Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1897--Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes and Motor Vehicles.
We, WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, of The Quadrant Cyclo
Company Limited, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Velocipede Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The said invention has for its object to dispense with the use of a driving chain
or chains in transmitting the motion of crank axles of velocipedes and the like
to the rear or driving wheels of the said velocipedes and the like; and the said
invention consists of the use of gear wheels of the construction hereinafter
described whereby the strain on the frame of the velocipede or vehicle due to the
tension of the driving chain is obviated and a frictionless or practically frictionless
gear obtained.
We will describe the said invention as applied to the driving gear of a safety
bicycle.
We arrange on the crank axle a gear wheel of the construction hereinafter
described and a similar but preferably smaller gear wheel on the hub of the rear
or driving wheel of the bicycle. The motion of the first named gear wheel is
transmitted to the second gear wheel by small or pinion wheels on the ends of a
shaft passing from near the bottom bracket of the bicycle to near the back wheel
hub.
Each of the gear wheels consists essentially of two parallel rings or discs one
somewhat smaller in diameter than the other, the smaller ring or disc carrying a
series of short radial arms the ends of which are nearly circular. Between the
nearly circular ends of the radial arms of the smaller ring or disc and the side
of the larger ring or disc rollers are arranged the said rollers being capable of
turning on pins connecting the two rings or discs together, the said pins being
parallel to the axis of the gear wheel. The ends of the rollers presented to
the radial arms of the smaller ring are rounded or made slightly conical. The
diameter of each of the series of rollers is equal or approximately equal to the
space or pitch between each pair of the said rollers.
Each of the small or pinion wheels on the shaft hereinbefore referred to is made
up of a series of rollers situated on axes parallel to the axis of the wheel the said
axes being arranged between a circular and a star like disc on the shaft.
The action of the said wheels is as follows. On the rotation of the driving
wheel its rollers engage with the rollers of the pinion wheel in gear with it at or
nearly at right angles and communicate a rotary motion to the said pinion wheel,
the slightly rounded or conical ends of the rollers permitting the rollers of the
one wheel to pass into the spaces between the rollers of the other wheel, the rollers
of each wheel partaking of a slight rotary motion on their axes in a backward and
forward direction on passing into and out of gear with each other.
Instead of employing two rings for carrying the rollers, one ring or circular
disc only may be used the rollers being mounted on a series of pins projecting

page_text: from one of the faces of the ring or disc the said pins having a flange at their
base or connection with the ring or disc.
The construction hereinbefore described of the gearing wheels permits the
axes of the wheels in gear being arranged at a right or other angle with each other
without affecting the smoothness or efficiency of the gear.
The application of the said invention to driving gear for tricycles and other
velocipedes and motor vehicles differs in no essential respect from its application
to the driving gear of a safety bicycle as hereinbefore described.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes and Motor Vehicles.
We, WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, of The Quadrant Cycle 1
Company Limited, Sheepeete Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Velocipede Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: --
The said invention has for its object to dispense with the use of a driving chain 2
or chains in transmitting the motion of crank axles of velocipedes and the like
to the rear or driving wheels of the said velocipedes and the like; and the said
invention consists of the use of gear wheels of the construction hereinafter
described whereby the strain on the frame of the velocipede or vehicle due to the
tension of the driving chain is obviated and a frictionless or practically frictionless
gear obtained.
We will describe the said invention as applied to the driving gear of a safety
bicycle.
We arrange on the crank axle a gear wheel of the construction hereinafter
described and a similar but preferably smaller gear wheel on the hub of the rear
or driving wheel of the bicycle. The motion of the first named gear wheel is
transmitted to the second gear wheel by small or pinion wheels on the ends of a
shaft passing from near the bottom bracket of the bicycle to near the back wheel
hub.
Each of the gear wheels consists essentially of two parallel rings or discs one
somewhat smaller in diameter than the other, the smaller ring or disc carrying a
series of short radial arms the ends of which are nearly circular. Between the
nearly circular ends of the radial arms of the smaller ring or disc and the side
of the larger ring or disc rollers are arranged the said rollers being capable of
turning on pins connecting the two rings or discs together, the said pins being
parallel to the axis of the gear wheel. The ends of the rollers presented to
the radial arms or the smaller ring are rounded or made slightly conical. The
diameter of each of the series of rollers is equal or approximately equal to the
space or pitch between each pair of the said rollers.
Each of the small or pinion wheels on the shaft hereinbefore referred to is made
up of a series of rollers situated on axes parallel to the axis of the wheel the said
axes being arranged between a circular and a star like disc on the shaft.
