IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: :
We, PHILLIP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUF, of 46 Roland Gardens, in
the County of Middlesex, Student of the Inner Temple, and ISAAC WATTS
BOOTHROYD, of 15 Circus Street, Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES'
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in velocipedes and relates to the
construction of the driving gear of the same and also to the method of attaching
the steering wheel or wheels.
:
Referring to the first part of our invention, we drive the axle of our velocipede
by means of a chain and pulleys or other suitable gearing but instead of arranging
this in the ordinary manner we interpose between the feet of the rider and the
chain wheel reciprocating levers and connecting rods and we are thus enabled to
place the steering and driving wheels closer together and are also enabled to seat
the rider nearer the centre of the driving axle than would be rendered possible by
the simple employment of pedals travelling in a circular path.
Referring to the second part of our invention, we mount the fork of the steering
wheel in such a manner that a spring is interposed between the steering head and
neck and bar or handles. On this spring we mount a pair of cams one being
rigidly connected with the main portion of the frame carrying the rider, and the
other being placed on the upper extension of the forks of the steering wheel in
such a way as to be capable of sliding vertically or approximately vertically so as
to compress the spring as the steering handle or rod is turned to the right or left
and the cam surfaces ride on each other, the spring returning the cams into closer
engagement with each other as the handles are righted.
.)
By this arrangement vibration of the steering wheel is not transferred to the
rider's hands nor to the main frame of the machine whilst the tendency is for it to
keep a straight course.

page_text: We, ISAAC WATTS BOOTHROYD of 15 Circus St Greenwich in the county of
Kent, Manager and PHILIP LOUIS CHARLES FREDERICK RENOUF of 46 Roland
Gardens in the county of Middlesex, Student at law do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Fig. I in the drawings shews one form of our improved velocipede. We mount
a large chain wheel A driving the smaller chain hub B in such a position as to be
as far remote from the ground as possible; the larger chain wheel is propelled by
levers and connecting rods on each side of the wheel one pair of which are shewn
at C&D. By these means we are enabled to place the driver astride over the
driving wheel without employing two chain wheels as is generally the case.
Where a rotary action is desired the same advantage may be obtained by the
means illustrated in Fig. 2; through the hub B is passed a crank shaft b; the
crank b is connected with the crank on the chain wheel A. by means of a rod or
bar hinged at the joints by means of studs revolving in bearings.
The lower extremity of this rod carries the pedal. Of course one such rod is on
each side of the driving wheel, a firm tie and connection being formed by the crank
shaft at b.
In order to facilitate the steering of our velocipedes and at the same time to
overcome the vibration caused by the guiding wheel or wheels, we mount a
spring A between the steering head B and the crown of the fork, O, so that C
can slide vertically on the downward extension of B, but is constrained to move
laterally in unison with B by the application of a guide and slot at a.
Fixed to the steering neck is a cam o encircling the extension of the head;
below this is a counter cam b, which is constrained to move laterally with the head
by means of a bolt or pin e passing through a slot in the head extension. Thus
any lateral motion of the head will cause the cam 6 to compress the spring which
will tend to return it to its former position; this spring at the same time reduces
the vibration caused by the steering wheel.
The same mechanism may also be applied to wheels of velocipedes which drive
and steer at the same time as shewn in Figs. 4 and 5.
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. The combination of a multiplying gear carrying a pair of cranks and propelled
by a pair of levers and connecting rods in the manner described.
2. The particular combination of a multiplying gear mounted on a crank shaft
with levers or rods substantially as described in Figs. 1 and 2.

page_text: 3. The means of simultaneously reducing vibration in a steering wheel and
causing the same wheel to travel in a straight direction, substantially as described,
or any variation of this process.
4. The single spring producing a tendency to steer in a straight direction and at
3. The means of simultaneously reducing vibration in a steering wheel and
causing the same wheel to travel in a straight direction, substantially as described,
or any variation of this process.
4. The single spring producing a tendency to steer in a straight direction and at
the same time lessening the vibration.
5. The velocipedes constructed according to Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, accompanying
this specification.