Year: 1899

page_text: I, LESTER DENNIS FERRIS, of Hood River, Oregon, U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
r
My invention relates to changeable-speed gearing; and it consists of the novel
construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shewn, described
and claimed.
Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved changeable-speed gearing, the same
being applied to a bicycle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken
approximately on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1 and shewing the operating lever in
position relative to the changeable-speed gearing. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional
view taken approximately on the line 3,3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation
of a modified form of the sleeve made use of in carrying out my invention. Fig. 5
is an elevation of the inside of a ball-bearing plate used in connection with, this
modified form of the sleeve.
Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the bearing
for the crank-axle of a bicycle, which bearing is formed in the bicycle frame,
and extending rearwardly therefrom is the rear lower fork 2 of said bicycle
frame, in which fork is journalled in the usual manner the rear wheel 3. Rigidly
fixed upon one end of the axle of the rear wheel is a bevelled pinion 4, and formed
at the rear end of one of the arms of the fork 2 is a bearing 5, there being a
bearing 6 formed upon the rear side of the bearing 1 and said bearing 6 being
in alignment with said bearing 5. Arranged for rotation in these aligned bear-
ings 5 and 6 is a shaft 7, upon which is rigidly fixed a bevelled pinion 8, that
meshes with the pinion 4. Arranged to slide upon the forward end of the shaft 7
is a toothed wheel 9, and formed integral with and extending rearwardly from said
wheel is a sleeve 10, which is provided with longitudinally extending oppositely-
arranged slots 11, and upon the rear end of said sleeve is formed a flange 12.
Passing diametrically through the shaft 7 is a pin 13, and upon the ends thereof,
on each side of said shaft 7, are anti-friction rollers 14 the same operating in
the slots 11. Arranged to slide upon the sleeve 10 is a grooved collar 14ª, and
interposed between said collar and the toothed wheel 9 and the flange 12 are the
expansive coil-springs 15.

page_text: Rigidly fixed upon the crank-shaft that rotates in the bearing 1 is a disc 16,
the same being provided with a plurality of concentric rows of apertures 17", 17", 17°,
and 17d, the same being uniform in size and arranged at equal distances apart.
A plurality of the outer row of apertures 17" are joined with an equal number of
coinciding apertures in the second row 17b, thus forming the slots 18, the same
being parallel with each other and the centre one of said slots being in alignment
with the centre of the disc 16. Certain of the apertures 17b are joined with the
adjacent apertures of the next row 17°, thus forming the slots 19, and certain
of the apertures of the row 17° are joined with the adjacent apertures of the inner
row 17, thus forming the slots 20.
Fixed to and extending upwardly from the bearing 1 is an arm 21, to the upper
end of which is fulcrumed a hand lever 22, the upper end thereof being provided
with a spring actuated latch 23, the point of which engages with notches formed
in a segmental rack 24, that is carried by the horizontal bar of the bicycle frame
immediately in front of the seat. To the lower end of the lever 22 is pivotally
connected the forward end of a horizontally arranged rod 25, the same extending
rearwardly to a point immediately above the grooved collar 14" and there being
joined to a ring 26, that encircles said grooved collar.
In the modifications shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 anti-friction rollers 14 are dispensed
with and elongated lugs 27 are formed on the opposite sides of the shaft 7, and
plates 28 are seated upon said oppositely-arranged lugs, upon the inner sides of
which plates 28 are rotatably arranged balls 29, thus forming a ball bearing for
the sleeve 10.
When my improved changeable-speed gearing is in operation and the shaft
carrying the disc 16 is rotated, the teeth of the wheel 9 will engage in one of the
rows of apertures in said disc 16 and said toothed wheel and the sleeve will be
rotated and the rotary motion will be imparted to the shaft 7 and pinion 8 thereon,
and, in turn, the rear wheel 3 of the bicycle will be driven, for the reason that
the pinion 4, carried by the axle of said rear bicycle wheel meshes with the
pinion 8. When the toothed wheel 9 is meshing in the outer row of apertures 17",
the greatest speed is obtained, for the reason that said outer row of apertures
is formed on a circle much larger than the inner rows, and at one rotation of
the disc 16 the toothed wheel 9 and the shaft 7 will be rotated a greater number
of times than if said toothed wheel was meshing in one of the inner rows of
apertures. Should said toothed wheel be meshing in the outer row 17" and it
be desired to reduce the speed while running, the operator disengages the point
of the latch 23 from the notch in which it has been seated and pulls the upper
end of the hand-lever rearwardly until the point of said latch engages in the
second one of the notches in the segmental rack 24. This moves the rod 25
and ring 26, carried thereby, forwardly, and in so doing the grooved collar 14ª
is moved towards the toothed wheel 9 and the coiled spring 15, interposed between
said grooved collar and the toothed wheel is compressed. When in the continued
rotation of the disc 16 the outer ends of the slots 18 are brought into a position
to be engaged by the teeth of the wheel 9, the power stored in the compressed
coil-spring will throw the toothed wheel and sleeve forwardly a slight distance
or until the teeth that are engaging in the said slots 18 reach the lower ends of
said slots, and with the continued rotation of the disc 16 the teeth of the wheel 9
will engage in the second row of apertures 17b. As this second row of aper-
tures 17 is formed on a circle smaller than the outer row of apertures 17", the
toothed wheel 9 and shaft 7 will not be rotated as many times as when said toothed
wheel was travelling in the outer row of apertures 17". Consequently the speed
of said toothed wheel and the shaft 7 will be reduced. This action and operation
may be repeated until the inner row of apertures 17d is reached, and at this point
the shaft 7 will be driven at a very low speed, but with great power, for the reason
that the inner row of apertures 17d is very near the centre of the disc 16.
The toothed wheel 9 may be caused to move from one row of apertures to the
other while running, it being only necessary to move the latch 23 of the hand lever

