Improvements in Velocipedes and other Vehicles Propelled by Electricity.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes and other Vehicles Propelled by
Electricity.
We, JOHN SHERRIN and JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN both of Codrington Road
Ramsgate in the County of Kent Electrical Engineers do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
According to this invention we arrange one or two primary batteries between the
front wheel or wheels and the hind wheel or wheels and also place the motor there
or between the two batteries and by preference at a lower level. From the motor
motion is communicated to the driving axle of the vehicle by endless chain and
sprocket wheels or by pulleys and endless belt or cord but by preference by means
of a rubber or other elastic cord or chain and with two or three pulleys of slightly
varying diameter on the motor spindle and one pulley on the driving axle so that the
elastic cord or other connection may be shifted from one pulley to another for varying
speed as desired. On the pulley or wheel on driving axle we sometimes provide a
ratchet or clutch device for allowing the vehicle to run forward while motor and
gearing remain stationary so that in running down hill there would be no impediment.
For a carrier tricycle we sometimes arrange the battery or batteries and motor under
the carrier basket or box. The battery may be of any suitable form or construction
but we prefer the turnover battery described in J. V. Sherrins patent specification
No. 1578 of 1887 or the improved form described in our patent application No. 2667
of 1888 according to which the battery is turned over round its axis or by a reverse
arrangement if the box is made stationary the battery plates or the zine plates 'merely
are turned over or both box and plates inay turn over separately or together. We
so arrange the electrical connections between the battery power and the motor that
the current passes through the brake handle and in such manner that the putting the
brake or brakes on or off breaks or closes the circuit.
Duted this 11th day of April 18SS

page_text: We, JOHN SHERRIN and JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN, both of Codrington Road,
Ramsgate in the County of Kent Electrical Engineers 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:-
In the Specification of our Patent application dated 2nd January 1888 No 20 we
have described and claimed the propulsion of velocipedes and other light vehicles by
means of electromoters worked by primary batteries and particularly one mode of
carrying that invention into effect according to which the battery and the motor are
placed below and behind the riders seat, motion being communicated from the motor
to a sprocket wheel on the axle by means of endless chain. Now according to our present
invention we arrange one or two primary batteries between the front wheel or wheels
and the hind wheel or wheels, and we also place the motor there or between the two
batteries and by preference at a lower level. Or the battery may be behind and
below the drivers seat. From the motor motion is communicated to the driving axle
of the vehicle by endless chain and sprocket wheels or by pulleys and endless belt
or cord but by preference by means of a rubber or other elastic chain or cord and
sometimes in connection with pulleys of slightly varying diameter on the motor
spindle and a cone pulley on the driving axle, so that the elastic cord or other
connection may
be shifted from one pulley to the other for varying the speed as
desired. On the pulley or wheel on the driving axle we sometimes provide a ratchet
or clutch device for allowing the vehicle to run forward while motor and gearing
remain stationary so that in running down hill there would be no impediment. For
a carrier tricycle we sometimes arrange the battery and motor under the carrier
basket or box. The battery may be of any suitable form or construction. Sometimes
we use a turnover battery or one which is turned over bodily or onto its side when
not required to be in action or one in which the plates or the zine plates alone are
turned over or otherwise moved out of the liquid. We so arrange the electrical
connections between the battery power and the motor that the current passes through
the brake handle and in such manner that the putting the brake or brakes on or off
breaks or closes the circuit.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tricycle in which the batteries and motor are
placed between the front and hind wheels and the motion is transmitted by an endless
cord belt or chain.

page_text: Figure 2 is a site elevation in which the batteries are placed directly above the
main hind axle and the motor fixed to a continuation of the backbone of the tricycle
beyond the fork of the front steering wheel.
Figures 1 and 2 are detail views.
The velocipede either as a tricycle or quadricycle is constructed in the usual
manner. In Figure 1 A represents the main road wheels mounted upon and driven
by the axle B which revolves in suitable bearings fixed to the backbone ( and
forming part of the main frame of the carriage. At the front extremity of the
backbone is a bracket having a vertical socket in which the steering fork D rotates
carrying the front wheel or wheels E which fork is operated by a conveniently placed
handle F. G is a seat for the rider. H is the pedal shaft operated by the feet of
the rider and having upon it a sprocket or other wheel I which by means of a chain
belt or cord K gives motion to the similar sprocket or other wheel L fixed upon the
main driving axle B.
The mechanism necessary to the production and application of the electrical power
consists of a primary battery or batteries M of sufficient electromotive force and
producing a current which is conveyed to the motor N in a manner (relatively to the
brake) which will be hereinafter described. The battery or cells may conveniently be
placed in an open-worked cage resting on springs if desired and having at one end
a gate or flap to let down for conveniently removing and replacing the cells when
required. The motor spindle has fixed upon and revolving with it a sprocket wheel
or pulley which drives a chain belt or cord P which runs upon and drives a sprocket
wheel or pulley R fixed upon the main driving axle B. The driving connector we
prefer to use is an elastic cord of rubber or other suitable material in which case a
coned pulley having several different diameters can be substituted for the pulley O
upon the motor spindle, the pulley Rupon the main axle being parallel or conical
and the elastic extensibility of the cord enabling it to be shifted from one to another
of the different diameters of the coned driving pulley O, and thus different speeds of
the driving road wheels relatively to the motor spindle may be obtained. The
pulley may be directly fixed to the main driving axle B but we sometimes mount
it in such a manner as to rotate freely upon the main axle and pivot to its boss or hub
a catch or pawl tooth and fix rigidly to the main axle a ratchet wheel having its teeth
in such a direction that they engage (when the motor is running) with the pivoted
catch upon the pulley R. which thus drives the main axle B and consequently the
driving wheels A. When, however, the motor is stopped or when the carriage (as
for instance in running down hill) overruns the motor the ratchet wheel teeth run
freely over without engaging the pivoted catch upon the pulley R. The advantage
of this arrangement is that when no auxiliary power is required to assist the manual
operation the motor and its connections including the pulley R may be still while
the carriage is running. Instead of ratchet wheel we may use any known suitable
ball clutch wheel.
One of the wires from the battery to the motor is carried through the brake
handle V which has a contact V1 whose two adjoining parts or ends normally gear
or clutch into each other being by preference formed with teeth as seen in the end
view Figure 1A, but are drawn apart when the handle V is grasped for the purpose
of braking. The consequence of this arrangement is that when the brake is put on
the circuit is broken and vice versa.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2 the battery is placed within an open-worked
cage which rests on springs S. The motor is fixed on a sleeve within which the
front steering fork D can turn. Motion is conveyed to the main axle in a similar
manner as that described.
The contact breaker V shewn also in the end view Figure 24 is operated by the
same movement of the hands of the rider on the brake handle V which puts on the
brake and on the contrary the taking off of the brake closes the circuit and applies
the electromotive force to the rotation of the spindle of the motor. A switch is,
however, in all cases placed conveniently to the hand of the rider by means of whichi
the current can be controlled at will.

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 what
we claim is:-
The adaptations of velocipedes for being driven from primary battery and electro-
motor by endless cord belt or chain as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 29th day of August 1888.
JOHN SHERRIN.
JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.