Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
INOVIDIUNAL
DITUITUATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes
and other Road Vehicles.
We, GEORGE SINGER, Managing Director of Singer Cycle Company, Limited,
of Coventry, and FREDERICK HAYWARD WILLIAMSON, Engineer. of 2, Wren Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
-
This invention refers to the construction, arrangement, and combination of a
ratchet device with the driving gear of those velocipedes and other road vehicles
known as "free wheel" machines or vehicles, wherein the driving crank axle or
motor shaft (when not required for propulsion) may be held stationary while the
vehicle is travelling, or the road wheels may overrun the driving shaft; the
invention essentially consists in providing improved means in combination with
the said ratchet device, whereby the ratchet mechanism can, when required, be
quickly and easily locked, and the driving crank axle or motor shaft thereby
placed in direct connection with the road wheels, the machine or vehicle being
thus converted to what is known as fixed wheel" driving.
i
According to our invention we provide either fastened upon, or forming part of
the body to be driven such as the hub of a cycle wheel, a circular collar, in which
one, two, three or more radial holes are formed. In each of these holes is fitted
a piston or plunger which projects exteriorally through the said holes on the
cylindrical surface of the collar. The pistons are forced outwards by means of
springs fitted either in or underneath them.
Over this collar is fitted the sprocket or toothed wheel, which has a number of
inclined planes cut on its inner cylindrical surface, and in which the ratchet
pistons engage when forced outwards by their springs.
These plates are so placed that when driving in the required direction the
pistons engage at the bottom of them and the whole arrangement is driven
together as one body, but when the outer body, forming say the sprocket wheel,
is held stationary, the pistons, by mounting the inclined planes, are pressed into
their sockets and allow the inner body, connected with the road wheel, to revolve
freely by itself.
In order to convert the driving from the "free wheel" arrangement to the
fixed wheel" arrangement, the lower ends of the ratchet pistons are made
use of.
With this object we form a central recess in the end of that part of the wheel
hub or collar, which carries the ratchet pistons, the recess being so formed that the
inner tail ends of the pistons project a distance into such recess and a portion of
such recess is internally screwed. Mounted and capable of sliding upon the
axle of the road wheel, is a screwed collar or cone, the inner end of which is
tapered or coned, and it may be called the "locking cone." On the outer end of
this sliding screwed locking cone is a flange with milled edge for the purpose
of enabling it to be screwed up firmly by the fingers, or the end may be made to
fit a spanner if desired.

page_text: This locking cone is made so that it can be screwed into the said recess in the
hub or collar, the coned end then meeting the inner ends of the pistons and forcing
them gradually outwards. The pistons are thus pressed into the bottom of the
inclined planes previously described, and as the pistons cannot move downwards
the parts become locked together and the driving arrangement is thus converted
into a fixed wheel driving.
By unscrewing the locking cone until it is clear of the recess in the hub, the
pistons are immediately released; and they are free to move as before, and a
free wheel" is obtained.
..
The locking cone when not in use is held back by being screwed onto a collar
on the axle of the hub, or by any suitable means.
Tad this 95th day. & Contrahan 1000
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes
and other Road Vehicles.
We, GEORGE SINGER, Managing Director of Singer Cycle Company, Limited,
of Coventry, and FREDERICK HAYWARD WILLIAMSON, Engineer of 2, Wren Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
This invention refers to improvements connected with the construction,
arrangement, and combination of a ratchet device with the driving gear of those
velocipedes and other road vehicles known as free wheel" machines or vehicles,
wherein the driving crank axle or motor shaft (when not required for propulsion)
may be held stationary while the vehicle is travelling, or the road wheels may
overrun the driving shaft, for which a patent was granted to ourselves dated
25th January 1899, No. 1755. Our present invention essentially consists in
providing improved means in combination with the said ratchet device, whereby
the ratchet mechanism can, when required, be quickly and easily locked, and the
driving crank axle or motor shaft thereby placed in direct connection with the
road wheels, the machine or vehicle being thus converted to what is known as
fixed wheel" driving.
46
J
In order that our invention may be readily understood we will describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon Fig. 1 is a sectional plan
shewing a wheel hub fitted with our improved "free wheel" arrangement, the
parts being in the position wherein the road wheel may travel at a greater speed
than the pedal or driving shaft of the machine. Fig. is a view similar to that
shewn at Fig. 1, but illustrating the parts when the pedal or driving shaft is
in direct connection with the road wheel, and Fig. 3 is a sectional end view of
Fig. 2.
:
The "free wheel" device to which this present invention particularly refers,
and as described in the British Patent Specification No. 1755/99 above referred
to, essentially consists of a circular step, boss, or collar C, fixed upon or forming
part of the body to be driven, as the road wheel hub B; in the circular boss Č
there are one or more, say four, radial holes cach containing a plunger D caused
to normally project outwardly by a spring E. These plungers D act as pawls
upon ratchet teeth A2 formed in the interior of a cylindrical ring A fitted over

