Improvements in or relating to the Driving of Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left; 23rd June, 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1895
Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June. 1896--Accepted, 1st Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Driving of Cycles.
I, CHARLES. THOMAS CROWDENI of Messrs. Humber & Company; Ld., Beeston, in
the County of Nottingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the driving of cycles carrying more than one rider,
particularly two-wheeled vehicles of the tandem bicycle description, though it may
be applied to other forms of vehicles. As applied to bicycles or the like in which
the riders sit one in front of the other, tandem fashion, the invention may be carried
out in the following manner.
I will first describe a tandem bicycle for two riders. Usually the axle operated
by the back rider carries a chain wheel of a larger size than that upon the hub of the
driving wheel so as to obtain the necessary gearing up (an arrangement, which I' may
adopt) and the chain for the second rider is carried upon the same side of the
machine connecting the two axles together so that they rotate at the same speed-
slower than that of the road wheel-and the whole of the driving power has to be
conveyed to the road wheel by one chain. By my improved invention avoid this
draw-back, and construct the road wheel. with a chain wheel: upon each end of the
hub or axle, using, two chains passing round chain wheels upon each end of the
driving axle of the back rider, which I will call axle A, both being geared up as
usual if required. One of these chain wheels is fixed upon axle A and the rider of
that axle drives direct through one chain on to the road wheel, but as the second
chain wheel upon axle A is loose that rider has nothing to do with the second chain.
The axle of the front rider which I will call axle B carries another chain wheel fixed
upon it and by a chain gears on to a chain wheel loose upon axle A, and connected
to or forming part of the. loose. chain wheel already described, from. which, the chain
passes to the second chain wheel of the road wheel. Consequently, the rider of
axle B drives direct on to the road wheel through the two chains upon that. side of
the machine, and the double chain. wheel which is loose:upon: axle: A,,ball: bearings
being of course employed. wherever required..
In the case of a triplet machine to carry three riders axle A is as before: connected'
direct to one side of the road wheel by a chain wheel secured upon it; this chain
wheel is connected with or forms part of another chain wheel which by another
chain is connected to a chain wheel fixed upon the third axle: which. I will call C,
either directly, or a double loose chain wheel. may be carried upon axle B and. the.
chain from axle A may pass to one chain wheel loose upon axle B while.the second.
part of that chain wheel carries another chain to the fixed wheel upon axle. C-this
latter arrangement is preferable as the chains are shorter and less likely to sag. It
will thus be seen that the riders of axle C'and axle A both drive. on to the road.
wheel from one side of the machine and through one chain so that, that chain has
only to transmit the power of those two riders. The rider of axle B drives from.a
fixed chain wheel upon axle B. to a double loose chain wheel upon axle A and from
that to the second chain wheel' upon the hub of the road wheel. Or,. as. in. the.
previous case the double loose wheel upon, axle A may be dispensed with and axle B
connected direct to the hub of the road wheel; the employment of the double. loose
chain wheel upon axle A however being preferred.
In the case of quadruplets, or machines to carry four riders one behind the other,,
the axle A is connected to one side of the road wheel as before, by a double fast

page_text: chain wheel connecting by another chain to a double loose chain wheel upon axle B,.
another chain connecting this double chain wheel with a fixed chain wheel upon
axle C so that upon that side of the machine riders of axles C and A transmit
their power through the one chain as in the case of the last described machine
for three riders. Upon the other side however the power of the fourth rider of
axle D has to be transmitted and this is similar to that already described for three
riders excepting that the fast wheel upon axle B is a double wheel transmitting
in the manner already described to a loose double chain wheel upon axle C and
from there to a fast wheel upon axle D. Consequently the power of two riders
only is conveyed to the road wheel by the chain upon each side of the road wheel
instead of as at present one chain having to convey the power of all four riders.
Besides the reduction of power which each chain has to transmit the cross or
torsional strains upon bearings, chains and chain wheels and frame-work due to
driving from one side only are got rid of, and the chains and chain wheels can all
be made smaller and lighter than at present.
The
The adjustment of the chains on both sides of the machine may be effected in
various ways, a convenient arrangement being to tighten the road wheel chains by
moving the road wheel back in its bearings and the chain of the front rider by
moving his axle forward conveniently by means of an eccentric bearing.
intermediate chains may be tightened by the employment of eccentric bearings
carried either upon the axles round which the loose chain wheels are placed, or in
the frame-work, the adjustment of these being independent of the adjustment of the
bearings of the axles, or not, as required. Or the double chain wheels may be
mounted loose directly on the crank axles and these axles arranged for longitudinal
adjustment. The loose wheels may be bored out larger than the crank axles to
allow of adjustment.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1895.
