THE MACHINES OR CARRIAGES KNOWN AS TRICYCLES." “IMPROVEMENTS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Rivington at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1879.
JOHN RIVINGTON, of Babbicombe, near Torquay, Devon.
THE MACHINES OR CARRIAGES KNOWN AS TRICYCLES."
“IMPROVEMENTS IN
The rider's seat is between two wheels of about 54 inches diameter (more or
less), and of any kind that may be found well adapted for bicycles or tricycles.
The main axle connecting these wheels is of 'such length that the extreme width of
the carriage is about 3 feet. One wheel turns freely on the axle; the other is
keyed to it and turns with it; or both wheels may run free, and each may be
fitted with a coupling box, enabling the rider to connect or disconnect it with the
axle at his pleasure.
The rider's seat is very low, a little in rear of the main axle, and within 6 or 8
inches of the ground, so that the action of his legs in propelling the carriage will be
entirely below and clear of the main axle above mentioned.
It is furnished with a firm sloping back, giving perfect rest and support to the
rider's body, and by its resistance enabling him to exert muscular force upon the
cranks in the most advantageous manner. The cranks are not on the main axle, but
upon a separate short axle about 15 inches in advance of the main axle, and about
17 inches from the ground. The cranks are of the same kind as those commonly
used in bicycles, having treadles mounted upon slides, so that a greater or less
leverage may be employed at pleasure; but the length of the crank-arms is less
limited than in bicycles, and may be as great as 9 inches, giving a throw of 7 or 8
inches when much power is needed.
The crank-axle is about 6 inches long; it turns in an iron frame leading upwards
in a curved form to the main axle, and directly downwards to the rider's seat,
which is hung upon the main axle, although it is also partly supported by the
steering wheel, hereafter to be described. In the centre of the crank axle is a
pulley about 5 inches diameter, driving by an endless chain a larger pulley on the
main axle, and thus propelling the carriage. The driving wheel or wheels are
necessarily of large diameter to give room for the action of the rider below the main
axle, and compensation for the loss of power thus sustained is acquired by the
difference in diameter of the two pullies.
The mechanical action of the brake I employ has been used in some kinds of
printing and other presses; also in railways, between two wheels of the same
carriage or engine, but the mode in which I apply it, viz., directly between the
principal weight of the carriage and the ground, I believe to be new.

page_text: It consists of a double frame, one part being applied on each side of the rider's
seat to equalize the pressure on the ground. Imagine an arrangement like a 12 inch
carpenter's rule, jointed in the middle, to be very strongly made of iron, and one
extremity of it to be jointed to the rider's seat (not necessarily to the lowest part of
it), the other to a strong iron shoe. In point of fact the upper end of this iron rule
would be jointed to the seat about 11 inches above the ground. Imagine an iron
rod about 2 feet long to be welded or rivetted to the shoe above mentioned, the
other end of the iron rod being so jointed to the frame of the carriage as to permit
free vertical motion to the shoe. The jointed rule is supposed to be ordinarily so
bent as to raise the shoe an inch or two from the ground. If now another iron rod
be connected at one end with the middle joint of the rule, and at the other with a
lever placed within easy reach of the rider's left hand, it will be evident that by
pulling at this lever he can either nearly or quite straighten the jointed rule, and
bring a gentle or a strong pressure upon the ground. A gentle pressure would be
sufficient to control the speed of the carriage in descending a hill; a pressure suffi-
ciently strong to straighten the rule would lift one or perhaps two wheels from the
ground, and convert the carriage into a sledge; and be it observed that as the brake
is quite unconnected with the wheels there will be no strain upon them, however
suddenly the carriage may be stopped.
The mechanism I have described is one half only of the actual brake as applied
to a tricycle or other carriage. One such arrangement is jointed to each side of
the rider's seat, the two parts being connected by cross rods, so as to ensure simul-
taneous action. The only part not double is the upper end of the lever by which
it is worked, which comes upon the left side of the rider's seat. This brake may
easily be applied also to very low hung carriages drawn by horses or other animals,
such as the open pleasure carriages called a Victoria, and I claim such application
as part of my Invention.
The steering wheel above mentioned is about 24 inches diameter, and is placed
behind the rider's seat. It is mounted in an iron or steel fork, but so that the
axle of the wheel is a few inches behind the vertical axis of the fork. A horizontal
arm projects from the off or right hand arm of the fork at right angles to the
steering wheel, and to this an iron rod is jointed, leading forward, and jointed by
its other end to a vertical lever within easy reach of the rider's right hand. By
this lever the rider steers the carriage, while his left hand is at liberty to manage
the brake.
The second form of my safety tricycle has several features in common with the
first. Like the first the rider's seat is very low, and placed between the two large
wheels, with the steering wheel behind it. It is also furnished with the same brake
and steering lever, but the main axle, instead of revolving, is fixed, both the large
wheels turning freely upon it. The two pulleys with their connecting endless chain
are dispensed with, and also the cranks. In place of these a silent reciprocating
apparatus is fitted upon a prolongation of the inner boss or hub of the nave of each
driving wheel, enabling the rider thus to act directly upon the wheels.
The nature of the reciprocating apparatus may be gathered from the annexed
diagram, in which A stands for the nave of a driving wheel, on which the iron or
steel collar B turns easily. This collar has two arms D and E forged in one piece
with it. To the upper arm D is pivoted a peculiarly shaped lever C of steel or
other hard metal, having a curved slot in its widened upper end. A small slide
traverses easily in this slot, the slide being attached to one end of an india rubber
or spiral steel spring, the other end of this spring being attached to the arm D.
When the spring is in the position shown in the diagram one corner of the lower
end of the lever C is brought into strong contact with the nave A of the wheel, and
if the arm D be then depressed the collar B becomes jammed upon the nave that it
necessarily forces the wheel round in the direction of the arrow. The collar B can
however turn freely upon the nave in the opposite direction, so that by working
the arm D up and down the carriage may be propelled forward. This movement
effected by the bell crank F, G, having a treadle H at the end of its lower arm,

page_text: The two bell cranks (one to each wheel) may be connected to a cord passing over
two pullies, so that the arm F of the one bell crank being depressed raises the
corresponding arm of the other, and places the treadle of the other wheel in position
for receiving a new impulse.
The action of this reciprocating apparatus can be reversed by moving the little
slide to the other end of the slot in the lever C; then if the handle at the end of
the arm E be depressed the carriage will be backed.
One advantage of this reciprocating apparatus over the crank is that in going
down hill the rider has only to keep his feet still in the treadles, and the wheels
will move freely forward. Another is that he can take a long or a short stroke at
pleasure, according to the gradient of the road, instead of being obliged to follow
the revolution of the cranks. A third, that either wheel may be acted upon without
the other in turning corners.
The reciprocating apparatus may be applied to tricycles that are now propelled
by means of cranks.
In conclusion, there are four main features in both these forms of my safety
tricycle:-1, the low centre of gravity; 2, the rest afforded to the rider's body;
3, the advantageous position for exerting muscular force; 4, the powerful brake;
and these four features are remarkably connected with each other. Without so
comfortable a back to his seat the rider could not exert force so advantageously,
and without a very low centre of gravity (source of safety) it would not be easy to
use the powerful and efficient form of brake.