Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes.
We, PHILIP LOUIS RENOUP and HERMAN SNOWMAN, Engineers, both of 19 and 20,
Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is to reduce the vibration or shock & consequent
retardation whenever the velocipede passes over irregularities of the road, or the
pedal action of the rider is irregular or not in perfect harmony with the velocity
of the driving wheel. This object can be obtained by inserting in the connection
between the pedal bearing a clutch allowing the driving wheel to overrun the pedal
shaft when under a stronger impulse than the latter. This has several advantages,
such as affording the rider rest whilst the machine moves; as the forward pressure
of the rider can only assist propulsion whether it be even or irregular, a machine
so mounted should be less tiring, bear a higher gear and be speedier on smooth or
rough roads or on grades. But hitherto such machines have been quite impractical
as it was impossible to exercise retarding control automatically by back pedalling
when such retardation is required either for convenience or for safety. This defect
we remedy by furnishing the driving gear with two motions at all times independent
of each other; one capable of propelling the driving wheel but allowing it to over-
run; the other capable of applying the brake by back pedalling but releasing the
brake when the pedals move forwards. We prefer to build up the former motion
on the drving hub by providing a roller or roller & spring clutch between the
bearing cup and the pinion so that the cup keeps the pinion in position; the cup
is preferably (where the drive is right handed) screwed on a righthanded thread
on the hub-body and locked by a conical nut inside the cup & screwed on the
lefthanded & reduced extremity of the hub-body.
The brake mechanism is preferably independent of the chain or other transmitting
agent, being attached to the pedal shaft chainwheel or crank; the "bottom bracket"
sometimes forms the bearing for this clutch, especially on those machines where
two compression stays in the same plane as the chain replace the more usual &
weaker stay crossing the chain-line. The simplest form of brake is that of a roller
spoon or shoe situated between the compression stays & acting directly on the
tyre; but it may be applied by a band or other friction device on the driving hub
or on the bottom bracket.
6
If desired both clutches may be mounted on the driving hub or they may both,be
on the bottombracket, but in these cases an accident to the chain or other transmit-
ting gear would deprive the rider of control of the velocipede. The clutches may be
of any type though we prefer a roller clutch or a clutch furnished with a roller
tumbler on account of silent and positive action.
Dated this 5th Jaw of Now 1007
i
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF.
HERMAN SNOWMAN...

page_text: We, PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF and HERMAN SNOWMAN, Engineers, both of 19 and 20,
Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to reduce the vibration or shock and consequent
retardation whenever the velocipede passes over irregularities of the road or the
pedal action of the rider is irregular or not in perfect harmony with the velocity
of the driving wheel. This object can be obtaineil by mounting a clutch on the hub
of the driving wheel, allowing this wheel to overrun the pedal shaft when under
stronger impulse than the latter. But as the safety and the convenience of the rider
demand that he should be able to retard his speed by backpedalling we mount
a second clutch on the driving hub, capable of applying the brake by backpedalling,
but releasing it when the pedals are moved forwards.
We prefer roller or roller and spring clutches and can mount the one between
the bearing cup and the pinion so that the cup keeps the pinion in position; the
cup is then (where the drive is righthanded) screwed on a righthanded thread on
the hub-body and locked by a conical nut inside the cup and screwed on the left-
handed and reduced end of the hub-body.
The actual brake may take the form of a roller, spoon or shoe situated between
the stays and acting directly on tyre; but it may be applied by a band or other
friction device on the driving hub.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shews part of a driving hub A of a velocipede
with the pinion end in section; B is a plate or washer for the purpose of keeping
parts of the mechanism in place and is absent on the lower part of Fig. which
represents the side elevation to Fig. 1. C is a similar washer absent on Fig. 2.
