Improvements in Speed Gears for Velocipedes and other Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 13th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Gears for Velocipedes and other Machinery.
I MESHACH HOPKINS of 24 Azenby Square Peckham in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
In lieu of a chain being carried and geared around the wheels "as hitherto
applied to cycles "I gear a chain between two wheels thereby transferring the
gearing contact to the outside of the chain, both wheels being at liberty to revolve,
by which means I am enabled to increase or to diminish the speed at will.
For this purpose I fix a disc upon the driving axle, the said disc having two or
more stud bolts fixed thereon which are mounted with rollers or guide pulleys and
upon which the chain is stretched, the ends being joined together and forming a
kind of ellipse, the chain being thus mounted has an independent rotary motion to
that of the driving axle.
To the one side of said chain I gear an inner toothed wheel which is attached to
the hub of the driving wheel and the other side of said chain is geared to an outer
toothed wheel which is mounted loosely upon a bearing formed upon the boss of
the before mentioned chain disc, the said bearing being either concentric or
eccentric with the before mentioned inner toothed chain wheel "according to the
speed adopted."
Upon the side of the before mentioned outer toothed chain wheel is fixed a stud
bolt which communicates with a slot formed in a flange such flange being fixed to
a sleeve which runs loosely upon the driving axle "and which may form the fork
bearing."
To the other end of the said sleeve is attached a toothed wheel or pinion which
gears with a toothed slide and which is attached to the framework or fork.
Dated this 12th day of June 1893.
MESHACH HOPKINS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Gears for Velocipedes and other Machinery.
I MESHACH HOPKINS of 24 Azenby Square Peckham in the County of Surrey
Engineer 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 :-
as hitherto
In lieu of a chain being carried and geared around the wheels "
applied to cycles" I gear a chain between two wheels thereby transferring the
gearing contact to the outside of the chain both wheels being at liberty to revolve
by which means I am enabled to increase or diminish the speed at will.
For this purpose 1 fix a disc upon the driving axle the said disc having two or
more stud bolts fixed thereon and which are mounted with rollers or guide pulleys
and upon which the chain is stretched the ends being joined together forming a
kind of ellipse, the chain being thus mounted has an independent rotary motion to
that of the driving axle-To the one side of said chain I' gear an inner toothed chain
wheel which is attached to the hub of the driving wheel, and the other side of
said chain is geared to an outer toothed wheel which is mounted loosely upon a

page_text: "
bearing formed upon the boss of the before mentioned chain disc the said bearing
being either concentric or eccentric with the before mentioned inner toothed wheel
"according to the speed adopted Upon the side of the before mentioned outer
toothed chain wheel is fixed a stud bolt which communicates with a slot formed in
a flange such flange being fixed to a sleeve which runs loosely upon the driving axle
"and which may form the fork bearing" To the other end of the said sleeve is
attached a toothed wheel or pinion, and actuated upon by a toothed slide rod.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood 1 will now proceed to
describe by referring to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1. 3. 5. 7. 8. 9. are side views of parts.
Figure 2. is a longitudinal front view in section of the shaft or axle with my
improved gear as mounted upon a cycle.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Figure 1. is the hub of the driving wheel taken with the parts a¹ a² and G.
dismounted. A. is the inner toothed chain wheel, B. is the outer toothed_chain
wheel which is carried and revolves freely upon the eccentric or cam C. E. is a
race box for the rollers, balls and chain, and which are to run freely therein, and
the said race box to be firmly attached to the disc D, which is fixed to the driving
shaft or axle F.
Figure 2. shews the hub complete bolted together through the holes as shown in
rim of Figure 1. a¹ and a' are the left hand and the right hub cheeks; A. is the
inner toothed chain wheel "which may be made in halves and cut across as shown
by the lines in Figure 1," and fixed between the cheeks a' and a³.
B. is the outer toothed chain wheel and which runs upon the eccentric or cam C.
both wheels being hollowed out so as to receive the chain as shown at B. thereby
the teeth being on both sides. E and E' are the sides of the chain race box views
for fixing the same being shown by Figures 3 and 4 Sheet 2. G. is the loose sleeve
and extends and is attached to the toothed wheel or pinion q. and ball bearing cups
formed in both ends of the said loose sleeve, in the rim of the before mentioned
outer toothed chain wheel B is fixed a stud bolt b' which slides in a slot formed in
the flange of the loose sleeve G. as shown in Figure 9. Sheet 2. H' and H³ are
the frame or the fork ends; I is a toothed slide rod attached to H2 and which
gears with the toothed wheel or pinion q; J. is also a slide rod which has at the
lower end a brake block J and which acts upon a flat rim formed upon the side
of the before mentioned toothed wheel or pinion q. and the other end of the said
slide rod J. is turned at right angle and a hole formed therein at J. and through
which passes the spindle I the same being a continuation of the tootlied slide rod 1.
and upon which is mounted a spiral spring J¹ and being adjustable by screw or
slide collers; the slide rods I and J has a like slot formed in each and are attached
to the frame or fork end H', by stud bolts as shown at 12 Figure 5, Sheet 2. K is
a hand lever attached to the hand or steering bar R. and is connected to the
toothed slide rod I by the rod l' and the other end of the hand lever K is connected
to the rod L which in turn is connected to a bell cránk lever L' and which turns
upon a joint fixed in the frame or fork end H¹ at L. the other jaw ends of the bell
crank works in a groove formed in a clutch ring at L³ as shown in Figure 7.
and to the jointed jaw ends of which is attached a brake strap N.
aforesaid clutch ring that has a groove formed in the periphery and which
receives the jointed jaw ends of the bell crank lever L³ and which arc to run
freely therein, the atoresaid clutch ring M slides laterally freely upon the frame or
fork bearing P. and is held in position by a feather or tongue fixed in the
bearing P as shewn by P' Figure 7, Sheet 2. O is a stud fixed in the grooved
end of the hub O¹ as shewn in Figure 8. Sheet 2. and upon the periphery of the
clutch ring M. there is also fixed or formed a stud or lug M¹ as shewn in Figure 7.
Sheet 2.
M is the
Thus by lifting the hand lever K into the top notch at R the clutch M,

