Improvements in and connected with Bicycle Driving Gear.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL DITUITUATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bicycle Driving Gear.
I, JOSEPH FRANCIS AMBROSE FARFAN, of 39B, St. Ann's Road, Port of Spain,
County of St. George, Trinidad, British West Indies, Barrister-at-Law, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows; -
This invention consists of a bicycle driving gear in which two oscillating pedals
are employed to swing in unison and each to actuate, through the medium of
sheaves and cords, a clutch mounted on the driving wheel or on the crank axle so
as to propel the driving wheel.
In applying the invention to a bicycle having the clutches mounted on the
driving wheel, the frame is constructed with a vertical middle brace joining a
front brace at the crank hanger and having at each side two hollow back braces
which are arranged one above the other at each side of the driving wheel and each
back brace is connected with the back stays through the medium of frame braces.
The front ends of the two upper back braces are rigidly joined to each other by
means of a cross bar which has a forwardly projecting strut attached to the lower
portion of the middle brace. The lower back braces are rigidly connected with
cach other at their front ends by a cross bar which is provided with a rigid strut
or arm projecting forwardly and upwardly and attached rigidly to the crank
hanger. The crank shaft or axle is mounted in the usual crank hanger and is
provided with two pedal cranks, the bosses or hubs of which are loose on the crank
shaft and provided at their inner faces with segmental notches into which pins
at the base of the middle brace respectively project. The notches or recesses are
located out of transverse alignment with each other so that the recesses serve to
limit the movement of the pedal cranks and to allow the pedal cranks to swing
within a third of a circle. The cranks are adapted to swing alternately, that
is to say when one crank is down the other crank is up, and vice versa.
hub of each crank carries a sheave having connected respectively thereto the ends
of a cord which passes up over an idler pulley carried in a frame spring sustained
at an intermediate point of the middle brace. By means of this cord and pulley
the pedals are caused to have the action above explained.
The
Each sheave is provided with a belt, which belts are passed once around their
respective sheaves and made fast thereto so that the sheaves rocking, about their
axes will give the two runs of the belts regular reciprocating rectilinear movement.
The belts run rearward, each run of each belt passing respectively through one
of the hollow back braces. Rearward of these braces the belts pass out and are
passed twice around the respective clutches to which the belts are also fastened.
Each clutch consists in a circumferentially grooved annular casing mounted
preferably by ball bearings on a ball cup to which the hub of the driving wheel is
rigidly attached and which in turn is mounted loosely on the axle of the driving
wheel. The casing of each clutch is U-shaped in cross section, its inner side being
open. Each ball cup has an annular flange that closes the open inner side of the
adjacent casing. Each flange provided with an annular clutch rib which pro-
jects into the corresponding casing. The casings carry each two.. dogs which

page_text: t
have pointed ends seated in notches in the inner walls of the casing whereby to
rockably mount the dogs. The dogs are respectively actuated by springs held
by the casings and each dog has a notch, the notches respectively receiving the
clutch ribs. These parts are so disposed that when the casings. with their dogs
move in one direction the dogs will not bind on the ribs but will slide idly over
them and without influencing the ball cups or the driving wheel. But when
the casings move in the opposite direction the dogs grip the clutch ribs and
cause the ball cups and wheel to turn. The two clutches work alternately the
one recovering while the other operates positively to turn the wheel. Therefore
the back and forth movements of the belts will, through the medium of the clutches,
cause the ball cups to move forward with a continuous progressive movement and
thereby drive the bicycle. A bicycle thus constructed is operated by alternately
pressing down the pedals whereby the sheaves (and consequently also the belts)
are given an alternate back-and-forth or oscillating movement which produces
the above described effects on the clutches and wheel.
.
The clutches may also be mounted on the pedal shaft, in which case the inven
tion may be applied to the usual diamond 'form of bicycle frame. The rear
wheel carries a sprocket wheel over which passes a chain leading. from another
sprocket wheel fast on the pedal shaft or axle. The end of this shaft adjacent
to the last mentioned sprocket wheel has a casing mounted loose thereon. This
teasing carries dogs actuated by springs and rocking in notches forming a sprocket
wheel which carries a clutch rib projecting into the adjacent casing and co-acting
with the dogs thereof in the same manner as that heretofore explained. The
opposite end of the shaft also carries a similar loose casing provided with dogs
actuated by springs and rocking in recesses as before described, all of which may
Be. understood from the foregoing descriptions. Fixed to the said opposite end
of the shaft is a disc having a clutch rib co-acting with the dogs adjacent thereto.
