MENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL of N° 2 Cricketfield Road,. Lower Clapton_Civil and
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:
This Invention has for its object an improved arrangement of driving mechanism
whereby a bicycle when ascending an incline is rendered automatic and self
regulating so far as regards the speeding of the driving gear thus considerably
enhancing the convenience and comfort of the rider..
By my invention motion is imparted to the wheel or wheels by means of the
vertical action of the feet upon a pedal lever attached to the machine and working
in a suitable bearing and by a sliding block both being connected to an oscillating
clutch on the axle; the effect being that the degree of pressure transmitted to the
driving wheel through the sliding block is greater or less according to whether the
block is nearer to or further from the bearing end of the lever-The position of
the block is automatically controlled and regulated according to the degree of
pressure of the foot on the pedal-that is if a hill has to be surmounted the
increased pressure on the pedal necessary to propel the machine causes the block
to travel towards the bearing thus giving greater leverage and ease of propulsion.
Such automatic travel of the block is effected by means of a suitable arrangement
of gearing which causes the block. to travel in one direction or the other as required
the mechanism being so arranged that by placing greater pressure upon the pedal
the block is drawn in whereby increased leverage created and the wheel is geared
down-By this means the labour and exertion hitherto unavoidable on the part of
the operator when making an ascent is avoided and the facility with which the
machine can be speeded is greatly enhanced.

page_text: Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Velocipedes.
CHARLES SCOTT SNELL of 7 Garfield Villas, Park Road, Crouch End in the
'County of Middlesex Civil and Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the annexed sheet of Drawings the figures of which illustrate the
driving gear of a Velocipede Fig. 1 being the side elevation showing an enlarged
view in Fig. 2 of the gear in position for giving "speed" and in Fig. 3 further
shewing an enlarged view of the gear in position for giving "power" :-
In carrying out the said Improvements the axle of the Velocipede has attached
to it any convenient kind of clutch E actuated by the pedal lever through the
medium of the chain G and made to recoil by means of a spring, weight or other
convenient means, as for instance a chain in the case of a Bicycle may pass over a
pully on the head of the machine and form a connection between the clutches on
either side so that as the foot on one side is depressed the other is raised. Now
the special object of the gearing is to alter the leverage by causing the block C to
slide along the pedal lever in the direction of the bearing D whenever extra
pressure on the pedals is necessitated as when mounting a hill and this is effected
by the pedal A being fixed to a lever turning on a centre or bearing H and having
a continuation to B which actuates the sliding block C by means of a connecting
rod C. B. Upon level ground therefore it will be seen that the spring F keeps the
gearing in the "
speed" position as shown in Fig. 2, but upon rough ground or
uphill the extra force depresses the pedal and stretches the spring so that the
gearing assumes the "power" position as shown in Fig. 3.
When the chain assumes an excessive inclination with regard to the pedal lever
the first pin K is so close that it "nips" the lever and thus prevents any pull from
its angular position affecting the gearing. The spring F may be made in various
strengths or have means of adjustment as for instance several holes may be drilled
in the pedal lever at short distances apart and the spring hooked on to such one as
may give the requisite amount of tension to the spring. Stops M may also be
fitted to limit the "play" of sliding block C.
Thus it is evident that the speeding of a Velocipede may be automatically
varied according to the state of the surface of the road or its inclination with
the horizontal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1st Altering the "speeding" of Velocipedes by means of the levers substantially
as specified in Figs 2 & 3.
2. The combination of the lever A H B with the connecting rod C. B substan-
tially as shown and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of parts forming the driving gear herein described and
illustrated by Figs-1. 2. 3.
Deted this 24th day of May 1886