Improvements in or relating to Driving Mechanism for Cycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Driving Mechanism for Cycles.
I, AUGUST EMIL FRIEDRICH VONHAUSEN of 2, Rheinbahn Strasse, Wiesbaden in
the German Empire, Architect, 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 rear driving cycles actuated by hand and foot power and
consists in improvements in the arrangement of the hand motion or driving
mechanism having for their object to transmit the power from the hand levers
arranged on the steering post to the crank axle driven by foot power without
interference with the usual arrangement of the frame or the steering action of the
front wheel.
On the drawings appended hereunto
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 34, show an arrangement of hand motion or driving mechanism
in which the two hand levers move together up and down, forming so to say a handle-
bar capable of a vertical oscillation ;
Figure 1 showing a side view of a bicycle with this arrangement;
Figure 2 an enlarged side view of the steering post and mechanism attached thereto
and
Figure 3 a section through the axis xx Figure 2 as seen from the back.
Figure 4 to 7, show an arrangement of hand motion or driving mechanism in which
the hand levers move in opposite directions so that the arm and foot on the same side
move in rhythmical unison in the same or opposite directions;
Figure 4, Sheet 2, showing a side view of a bicycle with this motion;
Figure 5 an enlarged side view of the hand motion ;
Figure 6, Sheet 1, a section along the axis y y Figure 5 as seen from the
front and
Figure 7, Sheet 2, a plan of the motion with the steering post turned to the
right.
Figures 34, 8 and 8A, show modifications.
In order to obtain as effective a hand motion as possible, or the longest possible
hand lever, the fulcrum a of the hand levers or handlebar is placed in advance of the
steering post b and the bearing or bearings supported by a strut c and tie-rods d
connected to the steering post. The levers thus can be used for turning the steering
wheel like the usual fixed handlebar.
Referring first to the motion shewn by Figures 1 to 3, in which the two handlevers
form a solid bar or are fixed upon a shaft a, the up and down motion of the hand
levers e is transmitted by a lever f fixed upon the shaft a and forked at its end and
by two links g to a bush h to the pivots h¹ of which the links g are connected. The
lower cylindrical part of the bush is embraced by a ring or hoop i capable of turning
on it, which is secured on the bush between the shoulder and a washer and nut k
screwed upon the bush. The hoop i is formed with pivots which are connected to
the arms n of the bell crank no by links m. The connecting rod P linked to the
DJ1

page_text: armo of the bell crank no, transmits the motion to
axle q.
a crank on the pedal
The arrangement of the bush h and hoop i hereinbefore described permits the
steering post with its attachments for imparting a reciprocating sliding movement to
be turned without interfering in any way with the communication of this movement 5
to the bell crank fulcrumed on a shaft on the top stay bar C of the frame, so that
the steering of the front wheel A is not in any way interfered with.
To reduce the friction between the bush h and hoop i, ball bearings may be applied
at their contact surfaces, the nut & tightening in this case a cone against the lower
balls, instead of a washer against the ring i.
Referring now to Figures 4 to 7, the hand levers e and e¹ are in this arrangement
separately mounted in bearings in a double bracket c¹, fixed to the strut c and
connected by the tie d to the steering post. The post or spindle of the steering
fork D is in this case formed of a tube E fixed to the crown of the steering fork and
turnable in the steering head F, into which tube E, a tube b extends and is gripped
by a clip s, the tube b carrying a crown into which the two tubes 61 62 are fixed and
connected at the top by a similar crown, to which the tie d is bolted (Figure 6).
Two bushes and to corresponding to the bush h in the previously described
arrangement- -are guided on the tubes b and 62 and moved up and down by the
levers and which are connected by the links g₁, g² to the pivots and t of the
bushes and t². The latter are formed at their lower ends with segmental discs t",
Figures 6 and 7, the raised rins u¹u² of which form segments of a ring, the centre
of which does not coincide with the centre line of the bushes t¹ and t2; but with the
axis y y, of the steering post E.
The two slide rods v gripping the rims u¹ and u³ with their claws v¹ are guided in
guides w parallel with the axis y y. As the guides wo are fixed to the steering head
tube F forming part of the cycle frame, the rods v can only move up and down, while
the claws slide on the rims uu² when the steering wheel and with it the
tubes 1 and 2 are turned round the axis y Y.
By this arrangement consequently the up and down movement of the two bushes
is transmitted to slide rods which are guided on the frame of the machine and whose
action is not interfered with when the steering wheel is turned. To reduce the
friction between the claws v' and the rim u¹ and u², balls or rollers may be interposed
between them.
To the slide rods the connecting rods m¹ and m² are connected and act on the
cranks n² and n³, which actuate a shaft 2 revolving in a bearing fixed to the steering
head F and carrying a chain wheel z, the rotary motion of which is transferred by a
chain to another chain wheel on the pedal shaft 9.
Instead of this, a bell crank and connecting rod as in the arrangement represented
by Figure 1, might be used for transmitting the motion of the hand levers to the
pedal shaft; or the combination represented by Figure 34, of slide rods v guided in
guides w and a connecting rod m³ actuating a crank n¹ on a shaft 1 revolving in a
bearing fixed to the steering head F and carrying a chain pulley z¹ might be used in
connection with an oscillating handle bar or handlevers moving in unison as
represented by Figures 1 to 3, without deviating from the essential feature of my
invention. The transmission of the rotary motion of the shafts 1 or 2 produced by
the hand power may be effected by any other suitable means than a chain and
chain pulleys, for instance, by a strap, or bevil wheels and a side shaft or equivalent
means.
The modified arrangement represented by Figures 8 and 8^, of the double bush,
permits the application of the simultaneous motion of the hand levers represented by
Figures 1 to 3 to the arrangement of double tubes 61 and 62 shewn on Figures 4 to 7.
For this purpose it is only necessary to replace the two bushes t¹ and 2 by a disc T
with corresponding bosses and pivots, and use only one connecting rod m¹ for driving
one crank n².
I do not confine myself to the details shewn and described, but these may be
replaced by their mechanical equivalents producing a similar effect.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
is_
claim
1. In a rear driving cycle operated by hand and foot power the arrangement of a
bush or of bushes or their equivalent sliding on the front wheel steering post and
turning with the same, to which the up and down motion of the handlevers is
transmitted, and a ring or slide rods connected to the said bush or bushes so às to
participate in their up and down motion but not in their turning motion, which ring
or rods actuate through rods and levers or their equivalents a crank on the pedal axle
or on a separate axle in bearings fixed to the frame, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The arrangements of mechanism for transmitting the simultaneous up and down
motion of the handlevers of a rear driving cycle driven by hand and foot power,
substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, 34, and 8
and 84, of the drawings.
3. The arrangements of mechanism for transmitting the alternating up and down
motion of the handlevers of a rear driving cycle driven by hand and foot power,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 of the
drawings.
Dated the 27th day of April 1897.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.