IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER MANUMOTIVE VEHICLES."
Year: 1882

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Dawes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th January 1882.
WILLIAM DAWES of Kingston Grove Leeds in the County of York Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES AND OTHER MANUMOTIVE VEHICLES."
The object of the first part of this Invention is the production of a tricycle or
other manumotive vehicle in which, whilst both the legs and arms of the rider are
employed for propelling, a means is embodied in the arrangement and construction
of the whole, whereby the guiding and controlling can be as safely and efficiently
effected as in those vehicles in which the legs only are employed for propelling, and
it may be thus described :-I first construct my carriage, which, so far as the
general arrangement is concerned, may be an ordinary tricycle, with the guiding
wheel behind or in front, or with a pair of guiding wheels as a four wheeled
velocipede, or in any other convenient manner; and the pedal or treadle (foot)
propelling may be either directly upon the cranks, or through the medium of levers
and rods, as may be desired; but I construct the said pedal cranks with a plain,
straight, revolving portion in the centre, between the two cranks, in lieu of the
sloping side of one crank passing straight on to the sloping side of the other crank,
in the usual manner; this straight central revolving portion, being turned and
fitted in a perfectly true line with the end bearings or running surfaces; and upon
this part of the said foot propelling cranks I fix a "chain wheel," similar to those
now in use, in other parts of the ordinary tricycle.
I next construct an upright "rocking lever" or standard, and I fix this in front
of the seat, centrally,-in such a manner that the top of it shall be about fourteen
inches above the level of the seat, and ten inches in front of it, or as nearly as
possible perpendicularly over the foot cranks and the said chain wheel, and also, so
that, whilst being stendy and free from shake "side-ways," its top can be moved
forward or backward ("fore and aft ") through a portion of a circle,-exactly in
accordance with the centre of the before-named chain wheel. I now fit, into the
upper end of this rocking lever,-which is "forked" for the purpose--a second chain
wheel, precisely similar to the one before-named, and upon or over these two wheels,
an endless transmitting chain is fitted, to work tightly, yet freely, in all positions
of the said rocking lever. Then, upon the projecting ends of the short shaft upon
which the second or upper chain wheel is fixed, I fit a pair of single cranks, similar
to those used as foot or pedal cranks for bicycles, but fitted with wood or other
freely turning knobs, for the hands of the rider to grip firmly and comfortably,
and, as in the foot or pedal cranks,-these are fixed upon their shaft, diametrically

page_text: opposite to each other; their working position, as regards the pedal cranks, being
such as will give the greatest propelling power, by, and as the result of,-the
combined action and effect of the legs and arms of the rider, "timed" to work to
the greatest advantage and result. In some arrangements of the vehicle, the lower
chain wheel and the centre of action of the rocking lever, may be otherwise than
upon the centre or any part of the pedal cranks or action, but in all cases, and
however modified in construction, this revolving hand or arm attachment, or
auxiliary, must be so arranged and connected with the propelling wheels, that the
rocking motion of the before described upright lever, and with it the backward and
forward motion of the upper chain wheel and cranks and handles, shall not interfere
with the transmission of the arm power of the rider,— through them to the
driving wheels.
Having described the propelling portion or construction of my Invention, I now
explain in what manner the guiding of the vehicle is effected;-namely, by the
connecting of the lower, portion of the rocking lever, and hand crank arrangement,—
by rods, levers, or otherwise, with the guiding wheel or wheels; so that virtually,
the guiding is effected by the forward and backward movement of the hands and
arms of the rider, in addition to, and at the same time as, the revolving or circular
motion of them and their cranks is employed for assisting in the propulsion of the
vehicle, as herein before explained.
In some cases I employ a one way "pawl action" in connection with the before-
described hand propelling and guiding arrangement, to enable the rider to cease
the rotating and propelling movement, at any moment, without loosing the crank-
handles or knobs; and in those cases where this pawl action is not employed, I fix
a "fall-down" handle or other equivalent upon the rocking lever, for use in guiding
when the rider is is not using the revolving handles; and, to render the guiding,-
whilst also propelling by the revolving handles, pleasant and manageable, I
sometimes employ a spring action or attachment, so constructed as to cause the
before-described rocking lever and its connections to seek or prefer the central,
midway, or straight line position, and thus the "to and fro" or "fore and aft
movements required for making right or left hand curves or movements by the
vehicle, will require sufficient effort or power from the rider, to prevent undue action
and unsteady running.
The second part of this Invention consists in an improved construction of the
seat of the rider, so as to reduce the difficulty and discomfort arrising from the
extent of movement required of the thighs and hip joints, to follow the "throw
or stroke of the pedal cranks, especially in passing the bottom centres.
For this purpose I construct the seat in two parts, one for each side or thigh, and
I furnish each part with a strong spring arrangement which enables the front edge
or face to yield to the pressure and angle of the thigh, when down, and also to
rise with the change of angle, as the leg rises in conformity with its crank. The
cushion may be also made in two parts, to act with the before-described double
seat, and I then "face" the inside sides with leather, for smoothness and durability.
In some cases the seat proper may be made in one piece, as heretofore, and a
second, double, spring seat, constructed as above, fixed on the top of it; and, in
either case, I sometimes "pivot" each side or part of the double scat, about midway
between back and front, in lieu of allowing the action to extend the entire depth
of the seat, and thus the middle or actual weight supporting part of the seat and
cushions, remains at about the same level, whilst the front of cach half is yielding
to the motion of the thighs as herein before explained.