Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOHN SHAKESPEARE of 120 Snow Hill, Dudley, in the County of Stafford,
Fruit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be follows:-
as
-
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct bicycles and tricycles
whereby I am enabled to utilize the power of the hands and the weight of the body
to assist in propelling the machine, particularly when ascending hills or steep
roads, in a manner less fatiguing and with greater facility than is at present
possible with the existing ordinary velocipedes..
In carrying my invention into effect when applying my improvements to a
tricycle I arrange the steering handles to attach to the front fork of the steering
wheels by means of a crank lever and rods of ordinary construction, but I secure
the handles to a rigid frame. or bar of the machine which place preferably in a
line with the foot pedals or cranks, so that when the pressure of the hands is
applied to the handles then the weight of the body can be thrown readily on to the
foot pedals and greater effect thereby produced upon the speed of the machine.
By this system of causing the handles to be firmly grasped and the rigidity of
their connections being thoroughly maintained I am enabled to obtain a leverage
over the foot action such that greater facility of riding and ease of working is
secured.
In order to more effectually carry out my invention I sometimes make the foot
pedals with outside bent cranks for enabling the levers from the handles of my
machine to be attached to them, so that a pull or push from the hands may be
readily communicated to the foot pedals quite independently of the pressure pro-
duced by the feet alone. These outside or supplementary cranks for enabling the
hand pressure to be utilized I form with a slotted lever or adjustable sliding block
arranged in such a manner that a variable throw or greater or less eccentricity of
movement may be produced to suit the peculiar demand necessary to overcome any
inclination which is to be traversed, or to more readily propel the machine upon
heavy or bad roads.
When attaching my improvements to tricycles I prefer to construct the driving
gear with two chains or two driving wheels, with the pedals or foot levers
placed between them, each foot acting on to a separate and independent chain or
gear driving wheel and having also my improved hand action system of levers
attached to the crank by means of the adjustable or fixed supplementary outside
crank as hereinbefore described.
When applying my improved system of hand power utilization to bicycles
I arrange the handles one upon each side of the rider instead of placing a straight
or curved single handle in front as in the present usual or ordinary system of bicycle
construction; and I arrange.these side handles so that they may not only steer the
machine but may be employed to enable the weight of the rider to be thrown on to
the pedals, or an increased leverage may be obtained, or they may be arranged to
work on to the pedals for permitting of a pull or push being given by the hands in
the manner hereinbefore described when applied to a tricycle.
I also sometimes arrange my improvements in such a way that they may be
readily attached to or detached from the machine for enabling either both arms
and both legs to be employed, or to permit of say the right arm with the left leg,
and the left arm with the right leg, or right arm with left leg, and left arm and
left leg working together as may be desired; or I construct the levers in such a
manner that both arms may be used with either of the legs singly when the pivots
upon the supplementary crank are parallel with the pedal spindles.

page_text: By this improved system of constructing velocipedes I am enabled to form a
continuous driving arrangement, such that I produce four distinct lines of thrust
upon the pedals thereby obviating any dead centre or loss of work occasioned by
the passing over any particular point of the circle in which the crank pedal moves.
This continuous system of driving I can accomodate to suit any particular demand
by placing the angles of my supplementary crank pins at any desired position at
will by means of the adjustable attachment of the supplementary or outside crank
to the main crank:
I do not always arrange my side handles or side guiding levers to work on to the
pedals with connecting rods, but I sometimes cause the handles to be placed at
the side and then to guide the steering wheel in any ordinary manner for the
purpose of enabling me to throw greater leverage on to the pedals by the grasp
which I am able to make upon the fixed side handles which permits of a lifting
or thrusting effect being obtained, quite impossible with the guiding handle fixed
in front of the rider in the ordinary system of construction now adopted.
I do not limit the application of my invention to any particular form of bicycle
or tricycle but I employ the same system of assisted power appliances to any kind
of machine, modified to suit my peculiar requirement.