The end of hub A is provided with right and left handed threads which secure
the ball-bearing cup D with the assistance of the coned lock-nut E. F is the driving
pinion and is loose on D as its bearing; G is a ring loose on F as its bearing. The
outside of cup D is furnished with clutch-teeth d, d with clutch rollers d d¹ and
springs h, h so as to allow motion to be transmitted to the hub by the pinion F
when the same moves forward; but this pinion F also carries a ring (screwed on or
otherwise firmly mounted) with clutch teeth f, f rollers f¹ fl and springs h h for the
purpose of gripping the ring G when the direction of the pinion is reversed by the
pedal action of the rider. These clutches are therefore cut in opposite directions
the rollers and springs on the inner one being kept in place by the washer C and
those on the outer one by the washer B which is secured by screws one of which is
shewn at 6 and tapped holes 61 61 K is one of the tubular stays containing the
driving wheel and its bridgepiece may serve as a convenient point of attachment
for the hinge L, spring m and brake-arm M with brake shoe N. This hinged
arm M is connected with ring G on the hub so that a reverse motion by this piece
will force the shoe N on to the tyre O and thus apply brake power to the driving
wheel of the velocipede by a back-pedalling motion of the rider; rod I forms the
connection.
k
Fig. 3 shews an analogous arrangement of parts but with a band brake P acting
on a drum on hub A. The arm is hinged as shewn and Fig. 4 gives a side view
of the band brake. The stays K K on machines of ordinary build are preferably
constructed with the well known "swing-stay" back-slot slot adjustment, the stays
running from the seatpillar to the back-slots: where this is done no adjustment
of the brake-rods I, I' is required when the tension of the chain is altered.

page_text: Sometimes we prefer to mount the whole mechanism of the two clutches and the
brakework on the driving hub alone. This is shewn in Figs. 5 6 & 7. Fig. 6
is an end view of the hub with the parts-retaining washer B removed and Fig. 7
shews a section of the hub across line a b, with a slight modification. The bearing
cup D is fixed to the hub and clutches the pinion in the same way and with similar
parts as those in the previous description, but it also carries a piece QB rigidly
fixed to it by locknut C: the cylindrical part Q of this piece serves as the brake
drum whilst the vertical part B serves as a container. Over the cylindrical part Q
and out of contact with it lies the circular brake-shoe fixed inside the brake-
band P; this is made of springy metal and with a strong expanding tendency;
one end is attached to R a fixture to some convenient part of the framework, and the
other end is turned up as shewn or otherwise connected firmly with f f a circular
piece provided with clutch teeth and with rollers for forming a connection and
grip with fa cylindrical hood attached to pinion F. The two sets of clutches
are cut in opposite directions so that a forward motion of the chain or other trans-
mitter of the pedal action will propel the hub but a reverse action will close the
band on the drum and thus apply brake power. The modification in the detail of
the inner clutch shewn in Fig. 7 is as follows: instead of cutting external clutch
teeth on bearing cup D, it is sometimes more convenient to drift or otherwise shape
internal clutch teeth inside the pinion F and leave the surface of the cup piece
plain turned; but in any case this clutch must act in the opposite direction to that
of the clutch gripping the brake action.
It is evident that the hub and connecting rod mechanisms shewn in Figs. 1, 2,
& 3 are also applicable to a brake acting on the rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. A hub for rear-driving velocipedes carrying the pinion and two clutches so
arranged that whilst the hub can overrun the pinion when the former is under the
stronger forward impulse one of the clutches will form a driving connection between
the pinion and the hub when the pinion is under the stronger forward impulse, and
the other clutch will firmly connect the pinion with a brake mechanism for the
purpose described, when the rotation of the pinion is reversed.
2. On the hub of a velocipede the combination of a driving pinion F so mounted
that it will propel the hub when sufficiently impelled forwards, but will actuate a
brake on the periphery of the wheel as shewn in Figs. 1 & 2 when reversed."
3. The transmission of brake power from a pinion I to the periphery or to the
hub of a velocipede wheel substantially as shewn in Figs 2, 3, & 4 and as
described.
4. A self-contained hub mechanism for rear-driving velocipedes comprising a
driving pinion F, two clutches and a brake acting as and for the purpose described.
5. On the hub of a rear-driving velocipede the combination of pinion F Fig. 5
with two clutches one for driving the hub A and one for retarding it by means
of brake band P or an equivalent frictional device, the whole mechanism being
mounted on the hub substantially as described.
6. The combination of a driving clutch formed on or resting on the bearing
cup D in Figs. 1, 5 & 7 with a pinion F for the purpose described, the cup being
locked to the hub by the internal nut E