Improvements in and connected with Cyclometers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Cyclometers.
I, JOHN SHARP HILLIARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 1220
Filbert Street, in the City and County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH CYCLOMETERS and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statements :-
The principal objects of my present invention are first, to provide a neat,
compact, reliable, accurate and comparatively inexpensive cyclometer, especially
adapted for attachment to the frame-work of a bicycle, tricycle or other similar
vehicle, in such manner as to be always in plain view of the rider; second, to
provide simple, adjustable and efficient means for imparting motion to a train of
registering wheels of the instrument from a point in close proximity with the axle
or hub of one of the wheels of the vehicle in such manner that the instrument is
not subjected to undue shock or jar; and third, to provide the instrument with a
train of registering wheels arranged and adapted for operation in such manner
that accidental retrograde motion thereof is prevented.
My invention consists of the improvements in cyclometers hereinafter described
and claimed.
The nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more fully
understood from the following description taken in connection with the accom-
panying drawings forming part hereof; and in which
Figure 1, is a perspective view showing a cyclometer embodying features of
my invention in its application to the front wheel of a bicycle, tricycle or similar
vehicle.
Figs. 2 and 3, are views partly in elevation and partly in section taken from
the respective sides of the cyclometer.
Fig. 4, is a section on the line 4-4, of Figs. 2 and 3, showing the rocker-arm,
ratchet-wheel and their accessories.
Fig. 6, is a section on the line 5-5, of Figs. 2 and 3, showing the train of
registering wheels and illustrating the application of a Geneva stop-motion
thereto; and
Fig. 6, is a top or plan view of the dial-plate and its complemental ordinals, and
with the housing removed.
Referring to the drawings, the exterior housing of the cyclometer is preferably
circular in form and comprises two parts, whereof one a, is provided with a glass
plate or cover a', and the other a³, is provided with a lug a³ and its complemental
nut and washer, whereby the device may be secured to position for use in a manner
to be presently fully described. b, is a base-plate provided with a centrally disposed
journal bearing b', and with suitable internally threaded or tapped apertures b³, for
the reception of screws, whereby the respective members a and a², of the housing
are held to place. c, is a partition-plate connected with and carried above the
base-plate b, by means of distance-pieces c', and screws c. d, is a dial-plate
provided with windows d', d and d', and with a dial d. This dial-plate d,
supported above the partition plate c, and beneath the glass cover a¹, by means of
distance-pieces d', and screws do. e, is a ratchet-wheel carried upon an arbor e¹,
journalled in the bearing 6', and extending upward through an aperture in the
partition plate
The upper extremity of this arbor e', is provided with a finger f,
located above the partition plate c. e, is a detent for preventing retrograde
c.

page_text: movement of the ratchet-wheel e. g, is a rocker-arm loosely mounted upon the
arbore, and provided at or near one extremity g' thereof, with a spring controlled
pawl g, for engaging the respective teeth of the ratchet-wheel e. 8, 15 a spring
connected at its respective extremities with the rocker-arm g, and with a post s',
projecting upwards from the base-plate b. The other extremity g³, of the rocker-
arm g, projects through a suitable slot in the exterior housing of the device and
is provided with a roller 9', having a rubber or other elastic tread 9, adapted to
collide with and run over a suitable projection on the vehicle-wheel, so that the
projection causes the rocker-arm g, to be shifted towards the left in Fig. 4, once
during each revolution of the vehicle-wheel and the spring s, causes the rocker-
arm g, to be returned to its normal position as soon as it is released by the
projection. Each reciprocation of the rocker-arm g, causes the spring-pawl g³, to
advance the ratchet-wheel e, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, a
distance equal to the space between its respective teeth, with the result that the
finger, is shifted in a similar direction and at the same rate of speed. h, is a
registering spur-wheel revolubly mounted upon the partition-plate c, and adapted
to be driven by the finger f, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5.
