Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Velocipedes and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 19th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Velocipedes and other
Road Vehicles.
1, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in the gearing for the propulsion of
tricycles and other power-propelled vehicles, and has for its object to provide a two-
speed driving mechanism without adding materially to the complexity or cost of
the machine.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect I arrange on the driving axles
a balance gear of the ordinary Starley type, but instead of fixing both driving
wheels securely to their respective axles, I arrange one of them to be driven from
its axle by means of a self-acting clutch which will allow the wheel to rotate freely
forward whilst its axle remains at rest. I also arrange a brake drum keyed
securely to this clutch-connected axle, and I arrange suitable brake mechanism to
be made to act thereon when so desired. The action is as follows.―
So long as the aforesaid brake mechanism is not put in operation, the
arrangement acts as an ordinary balance gear the mean revolutions by the two
driving wheels being the same as that of the balance gear case. If, however, the
brake mechanism be put in operation the clutch connected axle may be regarded as
fixed definitely to the frame of the machine; its wheel then ceases to act as a
driver, and rotates loose on the axle. The other driving wheel is, however, now
constrained to make two revolutions where it previously made only one, the result
being that for every revolution of the gear box the driving wheel makes two
revolutions, and covers consequently double the distance. Under these conditions,
the balance gear no longer acts as such, and the driving is done entirely by one
wheel. This is no material disadvantage however, for when the machine is thus
working at high gear, the tractive force is comparatively small, and is easily borne
by the single wheel.
The balance gear may be designed to give any other proportion than two to one
where thought desirable.
A positively actuated friction or other clutch may be substituted for the
herein before mentioned self-acting one if preferred, rendering the mechanism
perfectly suitable for reversal.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
3 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Driving Mechanism of Velocipedes and other
Road Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, 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 :--
This invention relates to improvements in the gearing for the propulsion of
tricycles and other power propelled vehicles, and has for its object to provide
a two-speed driving mechanism without adding materially to the complexity or cost
of the machine.
In order that my invention and the method of carrying the same into effect may
be the more readily understood I append hereunto two sheets of explanatory
drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation representing the application of my
invention to the driving axle of a tricycle or other vehicle.
On Sheet 2, Figure 2 is a section of my improved self-acting clutch, whilst
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of one of the road wheels of the vehicle
fitted with a clutch arranged for operation by the rider or driver.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation and Figure 5 an end view representing the
application of my invention to the hub of a bicycle wheel.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect I arrange on the driving
axles A A Figure 1 a balance gear B of the ordinary Starley type, but instead of
fixing both driving wheels C C securely to their respective axles, I arrange one
of them such as C to be driven from its axle A' by means of a self-acting clutch D
which will allow the wheel C' to rotate freely forward whilst its axle remains at
rest. I also arrange a brake drum E keyed securely to this clutch-connected
axle A' and I arrange suitable brake mechanism to be made to act thereon when
so desired. The action is as follows.-
So long as the aforesaid brake mechanism is not put in operation, the
arrangement acts as an ordinary balance gear the mean revolutions by the two
driving wheels C C₁ being the same as that of the balance gear case B. If, how-
ever, the brake mechanism be put in operation on to wheel E the clutch-connected
axle A¹ may be regarded as fixed definitely to the frame of the machine; its
wheel C then ceases to act as a driver, and rotates loose on the axle. The other
driving wheel C is, however, now constrained by the arrangement of the balance
gear B to make two revolutions where it previously made only one the result being
that for every revolution of the gear box the driving wheel C makes two
revolutions, and covers consequently double the distance. Under these conditions
the balance gear B no longer acts as such, and the driving is done entirely by one
wheel. This is no material disadvantage however, for when the machine is thus
working at high gear the tractive force is comparatively small, and is easily borne
by the single wheel.
The balance gear may be designed to give any other proportion than two to one
where thought desirable.
The form of self-acting clutch D that I preferably employ is illustrated at
Figure 2. When the wheel E (Figure 1) is not braked or held, the axle A' during
its revolution carries with it the wheel C in the direction indicated by the arrow
(Figure 2) owing to the wedge action between the ring D¹ and the segments D³.
But when the wheel E is held by its brake mechanism the wheel C¹ is free to
revolve independently upon the peripheries of the segments D².
A positively actuated friction or other clutch such as shown at Figure 3 is

page_text: sometimes substituted for the hereinbefore mentioned self-acting one, rendering the
mechanism perfectly suitable for reversal.
The driving force is transmitted to the gear B Figure 1 by means of the toothed
wheel F or in any other convenient manner.
In the application of my invention to a bicycle, I mount freely upon the rear or
driving wheel axle G Figures 4 and 5 the brake wheel E fitted with a self-acting
clutch such as hereinbefore described and having a boss E' which extends through
the hub H. The ordinary chain wheel J is mounted freely upon the end of the
boss E, and adjacent thereto I key or fix to the boss E the toothed wheel K which
gears into the pinions L L' which in turn gear with the internally toothed wheel H'
forming part of the hub H. The pinions L L' are carried upon a flange or plate
forming part of the chain wheel J.
The action is as follows;-When the wheel E is not braked or held the motion
of the chain wheel J is conveyed through the gearing wheels K, L L', and H', to
the clutch carried in the wheel E, and the hub H of the road wheel is driven at
the same speed as the chain wheel J. But when the wheel E is braked or held the
wheel K is thereby rendered stationary and the whole mechanism forms an
epicyclic train, and thus the road wheel is driven at a higher speed than the chain
wheel J.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In velocipedes and other road vehicles an improved two speed driving
mechanism comprising a balance gear and a clutch arranged and operating
substantially as and in the manner herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the drawings.
In velocipedes and other road vehicles an improved two speed driving
mechanism comprising an epicyclic train of gearing in combination with clutch
and brake mechanism arranged and operating substantially as and in the manner
herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of August 1896.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.