"The pedals are respectively fast on the casings already mentioned. By these
means the sprocket, which is fast on the crank axis shaft, is continuously drivey.
Each casing has an inwardly projecting annular flange provided at its inner edge
with a recess. These recesses respectively receive pins or studs rigid on the crank
hanger of the bicycle whereby to limit the oscillations of the casings and conse-
quently of the cranks or pedals. The cranks are provided with a cord, pulley,
and spring-sustained frame, as before described, whereby alternate movement
of the cranks is ensured. With this form of my invention continuous rotary
movement is transmitted to the driving wheel, as in the ordinary gear.
Dated this 14th day of June 1898
A. M. & WM.. CLARK
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
improvements in and connected with Bicycle Driving Gear.
1, JOSEPH FRANCIS AMBROSE FARFAN, Barrister at Law, of 39B, St. Ann's Road,
Port of Spain, County of St. George, Trinidad, British West Indies, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement;
This invention consists of a bicycle driving gear in which two oscillating pedals
are employed to swing in unison and each to actuate through the medium of sheaves
and cords, a clutch mounted on the driving wheel, or on the crank axle so as to
propel the driving wheel.

page_text: This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the
claims define the actual scope of the invention.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
with the clutch on the driving
Figure 1 is a side clevation of the bicycle gear
wheel;
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the pedals and their gear;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section through one of the clutches;
Figure 5 is a section taken transversely of the axis of the clutch and through
the same;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the invention with the clutch on the crank axle;"
Figure 7 is a section of the clutch, the section being taken transversely to the
crank axle;
Figure 8 is a section taken longitudinally with the crank. axle;
Figure is a front elevation of the pedals and their gear;
Figure 10 is a fragmentary elevation of the bicycle showing a modification
in the power transmitting cords;
Figure 11 is a plan view of the same with parts in section; and
Figure 12 is a plan view of another modification.
The invention, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, is applied to a bicycle,
the frame of which comprises the vertical middle brace 6, joining the front brace 7
at the crank hanger, and having at each side two hollow back braces 8 and 8.
The braces 8 and 8" at each side of the driving wheel 9 are arranged one above
the other, and each brace is connected with the back stays 10 through the medium
of frame braces 11. The front ends of the two upper braces S are rigidly joined
to each other by means of a cross bar 12. This cross bar 12 has a strut 13 pro-
jecting out forwardly and attached to the lower portion of the brace 6. The
lower braces 8 are rigidly connected with each other at their front ends by
means of a cross bar 14, which has its middle provided with a rigid strut or arm 15
projecting forwardly and upwardly and attached rigidly to the crank hanger.
The crank shaft or axle 16 is mounted in the usual crank hanger and is pro-
vided with two pedal cranks 17, the bosses or hubs 18 of which are loose on the
crank shaft and provided at their inner faces with segmental notches 19, into which
the pins 20 or springs at the base of the brace G respectively. project, so as to
limit the movement of the pedal cranks and to allow the pedal cranks to swing
within a segment of a circle. The cranks are adapted to swing alternately; that
is to say, when one crank is down the other crank is up, and vice-versa, as may be
seen in Figure 1. The hub 18 of each crank carries a sheave 22, the sheaves.
having the ends of a cord 23 connected respectively thereto. The cord 23 passes
up over an idler pulley 24, which is carried in a frame 25 spring-sustained at an
intermediate point of the brace 6. By means of this cord 23 and pulley 24 the
pedals are caused to have the action above explained.
Each sheave 22 is provided with a cord belt 20, which belts are passed once
around their respective sheaves and are made fast thereto, so that the sheaves
rocking about their axes will give the two runs of the belts regular reciprocating
rectilinear movement. The belts 20 run rearward, each run of each belt passing
respectively through one of the hollow braces 8 and 8". Rearward of these braces
the belts pass out and are passed twice or more around the respective clutches,
the belts being also fastened to the clutches. Each clutch, as shown in Figures 4
and 5, consists in a circumferentially grooved annular casing 27 mounted prefer-
ably by ball bearings on a ball cup 29 which has the hub 30 of the driving wheel 9.
rigidly attached and which in turn is mounted loosely on the axle 34 of the
driving wheel 9. The casing 27 of each clutch is U-shaped in cross section, its
inner side being open. Each ball cup 29 has an annular flange 28 that closes
the open inner side of the adjacent casing 27. Each flange 28 is provided-with an
•

page_text: annular clutch rib 31, which projects into the corresponding casing 27. The
casings 27 carry each two dogs 33 which have pointed ends seated in notches 32
in the inner walls of the casing, whereby to rockably mount the dogs. The dogs 33
are respectively actuated by springs 31 held by the casings 27; and each dog
has a notch which notches respectively receive the clutch ribs 31. These parts
are so disposed that when the casings 27 with their dogs move in one direction
the dogs will not bind on the ribs 31 but will slide idly over them, and without
influencing the ball cups 29 or the driving wheel 9, but when the casings 27
move in the opposite direction the dogs grip the clutch ribs and cause the ball
cups and wheel to turn. The two clutches work alternately, the one recovering,
while the other operates positively to turn the wheel. Therefore the back and
forth movements of the belts 26 will, through the medium of the clutches, cause
the ball cups 29 to move forward with a continuous progressive movement and
thereby drive the bicycle. A bicycle thus constructed is operated by alternately
pressing down the pedals 17, whereupon the sheaves 22 are given an alternate
back-and-forth or oscillating movement. This works the belts 26 back and forth
in their braces 8 and 8, which produces the above described effects on the clutches
and wheel 9.
The form of the invention shown in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 mounts the clutches
on the pedal shafts 16 and therefore adapts the invention to the usual form
(diamond) of a bicycle frame. The rear wheel 9 carries a sprocket wheel 35
whercover passes a chain 26" leading from a sprocket 22" fast to the shaft or axle 16.
The end of the shaft 16 adjacent to the sprocket 22 has a casing 27 mounted
loose thereon. This casing carries dogs 33ª actuated by springs 31° and rocking
in notches 32. The sprocket 22" carries a clutch rib 31b which projects into the
adjacent casing 27 and co-acts with the dogs thereof in the same manner as
that heretofore explained. The opposite end of the shaft 16 also carries a loose
casing 27 provided with dogs 33 actuated by springs 31° and rocking in
recesses 32", all of which may be understood from the foregoing descriptions.
Fixed to the said opposite end of the shaft 16 is a disc 28 having a clutch rib 31'
co-acting with the dogs 33 adjacent thereto. By these means the sprocket 22ª
is continuously driven, the pedals 17" being respectively fast on the casings 27"
and each casing having an inwardly projecting annular flange provided at its
inner edge with a recess 20" engaging studs 19 rigid on the crank hanger of the
bicycle, whereby to limit the oscillations of the cranks or pedals 17° (see dotted
lines in Figure 6 and Figures 8 and 9). The cranks 17 are provided with a
cord 23, pulley 24 and frame 25, all of which have been described. With this
form of my invention the parts 22ª, 20 and 35 are all driven continuously as in
the ordinary gear.
The modification shown in Figures 10 and 11 embodies two segmental sheaves 35
mounted to have limited movement on the crank axle and connected respectively
with cords 36 which respectively pass through the tubular back braces 37 of the
bicycle frame and over clutches 38 similar to the clutches 31 before described.
The cords 36 are fastened either to the segmental sheaves or directly to the crank
as shown (relieving the strain from the section of the wheel) and pass upward
through the back stays 39, and twice or oftener over the clutches 38. At their
upper ends the cords 36 are joined to each other and run over a sheave 40 sustained
by a spring 41 attached to the frame of the bicycle. Or instead of joining the
ends a single continuous cord may be used. Oscillations of the sheaves 35 will
cause the wheel (Figures 10 and 11) to be driven forwardly as in the other forms
of the invention.
It will be understood that the spring 41 will automatically preserve a proper
tension of the cords 36. As the spring may possibly produce a resistance to the
movement of the pedals, it may be preferable to substitute for the automatic
tension adjusting spring, an adjusting screw 42 (Fig. 12) carrying the bearing
of the idler and sheave 40. . Or the sheave may be stationary, and the tension
adjusting device may be formed by an adjustable connection of the cords 36,

page_text: or it may be dispensed with altogether, although I consider it preferable to use a
tension adjusting device.
It will be further understood that instead of the. particular clutches 31 and 38
described, I may employ any other known or approved style of clutch, such as
ratchet clutches, ball clutches, friction clutches, and so forth, and also that clutches
of the type shown in Figure 5 may be employed in connection with the rear
sprocket wheel of an ordinary bicycle.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
:
1. The combination in a bicycle gear of a rocking casing, a spring-pressed dog
mounted therein, and a revolvable member having a clutch rib engaged by the
dog to drive the said member.
