An Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Law Officer of the 24th day of March 1898.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and the like.
JOHN EDWARD PRESTON 36 Lyndhurst Road Peckham London S.E., Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the improvement and simplification of the
driving gear of cycles and the like whereby the use of the driving chain or chain
belt as at present with its attendant disadvantages is entirely superseded.
I place upon the crank or pedal shaft a cam or cams having two or more pro-
jections and attached to the side frame of machine and carried upon a suitable form
of slide bearings or passing through the frame tube or tubes. I have one or more
connecting rods the ends of which engage with the cam or cams being extended
across to the opposite face or periphery of same and fitted with rollers mounted
upon suitable ball bearings so arranged that the two rollers upon each connecting
rod end shall be always in running contact with the face or periphery of cam or
cams at opposite points, the other ends of the said connecting rod or rods are con-
tinued and carried upon the driving wheel hub or other suitable bearings and at
a suitable distance a joint is formed and a crank rod attached which is connected to
a crank pin or pins secured to the hub of driving wheel.
The action of the gearing being as follows-When the crank or pedal shaft is
revolved the projections of the revolving cams cause a reciprocating motion which
is communicated by means of connecting rods and cranks to the hub of driving
wheel.
By varying the number of projections on the cam or cams, I can obtain any ratio
of gearing.
An Improved Driving Gear for Cycles and the like.
I, JOHN EDWARD PRESTON of 8 Burton Road, Brixton, London S.W., late of
36 Lyndhurst Road, Peckham, London S.E., Engineer, do hereby declare the

page_text: 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:-
My invention has for its object to improve and simplify the driving gear of
cycles and the like whereby the use of the driving chain or chain belt as at present
used with its attendant disadvantages is entirely superseded.
My invention consists of a cam or cams having two or more (preferably three)
projections or throws all radiating from one common centre, the extremeties of
which said projections or throws collectively form the three points of an equilateral
triangle, and one of the said cams I mount and fix upon each end of the crank or
pedal spindle of a bicycle, tricycle or like machine, passing through the tube of
the bottom bracket, each of the said cams having on each side a skeleton plate or
connecting rod, the said plates being joined together by a pair of rollers mounted
upon suitable ball bearings and so arranged that the said rollers are always in
running contact with the face or periphery of the said cam at opposite points,
the members of the said cam being so formed, that as the pedal or crank shaft is
revolved a reciprocating motion is imparted to the said plates, which is com-
municated by the means of connecting rods and cranks to the hub of the back or
driven wheel or wheels and by varying the number of the said projections or
members of the said cams I obtain a ratio of gearing, but for preference I employ
three such members upon each cam as shewn in the accompanying sheet of draw-
ings, of which,
Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevation and plan respectively of my improved driving
gear shewn in position upon the left or near side of a bicycle (with its case in
section) an exact counterpart of which would in actual practice be mounted upon
the opposite side of the machine, and both operating in combination as hereinafter
explained.
Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams which in combination with the previous figures and
the following description will serve to make my invention and the manner of its
operation fully understood.
In order that my said improved gearing when in use may be protected from dust
and dirt, and as a means for assisting to lubricate the same, I purpose enclosing both
sets of gearing within a suitable case, similar to an ordinary gear case.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount and fix upon each end of the podal
spindle A of a bicycle or other front steering cycle, a cam B, having two or more
throws or projections or members C (preferably three) and a like number of
alternating hollows or recesses D, the said cams being so mounted upon the
spindle A, that the members C of the one, are slightly in advance of the members C
of the other in order to avoid dead oentres and to ensure that both cams may
operate to rotate the hind or driving wheel of the machine in the same direction.
The said cams may be made of any suitable metal or alloy of metals, but I prefer
to construct these of steel with their peripheries or working surfaces chilled or
hardened to withstand the wear imposed upon them.
Upon each side of each of the said cams B I provide a skeleton plate E, hollowed
out at F to permit the passage of the spindle A, so that the said plates may slide
horizontally thereon, or upon suitable collars placed thereon before mounting and
fixing the pedals G in the usual way. The said pair of plates upon each cam are
connected by a pair of ball borne metallic rollers H and H', the position of these
being such that when one is in contact with the extreme end of a member C, the
other is in contact or nearly so with the opposing recess D of their respective cam B.
One end of each of the said plates E has connected thereto, or formed integrally
therewith an extension or prolongation J, carried between a pair of metallic
rollers K, the extreme ends of the said extensions or prolongations being pivotally
connected at L to one end of a connecting rod M, the opposite end of which is
pivotally connected or linked to a crank N secured to the hub O of the hind or
driving wheel.
From the foregoing description and by reference to the drawings it will be under-

page_text: stood that the said cams B would rotate with the pedal spinale A, and when either
of the members C were brought into a forward horizontal position, as shewn in
Fig. 3, the same would have imparted a forward horizontal movement to the
plates E by reason of its contact with the roller H, and this forward movement of
the said plates would, by the means of the connecting rods M, impart motion to the
driving wheel or wheels O, and when the said forward stroke of the plates E were
completed the position of the crank N would be that shewn at Fig. 3, but directly
the member C has passed the roller H its next leading member C would commence
to operate upon the roller H, and when this member has reached its backward
horizontal position the return stroke of the plates would be completed, and the
crank N be in the opposite position as shewn by Fig. 4 one of the intermediate
positions of the cam B and the crank N being shewn by Fig. 1, and by these means
I obtain three revolutions of the driving wheel O, to one of the pedal spindle A,
when the came B have three members as shewn, or two revolutions of the said
wheel O when the said cams have only two such members.
I have previously stated that in order to protect the said gear from dust and dirt.
I may provide a case P therefor, which may be of any material and of any shape or
configuration suitable for the purpose, such for instance as that shewn by Fig. 1,
and when such case is employed the same may form a container for an oil bath as
at R into which the members C may dip for the purposes of lubrication, and I
may arrange that the said case I' may carry the rollers K, or these may be carried
upon studs connected to, or to brackets fixed upon the bottom bar or member of
the frame of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood
that I am aware of Hann & Bromley's Patent No. 15558 A.D. 1893 and Price
Hann & Bromley's Patent No. 24525 A.D). 1895 and I do not claim anything
described and claimed therein, but I declare that what I claim is,
In an improved gear for cycles and the like, a pair of cams B, fixed upon the
pedal spindle A at each side of the bottom bracket of the machine, and each having
two or more throws or members C, adapted to impart by their rotation a recipro-
cating horizontal motion to plates E, carrying rollers H and H', the reciprocating
motion of the said plates imparting rotary motion to the rear or driving wheel or
wheels of the machine by the means of connecting rods M and cranks N, the
whole connected, combined and operating substantially as shewn by the accom-
panying drawings and for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 13th day of April 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.