Improvements in or relating to the Driving of Cycles.
I, CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN of Messrs. Humber & Company, Limited, Beeston,
in the County of Nottingham, 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 :-
This invention relates to the driving of cycles carrying more than one rider,
particularly two-wheeled vehicles of the tandem bicycle or
" multiplet" description,
though it may be applied to other forms of vehicles.
like in which the riders sit one in front of the other, tandem fashion, the invention
As applied to bicycles or the
may be carried out in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a plan showing the means for driving a tandem bicycle according to
my present invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views showing alternative arrangements for
driving a triplet bicycle, and
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the means for driving a quadruplet bicycle
according to this invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
To facilitate the understanding of the invention I employ the initial letter "F"
with a distinguishing index-numeral to designate chain wheels which are fixed upon
or in relation to the crank-axles on which they are mounted and the initial letter “L'
"

page_text: with a distinguishing index-numeral to designate chain wheels which are loose upon
or in relation to their crank axles.
The power-transmission chains or devices are represented in the drawings by chain
lines.
I will first describe by reference to Figure 1 a tandem bicycle for two riders.
Usually the axle A operated by the back rider carries a chain wheel F' of a larger
size than the chain wheel B₁ upon the hub of the driving wheel B so as to obtain
the necessary gearing up (an arrangement which I may adopt) and the chain for the
second rider is carried upon the same side of the machine connecting the two axles
together so that they rotate at the same speed-slower than that of the road
wheel B and the whole of the driving power has to be conveyed to the road wheel
by one chain. By my improved invention I avoid this draw-back, and construct the
road wheel B with a chain wheel B or B2 upon each end of the hub or axle B³,
using two chains C (above mentioned) and C passing round chain wheels F¹ and L¹
respectively, upon each end of the driving axle A of the back rider, both being
geared up to a similar extent as usual if required. The chain wheel F is fixed
upon the axle A and the rider operating that axle drives direct through the chain C
on to the road wheel B, but as the chain wheel L₁ upon the axle A is loose the
rider operating that axle has nothing to do with the chain C. The axle D of the front
rider carries a chain wheel F2 fixed upon it and by a chain (gears on to a chain
wheel (of the same size as F*) loose upon the axle A, and fixed to or forming
part of the loose chain wheel L' already described, from which the chain C¹ passes
to the second chain wheel B2 of the road wheel B. Consequently, the rider operating
the axle D drives direct on to the road wheel B through the two chains C C₁ the
double chain wheel L L which is loose upon axle A and the chain wheel B³ all of
which are on the same side of the machine.
In the case of a triplet machine to carry three riders as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,
the axle A is as before described connected direct by the chain wheel F' secured
upon it and by the chain C to the chain wheel B' on one side of the road wheel B ;
this chain wheel F is connected with or forms part of a chain wheel F³ which by a
chain is connected to a chain wheel F fixed upon the axle G which is operated
by the third or front rider. The chain-wheel F may be connected to the chain
wheel Feither directly by the chain C, as shown in Figure 2, or indirectly as
shown in Figure 3 through a double chain wheel L L which may be carried loosely
upon the axle D, the chain C3 from the wheel F in this example passing to say
the chain wheel L³ while another chain, C, passes from the chain wheel 1 to the
wheel F* fixed upon the axle G-this latter arrangement is preferable as the chains
are shorter and less likely to sag. It will thus be seen that the riders operating
the axles G and A both drive on to the road wheel B froin one side of the machine
and through one chain (()) so that that chain has only to transmit the power of
those two riders. The rider operating the axle D drives from a chain wheel F
fixed upon that axle either first to a double chain wheel L' L' loose upon, the
axle A and then from that wheel to the chain wheel B2 upon the hub of the road
wheel B, or, as shown in Fig. 3 the double loose wheel L L upon the axle A
may be dispensed with and the axle B connected by a chain C³ direct to the chain
wheel B of the road wheel B; this alternative arrangement applies equally well to
the example shown in Fig. 1. The employment of the double chain wheel L L'
loose upon the axle A however is preferred as the chains are shorter and less likely
to sag than they would otherwise be.
