An Improved Variable Driving Gear for Bicycles and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Variable Driving Gear for Bicycles and other
Velocipedes.
1, CHARLES EDWIN DRAPER USHER, of Manning Road, Malvern, near
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Although many different variable driving gears have been devised for the purpose
of enabling cyclists to vary the gearing of their machines at will, they have
hitherto usually been confined either to a choice between a high and a low gear or
else the contrivances used for altering the gearing have been too complicated and
expensive, or added greatly to the weight of the machine, the result being that the
disadvantages of such contrivances far outweighed their advantages and thus
prevented them being universally adopted.
I have therefore devised this invention in order to provide means whereby the
rider of a bicycle er other velocipede will be enabled to use either of three different
gears at will. For instance, in order to ascend a hill or when travelling along a bad
road with a head wind, he will with my invention be enabled to gear his machine
down to say a forty inch, whilst for ordinary conditions of rond he can utilize a
coventy-six gear, and for very favourable conditions he will be enabled to gear his
machine up to say a hundred and eleven without having to dismount or stop the
machine.
At the same time I dispense with the ordinary driving chains, which as is well
known are a constant source of trouble owing to their liability to break and
stretch.
three
The essential feature of my invention consists in the employment of
speed intermediate wheel between a toothed drive wheel up
upon the crank-spindle and
a corresponding three speed pinion upon the main drive wheel, said pinion being 50
arranged that by sliding it more or less to one side or the other it may be thrown
into gear with whichever of the three speeds on the intermediate wheel it is desired
to use.
This intermediate wheel is made as light as possible and is arranged to run on
ball bearings upon a short spindle extending between one of the forks and a bracket
springing from any convenient part of the framing of the machine and extending
to the end of the main drive wheel spindle and said intermediate wheel is formed
with three sets or rings of teeth of different diameter and set at certain distances
apart from each other, a greater distance being left between the centre ring and
the outer one than between said centre ring and the inner one for a reason
hereinafter described.
If preferred this intermediate wheel might be cast or otherwise made in one
piece although it is preferably constructed with the two outer rings bolted upon
either side of it the teeth for the ordinary gear being cut around the periphery of
the wheel itself.
The three speed pinion above referred to might also be cast or otherwise formed
in one piece if preferred.
It is arranged to be moved laterally upon a sleeve extending from the hub of the
main wheel and working in bearings in the end of one of the forks and running on
other ball bearings on or near the end of the main drive wheel spindle, said pinion

page_text: and sleeve being fitted with a groove and feather to allow the former to be slid
laterally and at the same time rotate with the sleeve.
In order that this pinion may be moved into any desired position according to
the gear to be used I mount a clutch upon it with balls between, in order to lessen
the friction and allow the pinion to rotate freely and yet enable it to be moved
ideways.
I connect said clutch to one end of a cord passing up around suitable guide
pulleys to a small hand lever pivotted upon the frame of the machine alongside a
notched quadrant whereby said lever may be held in either of four positions
corresponding with the gear (if any) desired to be used. A spiral or other spring
is arranged to bear against an arm on this clutch in the opposite direction to the
cord above mentioned so as to move the three speed pinion above referred to
outwards when released by the movement of the operating lever.
The teeth of the larger rings of the intermediate wheel as well as the corre
sponding teeth of the pinion are preferably made in the form of sharks' teeth and
the working edges of the teeth of the driving wheel as well as certain teeth on the
intermediate wheel and pinion are preferably rounded slightly or made convex
whilst the edges of the corresponding teeth with which they engage are made
slightly concave.
By constructing the teeth in the shape of sharks' teeth the thrust of the one set
upon the other will be more nearly at right angles to their direction of travel and
thus they will not be liable to be forced back out of gear with each other as would
perhaps be the case if they engaged with each at an angle.
By making the teeth concave and convex they will be held in engagement with
each other and thus a narrower wheel can be used than would otherwise be
practicable.
It will be readily understood that an old machine can be fitted with my improved
gearing by merely cutting away part of one of the old forks and brazing on the
new part whilst a sleeve can be screwed and pinned into the old hub instead of
being made integral therewith.
Date this Nineteenth day of August One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-five.
F. Wise Howorth,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Variable Driving Gear for Bicycles and other
Velocipedes.
1, CHARLES EDWIN DRAPER USHER, of Manning Road, Malvern near
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Gentleman, 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 :-
Although many different variable driving gears have been devised for the purpose
of enabling cyclists to vary the gearing of their machines at will, they have
hitherto usually been confined either to a choice between a high and a low gear, or
else the contrivances used for altering the gearing have been too complicated and
expensive, or added greatly to the weight of the machine, the result being that the
disadvantages of such contrivances far outweighed their advantages, and thus
prevented them being universally adopted.
I have therefore devised this invention in order to provide means whereby the
rider of a bicycle or other velocipede will be enabled to use either of three different
gears at will. For instance, in order to ascend a hill or when travelling along a