¹, is a detent for preventing retrograde motion of the wheel. This wheel h, is
advanced by the finger f, a distance equal to the space between its teeth for every
revolution of the ratchet-wheel e, and is provided with a pointer or hand ², that
operates in connection with the dial d. i, is a disc carried by the wheel h, and
provided with a radial recess, from the center of which a radial pin i, projects
beyond the periphery of the disc. ', is a registering wheel revolubly mounted
upon the partition-plate c, and provided with spaces, adapted to mesh with the
pin, and with concavities, adapted to slide upon the periphery of the disc i,
and to enter the radial recess therein, so that the wheel, and disc i, constitute
a so-called "Geneva stop-movement," whereby the registering-wheel, is held
against retrograde movement in such manner that it may be advanced in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, through the intervention of the pin i¹,
and once for each revolution of the wheel h. This wheel j', is provided with the
numerals from 0 to 9 inclusive, visible through the openings d³, and with a disc j,
similar in all respects to the disc i. k, is a registering-wheel precisely similar to
the wheel, and revolubly mounted upon the partition-plate c
This wheel k, is
controlled by the disc j, and is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Fig. 5, for a distance equal to the space between its teeth by the pin, of the
disc, during each revolution of the latter. This wheel k, is provided with the
numerals from 0 to 9 inclusive, visible through the opening &, and with a disc k³,
and pink, that drives the registering-wheel 1, in precisely the same manner as
the disc j, drives the wheel . This wheel 1, is provided with numerals from 0
to 9 inclusive, disposed in such manner that they are visible through the opening d'.
It may be remarked that the employment of the "Geneva stop-movement" for
driving the registering wheels j, k and l, prevents retrograde movement thereof,
and causes one complete revolution of one of them, to advance the next wheel in
the series a distance equal to the space between its respective teeth. In the
present instance each wheel has ten teeth and a corresponding number of numerals,
so that a complete revolution of one wheel causes the next wheel of the series to
be advanced a distance equal to one tenth of a revolution, whereby the succeeding
numeral is caused to appear beneath the opening in the dial-plate d, as is herein-
after more fully explained.
M,
My improved cyclometer may be applied to a bicycle by means of a bracket
provided with slotted arms m' and m³, whereof one of the arms m¹, engages the
lug as, and the other m², is clamped by the nut m³, that serves to connect the one
extremity of the axle with the bifurcated or other head of the vehicle.
n, is a
semi-circular crown-cam connected with the spokes o, of the wheel of the vehicle
by means of a clamping-plate o¹, and set-screws o³, and adapted to contact with the
roller 9, and thus reciprocate or trip the arm g, once during each revolution of
the vehicle wheel. It may be remarked in this connection that the slotted

page_text: bracket m, permits of the adjustment of the cyclometer, and that the crown-cam n,
and roller g, not only prevent any undue shock from being imparted to the
rocker-arm g, but also permit of the machine being run in a reverse direction.
In practice the number of teeth of the ratchet-wheel e, will depend upon the
diameter of the wheel of the vehicle, the object being to cause the ratchet-wheel e,
to be revolved through the instrumentality of the rocker-arm g, crown-cam n, and
spring s, once for each twelfth of a mile traversed by the vehicle.
In the present instance, by reference to the drawings, it is to be assumed that
the diameter of the vehicle wheel is thirty inches, consequently the ratchet-wheel e,
is provided with fifty-six teeth. If a larger or smaller vehicle-wheel is employed a
ratchet-wheel having a proportionately larger or smaller number of teeth must be
employed. The spur-wheel h, is provided with twelve teeth and consequently is
advanced by the finger f, one tooth for each revolution of the ratchet-wheel e, and
consequently one tooth for each twelfth of a mile traversed by the vehicle, and
makes one complete revolution for each mile traversed thereby; and the pointer
or hand h, indicates upon the dial d, the distance traversed in twelfths, quarter
and half miles. The wheel j', is provided with ten teeth disposed in alignment with
the ordinals 0 to 9 inclusive, and is advanced by the pin, one tooth for each
revolution of the spur-wheel , thus causing a corresponding numeral to appear
beneath the aperture d³, so that the wheel, makes one complete revolution for
every ten miles traversed by the vehicle. The wheel k, and its ordinals are
advanced a distance corresponding to one of its teu teeth by the pin, for every
revolution of the wheel j', or for every ten miles traversed by the vehicle, so that
the ordinals appearing beneath the aperture 2, indicate the number of ten miles
that have been traversed by the vehicle. The wheel, and its ordinals are
advanced a distance corresponding to one of its ten teeth by the pin k³, for every
revolution of the wheel k, so that the ordinals appearing beneath the aperture d²,
indicate the number of hundred miles that have been traversed by the vehicle.
