IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH TRICYCLES AND OTHER ANALOGOUS VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I ROBERT SPERRING WHEELS of King Street Coventry in the County of
Warwick Cyclo Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH TRICYCLES AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
VEHICLES to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to improvements in or connected with tricycles but also
applicable to vehicles which have or may have more than the three wheels of a
tricycle. I effect the disconnection of the driving crank from the driving wheel so
that the feet can rest on the stationery pedals when the driving power is not
required as in running down hill the pedals being easily connected again for
ordinary work or for back pedalling. Another part of my Invention is an improved
brake in connection with the same.
I will describe my Invention thus.
The means by which the disconnection of the pedals from the driving wheel is
effected is as follows The chain wheel on the driving axle has holes of a number
sufficient to my requirement in its side and alongside the chain wheel is a disc with
projecting pins which engage with the holes in the chain wheel this disc revolves
with the driving wheel when the crank is to be connected with the driving wheel
whon disconnection is to be effected the disc carrying the pins is withdrawn and so
ceases to revolve with the chain wheel the cranks and chain wheels are then
disconnected from the driving wheel and may remain at rest the feet of the Rider
resting on the pedals The brake principle consists of two cones one male and one
female on the axis of the driving wheel, one is made fast so as to revolve with the
driving wheel and the other is not. When these two cones are passed together
the one into the other the brake is applied and when the one is withdrawn from
the other the brake is taken off The application of the disc carrying pins or studs
to the chain wheel is effected by the pressure of an eccentric cam worked by a lever.
handle within easy reach of the rider's hand and the application of the brake that
that is the forcing of the inner into the outer cone is effected in the same way,
the motion in the other directions being obtained either by suitable springs or by
positive means.

page_text: I, ROBERT SPERRING WHEELS, of King Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Cycle Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH TRICYCLES AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
VEHICLES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with tricycles but also
applicable to vehicles which have or may have more than the three wheels of a
tricycle, I effect the disconnection of the driving crank from the driving wheel so
that the feet can rest on the stationary pedals when the driving power is not
required as in running down hill, the pedals being easily connected again for
ordinary work or for back pedalling. Another part of any invention is an improved
brake in connection with the same.
I will describe my invention thus.
The means by which the disconnection of the pedals from the driving wheel is
effected is as follows. The chain wheel on the driving axle has holes, of a number 1
sufficient to my requirement in its side, and alongside the chain wheel is a disc with
projecting pins which engago with the holes in the chain wheel this disc revolves
with the driving wheel when the crank is to be connected with the driving wheel;
when disconnection is to be effected the disc carrying the pins is withdrawn and so
censes to revolve with the chain wheel, tho cranks and chain wheels are then
disconnected from the driving wheel and may remain at rest, the feet of the rider'
resting on the pedals. The brake principle consists of two cones, one male and one
female on the axis of the driving wheel, ono is made fast so as to revolve with the
driving wheel and the other is not.-When these two cones are pressed together
the one into the other the brake is applied and when the one is withdrawn from
the other the brake is taken off. The application of the disc carrying pins or studs
to the chain wheel is effected by the pressure of an eccentric cam worked by a lever
handle within easy reach of the rider's hand and the application of the brake, that
is, the forcing of the inner into the outer cone is effected in the same way, the
motion in the other directions being obtained either by suitable springs or by:
positive means.
-
And in order that this my said invention may be more clearly understood I will
now proceed to describe it by means of the accompanying sheet of drawings,
similar letters in the different Figures indicate similar parts.
Fig 1 is a sectional plan of those parts of the tricycle to which my invention
relates, with the chain wheel disengaged and the brake on.
Fig 2 is a sectional plan but with the chain wheel engaged, and the brake off.
Fig 3 is a sectional elevation shewing chain wheel engaged and brake off.
Fig 4 is a side view of the parts with wheels and box removed.
Fig 5 is a plan of eccentric cam.
Fig 6 is an elevation of same.
Fig 7 is a side view of same.
Fig 8 is a plan view of the bearing piece.
Fig 9 is an elevation of same.
Fig 10 is a plan of the engaging plate and brake cone.
Fig 11 is an elevation of same.
Fig 12 is a part elevation of upper chain wheel.
Fig 13 is a part sectional plan of upper chain wheel and box.
Fig 14 is a side view of engaging plate shifter.
Fig 15 is an end view of same.
Fig 16 is a plan of shifter rod and adjacent parts in position.
5