Dated this 24th day of January 1891
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOHN SHAKESPEARE, of 120 Snow Hill, Dudley, in the County of
Stafford, Fruit Merchant, 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:—
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct bicycles and tricycles,
whereby I am enabled to utilize the power of the hands and the weight of the body
to assist in propelling the machine, particularly when ascending hills or steep
roads, in a manner less fatiguing and with greater facility than is at present possible
with the existing ordinary velocipedes.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I append hereunto two
sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
In carrying my invention into effect when applying my improvements to a bicycle as
illustrated on Sheet 1 Figure 1 and Figure 2, I arrange the steering handles A, A¹to
attach to the front fork of the steering wheel E by means of a crank B, B',
lever C, C', and rod C2 of ordinary construction, but I secure the handles to a
rigid frame or bar F of the machine, which I place preferably in a line with the
foot pedals or cranks G, G', so that when the pressure of the hands is applied to
the handles A, A, then the weight of the body can be thrown readily on to the
foot pedals and greater effect thereby produced upon the speed of the machine.
By this system of causing the handles to be firmly grasped and the rigidity of their
connections being thoroughly maintained, I am enabled to obtain a leverage
over the foot action such that greater facility of riding and ease of working is
secured.
In order to more effectually carry out my invention I sometimes make the foot
pedals with outside cranks or supplementary crank plates H for enabling the
lever from the handles of my machine to be attached to them, so that a pull or
push from the hands may be readily communicated to the foot pedals quite
independently of the pressure produced by the feet alone. These outside or sup-
plementary cranks H for enabling the hand pressure to be utilized, I sometimes
form as illustrated in Figure 2, with a slotted lever H' or other adjustable sliding

page_text: block h arranged in such a manner that a variable throw K, K' or greater or lesser
eccentricity of movement may be produced to suit the peculiar demand necessary
to overcome any inclination which is to be traversed or more readily propel the
machine upon heavy or bad roads.
When attaching my improvements to tricycles as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5
I prefer to construct the driving gear with two chains L and two driving wheels M, M',
with the pedals or foot levers G, G¹ placed between them, each foot acting on to a
separate and independent chain or gear driving wheel; and having also my
improved hand action system of levers attached to the crank by means of the
adjustable or fixed supplementary outside cranks as H2, H3 hereinbefore described.
When applying my improved system of hand power utilization to bicycles or
tricycles, I arrange the handles one upon each side as A, A' of the rider instead of
placing a straight or curved single handle in front as in the present usual or
ordinary system of bicycle and tricycle construction; and I arrange these side
handles so that they may not only steer the machine, but may be employed to
enable the weight of the rider to be thrown on to the pedals, or an increased
leverage may be obtained, or they may be arranged to work on to the pedals
for permitting of a pull or push being given by the hands in the manner herein-
before described.
I also sometimes arrange my improvements in such a way that they may be
readily attached to or detached from the machine for enabling either both arms
and both legs to be employed, or to permit of say the right arm with the left
leg, and the left arm with the right leg, or right arm with right leg, and left arm
and left leg working together as may be desired; or I construct the levers in such
a manner that both arms may be used with either of the legs singly when the pivots
upon the supplementary crank are parallel with the chain wheel spindles.
By this improved system of constructing velocipedes I am enabled to form a
continuous driving arrangement, such that I produce distinct lines of thrust as
shown on Sheet Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 upon the pedals, thereby obviating
any dead centre or loss of work occasioned by the passing over any particular
point of the circle or path described by the throws K, K' of the pedal movements.
This continuous system of driving I can accomodate to suit any particular demand
by arranging the angles Y of my supplementary cranks H at any desired position
at will by means of any ordinary adjustable attachment of the supplementary or
outside crank H to the main crank G.
Instead of employing an under frame to carry my hand lever rods as shown in
Figures 3 and 4, I sometimes guide my hand thrust rods or levers B' with rollers N
mounted between a jaw upon any suitable portion of the frame of my machine,
or carried from the wheel spindle P; the front portion of the guide OI prefer to
leave as a plain or bearing surface to prevent the rod B being bent by the
movement of the connecting link or rod B³ which passes to the supplementary
crank H.
I do not limit the application of my invention to any particular form of bicycle
or tricycle, but I employ the same system of assisted power appliances to any kind
of machine, modified to suit any peculiar requirement.
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:-
(1). The construction and arrangement of velocipedes having independent or
supplementary cranks attached to or formed upon the foot pedals of the machine
for permitting the employment of the hands in addition to the feet substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(2). The construction of velocipedes with adjustable supplementary hand power
levers for operating the chain driving wheels of the machine substantially as herein
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: (3). In velocipedes, the application and, arrangement of guide rollers or guide
bearings for permitting of a steady pull, being given to the hand levers substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of October 1891
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.