IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
Year: 1884

page_text: 1, BENJAMIN KELSEY, of 9, North Western Arcade, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES to be as follows:-
The first object of this Invention is to construct bicycles of that type in which
the driving wheel is driven by gear instead of by direct acting cranks in such
a way that the steering may be easy and perfect as in an ordinary ungeared
bicyclo.
The second object of this Invention is to place the pedal wheels behind a vertical
line taken through the centre of the driving wheel, so that the saddle being over,
or nearly over the pedal wheels, the weight of the rider shall be so far back as to
obviate the tendency to pitching over forward to which ordinary bicycles are
liable.
A third object is to secure means for adjusting the length of each driving chain
separately, and for altering the gearing without moving the axis of the driving
wheel in relation to the head of the machine, so that the said driving wheel may
remain true with the said head and the general framing of the machine.
The fourth object is to secure steadiness and endurance in the pedal wheel
arrangements by providing each pedal wheel with two separate bearings between
which the said wheel works.
In carrying out this Invention I construct a bicycle having the driving wheel,
trailing wheel, backbone and head, arranged as in the ordinary bicycle, so that the
axial line of the steering head passes truly through the axis of the driving wheel.
To each limb of the fork carrying the bearings of the driving wheel I add a
bracket projecting backwards, or backwards and downwards, to carry the bearings
of the pedal wheels. Each bracket carries two separate bearings for its pedal
wheel by means of adjustable attachments, so arranged as to admit of any required
adjustment of the pedal wheel axes in point of distance from the axis of the driving
wheel. The adjustment of these attachments is best effected by screws.
Chain wheels of any required relative sizes may be put upon the axis of the
driving wheel and the axes of the pedal wheels, and the pedal wheel bearings may
then be adjusted, so as to place each pedal wheel separately at any distance from
the axis of the driving wheel as required to suit the relative sizes of the wheels
used and the length of each chain, The aforesaid mode of adjusting the position of
each pedal wheel enables the machine to be readily adapted to riders of various
lengths of leg.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, BENJAMIN KELSEY, of' 9, North Western Arcade, Birmingham, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to-be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-This-Invention relates to Bicycles of that type in which the driving wheel is
driven by gear-instead of by direct acting cranks.
To each limb of the fork carrying the bearings of the driving wheel Ladd a
bracket projecting backwards, or backwards and downwards, to carry the bearings
of the pedal wheels; each such bracket being adjustable in position on the limb
of the fork.
Each bracket carries-two-separate bearings for its pedal wheel-between which
the said pedal wheel works-in order to secure steadiness and endurance-in-the
pedal wheel arrangements.
-In-the accompanying drawings are shewn a bicycle constructed according to my
invention, and the bracket with two separate-bearings..
Fig. I shews a bicycle in side elevation. Fig. II shews the left hand bracket,
pedal wheel, and crank in side elevation. Fig. III shews the parts in plan. Fig. IV
shews a back elevation of the bracket only.
A is one limb of the fork of the bicycle. B is the bracket, adjustabe on the fork
by the clip bearing C and nut or bolt D. E, E are the two separate bearings
carried by the bracket B; and F is the pedal wheel working between the said two
bearings.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The adjustable bracket carrying two separate bearings for the pedal wheel, as
described and illustrated.