Improvements in Chainless Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE CARROLL CHAINLESS CYCLE Co., a Corporation
duly organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey, United States of
America.]
Improvements in Chainless Bicycles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to certain improvements in that class of chainless bicycles in
which the rotations of the crank shaft are transmitted to the rear or driving wheel
by a series of direct gear wheels, and the object of the invention is to improve,
simplify and cheapen the construction of such machines, as more fully set forth
hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawing:
:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a chainless bicycle constructed in accordance with the
invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same through the rear driving wheel hub and
the crank axle bracket, and
Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the rear portion of the frame of the
machine.
Referring to the drawing A represents a portion of the frame of a safety bicycle
provided with the usual rear bracing bars, a, and crank axle bracket, D'.
The front wheel, B, and the rear wheel, C, may be of any ordinary or desired
construction and supported in the usual manner in the frame.
In the crank axle bracket, D', is mounted a shaft, D, provided with the usual ball
bearings, d, and pedal supporting cranks, ('. To this shaft is keyed, or otherwise
secured, a large gear wheel, g, which intermeshes with a gear_wheel, f, the latter
intermeshing with the teeth of a pinion, e, secured to the hub, E, of the rear driving
wheel, the whole forming a direct train of gearing by which the rotations of the
crank shaft are transmitted to the hub, E.
The intermediate gear wheel, f, is provided with a hub, f2, which forms a casing for
a ball bearing, the latter being formed by cups screwed within the interior of the
casing and a centrally located double cone forming part of a short shaft, F, which
passes centrally through the hub, f, and is secured in place by a nut, ƒ¹.
On that side of the machine which carries the gears the bracing bar extending
between the crank axle bracket and the rear wheel hub is formed in two sections, I, I',
which are united by the shaft, F, and are situated one on each side of the train of
wearing. The bar, I, which extends from the rear wheel shaft to the shaft, F, is
grovided with an integral supporting bar, 22, the upper end of which is rigidly secured
py brazing or otherwise to one of the rear bracing bars, a, of the frame and the bar
or tube, I, which extends between the crank axle bracket and the shaft, F, is similarly
provided with an integral supporting bar, is, the upper end of which is also secured

page_text: to one of the rear bracing bars, a, or the two bars, 22, 23, may be welded or brazed
together, forming substantially one piece and have but one point of connection with
the rear bracing bar.
By constructing the gear supporting portion of the frame in the manner described
the thrust is more evenly distributed throughout the frame and the parts are more
rigidly held than where in the ordinary construction a single or a double gear
supporting bar extends directly from the crank axle bracket to the rear wheel hub,
while at the same time by unscrewing the shaft or bolt, F, the central gear wheel
may be readily removed from position to examine or repair its bearings.
In some cases the bars, 2, 3, may be secured to the seat post as shown by dotted
linex in Fig. 1, or they may be carried up to the point of connection between the
rear bracing bars, a, and the seat post as indicated by dotted lines, x¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a chainless bicycle, the combination of the supporting wheels and frame,
the crank axle, a train of gear wheels for transmitting the rotations of the crank axle
to the rear wheel hub, a gear supporting frame comprising bars or tubes extending
partially on each side of the train of gears, a shaft supporting the intermediate gear
wheel and connecting the bars of the gear supporting frame and supporting bars or
fork forming part of the gear supporting frame and extending upwardly from the
connecting shaft to a portion of the rigid frame of the machine.
2. The combination in a chainless bicycle of a gear wheel secured to the crank
axle, a gear wheel secured to the hub of the rear driving wheel gear intermediate
between the two, a supporting shaft for said intermediate gear wheel, a supporting
bar or tube extending substantially horizontally from the crank axle bracket to said
supporting shaft, an upwardly extending bar extending from said supporting shaft to
a rigid portion of the frame and a second horizontally disposed supporting bar
extending on the opposite side of the train of gears from the rear wheel hub to the
supporting shaft of the intermediate gear wheel and also supported by an upwardly
extending bar extending between the supporting shaft and a rigid portion of the
frame of the machine.
3. In a chainless bicycle, the combination of the frame, A, having the rear bars, a,
and crank axle bracket, D', the crank axle, D, a gear wheel, g, secured thereto, a gear
wheel, e, secured to the rear wheel hub, an intermediate gear wheel, f, a shaft, F, for
said intermediate gear wheel, a bar, I, extending from the rear wheel hub to the
shaft, F, an upwardly extending bar, 12, between said shaft and a rigid portion of the
frame, a bar, I, extending from the crank axle bracket to the shaft, F, and an
upwardly extending bar, 23, between the shaft, F, and a rigid portion of the frame.
Dated this 14th day of May 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.