Improved Means of Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion and vice versa, Applicable to the Driving Gear of Cycles and other Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion
and vice versa, Applicable to the Driving Gear of Cycles and
other Purposes.
We, SYDNEY BUTLER, of Park Works, Lawn Lane, South Lambeth Road,
London, Manufacturer, and HENRY ROWLAND GRICE, of 221, Ebury Street, Pimlico,
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary
motion and vice versa and same may be used for any purpose to which it is applicable
but for the sake of example we will describe this invention as applied to cycle
driving gear.
The motive power (for propelling the cycle) is applied to a reciprocating lever
or crank pivotted or otherwise suitably mounted to the frame or some fixed part
of the machine and thence (i.e. from said lever or crank) by means of this inven-
tion to the driving wheel of the cycle or the power may be applied direct to our
transmitting gear.
The following is one way of carrying this invention into practice viz.:-for
driving the back wheel of an ordinary bicycle of the present well-known "safety"
type.
On each side of the bicycle a lever (which I will term the "pedal lever") is
pivotted or otherwise suitably mounted so that the pedals thereon each have a
reciprocating motion instead of the ordinary rotary motion.
The rear end of such pedal lever-or rearwardly of the pedal, same-is con-
nected to the transmitting gear on one side of the back wheel and similarly a
corresponding pedal lever on the other side of the wheel is connected to a second
and similar transmitting gear and we need therefore only describe one of these
transmitting gears.
Fixed to the axle of the back wheel (or in connection therewith) is a pinion or
toothed wheel of suitable diameter-advantageously rather small.
The teeth of this pinion are held in gear with, and are operated on by, teeth on
a reciprocating device which is connected to and reciprocated by the aforesaid
pedal lever this device having two long parallel sides and rounded ends or having
slot therein with two long parallel sides and rounded ends or otherwise suitably
arranged with either external teeth or internal teeth in an endless row forming
two long parallel sides and rounded ends the latter being of any suitable radius
or curvature.
This reciprocating device is held and mounted so as to be kept up to said pinion
in any suitable manner so that the latter will always be in gear with said teeth
while at the same time said device is adapted to slide in the direction of its length
and to oscillate or move transversely as the pinion passes round the aforesaid
curved ends.

page_text: Thus supposing the pedal is at its highest point the device will be at its lowest
point below the pinion and on forcing down the pedal the device will be forced
upwards the teeth on one of the long parallel sides acting as a rack to revolve the
pinion and thereby revolve the driving wheel (part of a revolution or one or more
revolutions) the leverage or force exerted on the pinion being practically even
during the whole of the downstroke of the pedal.
The driving wheel now continuing to revolve and the pinion therewith the latter
now acts on the device and forces the latter to swing or oscillate as the pinion
forces the rounded end past same and then the pinion begins to pull down (past
itself) the teeth on the second long side of the device whereby the latter in turn
forces down the rear end of said pedal lever and so raises the pedal to its highest
position again ready for the next downstroke and so on; or the downstroke of
the pedal lever may be arranged to pull down the device therewith while the
raising of the device will raise the pedal.
The said device may for instance have an endless slot therein of the aforesaid
character toothed on the inwardly facing side wall of said slot this side wall being
formed with or having mounted thereon an inwardly projecting flange all round
so as to overlap the aforesaid pinion while from the latter the wheel axle or a stud
projects which may carry or have thereon a flange (or flanges) to run in an endless
groove (or grooves) adapted to receive sanie in the side walls of said endless slot
or a head or washer or flange or enlargement on the said axle or stud may overlap
the outside face of said slot or be arranged and combined in any other suitable
manner to thereby prevent the device coming off the pinion.
It will be obvious that the foregoing means can be used or adapted for any
other vehicles or machinery or purposes to which same may be applicable i.c., for
converting reciprocating into rotary motion while it will be readily understood
that same may be used vice versa to convert rotary motion into reciprocating motion
(as for instance to operate the buckets or plungers of pumps) in which case the
aforesaid pinion would be carried on a shaft or axle rotated (rapidly or otherwise)
by any suitable motor or motive power and such pinion would consequently impart
reciprocating motion to the aforesaid device which being suitably connected to
the plunger or other part to be reciprocated the latter would thereby be operated.