page_text: slides laterally and the studs M' and O come in contact which makes the slow
speed, the brake strap N. has a liner attached therein of hard wood or other
suitable material, and in the crown of the aforementioned jaw lever L' there is
attached "and of similar material" another brake block as dotted off in Figures 2.
and 7. and so adjusted as to be out of action when the lever K is in the centre
notch at R Figure 2. Sheet 1. the driving wheel and axle being then out of gear
and at liberty to revolve separately, the brake check taking place when the
lever K is lifted above the top notch at R, when it will be seen that the jaw
lever L' will be more at right angle to the shaft or axle and L³ forming a greater
tangent, thus bringing the brakes to bear L' upon the rim of the clutch M. and L
with the strap N clamping the clutch M in the groove, the clutch M and the fork
bearing P being held in rotary union by the tongue or feather P₁ as shown in
Figure 7, Sheet 2. and Figure 2. Sheet 1. and the clutch stud M' and the hub
stud O being also in contact the machine may be stopped but the brake block
attached to the end of the slide rod J "and which is inade of hard wood or other
suitable material and acted upon by the spiral spring J' and which is shown in
Figures 2. Sheet 1. and 5. Sheet 2. at J2" has a different effect to the before
mentioned brake blocks inasmuch as instead of diminishing the speed, it is increased
the more the lever K is depressed below the centre notch on the handle bar R
Figure 2. Sheet 1. and the spring piston of lever K is in the lower notch the
toothed slide rod I is geared to the toothed wheel or pinion g full speed is attained-
The collar or nut on the spindle I and above the spring J1 and the one clow the
right angled end of the slide rod J as shown in Figure 2. Sheet 1. and Figure 5.
Sheet 2. are for the purpose of adjusting the relative position of the slide rods I
and J. and of the brake spring pressure which acts upon a rim formed upon the
toothed wheel or pinion q. as shown by J' Figures 2. and 5.
One or both of the before mentioned brakes L' and N. may be dispensed with
and the speed regulated by bringing the spring piston of lever K to the central
notch R. and the pedals to a standstill or even the pedals reversed if necessary.
E Figure 6. Sheet 2. is a section of the chain showing the solid bar or bolt
coupling, but the ordinary open link chain may be used and the wheels A and B
toothed central to suit the same.
E and E Figures 3 and 4 Sheet 2. are the rollers or guide pulleys without the
chain and showing the stud bolts which passes through the side or cap E' and
through the rollers and side E' and secured to the shaft or axle disc plate D. The
side E may be formed upon the disc plate D., E Figure 4. is a ball for steadying
the chain and a section of the groove for holding the same between the rollers is
shown in Figure 2. Sheet 1., but if preferable the ball may be substituted by a
parallel roller or guide pulley, the stud of which may serve as a distance stud
similar to the studs e. e. e and which are for adjusting the distance between the
sides E and E³ so that the chain and ball or rollers may run easily in the race
box; the pitch of the chain and wheels A. and B may be varied "and the steadying
ball or roller E' dispensed with " by extending the distance between the rollers or
guide pulleys E' and E' Figure 1. Sheet 1. in which case the chain on the inner
toothed wheel A side will become straight or nearly so thereby altering the pitch
of that side of the chain, which will be easily seen and understood and a gain of
speed is effected.
Figure 11. Sheet 2. is a section of the race box cut through E³ Figure 4.
showing the roller and sides without the stud bolts and disc D;
Figure 10. Sheet 2. is a section of the clutch M, cut through M' Figure 7. and
being without the shaft or axle F. and the fork bearing P.
It will be understood that in order to show the regulating gear connections that
the handle bar and ball head are brought down towards the hub in the drawings
and are not in proportion to other parts as to height; and it will also be further
understood that I do not confine myself to any fixed position in placing the parts
upon the shaft or axle, the chain wheels may be placed on either side of the hub,

page_text: and the connections therewith may be placed on either side of the fork or
framework.
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 ;-
1st. The gearing of two wheels by means of a chain and the said two wheels
being in a rotary line and central with each other and upon the same axle or
shaft.
.
2ly. More gear grip and speed in the same space than any other gearing hitherto
produced.
3ly. The regulation of speed and change of gear by means of loose wheels and
brake while in motion without stoppage and dismounting; substantialy as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 19th den of March 1901
MESHACH HOPKINS.