Improvements in Chainless Bicycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1899 -Accepted, 15th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chainless Bicycles.
I, AXEL HARALD THOMAS HANSEN, of 728, Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Ayres,
Argentine Republic, South America, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to chainless bicycles and has for its object to provide a
comparatively simple construction in which one-sided strains will be avoided.
The invention will be fully described hereinafter, and the features of novelty
pointed out in the appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle provided with an improved driving
gear;
Figure 2 is a partial inverted plan thereof; and
Figure 3 is a partial side elevation showing a simpler form of frame.
The frame of the bicycle may be of the usual construction, except as to the
details mentioned hereinafter. On the pedal shaft A is secured a driving wheel,
preferably a bevel wheel B, located in the place of the ordinary front sprocket,
that is, at one side of the longitudinal central plane of the machine. The rear
stay C, from the crank hanger D rearward, is single instead of double as usual,
extending in the longitudinal central plane of the bicycle, and on this single
stay is mounted to rotate (preferably on ball bearings, not shown) a transmission
wheel which as represented is a wheel E beveled upon its front surface as well
as upon the rear surface. The front surface engages the driving wheel B, while
the rear surface, on the opposite side of the longitudinal central plane, engages
a bevel pinion F secured upon a transverse shaft G journalled in the rear stay C.
The pinion has a crank pin H, and on the opposite side of the wheel the shaft
has a crank H¹, the crank and crank pin being preferably set at 90° to each other.
Similarly located crank pins I, I¹ are mounted upon the hub J¹ of the rear
wheel J, and rods K K¹ connect the two sets of crank pins J, I and H¹, I¹.
The rear horizontal fork L may be of the ordinary shape and simply connect
with the rear end of the stay C, as shown in Figure 3. When it is desired to
protect the connecting rods K K¹, the members L' of the rear fork are made
tubular and open at one end to receive and cover the said connecting rods, see
Figures 1 and 2, it being understood that the distance from the bottom wall of
the tubes to the top is sufficient to allow for the required vertical movement of
the connecting rods.
It will be seen that the rear wheel J is driven from both sides, also at owing
to the central location of the transmission wheel E lateral strains are minimized,
particularly as the driving wheel B and the pinion F engage said transmission
wheel on opposite sides of the longitudinal central plane of the machine. The
construction is strong and durable, especially when the tubular rear stays L' are
employed.

page_text: 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-
1. The transmission wheel (E) journalled upon the central rear stay (C) of the
machine, and transmitting motion from pedal shaft or driving shaft (A) to the
driven wheel of the machine, substantially as shown and described.
2. The transverse shaft (G) journalled in the central rear stay (C) and carrying
a pinion (F) which engages the transmission wheel (E), while driving rods (K K¹)
connect said, shaft (G) with the driven wheel, substantially as shown and
described.
3. Making the transmission wheel (E) as a double bevel pinion to engage the
driving wheel (B) and the driven pinion (F) respectively, substantially as
described.
4. Making the members (L') of the rear fork (L) tubular and open at their
front ends for the reception and passage of the driving rods (K K'), substantially
as shown and 'described.
Dated this 15th day of June J.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.