Im- PROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Anderson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th April
1869.
I, JAMES ANDERSON, of New Buildings, in the County of Londonderry,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object by an improved construction to
admit of the muscular forces of the body being more generally and
advantageously available in propelling velocipedes than is the case
with those of the ordinary construction.
In the improved apparatus, in addition to the action of the feet, there
is combined that of a movable saddle or seat, and also that of the arms.
The improvements are applicable to velocipedes with two wheels, or
with more wheels.
In one modification with two wheels the front wheel is arranged in a
swivel for steering and for supporting the front end of the reach or
frame, whilst the propelling action is applied to the hind wheel, the
axle of which is formed with two cranks having their pins in line and

page_text: not on opposite sides of the axis. The cranks are acted upon by con-
necting rods jointed to the arms of a propelling lever centred upon the
reach at a point near the front of the hind wheel. The propelling lever
has arms projecting forward, to which stirrups are suspended for the feet,
and a handle is carried up from it in front, to be taken hold of and
have the action of the arms applied to it. The saddle or seat is hinged
or otherwise connected to the frame, so that it can oscillate vertically,
and it is connected to the propelling lever behind the fulcrum of the
latter, so as to communicate the action thereto. The steering is effected
by means of an arm extending horizontally backwards from the top of
the spindle of the swivelling fork or frame. A transverse rest bar is
fixed to an arm on the reach in a position to be conveniently taken hold
of by the hands when the rider wishes.
In another modification the propelling wheel is made with cranks for
the feet, like the ordinary "bicycle" velocipedes, except that the cranks
are both on the same side of the centre. The saddle is on a propelling lever
having its fulcrum on the reach and above the front wheel, and having
arms projecting forward, from which connecting rods transmit the oscilla-
tion of the saddle to the cranks; or the saddle may be connected directly
to the cranks, a propelling lever or levers being provided for the feet, and
being hinged to the frame. Such levers are situated at about the level of
the centre of the propelling wheel, and their ends are slotted horizontally
so that they can act directly on rollers on the cranks.
In all the modifications three wheels may be used instead of two, in
other words, there may be two propelling wheels on one axle instead of
a single propelling wheel, such axle being formed with a single crank
between the wheels with a single connecting rod to it from the propelling
lever or levers, instead of there being two connecting rods to the two
cranks that are required with a single propelling wheel. In some of the
modifications by transposing the saddle and feet connections to the
propelling lever the position for the rider relatively to the propelling
wheel or wheels may be changed, such wheel or wheels being of course
run foremost if he faces towards them, and hindmost if his back is
towards them.