page_text: lever or handle work-.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of
my gear.
Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the construction of teeth in my
gear.
The saine letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A represents the intermediate three-toothed wheel above referred to, and 13 the
main-toothed drive wheel upon the crank-spindle C, whilst D represents the
laterally sliding pinion which i mounted upon of connected to the main drive
wheel E of the machine.
The intermediate wheel A is made as light as possible, and is arranged to run on
ball bearings upon a short spindle f¹ extending between one of the forks G and
a bracket F springing from any convenient part of the framing of the machine,
This inter-
and extending to the end of the main drive wheel spindle e as shown.
mediate wheel is formed with three sets or rings a, a', a², of teeth of different
diameter and set at certain distances apart from each other, as illustrated, a greater
distance being left between the centre ring a' and the outer one a² than between
said centre ring and the inner one a, for a reason hereinafter described.
If preferred, this intermediate wheel might be cast or otherwise made in one
piere, although it is preferably constructed as shown in the drawings with the two
rings a and a bolted upon either side of it, the teeth for the ordinary gear being
cut around the periphery of the wheel itself.
The three-speed pinion D might also be cast or otherwise formed in one piece if
preferred. It is arranged to be moved laterally upon a sleeve e extending from
the hub of the main wheel E and working in bearings in the end of one of the
forks G and running on other ball bearings on or near the end of the spindle e,
said pinion and sleeve being fitted with a groove and feather to allow the former to
be slid laterally and at the same time rotate with the sleeve.
In order that this pinion may be moved into any desired position according to
the gear to be used, I mount a clutch H upon it with balls h between, in order to
lessen the friction and allow the pinion to rotate freely and yet enable it to be
moved sideways. I connect said clutch H to one end of a cord I passing up around
suitable guide pulleys to a small hand lever i pivoted upon the frame of the machine
alongside a notched quadrant whereby said lever may be held in either of four
positions corresponding with the gear (if any) desired to be used. A spiral or
other spring is arranged to bear against an arm h on the clutch H in the opposite
i

page_text: direction to the cord I so as to move the pinion D outwards when released by the
movement of the lever i
The operation of my improved variable driving gear for bicycles and other
velocipedes will be best understood by reference Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 9%. Of
these the first-mentioned shows the largest diameter a² of the wheel A in gear with
the smallest diameter of the pinion D, the effect being that the machine would be
geared up to its highest speed of say one hundred and eleven. If it is desired to
throw the driving mechanism out of gear altogether the pinion D is movel by
means of the hand lever into the position shown in Figure 7 so that it will be
entirely out of gear with the wheel A. If the middle speed is required to be used
it is merely necessary to move the lever i so as to release the clutch 14 and enable
the spring to move the pinion D until the rings a², d are out of gear and the
middle ring of teeth of the pinion are in gear with the ni lile ring a' of
the intermediate wheel A, as shown in Figure 8. In the same way the ring a of
said wheel can be put in gear with the largest diameter of the pinion of as shown in
Figure 9, when the machine would be geared down to its lowest and could thus
be more easily propelled up a hill, along a rough road, or against the wind tan
would be possible if such provision for gearing down was provided.
The teeth of the larger rings a, a², is well as the correspon ling teeth of the
pinion D, are preferably male in the form of sharks' teeth as shown, and the
working edges of the teeth of the driving wheel B as well as the teeth a', a², and d
are preferably rounded slightly or made convex as shown at a in Figure 10, ahilst
the edge of the corresponding teeth a, d', di are made slightly concave is shown
at din said figure.
By constructing the teeth in the chape of shark-" teeth as shown, the thrust of
the one set upon the other will be more nearly at right angles to their direction of
travel, and thus they will not be liable to in torcel back out of gear with each
other as would perhaps be the case if they engaged with each at an angle.
By making the teeth concave and convex they will be held in engagement with
each other, and thus a narrower wheel can be used than would otherwise b
practicable.
.
It will be readily understood that an old machine can be fitted with my improve
gearing by merely cutting away part of one of the old forks and brazing on th⋅
new part, whilst the sleeved can be screwed and pinned into the old hub instead of
being made integral therewith.
Having mw particularly describe and ascertained the nature of my said inven
to and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The herein described variable driving gear for bicycles and other veloci
portes, consisting essentially of a three-speed intermediate toothed wheel (such as A)
in commation with a laterally sliding correspon ling three-speed pinion upon or
connected with the main drive wheel, Substantially as and for the purposes specified
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In variable driving gear for bicycles and other velocipedes, a wheel or
wheels having shark teeth (such as a' or a³) in its periphery, substantially as and
for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In variable driving gear for bicycles and other velocipedes, a pair of
toothed wheels having the contacting surfaces of the teeth of one of the wheels
convex and the corresponding contacting surfaces of the teeth on the other wheel
concave, substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In variable driving gear for bicycles and other velocipedes, a laterally
sliding three-speed toothed pinion upon a sleeve projecting from the hub of the
main drive wheel, substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated
in the necompanying drawings.
Fifth. In variable driving gear for bicycles and other velocipedes, a clutch (such

page_text: as H) encircling a laterally sliding pinion and having balls fitted between them and
a projecting arm connected to the end of an operating cord, substantially as and for
the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Sixth. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the herein
described variable driving gear for bicycles and other velocipedes, said parts being
constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes specified and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of January One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-six.
CHAS. E. D. USHER.
F. Wise Howorth,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.