page_text: and around the boss C, and supported thereon by ball bearings G G¹, the outer
ball bearing G¹ being adjustable by means of the ring F, held in place when
properly adjusted by any suitable means such as the locking ring H. Upon the
outer periphery of the cylindrical ring A there are formed teeth A¹ to engage
the driving chain or equivalent connection by which motion is conveyed from the
pedal or driving shaft of the machine.
When thus constructed, arranged, and combined, the plunger pawls D carried
by the circular collar or boss C, interlock with the ratchet teeth A of the sprocket
ring A when the ring A is being driven at as high a speed as the road wheel,
while the cylindrical ring A becomes free and disengaged when the road wheel
and consequently the boss C revolves faster than the ring A.
Now according to our present invention, in order to render this "free wheel"
driving gear convertible to "fixed wheel" driving, we form a central recess J
in the end of the collar or boss C of the wheel hub which carries the plunger
pawls D, the recess J being so formed that inwardly extending tail ends or pro-
longations D³ formed with, or fixed to, the plunger pawls D, project a distance
into such recess J through holes formed for the purpose, and a portion of such
recess J is internally screwed.
Mounted and capable of sliding upon the axle K of the road wheel, is a screwed
collar or cone L, the inner end L of which is tapered or coned, and it may be
called the "locking cone." On the outer end of this sliding screwed locking
cone L is a flange L2, with milled edge for the purpose of enabling it to be screwed
up firmly by the fingers, or the end may be made to fit a spanner if desired.
This locking cone L is made so that it can be screwed into the said recess J
in the hub or collar C as shewn at Fig. 2, the coned end L¹ then meeting the inner
ends of the prolongations D³ of the plunger pawls D, and forcing them gradually
outwards. The said plunger pawls are thus pressed into the bottom of the ratchet
teeth A Fig. 3 previously described, and as the said plungers D cannot then
move inwards, the parts become locked together and the driving arrangement
is thus converted into a fixed wheel driving, that is, the sprocket ring A is locked
to the wheel hub B.
66
By unscrewing the locking cone L until it is clear of the recess J, the plungers D
are immediately released, and they are free to move as before, and a free wheel"
is obtained.
The locking cone L when not in use is held back by being screwed onto a
collar M on the axle K of the hub, or it may be held out of action by any other
suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In driving gear for velocipedes and other road vehicles, wherein the road
wheel hub is formed or fitted with a collar or boss, having pawls located in radial
holes therein, the pawls being caused to normally project outwards by springs,
in order to co-act with ratchet teeth of an outer ring, within which the boss is
capable of revolving, the outer ring having external teeth by which it is driven
from the pedal or driving shaft, whereby the latter may be held stationary
while the road wheel revolves; forming a central recess in the collar or boss,
providing prolongations on the pawls to extend into the said recess of the boss,
and fitting a conical plug capable when required of being slidden into and retained
within the recess, to act on the extensions of the pawls and hold same outwards,
and thereby lock the sprocket ring to the road wheel hub, substantially as set
forth.
2. A driving gear for velocipedes, and other road vehicles, consisting of a
cylindrical boss on the road wheel hub, plunger pawls fitted in radial holes in the
boss, and springs to force the plunger pawls outwards to co-act with ratchet teeth
formed in the interior periphery of a cylindrical ring surrounding the boss, teeth

page_text: around the exterior periphery of the ring by which it may be diven from the
pedal or driving shaft, and a ball bearing arranged on each side of the ratchet
teeth, between the toothed ring and the boss, and whereby the pedal or driving
shaft may be held stationary while the road wheel revolves; in combination with
a central recess in the collar or boss, prolongations of the pawls to extend into
the said recess of the boss, and a conical plug mounted and capable of being
slidden on the axle pin when required, and forced into, and retained within,
the recess, to act on the pawl extensions, and force same outwards and maintain
the sprocket ring locked to the road wheel hub, and means for securing the conical
plug when not in use, substantially as described.
3. In convertible "free" and "fixed" wheel driving gear for velocipedes and
other road vehicles, the combination with the central recess J in the boss C, and
the pawl extensions D³ projecting into same; of the sliding cone on the axle
pin K capable, when required, of being screwed into the central recess to force and
hold out the pawls, and thereby lock the sprocket ring to the wheel hub, sub-
stantially as described.
4. The general arrangement and combination of parts composing our improved
driving gear for velocipedes and other vehicles, all constructed and acting sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
1
LT
1 1
1. 1000
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.