Improvements in Speed Indicators for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec,, 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators for Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
I, JOHN BRADBURY WINTER, of 28, Montpelier Road, Brighton, in the County of
Sussex, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
My invention relates to mechanism whereby the speed of a velocipede or other
vehicle at any time is indicated.
For this purpose I connect the nave of a wheel of the vehicle of known circum-
ference by any suitable gear such as a flexible shaft, which might be a wire, or by a
reciprocating pull, to a wheel in the indicating instrument which is thus caused to
revolve at a rate proportional to that of the vehicle. This wheel may be termed the
driven wheel. In the instrument there is a clockwork worked by a spring and
speeded by means of an escapement or it might be a flyer, so as to operate for a given
time, such for instance, as several seconds. The clock-work might be started by hand
winding up the spring, or the spring might be wound to its proper limit by the
driven wheel the clockwork remaining at rest until released by the pressure of the
hand on a key or button, or the release might be effected automatically at every revo-
lution of the driven wheel or of a spindle geared to it. Whenever the release is
effected allowing the clock-work to operate, an index is for the time connected to the
driven wheel and moves with it while the clock-work continues to operate, but when
the clockwork has operated during the predetermined time the index is disconnected
from the driven wheel and remains stationary pointing to a division on a dial corre-
sponding to the part of a revolution performed during the several seconds by the
driven wheel and therefore to the speed of the vehicle which might be expressed on
the dial as miles per hour. Before another indication is made, the index, which is
subject to a spring, is automatically released and returned to zero. Or, the index
may remain stationary while the mechanism connected with it returns to zero, and
at the end of the next indication, the index adjusts its position so as to coincide with
the new position of its mechanism.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My.invention relates to mechanism whereby the speed of a velocipede or other
vehicle at any time is indicated.
For this purpose I connect the nave of a wheel of the vehicle of known circumfer-
ence by any suitable gear such as a flexible shaft, which might be a wire, or by a
reciprocating pull and pawl, to a wheel in the indicating instrument which is thus
caused to revolve at a rate proportional to that of the vehicle. This wheel may be
termed the driven wheel. In the instrument there is a clockwork worked by a
spring and speeded by means of an escapement, or it might be a flyer, so as to operate
for a given time, such for instance, as several seconds. The clockwork might be
started by hand winding up the spring, or the spring might be wound to its
proper limit by the driven wheel, the clock work remaining at rest until released by the
pressure of the hand on a key or button, or the release might be effected automatically
at every revolution of the driven wheel or of a spindle geared to it. Whenever the
release is effected, allowing the clockwork to operate, an index is for the time con-
nected to the driven wheel and moves with it while the clockwork continues to
operate, but when the clockwork has operated during the predetermined time, the
index is disconnected from the driven wheel and remains stationary pointing to a
division on a dial corresponding to the part of a revolution performed during the
quarter of a minute or other period by the driven wheel and therefore to the speed
of the vehicle, which might be expressed on the dial as miles per hour.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front view, with one side of the frame
removed, of a speed indicator according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section and Fig. 3 is a side view.
•
The mechanism is contained between two circular side plates a forming an outer
frame, connected by three pillars a¹ a a³. Within the outer frame is another frame
consisting of a pair of plates bb, connected by two pillars oc', this frame being
mounted so that it can rock on a spindle & which is journalled in the onter plates a,
its rocking movement being limited by the pillars a¹ and a².
A dial is marked or fixed on one of the outer plates a under an index p² which is
fixed on a central spindle p that may be called the index-spindle; it extends to about
the middle of the instrument and is journalled in the outer plate a and in a cock e
fixed to that plate.
In line with the spindle p is another spindle q which may be called the centre
wheel spindle; it is journalled in one of the inner plates b, and in a cock ffixed to
that plate. The spindle 2 which has on it the centre wheel w is thus supported in
the inner frame, and although it comes in line with the spindle p, it is quite
independent of it and each can revolve without the other. A small lever g is fixed
on the end of the spindle p near the centre wheel w, and a pin r projects from the
centre wheel in such a way as to catch. the lever g when either revolves.
On the spindle q, close to the inner frame, a similar small lever g' is fixed which
catches on a pin projecting inwards from the plate b, and thereby limits the rotation
of the spindle q. The spindles p q have fixed on them toothed pinions a and t, and
with these pinions engage two segments of much larger radius h and A. A spring
in each case urges the segment in such a direction as to cause the spindle por q to
revolve in the direction opposite to that of the hands of a clock, the rotation being
limited in the case of the spindle g by its small lever striking the pin on the frame
plate b, and in the case of the spindle p by its lever 9 striking the pin in the centre
wheel w.