In the case of quadruplets, or machines to carry four riders one behind another,
as shown in Fig. 4, the axles A and G are connected to one side of the road
wheel B in the manner before described with reference to Fig. 3, by a double chain
wheel F F³ fixed on the axle A connecting by the chain to a double
chain wheel L L loose upon the axle D, a chain connecting this double chain
wheel L L with a chain wheel F fixed upon the axle G, so that upon the side
of the machine at which this gearing is located the riders operating the axles G and A
transmit their power through one chain, viz. C, as in the case of the previously

page_text: described machines (Figs. 2 and 3) for three riders. Upon the other side of the
machine however the power of the fourth rider, i.e. the rider operating the axle H
has to be transmitted to the wheel B and the arrangement for effecting this is
similar to that already described and shown in Fig. 2, for three riders, excepting
that the wheel F' fixed upon the axle D is connected to or formed in part with a
wheel F connected by a chain C to the wheel L³ of a double chain whecl L L
loose upon the axle G, the wheel L® being connected by a chain C7 to a wheel F
fixed upon the axle H. Consequently the power of only the two riders operating
the axles A and G is conveyed to the road wheel B by the chain Cupon one side
of the road wheel and the power of only the two riders operating the axles D and H
is conveyed to the road wheel-by the chain C, instead of, as at present, one chain
having to convey the power of all four riders.
If desired I may, as before explained in connection with Figs. 2 and 3, dispense
with the double loose chain wheels L³ Land L' L' and connect the two wheels F F
and the two wheels F F by single chains, though for the reasons above set forth
I prefer to employ the arrangement shown.
Besides the reduction of power which each of the chains CCC has to transmit
the cross or torsional strains upon the bearings, chains and chain wheels and frame-
work due to driving from one side only are got rid of, and the chains and chain
wheels can all be made smaller and lighter than at present.
Ball bearings may of course be used wherever required.
The adjustment of the chains on both sides of the machine may be effected in
various ways, a convenient arrangement being to tighten the road wheel chains by
moving the road wheel back in its bearings and the chain of the front rider by
moving his axle forward conveniently by means of an eccentric bearing. The
intermediate chains may be tightened by the employment of eccentric bearings
carried either upon the axles around which the loose chain wheels are placed, or
in the frame-work, the adjustment of these being independent of the adjustment of
the bearings of the axles, or not, as required. Or the double chain wheels may be
mounted loose directly on the crank axles and these axles arranged for longitudinal
adjustment. The loose wheels may be bored out larger than the crank axles to allow
of adjustment.
Instead of employing chains as previously described, which however is the power
transmission device I prefer, I may use any mechanical equivalent such as perforated
or other bands the word "chains " hereinafter appearing in the claims being
intended to include all such devices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In a cycle driven by two or more riders one in front of another transmitting
the power to both sides of the same driving road wheel substantially as described.
2. In a cycle having two or more crank axles one in front of another the com-
bination with these axles of power-transmitting chain wheels fixed one on each of
the axles on opposite sides of the machine and a corresponding chain wheel on each
side of the driving road wheel substantially as described.
3. In a cycle having two or more crank axles one in front of another transmitting
power to the driving road wheel by two chains one geared to each side of the road wheel:
4. In a cycle having two or more crank axles: one in front of another transmitting
the power from the successive axles to the driving road wheel at both sides of the
said road wheel.
5. In a cycle having two or more crank axles one in front of another the employ-
ment in combination with a driving road wheel having a chain wheel B' or B³ ou
each side of chain wheels fixed on opposite ends of the crank axles one of these
-chain wheels F driving direct on to the wheel B' and the other or others driving
on to the wheel B' either direct by a single chain or through other chain wheels
.mounted loosely upon the intermediate crank axle or axles substantially as described.

page_text: 6. In a cycle having two or more crank axles one in front of another
road wheel having a chain wheel B' or B2 on each side the employment upon an
intermediate crank axle of one or more double loose chain wheels such as L'ILL
or L L substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In a cycle having two or more crank axles one in front of another the com-
bination with a crank axle of a single or double chain wheel at one end turning
with the axle and a double chain wheel loose upon the axle at the other end.
8. The complete cycle-driving gear substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 1 2 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.
1806
Nהתזה
CHAS. T. CROW
VDEN
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant..