Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Tricycles, Bicycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left 14th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted; 23rd Mar, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Tricycles, Bicycles,
and other Velocipedes.
EDWIN JOHN LEWIS of No. 25 King Street Reading in the County of Borks
Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the construction and combination herein after described of
the parts of the driving mechanism of tricycles bicycles and other velocipedes.
The object of my invention is to permit the use of longer cranks than usual
for driving velocipedes without materially altering the length of the rider's thrust so
as thereby to obtain greater power in the machine and enable it to travel over rough
roads and up inclines with greater ease than by the use of the ordinary driving
mechanism.
For this purpose I cause the cranks in addition to their ordinary rotary motion to
have a rising and falling motion given to them as herein after particularly explained.
I will describe my invention as applied to a tricycle.
I use two driving chains and four chain wheels each chain working over a chain
wheel on the axle of the driving wheels and over a chain wheel worked from the
pedal crank.
The chain wheels worked from the pedal cranks are not connected
together but work independently of one another and on the outer face of each of
the crank chain wheels is a crank provided with the usual pedal.
The crank chain wheels turn on pivots carried by the outer ends of rocking arms
the inner ends of the said arms turning loosely on the axle of the driving wheels so
that the said crank chain wheels are inade capable of rising and falling. The pivots
on which the crank chain wheels turn are eccentric to the cranks on the same
wheels. By means of the rocking arms described the pairs of chain wheels are
preserved at the proper distance-apart to permit of the chains running freely thereon.
Projecting from the inner face of each crank chain wheel is an eccentric.
This eccentric is hollow and is supported and has a rolling motion upon a
horizontal platform or bed carried by the backbone of the tricycle. Each hollew
eccentric acts as a rest for the rocking arms carrying the pivots of the crank chain
CD1137

page_text: wheels the pivot ends of the said rocking arms rising and falling by the action of
the eccentrics as the crank chain wheels are rotated by the motion given to the
cranks. When the pedal crank is at its highest point the eccentric is resting on its
fixed platform or bed at its lowest point and as the rider forces the pedal crank down
the eccentric being fixed to the same wheel as the pedal crank the crank chain wheel
is raised towards the body of the rider and the reverse.
By means of the double set of driving chains and rocking arms and chain wheels
the driving mechanism is made to act alternately on the driving shaft the eccentrics
being so arranged that when one is resting on its bed at its lowest point the other
eccentric is resting on its bed at its highest point.
By the arrangement or combination of the driving parts described the long cranks
used are at the proper times raised and lowered by the raising and lowering of the
crank chain wheels effected by the eccentrics and the range of motion of the feet of
the rider for working the velocipede is practically the same as when short cranks
are used but additional power is obtained as herein before described.
Dated this 1st day of June 1888.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Tricycles, Bicycles,
and other Velocipedes.
I. EDWIN JOHN LEWIS of No. 25 King Street Reading in the County of Berks
Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of my 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 consists of the construction and combination hereinafter described of
the parts of the driving mechanism of tricycles bicycles and other velocipodes.
The object of my invention is to permit of the use of longer cranks than usual for
driving velocipedes without materially altering the length of the rider's thrust so
as thereby to obtain greater power in the machine and enable it to travel over
rough roads and up inclines with greater ease than by the use of the ordinary driving
mechanism.
For this purpose I cause the cranks in addition to their ordinary rotary motion
to have a rising and falling motion given to them as hereinafter particularly
explained.
I will describe my invention as applied to a tricycle.
I use two driving chains and four chain wheels, each chain working over a
chain wheel on the axle of the driving wheels and over a chain wheel worked
from the pedal crank. The chain wheels worked from the pedal cranks are not
connected together but work independently of one another and on the outer face of
each of the crank chain wheels is a crank provided with the usual pedal.
The crank chain wheels turn on pivots carried by the outer ends of rocking arms
the inner ends of the said arms turning loosely on the axle of the driving wheels so
that the said crank chain wheels are made capable of rising and falling.
The pivots
on which the crank chain wheels turn are eccentric to the cranks on the same wheels.
By means of the rocking arms described the pairs of chain wheels are preserved at
the proper distance apart to permit of the chains running freely thereon. Projecting
from the inner face of each crank chain wheel is an eccentric.
This eccentric is supported and has a rolling motion upon a platform or bed
carried by the backbone of the tricycle. Each eccentric acts as a rest for the
rocking arms carrying the pivots of the crank chain wheels, the pivot ends of the
said rocking arms rising and falling by the action of the eccentrics as the crank
chain wheels are rotated by the motion given to the cranks. When the pedal crank
is at its highest point the eccentric is resting on its fixed platform or bed at its
lowest point and as the rider forces the pedal crank down, the eccentric being fixed
to the same wheel as the pedal crank, the crank chain wheel is raised towards the
body of the rider and the reverse.
By means of the double set of driving chains and rocking arms and chain wheels
the driving mechanism is made to act alternately on the driving shaft the eccentrics
being so arranged that when one is resting on its bed at its lowest point the other.
eccentric is resting on its bed at its highest point.
+

page_text: By the arrangement or combination of the driving parts described the long cranks
used are at the proper times raised and lowered by the raising and lowering of the
crank chain wheels effected by the eccentrics and the range of notion of the feet of
the rider for working the velocipede is practically the same as when short cranks are
used but additional power is obtained as herein before described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in plan a front steering tricycle
containing driving mechanism constructed according to my invention and Figures 3
and 4 represent the arrangement for lifting the rocking arms carrying the crank
chain wheels by means of eccentrics. I prefer however to use the lifting arrangement
represented in Figures 1 and 2 which I will first describe.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
e
a is the driving shaft of the tricycle carrying the two wheels, bande is the front
steering wheel; d is the steering post and the steering handle; is the backbone
supporting the saddle post and the mechanism hereinafter described; g, are the
chain wheels fixed on the driving axle a and y, are the pedal chain wheels
working independently of one another; are the chains working over the two
pairs of chain wheels and h. The axles of the crank chain wheels g, ² turn
in bearings in the outer ends of the rocking arms l, m the inner ends of which turn
freely on the axle a of the driving wheels b, band are capable of rising and falling
on the said axle.
It will be seen by an examination of Figure-2 that-parallel-bars-, m² are connected
to the rocking armsm to support the inner ends of the axles of the chain
wheels gh-p-are-the long pedal cranks fixed on the axles of the chain wheels g² *
and n p are the pedals of the same. By means of the rocking arms 1, m the pairs
of chain wheels g, g and h, 1 are preserved at their proper distance apart to permit
of the chains,-k-running freely thereon. By means of the double set of chain
wheels their chains and the rocking arms the driving mechanism is made to act
alternately on the driving shaft.
The
During the action of the rider on the pedal cranks it is necessary that an alternate
rising and falling motion should be given to the rocking levers or arms l, m for the
purpose of compensating or virtually shortening the long cranks employed; that is
to say, as the rider forces the pedal crank down it is necessary to raise the crank
chain wheel he is operating upon to a higher level. The alternating raising and
falling of the pedal chain wheels and their pedal cranks may be effected in
various ways. I have shown in the accompanying Drawings two ways of effecting
that object. One of the arrangements consists in raising and lowering the rocking
arms 1, m through the pressure of the thighs of the rider as he operates upon the
pedal crank. This mechanism is represented in Figures 1 and 2. It consists of two
lifting vertical arms 9, connected at bottom to the said rocking arms l, m.
said arms carry at their cranked or turned in upper ends friction rollers which
bear upon the cams or discs q³, 2 having an alternating motion of partial rotation on
their axes.
A portion of the inner face of each cam or disc is made into teeth
at qand gearing with the said toothed parts is a toothed wheels between them as
seen in the plan Figure 2. On each cam or disc is a crank arm q', which when the
rider seats himself are situated respectively under his thighs. When one of the crank
arms or is pressed down, the snail end of its cam * or acting upon the
vertical arm or raises the rocking arm 1 or m connected with it and the pedal
chain wheel carried by the said rocking arm. The raising of one of the
crank arms or causes the descent of the other crank arm through the toothed
gearing q³,
and s.
In this way an alternating rising and falling motion is given to the rocking
arins l, m and their crank chain wheels and attachments.
I will now describe more in detail the general action of the lifting mechanism.
Supposing the rider mounts the machine when the right hand pedal n² is at its

page_text: highest point as represented in Figure 1, the end of the vertical lifting arm 9 will
rest on the snail end of the cam in its lowest position. As pressure is applied by
the rider's foot to the pedal n² it descends the rider's thigh at the same time pressing
downwards the small crank arm *.
The cam or disc q2 is thus turned on its centre and the snail part made to raise
the vertical arm and the crank chain wheel g² and pedal crank. During the
lifting of the vertical arm 9 the other arm is made to descend by the changed
position of its cam moved by the gearing q³ ³ and s and the lifting arm and
rocking arm m descend together with the crank chain wheel on the said rocking
arm. The now raised left hand pedal p² and small crank arm being operated
upon in a similar manner the action described is repeated and an alternate rising
and falling notion of the rocking arms l, m thus produced. The result of this
arrangement is that the long pedal cranks are virtually shortened and kept within
reach of the rider's feet and a much greater force is applied to propel the machine than
when short pedal cranks are used. I will now describe the lifting arrangement
represented in side elevation in Figure 3 and a part of the same in Figure 4. In
this arrangement eccentrics are used. I have only represented the eccentric of one
of the pedal chain wheels but it must be understood that both chain wheels are alike
excepting that the position of the eccentric is reversed.
The crank toothed wheel g² carried by the rocking arm 7 has on its inner face a
projecting eccentric g³ which is supported and has a rolling motion upon the
platform carried by the backbone of the tricycle the said eccentric acting as a rest
for the rocking arm 7 carrying the crank toothed wheel g². As the crank chain or
toothed wheel is rotated by pressure upon the pedal crank n n' the eccentric moving
with the said wheel g³ gives a rising and falling motion to the rocking arm and parts
carried by it. The result obtained is the same as that hereinbefore described when
lifting arms are used, namely the compensating for or virtually shortening of the
long pedal cranks employed.
l
I apply the driving mechanism constituting my invention to bicycles and other
velocipedes substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated with
respect to a tricycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention:-
First Driving mechanism for tricycles bicycles and other velocipedes consisting
essentially of two pairs of chain wheels and two driving chains, each chain working
over a chain wheel worked by a long pedal crank and carried by a rocking arm to
which arni on the working of the machine a rising and falling motion is given and
consequently to the crank chain wheel and its attachments whereby compensation for
or the virtually shortening of the long pedal cranks used is obtained substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly The arrangement or combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings for giving or alter-
nating rising and falling motion to the rocking arms carrying the crank chain wheels
and their attachments.
Thirdly The arrangement or combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings for giving an alter-
nating rising and falling motion to the rocking arms carrying the crank chain wheels
and their attachments.
Dated the Twelfth day of February 1889.