Thus the cyclometer registers the distance in miles and fractions thereof traversed
by the vehicle up to one thousand miles, whereupon the registration proceeds anew
for another thousand miles without any necessity of resetting the apparatus. The
distance traversed less than a thousand miles may be readily ascertained by reading
the ordinals that appear beneath the apertures d', d and ³, in the usual manner
and then ascertaining the fractions of a mile traversed by reference to the dial d¹,
for example, the distance indicated by the cyclometer illustrated in Fig. 6, is one
hundred and twenty three and one quarter miles.
.
In cases where a greater number of miles than one thousand is to be registered,
an additional wheel or wheels provided with ordinals and arranged in the manner
herein before described may be employed, and this duplication of wheels, it will
be readily understood, may be extended as required and still be within the scope of
my invention.
It will be manifestly obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention
appertains that modifications may be made as to details of construction and
arrangement thereof without departing from the true spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A cyclometer, comprising a train of registering wheels, a ratchet-wheel
for actuating said registering wheels, a spring controlled rocker-arm provided
with a pawl for engaging the ratchet-wheel and a projection on the wheel of a
vehicle for operating the rocker-arm, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. A cyclometer provided with a spring-controlled rocker-arm, a roller
journalled to said arm and a cam adapted for application to a vehicle wheel in
range of said roller, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A cyclometer provided with registering wheels having ordinals visible

page_text: through suitable apertures, and means, substantially as described, for operating
said registering wheels, for the purposes set forth.
4. A cyclometer comprising a housing, a spring controlled rocker-arm projecting
through said housing, an adjustable bracket for supporting the housing, and a cam
or projection on the vehicle wheel for engaging the rocker-arm, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a cyclometer, a Geneva stop-movement for controlling a train of registering-
wheels, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. In combination, a cyclometer provided with a spring controlled rocker-arm
and a vehicle wheel having a crown-cam connected with the spokes by means of a
clamping plate and screws, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. A cyclometer provided with a train of registering wheels having visual
characters connected therewith, a Geneva stop-movement for controlling said
registering wheels, a projection connected with the wheel of said vehicle, and a
movable device adapted to contact with said projection, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
8. A cyclometer comprising a housing attached to the outer end of the axle, a
train of registering wheels, a centrally pivoted arm provided with a pawl for
actuating said train of wheels, a crown cam carried by the spokes of the vehicle
wheel and adapted to rock said arm in one direction and a retracting spring for
rocking the arm in the other direction, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
9. A cyclometer comprising a housing attached to the end of the axle of a
vehicle wheel, a train of registering wheels, a centrally pivoted arm provided at
one extremity with a pawl for actuating said train of wheels and at the other
extremity with a roller, a crown cam carried by the spokes of the vehicle wheel
and adapted to run under said roller and rock the arm in one direction, and a
retracting spring for rocking the arm in the other direction, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
10. A cyclometer comprising a housing, a bracket adjustably attached to the
axle of a vehicle and to the housing, a train of registering wheels, a centrally
pivoted arm provided at one extremity with a pawl for actuating said train of
wheels and at the other extremity with a roller, a crown cam adjustably secured
to the spokes of the vehicle wheel by a clamping plate and screws and adapted to
run under said roller and rock the arm in one direction, and a retracting spring
for rocking the arm in the other direction, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 21st day of October A.D. 1893.
JOHN SHARP HILLIARD,
Per J. G. Lorrain, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.