Improvements in Speed Indicators for Motor Carriages, Cycles, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators for Motor Carriages, Cycles, and
other Vehicles.
I, JOHN CLEMENTS of 360, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, S. W. Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in motor carriages, cycles and other
vehicles, and has for its object to provide an apparatus which will give an audible
indication of the pace at which the vehicle moves.
In carrying out my invention as applied to carriages I propose to secure to the
axle a bevel wheel which gears into a corresponding bevel wheel place at right
angles and carried by a suitable fixed bearing. Beneath the vehicle and as close
to the side as is convenient, a metal or other box is fitted carrying one or more
bells or gongs preferably suspended from the top. A striking arrangement is
employed consisting of an arm or arms caused to revolve by gearing or other
suitable form of connection from the bevel wheel so as to strike the bells as the
vehicle moves. The bells will be struck with a rapidity depending upon the rate
of motion of the vehicle, so that on a high speed being obtained the bells will be
struck with great rapidity and indicate that the speed has exceeded the amount
allowed. This arrangement is not in any way under the control of the driver so
that warning is always given to the public.
Instead of employing bevel wheels and other connections, any suitable mechanism
may be used for operating the bells or gongs which is driven from the axle or the
wheel.
The arrangement as applied to cycles and other vehicles is similar in essential
particulars, the different parts being modified to suit the different purposes.
Dated this 21st day of Mar 1806
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators for Motor Carriages, Cycles, and
other Vehicles.
I, JOHN CLEMENTS, of 360 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, in the County of
London, Agent, 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 an apparatus for use with motor-carriages, cycles and
other vehicles, whereby an audible signal is given when the said carriages, cycles
or other vehicles, attain a predetermined speed.
According to my invention I provide a bell or bells, gong or gongs, and in
connection therewith I arrange a spindle to one end of which is or are pivoted

page_text: an arm or arms having hammers. In conjunction with the spindle I provide
suitable means in connection with one of the rotating axles or hubs of the carriage,
cycle or other vehicle, whereby, when the said axle or hab rotates, the spindle is
also rotated so as to cause the arm or arms pivoted to its end to fly out under the
action of centrifugal force, the extent to which the arm or arms flies or fly out
increasing with the speed of rotation of the spindle until, when the vehicle attains
a certain speed, the said arm or arms flies or fly out to such an extent that the
bell or gong is struck or sounded so as to indicate that the said predetermined
speed has been attained by the carriage or cycle.
Instead of employing pivoted arms at the end of the rotating spindle I may
provide the said end with one or more hammers normally kept out of contact with
the gong or bell by springs and which, when the spindle rotates, flies or fly out
under the action of centrifugal force, and against that of the spring or springs
until a certain speed has been attained when they come in contact with the bell or
gong so as to sound the same.
In practice I find it advantageous to drive the spindle carrying the hammers by
means of bevel gear.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my signalling apparatus applied to the hub
of a cycle wheel and constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a plan of the modified arrangement of striking or sounding gear; and,
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the same the section being taken on the
line 4-4 Figure 3.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in the
several figures.
a is the hub of the cycle wheel to which my apparatus is shewn attached. bis
the bell or gong (only one is shewn in the drawing although I may employ several
such gongs or bells) mounted on an arm c rigidly bolted to a bracket & secured to
the axle on which the hub a rotates. is the spindle, the said spindle being
mounted in bearings in the bracket d and g, y are the arms pivoted to the upper
end of the spindle f and provided with hammers g', g' at their outer ends. The
bell b and the spindle and arms g, g are so arranged relatively with one another
that, when the spindle f rotates at a certain predetermined speed, the hammers g¹, g
strike against the beil or gong so as to sound it as herein before described.
To rotate the said spindle I employ the following arrangement. A pinion is
secured to the lower end of the spindle and gears with a spur or toothed wheel i
fixed to a bevel wheel mounted on a stud secured to the bracket d. The bevel
wheel gears with a second bevel wheel k mounted on the hub a of the cycle wheel.
With this construction of signalling apparatus it will be obvious that, when the
cycle wheel rotates, the spur and bevel gear h, i, j, k will rotate the spindle
thereby causing the arms 9, g pivoted to its upper end to swing outwards under the
action of centrifugal force. The greater the centrifugal force which acts upon the
arms 9, 9 the greater the extent to which they fly out so that when a certain speed
has been attained by the hub a the arms g will swing outwards to such an extent
that the hammers g', 9' strike against the bell or gong 6 thus giving an audible
indication that the said speed has been attained. By decreasing the speed of the
axle the arms g fall out of contact with the bell or gong and the sounding ceases.
Figures 3 and 4 shew the modification wherein the pivoted arms g, g
hammers g', gl are replaced by hammers g', g' which are slotted as shewn at 92, g
to receive studs I, I screwed to a dise m attached to the upper end of the spindle.
n, n are springs, one end of each of which is connected to one of the hammers and
the other end to one of the studs 1, 1 in such a manner that the said hammers are
normally held out of contact with the bell or gong b.
and
With this construction it will be obvious that, when the spindle is rotated as
above escribed, the centrifugal force imparted to the hammers g', 9 will gradually,

page_text: as the speed of the vehicle increases, overcome the inwardly acting force of the
springs n, n and will cause the said hammers gl to fly out so that, when the
predetermined speed has been attained, they will strike against, and sound, the bell
or gong b.
Instead of employing bevel wheels as above described it will be obvious that
I can operate the spindle f through the medium of any other suitable mechanism
actuated by the hub of the cycle or any other rotating part of the vehicle to which
the arrangement is to be connected.
It is evident that, in cases where my signalling apparatus is employed on vehicles,
pedestrians are made aware at once if a vehicle is exceeding the speed allowed on
public roads and the person in charge of any vehicle can so control the speed of
the same as to keep below the limit of speed allowed.
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 signalling apparatus for motor-carriages, cycles and other vehicles, consisting
of a gong or bell, a centrifugal arrangement for sounding the gong or bell when
a certain speed has been attained, and means, such as bevel gearing, for operating
the centrifugal sound arrangement from one of the moving parts of the carriage,
cycle or other vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A signalling apparatus for motor-carriages, cycles and other vehicles, consisting
of a bell or gong, arms or hammers pivoted to a spindle, and bevel gear for
rotating the said spindle so as to cause the hammers or arms to strike the bell
when a predetermined speed has been attained by the carriage, cycle or other
vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
3. A signalling apparatus for motor-carriages, cycles and other vehicles, consisting
of a bell or gong, a spindle adapted to be rotated by bevel or other gear in.
connection with a rotating axle or hub of the carriage, cycle or other vehicle, and
spring hammers mounted on the end of the rotating spindle and desigued to strike
the bell or gong when the spindle is rotated at a predetermined speed, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
4. The manufacture and use of the signalling apparatus hereinbefore described.
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
December 1806
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant..