Improvements relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan. 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
Improvements relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and Motor
Vehicles.
I ARTHUR HARVEY BECKS of 46 Wellington Square Hastings in the County of
Sussex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Fly Wheel is an aid for producing power to Cycles and Motor Vehicles, it may
be inserted inside the driving wheel of Cycle; it may also be placed inside the driving
wheels of Motor Vehicles or other convenient place for Motor Vehicles, the fly wheel
is driven direct by chain (or a substitute for chain) from the pedal and cranked wheel,
this fly wheel is connected at its hub to the driving wheel of Cycle or Motor Vehicles
but geared to permit of fly wheel revolving more times around the spindle or axle
than the outer wheel or driving wheel. I claim also the right to abridge the fly
wheel as may be required by using detachable weights in place of tire.
Trated this 11th day of January 1907
Improvements relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and Motor
Vehicles.
I ARTHUR HARVEY BECKS of 46 Wellington Square Hastings in the County of
Sussex, 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 :-
My invention relates to a means for storing power in a bicycle, tricycle or other
manumotive machine, or motor vehicle, during the propulsion of same, that such
power may be employed at will for propelling the machine for a short distance while
the rider or riders rest, or for assisting in the propulsion of the machine when climb-
ing a hill or gradient.
My invention consists in the mounting of a fly wheel upon a sleeve or hub upon
the axle of the back or driven wheel or wheels of the machine, and receiving motion
from the pedal spindle of the cycle (or the equivalent shaft of a motor) by the means
of a chain operated by a sprocket wheel fixed thereon, and in gear with a like sprocket
wheel upon the said sleeve or hub. The back or driven wheel or wheels of the
machine is or are borne upon the said sleeve or hub and receive motion coincidentally
with the said fly wheel (at the same or a greater or lesser speed as desired) by the
means of a second chain operated by a second sprocket wheel upon the said pedal
spindle (or equivalent shaft) in gear with a sprocket wheel in connection with the said
driven wheel or wheels. The said driving sprocket wheels may be both upon the
same end of the driving spindle (or shaft) or one upon each end of same, the sprocket.
wheels in connection with the said fly wheel and driven wheel or wheels. being..
similarly arranged to correspond therewith.

page_text: The said fly wheel and driven wheel or wheels are so mounted upon the axle, that
when disconnected with the driving chains, it would be possible to rotate the one
without the other, but by reason of both the sprocket, wheels upon the pedal or driving
spindle (or shaft) being keyed or otherwise fixed thereto, it follows that the rotation
of the said driving shaft would rotate simultaneously both the said fly wheel and the
driven wheel or wheels, the relative speeds of which being controlled by the difference
in the sizes of the sprocket wheels employed, and by reason of the said fixation of the
sprocket wheels upon the driving shaft, the momentum stored in the said fly wheel,
may, at will, be employed for temporarily continuing the motion of the said driving
sprocket wheels and the propulsion of the machine, notwithstanding that the manual
or other power employed for giving motion to the said driving sprocket wheels be
temporarily discontinued, or the said stored force may be used in combination with
such manual or other force for assisting the machine to mount a gradient.
In the accompanying drawings I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied
to a bicycle driven by pedals, operated by the feet of a rider in the usual way, and in
which I show in Fig. 1 a sectional plan of the driven wheel and the said fly wheel,
constructed and arranged upon the axle according to my invention, Fig. 2 being a plan
of so much of the bottom bracket, pedals, and sprocket wheels as will serve to make
my invention understood.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount upon the back axle A of the machine,
a sleeve or hub B, adapted to form at a a¹ an equivalent for a rim for receiving the
spokes C of a fly wheel, the rim of which D, may be of any shape or size in cross
section, and either solid as shewn, or be concave upon its outer surface and adapted to
receive detachable weights in lieu of D. The said sleeve or hub B is cupped at its
ends to receive approved cones E, carrying between thein balls F, as bearings for the
said sleeve or hub, the usual or most approved means being employed for retaining
the said cones in position, and for receiving and holding the engaging ends of the
back fork or its equivalent G, or the said hub may be solid and form its own spindle,
the ends of which may be in ball races provided in the fork ends.