The action of the said wheel is as follows. On the rotation of the driving gear
wheel its rollers engage with the rollers of the pinion wheel in gear with it at or

page_text: nearly at right angles and communicate a rotary motion to the said pinion wheel,
the slightly rounded or conical ends of the rollers permitting the rollers of the
one wheel to pass into the spaces between the rollers of the other wheel, the rollers
of each wheel partaking of a slight rotary motion on their axes in a backward and
forward direction on passing into and out of gear with each other.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation a safety
bicycle to which driving gear constructed according to the said invention is
applied.
Figure 2 represents a portion of the frame of the said safety bicycle and the
improved driving gear drawn to a larger scale than in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the part of the frame represented in Figure 2, the driving
gear and part of the frame being shown in horizontal section.
Figures 4 and 5 represent portions of one of the gearing wheels detached drawn
to a larger scale than Figures 2 and 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawings.
The driving gear constituting the said invention consists of the gear wheel A
on the crank axle, which wheel A gears with a smaller gear wheel 13 on the front
end of a shaft b which turns in bearings in one of the nearly horizontal tubular
arms c, c of the back wheel fork. A gear wheel 138 at the rear end of the shaft b
gears with a gear wheel C fixed on the hub d of the back wheel. The several
gear wheels A, B1, B2, C are of the particular construction hereinafter described.
Each gear wheel consists of a circular disc or spoked ring a from one side or
face of which a series of equi-distant pegs or short spindles a¹, a¹, a¹ project (see
Figure 4) the axes of the said pegs or spindles being parallel or nearly parallel
with the axis of the wheel to he made and equi-distant therefrom. The said pegs
or spindles a¹, a¹ are fixed to the disc or ring a preferably by rivetting as shown.
On to these pegs or spindles rollers e, e, e are placed the outer ends of which are
of a slightly conical or conoidal figure as will be seen by reference to the detached
roller Figure 5. The distance between each pair of rollers is equal or
approximately equal to the diameter of the said rollers.
The outer ends of the spindles a, a, a are supported by the short radial
arms f¹, of an armed ring or disc f the nearly circular ends of the said
arms f being smaller than the outer ends of the rollers. When the gear
wheels are of large diameter, such for example as the driving wheel A, it is
preferred to connect the spokes of the armed ring f to the spokes of the ring a by
screws g, g.
Gear wheels constructed according to the said invention are preferably arranged
with the axis of one wheel at or nearly at right angles to the axis of the wheel in
gear therewith but the axes of the said wheels may be arranged at any angle
with respect to each other which the construction of the frame of the vehicle may
render necessary or desirable without impairing their efficiency.
When the gear wheels described and represented are in action the rollers of
one wheel in passing between the rollers of the wheel in gear partake of a partial
rotation on their pegs or spindles and consequently there is little or no friction
on the rollers of the two wheels passing into and out of gear with each other.
Instead of employing two rings for carrying the rollers, one ring or circular
disc only may be used the rollers being mounted on a series of pins projecting
from one of the faces of the ring or disc the said pins having a flange at their
base or connection with the ring or disc and being preferably headed at their
outer ends by a rivetting operation to preserve the rollers in position.
The construction hereinbefore described of the gearing wheels permits the axes
of the wheels in gear being arranged at a right or other angle with each other
without affecting the smoothness or efficiency of the gear.
The application of the said invention to driving gear for tricycles and other
velocipedes and motor vehicles differs in no essential respect from its application
to the driving gear of a safety bicycle as hereinbefore described and represented.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as the said invention:-
In driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes and motor vehicles,
the use of gear wheels each of which consists essentially of a ring or disc having 5
on one side or face a series of projecting pegs or spindles equi-distant from each
other and from the axis of the ring or disc, the axes of the pegs or spindles being
parallel or nearly parallel to the axis of the ring or disc, the said pegs or spindles
carrying rollers of such a diameter that the distance between the pairs of rollers
is equal or approximately equal to the diameter of the rollers, the said rollers 1
being made of a slightly conical or conoidal figure at their outer ends so as to
permit the rollers of one wheel to pass between or gear with the rollers of a second
wheel at a right or other angle to the rollers of the said second wheel, the roller
pegs or spindles being preferably supported at their outer ends by a series of
small arms on a ring or disc situated parallel to the disc or ring carrying the pegs 1
or spindles substantially as set forth and shown.
Dated this Twentieth day of November 1897.
WALTER JOHN LLOYD.
WILLIAM PRIEST.