Year: 1897

page_text: I, GUSTAVE LE GOARANT DE TROMELIN, of 47, Rue de l'Arsenal, Toulon, France,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is a new system of transmission of motion
to vehicles whatever may be the source of the motive power: man, steam or
electricity.
The object of my invention is to substitute the modes of transmission of motion
actually employed in vehicles by a system realizing the following improvements:
1. Diminution of the loss of motive power resulting from friction through the
suppression of the chain and other organs actually employed and of their substitu-
tion by my system which also avoids the other inherent, inconveniences in these
modes of transmission.
2. The utilization of the maximum of effort transmitted to the cranks and
suppression of the dead points by the special arrangement of these organs.
3. Multiplication of speed which is very simple and which can be modified with-
out undoing any part or stopping the vehicle.
4. The increase of stability in the particular cases of application to machines
called cycles, at the same time retaining a great facility of evolution.
5. Simplified fitting and unfitting of cycles.
My system of transmission of motion is composed of two bent cranks with elbows,
receiving the motive effort and fixed on a common axle, they transmit the move-
ment to two other cranks fixed on an axle passing at the interior of the driving-
wheel axle by means of a wire or cable in steel, which is not rigid acting by
traction; of these last two cranks, one is bent in the same manner as the motive
cranks, the other is straight and has at its extremity the fixed axle of a spur-
wheel, called satellite wheel, gearing with a straight spring-wheel fixed on the axle
of the driving-wheels. It is easy to understand that the motive cranks, being
animated by a continued circular movement draw the crank of the driving-wheels
by means of the steel wires and, consequently, turn the satellite wheel around the
pinion but as these two parts are in gear and the axle of the wheel is fixed, the
latter turns also the pinion and, consequently, the driving wheel.
We might apply a second series of gearing of different connections by means
of the second crank of the driving wheels, and according as we keep the axle of
one of the satellite wheels fixed and the axle of the other moveable, or vice versa,
we obtain different speeds.
The cranks are bent in the form of an S so as to utilize the motive effort during
the whole time it is applied to the cranks, a result which could not be obtained
with straight cranks, since the steel wire acts only by traction; moreover they are
elbowed to allow the passage of the steel wires driving the rotatory motion. Two
steel wires are sufficient for the transmission of the movement, but the use of
3 wires situated on different radii enable the suppression of the dead points in
the same way as with steam engines which have 3 cranks wedged at 120°.

page_text: The steel wires are supplied with tighteners by which their lengths can be
regulated.
In certain cases, in passing the axle of the motive cranks into the interior of
the driving-wheel axle this latter can be directly brought to action without the
intervention of steel wires or cables; it suffices to fix the axle of the satellite
wheel to the end of one of the two motive cranks; the pinion being fixed as
before on the driving-wheel axle, an identical system may be disposed on the second
crank and allow a change of speed, moreover, in the case of its application to
bicycles, there is a slider on each branch of the driving-wheel fork, this slider
is jointed to a connecting-rod whose extremity bears the axle of the satellite wheel
and enables to keep this fixed or moveable. Without alighting from the machine
nor stopping we can travel with the multiplication we desire, the functioning of
the system of multiplication being the same as in the first case explained above.
The last described arrangement enables, besides, in bicycles, the substitution
of the hind wheel by two small wheels, of a much smaller diameter than the front
wheel and at a little distance from each other, we thus, obtain more stability at
the same time retaining a great facility of evolution for in the turnings the outside
wheel leaves the ground and the machine continues as an ordinary bicycle;
moreover in this arrangement of machine, the front part being joined to the hind
part by one piece fixed with two nuts, it suffices to undo these nuts for the unfitting,
a system which is considerably simplified.
My system, with all the improvements it allows, may be applied to all vehicles
whichever may be the kind and the source of production of the motive power:
cycles steam, petroleum, electric and motor-cars.
Dated this 16th day of June 1897,
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.
I. GUSTAVE LE GOARANT DE TROMELIN, of 47, Rue de l'Arsenal, Toulon, France,
Inventor, 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:-
The present invention relates to cycles and consists in improvements made in
the transmission of the motion of the pedals to the driving axle, by effectuating
this transmission by means of flexible metallic rods instead of a chain, also
improvements in the construction to facilitate the fitting up and the taking to
pieces of the said cycles.
In the annexed drawing, different forms of construction of cycles provided with
these improvements are shown by way of examples.
Fig. 1 represents an elevated view of a chainless bicycle.
Fig. 2 is a plane section of same machine on line ry of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the coupling of the pedals with a triplet provided with one chain.
Fig. 4 represents an elevated view of a bicycle provided with a multiplication
contrivance.
Fig. 5 is a transversal semi profile according to a y of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 represents a plane view of the machine of Fig. 4.
With the bicycle shown in Figs. 1 & 2 the crank A¹ is bent at a to allow of
the passage of the cable f. This cable f is connected with the axle O of the