2. The combination in a bicycle gear of an annular casing U-shaped in cross
section and mounted to rock, a spring-pressed dog seated to rock in a recess in
the interior of the casing, and a revolvable member having a clutch rib engaged
by the dog to drive said member.
3. The combination in a bicycle gear of a wheel hub, a ball cup fast thereto,
and having a flange with an annular clutch rib, a casing mounted to rock on the
ball cup and receiving the clutch rib, and a spring-pressed dog rockable in tho
casing and co-acting with the rib to drive the wheel hub.
4. In a bicycle gear, the combination of a crank shaft or axle, oscillating
pedals mounted thereon and gearing actuated by the pedals to drive. the bicycle
therefrom, such gearing comprising a clutch converting the movement of the
oscillating pedals into rotary movement.
5. The combination in a bicycle gear of a sheave mounted to rock, a belt attached
to said sheave and having its runs movable back and forth by the oscillations
of the sheave, a wheel hub, a casing supported loosely adjacent to the wheel hub;
and clutch devices operating in the casing to drive the wheel hub.
6. In a bicycle gear, the combination with the bicycle frame, of a shaft fixed
thereon, a pedal mounted loosely on the shaft, means for limiting the oscillations
of the pedal, a sheave in connection with the pedal and oscillating therewith,
a belt attached the sheave and extending rearward, and a clutch in connection
with the belt and with the driving wheel of the bicycle.
7. The combination with a bicycle frame, of a shaft fixed therein, a pedal crank
mounted loosely on the shaft and having its hub provided with a segmental notch,
a pin or spring carried by the bicycle frame and fitting in the notch to limit the
movements of the pedal crank, and a sheave attached to the hub of the pedal
crank and moving therewith.
8. In a bicycle, the combination with pairs of tubular back braces, of a rear
driving wheel, clutches in connection with the driving wheel, sheaves carried
by the bicycle frame forward of the back braces, and belts run respectively over
the sheaves and over the clutches and passed through the back braces.
9. A bicycle having a frame comprising pairs of back braces, the front ends of
the members of each pair being rigidly joined with each other by a cross bar
having a strut or arm running forward and having rigid connection with the
frame, and driving gear comprising flexible cords or belts, the runs of which
pass respectively through the tubular braces.
10. In a bicycle gear, the combination of an oscillating sheave, a belt passed
over the sheave, and a clutch with which the belt has connection, the clutch
being in connection with the driving wheel of the bicycle.
11. In a bicycle gear, the combination with the frame of the bicycle, of a shaft
fixed thereon, a pedal arm mounted loosely on the shaft, means for limiting the
oscillation of the pedal, a sheave moving with the pedal arm, a cord passing over
and attached to the sheave, and a clutch device in connection with the rear driving
wheel of the bicycle and also in connection with the belt.

page_text: 12. The combination with a bicycle having a frame with hollow back braces
and hollow back stays and also having a traction wheel, of oscillating sheaves,
cords attached respectively thereto, clutches connected with the cords and with
the traction wheel, the cords being passed through the back braces and stays and
having their upper ends connected to each other, and a sheave attached to the
upper portion of the frame and having the connected cords passed thereover.
13. The combination with a bicycle having a frame with hollow back braces
and hollow back stays and also having a traction wheel, of oscillating sheaves,
cords attached respectively thereto, clutches connected with the cords and with
the traction wheel, the cords being passed through the back braces and stays and
having their upper ends connected to each other, and a sheave attached to the upper
portion of the frame and having the connected cords passed thereover, the sheave
being controlled by a spring to preserve the tension of the cords.
14. The combination with a bicycle having a frame with hollow back braces
and hollow back stays and also having a traction wheel, of oscillating sheaves,
cords attached respectively thereto, clutches connected with the cords and with
the traction wheel, the cords being passed through the back braces and stays and
having their upper ends connected to each other, and a sheave attached to the
upper portion of the frame and having the connected cords passed thereover, the
bearings of the sheave being carried by an adjusting screw to control the tension
of the cords.
15. The combination of the bicycle frame having hollow back stays and a
traction wheel, of cranks and oscillating sheaves, cords passing over the sheaves
and attached to the cranks, clutches connected with the cords and with the
traction wheel, the cords being passed through the back braces and stays and
having their upper ends connected to each other, and a sheave attached to the
upper portion of the frame and having the connected cords passed thereover.
16. The respective arrangements of bicycle driving gear, constructed and oper-
ating substantially as hereindescribed and respectively illustrated in Figures 1
to 5, Figures 6 to 9 and Figures 10 to 12 of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of March 1899
A. M. & WM. CLARK
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.