This last-named adaptation being especially suitable for electrically propelled
mechanism.
Dated this 29th day of July 1897.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion
and vice versa, Applicable to the Driving Gear of Cycles and
other Purposes.
We, SYDNEY BUTLER, of Park Works, Lawn Lane, South Lambeth Road,
London, Manufacturer, and HENRY ROWLAND GRICE, of 221, Ebury Street, Pimlico,
London, Gentleman, 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:-
This invention relates to means for converting reciprocating into rotary
motion and vice versa and same may be used for any purpose to which it is applicable
but for the sake of example we will describe this invention as applied to cycle
driving gear.

page_text: The motive power (for propelling the cycle) is applied to a reciprocating lever
or crank pivotted or otherwise suitably mounted to the frame or some fixed part
of the machine and thence (i.e. from said lever or crank) by means of this inven-
tion to the driving wheel of the cycle or the power may be applied direct to our
transmitting gear.
for
The following is one way of carrying this invention into practice viz.:
driving the back wheel of an ordinary bicycle of the present well-known "safety"
type.
On each side of the bicycle a lever (which I will term the "pedal lever") is
pivotted or otherwise suitably mounted so that the pedals thereon each have a
reciprocating motion instead of the ordinary rotary motion.
The rear end of such pedal lever-or rearwardly of the pedal, same-is con-
nected to the transmitting gear on one side of the back wheel and similarly a
corresponding pedal lever on the other side of the wheel is connected to a second
and similar transmitting gear and we need therefore only describe one of these
transmitting gears.
Fixed to the axle of the back wheel (or in connection therewith) is a pinion or
toothed wheel of suitable diameter--advantageously rather small.
The teeth of this pinion are held in gear with, and are operated on by, teeth on
a reciprocating device which is connected to and reciprocated by the aforesaid
pedal lever this device having two long parallel sides and rounded ends or having
a slot therein with two long parallel sides and rounded ends or otherwise suitably.
arranged with either external teeth or internal teeth in an endless row, forming
two long parallel sides and rounded ends the latter being of any suitable radius
or curvature.
This reciprocating device is held and mounted so as to be kept up to said pinion
in any suitable manner so that the latter will always be in gear with said teeth
while at the same time said device is adapted to slide in the direction of its length
and to oscillate or move transversely as the pinion passes round the aforesaid
curved ends.
Thus supposing the pedal is at its highest point the device will be at its lowest.
point below the pinion and on forcing down the pedal the device will be forced
upwards the teeth on one of the long parallel sides acting as a rack to revolve the
pinion and thereby revolve the driving wheel (part of a revolution or one or more
revolutions) the leverage or force exerted on the pinion being practically even
during the whole of the downstroke of the pedal.
The driving wheel now continuing to revolve and the pinion therewith the latter
now acts on the device and forces the latter to swing or oscillate as the pinion
forces the rounded end past same and then the pinion begins to pull down (past
itself) the teeth on the second long side of the device whereby the latter in turn
forces down the rear end of said pedal lever and so raises the pedal to its highest
position again ready for the next downstroke and so on; or the downstroke of
the pedal lever may be arranged to pull down the device therewith while the
raising of the device will raise the pedal.
The said device may for instance have an endless slot therein of the aforesaid
character toothed on the inwardly facing side wall of said slot this side wall being
formed with or having mounted thereon an inwardly projecting flange all round
so as to overlap the aforesaid pinion while from the latter the wheel axle or a stud
projects which may carry or have thereon a flange (or flanges) to run in an endless
groove (or grooves) adapted to receive same in the side walls of said endless slot
or a head or washer or flange or enlargement on the said axle or stud may overlap
the outside face of said slot or be arranged and combined in any other suitable
manner to thereby prevent the device coming off the pinion.