The spring which is attached at one end to the segment ¹ is attached at its other
end to the pillar a² of the outer frames; as the segment h¹ is pivotted in the inner
frame b, this spring pulls the inner frame round on the pivot d until the other end of
the inner frame touches the pillar a¹, as shewn in Fig. 1.
The spring attached at one end to the segment is attached at its other end to an
arm u of a rocking shaft on which is a lever j, an arm of which is caused by the

page_text: spring to press upon a disc v on the spindle 'p, causing it to act as a slight
brake.
The driving wire or shaft has its end fixed to a spindle x which is journalled in the
onter frame a and has fixed on it a toothed wheel gearing with a wheel k on a
spindle y, which revolves in bearings in the inner frame b.
On the spindle y there is, besides A, also another similar wheel k³, but free on the
spindle, and on this wheel is pivotted a pawl engaging with a ratchet wheel k*
fixed on the spindle y. When the wheel k, driven by 2, is caused to revolve in the
direction of the hands of a clock it winds up a clock spring y on the spindle y,
the other wheel being stationary. A pin projecting from y moves the lever m
which is pivotted free on d and a lug m¹ on m moves another lever which is fixed
on d. A spiral spring wound on d'urges n to abut against the centre wheel w,
pressing on it and acting as a brake.
The pin by moving m, draws n away from the wheel to which, being free is
caused by the segment ¹ to fly round until the lever on its spindle strikes the pin in
the inner frame, which position may be termed "zero." As the pin continues its
revolution, the lever n is drawn down until its point has reached the shoulder in the
pivoted arm o, which is urged towards n by a spring on its pivot. The pin then
slips past m, and the spring on d urges n and m to ascend, but n is caught by the
shoulder of o, and so does not reach the wheel w; moreover, the force of the spring
on d, instead of being entirely exerted on parts carried by the inner frame b, now acts
partly on the inner frames, and partly by the pressure of 12 on o, on the outer
frames a, consequently the inner frame turns on d as a centre, till stopped by the
pillar a; this rotation, though resisted by the spring attached to a², is effected by
the spring on d, being the stronger, and thus k is drawn away from i, while the
centre wheel w is moved into gear with i.
The rotation of i is now communicated to the centre wheel w and the pin on it
catching the small lever g on the spindle p turns this spindle, carrying the index p¹
round the dial. Meanwhile the clock spring turns k in the reverse direction, and as
the pawl k² engages the ratchet k³, the wheel k¹ also turns with and drives a pinion z
which communicates motion to an escapement or to a flyer (not shewn) which times
the movement of k as it moves back until a pin on k, meeting the end of the arm o,
moves it away from n which then flies up against the centre wheel and holda it
firmly; at the same moment, as the spring on d is no longer acting on the outer
frames a, it ceases to counteract the spring attached to a which turns the inner
frames 6 into its original position with i and k in gear, and i and w out of gear.
The wheel i now begins to turn kand rewind the clock spring; the pin / striking m
again draws n away from the centre wheel which turns back to zero, but the index on
the dial still remains stationary on account of the pressure of j on the diso v. As l
slips past m and n is caught by o, the inner frame again rotates, throwing the
wheel to into gear with i ane withdrawing the pin out of reach of 1. If it be now
assumed that the speed is less than it was during the previous record, the centre
wheel 10 does not turn through so great an aro as before and the pin on it does not
reach the small lever g on the spindle p before the inner frame b again swings back
to the position shewn in Fig. 1. When in this position, the pin l, as it revolves,
touches the arm j¹ of j and raises the other arm off the disc v, so that the spindle p
immediately flies back along with the index, until the small lever g strikes the pin
on the centre wheel. When i passas j¹, the brake arm of j again presses on the
disc v; this pressure is however very light, and when a greater speed has to be
recorded, the pin on the centre wheel w turns the spindle p further round, notwith-
standing the resistance of the brake.
In order to avoid confusion in the drawings, I have not shewn any escapement or
flyer, as that may be of any suitable known kind, to which motion is communicated
from the pinion either directly or through gearing.
When a flyer is employed which can revolve both ways, the wheel k¹, pawl k² and
ratchet may be dispensed with.

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A speed indicator for velocipedes and other vehicles constructed and operating
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.