page_text: toothed wheel and the head with which it ends is square or keyed in such a way
that this cable prevents the wheel r from turning on itself.
On the opposite side a second cable f¹ is fixed but to suppress the dead points
it is necessary to place the pedal pl as shown in Fig. 1 and to bend the crank
at 2 points b &,c to fix the 2 cables f¹ f" to them.
The 3 points ab & c form an equilateral triangle so that having always a cable
working, the dead points are suppressed as with triple crank steam-engines.
The 3 points 0, 61, c¹ of the back cranks form an equilateral triangle equal
to a b c and the projection, in a vertical plane, of the cables ƒ ƒ¹ f" forms parallelo-
grams with the sides a I, Ib, Ic, OC, bi C, el C.
The cables f f f are provided with stretchers at their extremities so as to be
able to tighten them when they stretch out through wear.
The shape of the cranks in a reversed S or Z allows the driving strain to be
utilized throughout the whole duration of its application to these organs; it is
evident that the steel wires or cables f f f", not being rigid, can only act by
traction and that if the cranks were straight, they would only transmit the strain
during the first half of their downward stroke.
With the bent cranks shown in Fig. 1 the total strain is transmitted by the
cables f f f to the back cranks which are wedged on the axle C and which, through
the cog-wheels rr transmit a regular rotary movement to the driving wheel R.
The steel-wire or cable system of driving may also be applied to bicycles for
two three or four places, as shown in Fig. 3 for a triplet. For this purpose the
cranks a bede h are connected by steel cables f f¹ fll fill and the back crank
axle alone is provided with a toothed pinion S which works the driving-wheel by
means of the chain t.
The cables f f f and fill may be fixed to the extremities of the cranks, that
is to say to the pedals themselves by bending the cranks at a bede h to allow the
cables to pass during the rotation. These wires may evidently be substituted by
very flexible steel laths or rods and may also be adapted for the transmission of
motion with all vehicles actuated in any way, whether by steam, petroleum,
electricity, etc.
The cycle represented in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 called the from acatene system resem-
bles the old machines with the exception that there are 2 small wheels instead of
one, behind the driving wheel R¹ about 40 centimeters apart.
With this bicycle the tube E H starting from the front socket T ends at the
back between the 2 wheels D D¹ and the 3 wheels together have the same stability
as the old tricycles, with the difference that in short turnings, the proximity of
the 2 wheels D Di to each other allows one of them to leave the ground and
consequently facilitates the evolution and suppresses one of the great inconveni-
ences of the old tricycles.
This new bicycle is provided with a multiplication contrivance composed of a
toothed wheel fixed to the hollow hub of the wheel R' through which an axle CC
passes; this axle projects on each side of the said hub and is elbowed at right
angles to bear and keep in position the wheel which gears with the wheel ri
The axle of the wheel r is keyed on the head of the connecting rod B at O, that
is to say, when the cyclist presses on the pedals p¹ the wheel r cannot turn on
itself, the axle O of the wheel r being fixed to this latter. The axle O continues
on the other side of the crank O C to bear the pedal p¹ and the axle C C passes
through the hub of the wheel R₁ and is elbowed in the same way as OC at its
other extremity to bear the second pedal; moreover, by giving a second elbow to
the crank C CO and by fixing a wheel r of a suitable diameter, the pedal p might
be arranged otherwise than on the axle of the wheel r.
On the side of the second pedal on the crank and hub of the driving-wheel,
another pair of cog wheels may also be arranged of different diameters to those
of the wheels r and r¹ and giving consequently a greater or smaller multiplica-
tion according to the proportion of the gearings.
The gearings rr¹ on either side can be coupled with the hub of the wheel R

page_text: by any known means, for instance with a forked lever acting upon a grooved
socket, or by one of the connecting rods B arranged on the right and left of the
guide socket A, and which throw the corresponding pinions into gear.
The socket A as also all the quick turning parts have ball bearings; moreover
this socket and the rods B can be constructed of aluminium or other metal of small
density.
It is evident that this multiplication contrivance may be applied quite as well
to ordinary bicycles as to the From Acatene" cycles.
66
The From Acatene cycles are easily taken to pieces the part H being joined to
the steering-tube F by two screws T, and to the back part by a screw U: it there-
fore suffices to remove the upper screw T and the screw U to disengage the part H
and to take the machine to pieces.
The bicycle is fitted together with the same facility as it is taken to pieces.
This machine cannot be folded but it offers the same advantages since the three
wheels can be brought together and occupy a small space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1) In a chainless bicycle the combination of 2 cranks fixed on the pedal axle,
bent in the form of a reversed S or Z one of which is elbowed at one point and
the other at 2 points; of 2 cranks wedged on an axle passing through the hub of
the driving-wheel one of which is straight and the other bent and elbowed twice,
like the corresponding pedal crank; of three flexible steel wires or cables, con-
necting the front cranks with the back cranks, and finally of 2 cog-wheels gearing
together, one of which is fixed to the hub of the driving-wheel and the other to the
extremity of the right crank, this latter cog-wheel being kept fixed by the square head
or provided with a keg of one of the steel-wires, the said wires being fixed in
such a way that their fixing points on the cranks form equilateral triangles and
that these wires form parallelogram with the cranks; the said wires amount to two
only, each of which connects a front crank with a back crank.
2) In a chainless bicycle with several seats, the combination with the pedal
cranks, of wires or steel cables successively connecting the cranks which, for
this purpose are elbowed in a suitable way to allow the passage of the wires or
cables during the rotation.
3) In a bicycle called From Acatene system the combination with the front wheel
of two small back wheels at a small distance from each other, the axle of the said
wheels being connected with the steering stem by a tube simply fixed with screws
to facilitate the fitting up and the taking to pieces of the machine.
4) In a bicycle, the combination of a multiplication contrivance with the front
wheel the characteristic features of which are: an axle passing through the hub
of this wheel, and having its extremities elbowed to form 2 cranks bearing the
pedals; also 2 cog-wheels gearing with each other, one of which is fixed to the
hub of the driving-wheel while the other is fixed to the extremity of a rod con-
necting the end of the corresponding crank with a guiding socket sliding on
the fork; the said rod allowing the wheel, which is fixed at its extremity to be
thrown out of gear and which consequently, becomes movable the said multiplica-
tion contrivance can also be applied to the second crank by giving the cog-wheels
different diameters to those of the first, to obtain a different multiplication.
Dated this 16th day of March 1898.
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.