page_text: Referring to Figs 1 to 4 A is part of the framing of the tricycle-B, is a junction
block through which is the hole B¹ and through which the shifter rod F, works―
C, is a handle situated convenient for the riders hand it is mounted on a spindle C
which passes through the block C³ which is secured to the framing A. In this
block it can partially rotate. To this spindle C' is firmly fastened an eccentric
cam D, shewn separately in Figures 5, 6, 7. This cam works against a bearing E,
and as the cam is partially rotated it moves this bearing piece and the parts
attached thereto in one direction against the force of a spring G, which brings it
back when the pressure of the hand on the handle is withdrawn D' is the acting
part of the cam and D' a groove to clear the rod F if required.
The bearing piece E, has a curved face E', for the cam D, to work against, and a
hole E, to receive the, shifter rod F-It has also a concaved surface E³, at the inner
end so that it inny work closely against the frame of the tricycle F the shifter rod
is to connect the bearing piece E, with the shifter plate H, it has a collar F¹ near
one end and a nut F2, to fasten it to the bearing piece E, To secure it to the
shifter B, there is a set off F³, and it is rivetted or otherwise fastened at F
G is a spiral spring, on the shifter rod F, (see Figures 1, 2, 3, 16) its duty is to
bring the parts into their normal position after having been put out of gear; as
before described H, is the shifter provided with a hole El¹, to attach to the rod F
and jaws H, H³, to partly encircle the groove J in the engaging plate J, this said
plate has a groove J¹, in which the shifter works, at the inner end is the male
brake cone J; and at the other end the engaging pins J, J, Js, three by preference,
there is a central hole J', which fits on the axle L, of the tricycle, a featherway Jo,
is cut and this fits on a feather P, fixed in the axle L; The engaging plate thus
revolves with the axle L of the tricycle but has a limited motion endways Kis
the upper chain wheel of the tricycle to which motion is communicated from the
wheel on the crank axle by an endless chain and in a well known manner, K¹, is
the hole bored for the axle on which it runs loosely, K₁ are the teeth to engage
the chain and K the holes (six in number by preference) into which the pins J³,
on the engaging plate, take when the plate is in gear-L is the axle of the
tricycle M the hub of the driving wheel which is fixed to the axle and revolves
with it. N, is the boss fixed to the framing A, and through which the axle passes
it is bored internally to a female cone N', (Fig 3) to receive the male brake cone J³,
(Figs 2, 3, 10) O, is a box or casing to preserve the parts from injury and P the
feather previously mentioned.
The action of the gear is as follows:-
When the parts are in their normal position as represented in Figs 2, 3 the brake
is "off" that is the male cone J' is withdrawn from the female cone N¹,-The
pins J³, in the engaging plate J passing through the holes O¹, in the casing O, take
into the holes K³, in the upper chain wheel K-Motion is then communicated from
the riders feet on the treadles through the endless chain to the upper chain wheel K,
and thence by means of the engaging plate J, with its featherway J³, to the axle L
which revolves with the engaging plate and thence to the driving wheel causing
the motion of the machine.
The spiral spring G being in its normal position at its full extent keeps the
various parts in the positions as described.
When the rider desires to put the driving wheel out of gear he partially rotates
the handle C in the proper direction, that of the arrow in Fig 2, the cam D pressing
against the bearing piece E withdraws the engaging plate J, through the shifter H,
and rod F, against the pressure of the spring G, when the pins J³, are withdrawn
from the holes K in the chain wheel, the driving wheel can rotate independently
of the chain wheel the rider may thus run down hill with his feet on the pedals at
rest. If however it is desired to put the brake on, the handle C is turned still
farther in the saine direction and this through the action of the paris already
described forces the male cone J, into the female cone N¹, causing so much friction
as to act as an efficient brake.

page_text: The various parts are now in the position shewn in Fig 1. On the rider slightly
relaxing the pressure of his hand the elastic force of the compressed spring G,
withdraws the cone and takes the brake "off" and if he still farther relaxes his
pressure the spring will put the engaging plate J, into gear with the chain wheel
again. It will be observed that the number of holes in the chain wheel K is
double that of the pins in J, this is in order that the said pins may soon find
holes to slip into, they must drop in after one sixth part of a revolution has been
performed.
The above being my Invention I wish to say that I do not confine myself to the
precise details or arrangement of parts as shewn on the accompanying sheet of
drawings but that I hold myself at liberty to alter or modify the same without
departing essentially from my said Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
First The engaging plate as described with pins to take into holes in the upper
chain wheel.
.
Second The holes in the upper chaiu wheel as described, double or treble, the
number of pins in the engaging plate.
Third The eccentric can on the vertical handle.
Fourth The bearing piece with the shifter, shifter rod and spring as described.
Fifth The mode of connecting the engaging plate to the axle in its application as
described.
Sixth The male and female cones to form a brake, as described.
Seventh The conformation, construction, and combination of parts, as described
to form a disengaging gear for a tricycle or similar machine and also to form a brake
for the same.
Eighth The combination of parts to work the brake by a continuance of the
same motion that effects the disengagement.-The whole forming "Improvements
in or connected with tricycles and other analogous vehicles."
Dated this 24th day of November 1884.
THOS KENDRICK,
Agent for Applicant.