It will be obvious that the foregoing means can be used or adapted for any
other vehicles or machinery or purposes to which same may be applicable i.e. for
converting reciprocating into rotary motion while it will be readily understood
that same may be used vice versa to convert rotary motion into reciprocating motion

page_text: Tas for instance to operate the buckets or plungers of pumps) in which case the
aforesaid pinion would be carried on a shaft or axle rotated (rapidly or otherwise)
by any suitable motor or motive power and such pinion would consequently impart
reciprocating motion to the aforesaid device which being suitably connected to
the plunger or other part to be reciprocated the latter would thereby be operated.
This last-named adaptation being especially suitable for electrically-propelled
mechanism.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate our present inven-
tion:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism and Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 partly
in horizontal section on line 2-2 Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing mechanism in different positions.
a is a fixed bar or framework in which is journalled the shaft 6 having the fly-
wheel c thereon at one end while at or near the other end said shaft b has a pinion d
fixed thereon.
e is a lever operated (reciprocated) by any suitable means for instance by a
reciprocating steam engine or when fitted to a cycle by the foot of the rider-the
rear end of said lever e being pivoted at e¹ to the short link f which latter is
pivoted at f to the frame a
This levere in the arrangement shown in the drawings has rigidly affixed
thereto or formed or mounted thereon a device having internal teeth g this device
having two long parallel sides g¹ and rounded ends g² the teeth g extending all
the way round same internally as shown-the opposite sides gl being braced or
connected together by the cross-ties h which latter carry fixed rigidly thereon the
guide-bar i midway between the aforesaid opposite sides gl and parallel thereto.
This guide-bar is not toothed but is smooth down each side face and same is
held on the cross-bars h in a different plane from the aforesaid internal teeth g;
and opposite the side faces of side guide-bar i there is a smooth (non-toothed)
portion g on the inside all round the sides gl and ends g² of the said internally
toothed device and between these smooth guide-faces and g* an idle roller 6 or
an enlargement on the shaft b travels.
Thus it will be seen that starting with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1
on raising the lever e thereby the internal row of teeth g will rotate the pinion d
and thereby rotate the fly-wheel c in the direction shown by the arrow x Fig. 1.
As soon as the pinion arrives at the end g² the impetus of the fly-wheel c will
carry same round the curved end g² whereby the position of the lever e will be
shifted slightly in the direction of its length the link f permitting this and on now
pressing down the lever e the pinion d will be further rotated until it arrives at
the other rounded end g² whereupon the impetus will carry it round this end as
before and so on and thus reciprocating motion is converted into rotary motion.
It will be obvious that the device 9 g¹ g³ may be pivoted or connected by a link
to the lever e and such lever could then be pivotted direct to the frame a without
any intermediate link for the parts may be otherwise suitably arranged and any
suitable lever or system of levers or other reciprocating device or motion may be
used for reciprocating the said device g g¹ g².
For converting rotary motion into reciprocating motion for instance for operat-
ing pumps where a very long stroke is required-the shaft b being rotated at any
suitable speed by any suitable motor or power in this case the device gg¹ g² or
the lever such as e operated thereby would be connected up in any suitable manner
to the piston or plunger of the pump and thus a very long travel can be given
thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The herein-described improved means of converting reciprocating into rotary
motion and vice versa which consists in a pinion on a rotary shaft gearing with an

page_text: internal endless row of teeth on the inside of a device having two long parallel
sides and rounded ends and a track or means to guide said device upon said shaft
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion and
vice versa the combination with a pinion or gear wheel such as d on a rotary
shaft such as 6 of a reciprocating device such as g¹g² having internal teeth such
as g a guide-bar such as i midway between the two long parallel sides g¹ of said
device the faces of which are in a different plane to said internal teeth g and
pinion d said face and the face of said device forming a guide-way or track
in which is guided the part 6 of the shaft b or a roller thereon all substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described. and illustrated in the
drawings hereunto annexed."
3. The improved means of converting reciprocating into rotary motion and vice
versa combined and arranged to act substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated wins com uay от дрп 1000.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.