Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, ACHILLE FEDERIGO SGUAZZARDI, of 194 Via Cavour, Rome, in the Kingdom
of Italy, Major in the Italian Army, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
The new dynamic system which forms the main subject of this invention consists
in determining the motion of the cycle, not by means of the movements of the
legs and feet in a rotary sense, but by a simple motion of the knees, while the feet
are supported on two stationary rests, as a rider on horseback keeps his feet fixed
in the stirrups.
This system is based upon the principle that the muscles of the metatarsis are
the strongest muscles of the human body.
A man, standing on the points of his toes, raises his own weight-say, 60 to
80 kilogrammes (126 to 176 lbs.)-5 to 6 centimetres, without any effort.
That said, the application of this principle to the propulsion of cycles
follows;-
A safety bicycle embodying this invention as regards construction may have
the ordinary form. At the angle of junction of the seat pillar and top horizontal
stay of frame is secured a sufficiently stout plate, on which, by means of a double-
headed bolt are mounted two bent levers, one on each side of the plate, capable of
turning freely round the bolt.
To the free ends of the shorter of the lever arms are pivoted two hooked bars,
which, for the purpose of prolonging and shortening them, are each made in two
pieces, of which one is straight, and the other is curved or formed into a hook
under which the knee is applied to produce locomotion. Suitably arranged pads
inside these hooks serve to soften the effects of the pressure on the knee.
To the free ends of the longer of the lever arms are pivoted two rods or links
which are similarly, hinged to the crank arms of the chain-driving wheel which
they thus cause to rotate by the alternate.movement of the rider's knees.
Two footsteps or supports are applied to the chain stays (which may if necessary
be strengthened) so that they may be moved nearer to or farther from the seat
pillar or the crank axle, and they are also so constructed that they may be raised
or lowered, just as may be done with the straight portions of the hooked bars to
snit the convenience of the rider and according to the length of his tibia or
shin-bone.
The hooked bars may be guided by eyes or equivalent secured to the machine
frame.
"
The longer arms of the bent levers are preferably about four times as long as
the shorter arms and therefore the pressure exerted by the knees upon the hooks
is about four times as great as that applied by the connecting rods or links to the
crank arms of the chain driving-wheel..
But a man, of average height, being seated with his feet just a little behind his
kuees, and raising his knees about 6 centimetres can exert a mean pressure of at
least 80 kilogrammes, and he can therefore, without any extra effort, exert a
pressure of at least 20 kilogrammes on the cranks of the chain-driving wheel a
pressure which is more than enough to determine and maintain locomotion. In the .
D
017

page_text: proportions above named, it suffices to raise the knees 6 centimetres to deplace
by 24 cm. the lower ends of the levers and rotate the cranks which are conveniently
about 12 cm. in length.
As regards the speed which can be attained by this new system of propulsion,
it is easy to understand that it will be as much greater as the alternative movement
up and down can be more rapidly accomplished than the rotary movement of the
feet, turning the pedals.
Further, the advantages of the new system, which is the subject of this
invention, are strongly accentuated from the hygienic and æsthetic points of view.
The more composed and less fatiguing movement, which gives propulsion, renders
cycling easier for ladies, and removes the difficulty felt by science, depending upon
the awkward movement of the legs which must be adopted to obtain the propulsion
of the ordinary safety-bicycle, creating a sensible decrease in vital powers.
It only needs to be pointed out that this new system of propulsion can be applied,
not merely to safety-bicycles, but also to tricycles, tandems, and other machines
serving for locomotion.
Dated this 15th day of November 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, ACHILLE FEDERIGO SGUAZZARDI, of 194 Via Cavour, Rome, in the
Kingdom of Italy, Major in the Italian Army, do hereby declare the 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 :-
The new dynamic system which forms the main subject of this invention consists
in determining the motion of the cycle, not by means of the movements of the
legs and feet in a rotary sense, but by a simple motion of the knees, while the feet
are supported on two stationary rests, as a rider on horseback keeps his feet fixed
in the stirrups.
This system is based upon the principle that the muscles of the metatarsis are
the strongest muscles of the human body.
A man, standing on the points of his toes, raises his own weight-say 60 to
80 kilogrammes (126 to 176 lbs.)-5 to 6 centimetres, with an extremely slight
effort.
That said, the application of this principle to the propulsion of cycles follows,
and will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety bicycle with my invention applied
thereto, and
Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Figure 1 of a detail thereof.
It suffices to apply to the wheel R, in lieu of the pedals, two crank-arms a not
exceeding from 5 to 7 centimetres in length. One only of these is seen in the
drawings; the other is at the opposite end of the crank-shaft, as usual.
These crank-arms are actuated by means of two connecting rods d f and d¹ f
each formed in two pieces in order to admit of its being lengthened or shortened
according to the length of the cyclists' tibia. Of these two pieces, in each case,
the one (d or d) is perfectly straight, while the other (for f¹) is bent over, at the
top (see Figure 2) in the form of a circular arc, beneath which upward pressure
is applied by the knee so as to produce locomotion. A stuffed lining g on the
lower side of the arc serves to soften and alleviate the effects of that pressure to
the knee as shown in Figure 2.

page_text: Footsteps or supports E E' are applied to the chain stays C so that they may
be moved nearer to or farther from the seat pillar or the crank axle, to secure a
convenient and comfortable position for the cyclist.
Two guides e one at each side of bar or stay D serve to maintain the two
connecting-rods d f and d¹ f¹ in a convenient and appropriate position.
The crank-arms a are only one third of the length of the pedal crank-arms
which they supersede; but inasmuch as a man of average height seated and
holding his feet a little in the rear of the vertical line passing through his knees,
and raising his heels about from 6 to 8 centimetres, is enabled to exert, with his
knees under the arcs of the connecting-rods a pressure of at least 80 kilogrammes,
he can cause the wheel R to rotate, with a force of at least 25 kilogrammes, without
any excessive effort-a force which is more than amply sufficient to effect the
propulsion of the safety bicycle, with the necessary and desired speed.
The new system, which is the object of this invention, strongly recommends
itself from the hygienic and æsthetic points of view. The more composed and
less fatiguing movement, which gives propulsion, renders cycling easier for ladies,
and removes the difficulty felt by science, depending upon the awkward movement
of the legs which must be adopted to obtain the propulsion of the ordinary safety-
bicycle, creating a sensible decrease in vital powers.
It only needs to be pointed out that this new system of propulsion can be applied,
not merely to safety-bicycles, but also to tricycles, tandems, and other machines
serving for locomotion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A system of propulsion for safety bicycles wherein the movement of the legs
and feet is replaced and superseded by the movement of the knees acting by means
of two connecting rods to rotate two crank arms applied to the driving wheel
instead of pedals.
2. The same system applied to any other analogous means of locomotion.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete driving-
gear for a cycle substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 14th day of September 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.