page_text: one notch to move the toothed wheel from one row of apertures to the next adjacent
row.
A changeable speed-gearing of my improved construction may be advantageously
used in a various number of machines, though it is particularly adapted for
bicycles and the like for the reason that a "high gear" may be instantly obtained
when the rider desires to use speed upon a level roadway or the like; or if desired,
a low gear may be instantly obtained when the rider desires to ascend an incline.
My improved gearing is simple, inexpensive, may be instantly transformed
while the device is running, and does away with the chain gearing now in common
use upon bicycles.
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:
In a device of the class described, a driven shaft, a disc rigidly fixed thereon,
in which disc is formed a plurality of concentric rows of apertures each row
being connected to the next adjacent row by a plurality of parallel slots, a
counter-shaft rotatably arranged, a sleeve arranged to slide upon said counter-
shaft, and a toothed wheel integral with said sleeve, which toothed wheel meshes
in the apertures of the disc, substantially as specified.
(2) In a device of the class described, a driven shaft, a disc rigidly fixed thereon,
in which disc is formed a plurality of concentric rows of apertures, each row
being connected to the next adjacent row by a plurality of parallel slots, a rotat-
ably arranged counter-shaft, a sleeve arranged to slide upon said counter-shaft, a
toothed wheel integral with said sleeve, which toothed wheel meshes in apertures
of the disc, and means for moving the sleeve upon the counter-shaft, sub-
stantially as specified.
(3) In a device of the class described, a driven shaft, a disc rigidly fixed
thereon, in which disc is formed a plurality of concentric rows of apertures, each
row being connected to the next adjacent row by a plurality of parallel slots, a
counter-shaft rotatably arranged, a sleeve arranged to slide upon said counter
shaft, a toothed wheel integral with said sleeve, which toothed wheel meshes with
the apertures in the disc, a grooved collar arranged to slide upon the sleeve,
expansive coil-springs arranged upon said sleeve on each side of said collar,
and means whereby said collar is moved upon said sleeve, substantially as
specified.
(4) In a changeable-speed gearing, a driven shaft, a disc rigidly located thereon,
in which disc is formed a plurality of concentric rows of apertures, which aper-
tures are of uniform size and arranged at equal distances apart, each of said
rows of apertures being connected to the next adjacent row by means of a plurality
of parallel slots, a counter-shaft rotatably arranged, a toothed wheel arranged
to slide upon said counter-shaft, which toothed wheel meshes in the apertures
of the disc, and means for moving said toothed wheel longitudinally upon the
counter shaft substantially as specified.
Dated this fith day of June 1800
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.