improvements in Driving-mechanism for Velocipedes and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by ROBERT FRANCIS ROBISON, and LAFAYETTE
HIGBY, both of No. 488, Wells Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America, Artisans.]
improvements in Driving-mechanism for Velocipedes and the like.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents.
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvements in driving-mechanism for bicycles and
similar vehicles, and has for its object to provide an arrangement of this char-
acter that will dispense with, and take the place of the ordinary sprocket-chain.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation embodying the improved features; the relative
position of the frame-parts being indicated in dotted lines, and
Figure 2, a broken-away part elevation and part section on line 2, Fig. 1,
looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.
A represents the center stay-member of the frame of a bicycle; A' the lower
main tube. A2 A3 the back-forks; A the back-stays; A the hanger; B the
crank-axle; and B'B' the crank-arms, mounted on the respective ends thereof.
A gear-wheel, C, is rigidly mounted on the crank-axle adjacent to one end and
on the innerside of the crank-arm, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of an
angular bracket D, is clamped to the center stay-member of the frame, and from
that point extends outwardly, then downwardly; the lower terminal end extend-
ing inwardly at right-angles and being clamped on one of the fork-members A².
This bracket will consist, ordinarily of two companion parts, a, a, bent into the
required shape; the upper ends of which encircle the center-stay A and are locked
in place by bolts, a', while the lower ends, embracing a member of the back forks,
are locked together by bolts, a².
The two parts comprising the bracket, D, are spread apart at a point between
the respective ends to form a seat for the hubless gear-wheel, E, mounted
therein. The toothed periphery of the gear-wheel E projects beyond the edges
of the bracket-parts and engages with the gear-wheel, U, mounted on the crank-
axle. The gear-wheel E is cut away (Fig. 2) on each side of the projecting
toothed periphery, to form the annular shoulder-bearings, a³, a³, which are pro-
vided with grooves, a. The adjacent annular edges of the bracket-parts are pro-
vided with grooves, b, which are in line with the corresponding grooves in the
hubless gear-wheel E. These grooves are filled with balls, 6, and provide a
ball-bearing for the wheel E.
The two bracket-parts, a a, are provided with openings 62, at each side of the
gear-wheel E. The companion bearing-pins, dd, are inserted in the respective
sides of the wheel E, and are set diametrically opposite each other, so as to ease
and facilitate the rotary action, making the movement more positive and dis-

page_text: pensing with the "dead-points." The front ends of the companion connecting or
driving-rods, FF, are connected to the pins, d d.
The upper end of a second angular bracket, G, is clamped to one of the back-
stay tubes A and the lower end clamped to one of the back-fork tubes, A, bring-
ing the same in line with the bracket D.
The outer side of the bracket G is broken-away, to show a second hubless gear-
wheel, H, which is provided with a ball-bearing in bracket G. These parts are
exact duplicates of the companion bracket D and gear-wheel E, so that the detail
description of one answers for both.
The gear-wheel, H, is provided on each side with bearing-pins, 99, set at oppo-
site points and have the rear ends of the driving-rods, rr', connected thereto.
The gear-wheel H engages with gear-wheel, K, mounted on the axle, h, of the
rear driving-wheel. This arrangement provides a simple, positive, and con-
venient driving-connection between the crank-axle and the rear wheel-axle of a
bicycle and possess advantages over that of other devices for a similar purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and m what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my toreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In driving-mechanism for bicycles, the combination with the crank-axle, of
a gear-wheel, mounted thereon, an angular bracket, having its upper end clamped
on the center stay-member of the frame and its lower end clamped to one of the
fork-members of the frame, a hubless gear-wheel mounted in said bracket and
engaging with the gear-wheel on the crank-axle, and means substantially as
described for connecting with and transmitting motion to the axle of the rear-
driving wheel.
2. In driving-mechanism for bicycles the combination with the crank-axle, of
a gear-wheel mounted thereon, a hubless gear-wheel, provided with a suitable
bearing in a supporting-bracket and engaging with the gear-wheel on the crank-
axle, a gear-wheel, mounted on the rear wheel-axle, a second hubless gear-wheel,
mounted in a supporting-bracket and engaging with the gear-wheel on the rear
wheel-axle, and the companion driving-rods, connecting the two hubless gear-
wheels, substantially as described.
3. In driving-mechanism for bicycles, the combination with an angular bracket,
having its upper and lower ends secured to different members of the frame, of
a hubless gear-wheel, seated in said bracket, the toothed periphery of which pro-
jects beyond the edges thereof and has each side cut away and grooved to form.
bearings, the adjacent surface of the bracket being correspondingly grooved,
and the balls, inserted in said grooves, substantially as described.
4. In driving-mechanism for bicycles, the combination with the crank-axle, of
a gear-wheel, mounted thereon, an angular bracket, the centre stay-member of
the frame and the back-fork, to which the upper and lower ends of said bracket
are respectively clamped, the hubless gear-wheel, mounted in said bracket, a
second bracket, having its upper end clamped to one of the back-stay-tubes, and
the lower end to the back-fork, a second hubless gear-wheel, mounted in the
second bracket, the rear driving-wheel axle, the gear-wheel mounted thereon and
with which the second hubless gear-wheel engages and the companion driving-
rods, connecting the hubless gear-wheels, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.