with an additional crank arm A".
The crank arms A+ and A are connected to said case by connecting rods F
and G. A connecting rod F is firmly connected with the case at its rear end,
while the connecting rod G has a jointed connection with the case, as indicated
at g. The crank arms A and A9 are engaged upon the rock shaft in such a
position as to bring the pedal lever A3 and its arm A+ at an angle to the arm A³,
as shown.
It will be obvious that when pressure is applied to the pedal lever A³, the
crank arm A will be forced rearward, thereby forcing the case rearward pro-
portionately, the rearward movement of the case pulling down the crank arm A,
and consequently raising the pedal lever A. The pedal lever A5 being raised
when the pedal lever A³ is depressed, and vice versa. It will be seen that when
the pedal lever A³ is depressed, the case C will also be moved backward, thereby
forcing the crank arm A forward and lifting the pedal lever A3. Thus the pedal
levers A3 and A5 may alternately oscillate in the operation of the driving mechan
ism, thereby actuating the mechanism which drives the rear wheel. It will be
seen that only a rocking movement is given to the shaft A².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination of a circular gear toothed on its periphery, a horizontally
elongated planet gear toothed throughout on its outer periphery and having its
outer periphery in mesh with the first named gear, and mechanism to carry the

page_text: planet gear around about the periphery of the first named gear, said planet gear
having a reciprocatory engagement with said mechanism, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination of a gear, a horizontally elongated planet gear toothed on
its outer periphery and having its outer periphery in mesh with the first named
gear, reciprocatory mechanism to carry the planet gear around and about the
periphery of the first named gear, whereby the planet gear will exert its power
continuously upon the first named gear, said mechanism reciprocatory in the
same plane throughout its movement, and said planet gear having a reciprocatory
engagement with said mechanism, substantially as set forth.
3. In a bicycle, the combination with a rear axle and its hub, of a crank axle,
a gear toothed on its periphery mounted upon the hub, a horizontally elongated
planet-gear-toothed-throughout-on-its-outer periphery and having its outer
periphery in mesh with the first named gear, and mechanism actuated by the
crank axle to carry the planet gear around about the periphery of the first named
gear and round about the axle, whereby the planet gear will exert its power con-
tinuously upon the first named gear, said planet gear having a reciprocatory
engagement with said mechanism, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of a frame, an axle, a hub upon said axle, a circular gear
mounted upon said hub inside said frame and concentric with said hub, a planet
gear toothed on its outer periphery having its outer periphery in mesh with the
first named gear, and mechanism to carry the planet gear around and about the
periphery of the first named gear and around about said axle inside said frame,
substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of a gear toothed upon its periphery, a channeled planet
gear meshing on its periphery with the first named gear, a crank arm working
in the channel of the planet gear, a channeled reciprocatory rod provided with
upwardly and downwardly projecting channeled arms and arranged to carry the
periphery of the channeled gear about the first named gear, the planet gear
made vertically reciprocatory in said arms, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of an axle, a gear, a planet gear toothed upon its periphery
in mesh with the first named gear, and a channeled reciprocatory connecting rod
astride the axle provided with upper and lower channeled arms and arranged to
carry the periphery of the planet gear about the periphery of the first named
gear and round about the axle, said planet gear provided with a tongue having
a reciprocatory movement in said arms at the front and at the rear of the first
named gear, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of an axle and its hub, a gear upon said hub, a channeled
reciprocatory connecting rod astride said hub, an elongated vertically recipro-
catory channeled planet gear carried by said rod in mesh with the periphery of
the gear upon the hub, and means engaged with the channel of the planet gear
to hold said gear in mesh, substantially as set forth.
8. In a bicycle, the combination with a rear axle and its hub, of a rock shaft,
a rock arm rigid with said shaft, a pedal lever to actuate said rock shaft and
rock arm, an additional pedal lever provided with a crank arm engaged upon
the rock shaft, mechanism for driving the hub on the rear axle, and connecting
rods connecting said arms with said mechanism, one of said connecting rods having
a jointed engagement with said mechanism, the other rod having a fixed engage-
ment with said mechanism, said connecting rods at their ends opposite the crank
arms having a reciprocatory movement only, substantially as set forth.
9. In a bicycle, the combination with a rear axle and its hub, mechanism to
drive the hub on the rear axle provided with a reciprocatory case located astride
the rear axle, a rock shaft, a rock arm rigid with said shaft, a pedal lever to
actuate said rock shaft and rock arm, a pedal lever provided with a crank arm
engaged upon the rock shaft, and connecting rods connecting said rock arm and
said crank arm with said case, said connecting rods at their ends opposite the
crank arms having a reciprocatory movement only, one of said connecting rods

page_text: having a fixed engagement with the case and the other connecting rod a jointed
engagement with the case, substantially as set forth.
1000
Dated 18 1 tay
SAMUEL NOYSE RAPP,
MINA GULLEY IVES,
Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.