For the purposes of my invention, the hub of the driven wheel is formed in two
parts H and H³, each adapted to receive the ends of the wheel spokes d and carry a
cup e, which are fixed in position in the following order.
The said hub B is preferably extended in diameter at its ends B' and B2, the latter
being in excess of the former and upon the periphery of B2 an annular ridge J is
formed, and before fixing the said fly wheel in position the half hub H¹ and its cup e
would be passed over B₁ on to B2, the said cup e, and one side of the ridge J, being
adapted to form a race for any number of steel balls g the said half hub H¹ being
retained in position by a threaded plug K, adapted to screw thereinto, the said plug
being cupped internally and in conjunction with the ridge J forms a race for a second
row of steel balls f. The fly wheel D and its spokes C may now be fixed in position'
in the manner stated.
The end B of the hub B (as previously stated) is of lesser diameter than its
opposite end B2, and upon B' is mounted a sleeve L, which brings the diameter of B¹
equal to B2, but before placing the said sleeve in position, I mount the half hub H
with its cup e, so that when the said sleeve L is placed in position this forms a bearing
for the said half hub, an annular ridge J¹ upon the said sleeve L forming in conjunc-
tion with the cup e of H a race for a row of steel balls gl. The said half hub H is
retained in position by a threaded plug K' adapted to screw thereinto, the said plug
being cupped internally, and forms in conjunction with the ridge J¹ a race for a row of
steel balls g².
The half hub H is adapted to carry a sprocket wheel M keyed or otherwise firmly
fixed thereto, the said sprocket wheel being in gear by a suitable chain m (shewn by
dotted lines) with a like sprocket wheel N, fixed upon the pedal spindle of the bottom
bracket O. A like but preferably smaller sprocket wheel P, is keyed or otherwise fixed
upon the portion B₁ of the hub or sleeve B, which gears with a like but preferably
larger sprocket wheel R (fixed upon the pedal spindle of the bottom bracket O) by
the ineans of a suitable chain 'n (shewn by dotted lines).

page_text: I do not make it an indispensible condition, but I prefer, that the machine be so
geared, that motion is imparted to the said fly wheel at a greater speed than that of
the said back or driven wheel, (of which H and H¹ collectively form the hub and carry
the spokes d of same) in order that a greater momentum may be stored in the said
fly wheel, and it will be understood that if upon a level road the rider may desire to
rest his legs, the machine would be carried a considerable distance by the means of the
power stored in the said fly wheel, or that the power stored in the said fly wheel, may
be used to assist the rider in mounting a gradient. It will also be understood that
in lieu of the sprocket wheels being all upon the same side of the machine, as shewn,
the one pair PR may be in the position illustrated, while the other pair may be at
the opposite side of the machine or vice versa, and that, although I have shewn and
described my invention as applied to an ordinary bicycle, the same may be adapted
to other manumotive or power driven machines.
When employing a fly wheel, the periphery D of which is wider than may con-
veniently rotate within the spokes d of the driven wheel, as ordinarily constructed. I
may find it desirable to form the said spokes d as indicated by dotted outline in
Fig. 1, and at the bend of each set of spokes, I may provide a steel or other wire hoop as
indicated by S, so that this formation of the spokes and the radial strength of same
may be maintained.
The machine may be provided with a suitable brake of the most approved or
adaptable formn the same forming no part of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. With bicycles, tricycles and other like machines operated by manual or motive
power, the combination of a fly or other wheel, having a weighted periphery, with
ineans for imparting motion thereto substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth and shewn.
2nd. In a bicycle, tricycle, or similar machine the combination of a hub such as
B, B1, B2 adapted to rotate upon ball bearings upon the back axle A, and carry a fly or
other wheel having a weighted periphery D, the said hub having annular ridges J and
Jadapted to form races for steel balls f g g¹g in conjunction with plugs K and K¹,
the latter adapted to screw into half hubs H and H' carrying the spokes of the back or
driven wheel or wheels of the machine, one of the said half hubs carrying a sprocket
wheel M receiving motion by the means of a chain m from a sprocket wheel N, fixed
upon the pedal spindle or equivalent driving shaft, the said hub B carrying a sprocket
wheel P receiving motion by the means of a chain n from a wheel R upon the same
driving spindle or shaft, substantially as herein described and shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of June 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.