IMPROVEMENTS IN MONOCYLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MONOCYLES" (a communication to me from abroad by Francis Eugene Mills, Civil
Engineer, and William McMahon, Hotel Manager both of Pittsburgh in the County
of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America) 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 monocycles or one wheeled velocipedes
and is designed to furnish a simple and inexpensive vehicle to be driven by a person
standing erect within the wheel.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, Figure 2 is a
view partly in section, looking at right angles to the plane of the rolling rim, the
near half of the wheel being removed, and the wrist yoke E turned up into a
vertical position. The dotted curved lines in this figure are designed to show the
low position of one of the pedals when midway between the ends of the transverse
ribs B of the wheel and its rising up at the half stroke so as to clear the
converging sides of the ribs when passing them.
Figure 3 is a transverse view partly in section looking in the plane of the rolling
rim, the ribs B being horizontal and the cranks and pedals at full stroke. The
dotted lines in this figure show the form of the ribs in their vertical position
and the position of the pedals when passing the ribs at half stroke. In this
figure the right hand wrist yoke E is represented in its horizontal position over the
hand holder and the left hand one turned up out of the way.
Figure 4 represents in detail a sectional plan and a sectional side elevation of the
wrist yoke and its connections.
Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the application of a shield to the cranks and
treadle mechanism,”

page_text: A represents the rolling rim of the wheel which should have an outside diameter
about eighteen inches greater than the height of the person who is to operate it,
and may be constructed in any approved manner to secure lightness combined with
great rigidity.
B B are a pair of strong curved diametrical ribs generally made of flanged steel
transversely crossing the centre of this rim on both sides, and rigidly attached
thereto by rivetting soldering or otherwise, at the points where they meet the two
ribs being about three feet apart at the centre or axis of the wheel (where they
are parallel) and converging as they approach and meet the rim as shown by dotted
lines in Figure 3. This one pair of ribs constitutes the sides of the wheel leaving
the balance of the rolling rim entirely free from spokes or other impediments to
interfere with the operator while running along on the ground in starting mounting
or alighting from the vehicle. Another object of making the sides of the wheel to
consist of but one pair of ribs or spokes is to enable the pedals to be placed so
near the ground that the operator may more easily mount them as illustrated by
dotted lines in Figure 2. and when standing erect upon them may use the stationary
spindles of the wheel as hand holders to support himself by, which latter he could
not do without making the rim unduly large if it contained more than one pair of
ribs or spokes. Strong spindles C C axial to the wheel are rigidly secured in the
ribs and extend inward till they approach within about twenty inches of each
other where the inner end of each terminates in the arm of a crank C, the two
crank arms being turned in opposite directions and at right angles to the ribs (as
seen in Figure 1) and each furnished with a strong crank pin. This leaves a space
about eighteen inches wide in the centre of the wheel for the operator to stand in
while working the pedals F F attached to the two reciprocating tread bars G G
which hang upon the pins of the fixed cranks.
For the purpose of making the foot plates or pedals adjustable to different
heights to accommodate different operators I make each tread bar of two separate
pieces. The upper part I generally make of hard wood and the lower part,
including the foot plate, of metal the upper end of the metal portion being so
shaped that it will slide in a groove formed in the wood part of the bar, and
furnished with a screw clamp which moves in a vertical slot cut through the wood
by means of which the foot plates or pedals may be set to any height desired.
The lower ends of the tread bars are bent inward (in order to bring the weight of
the operator as nearly as possible over the centre of the rolling rim) and the foot
plates F F are rigidly formed thereon.
In order to secure the tread bars from swaying outward with the weight of the
operator and also to preserve their parallelism and prevent one from swinging
forward and the other backward from the opposite impulses given by the two limbs
of the operator, I connect the two foot plates by a freely revolving tether K. made
in the form of a double crank as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Projecting downward from the bottom and sides of each foot plate are two rigid
ears LL through which horizontal holes are drilled parallel with the axes of the
fixed cranks of the wheel. Through these holes the horizontal wrists M M of the
crank from tether K are passed and secured in their position by the collars or
buttons N N as shown in Figure 3.
The length of the tether from the centre of one wrist to the centre of the
other should be exactly twice the length of the arm of the fixed crank C from
centre of axis to centre of wrist pin so that the revolution of the tether K about
its arm centre shall be synchronous with that of the fixed cranks carrying the
tread bars.
That portion of each of the fixed spindles C C between the arms of the cranks
and the ribs of the wheel is turned smooth and straight and covered with a loose
sleeve or thimble. These constitute the hand holders H H which the operator
grasps with his hands and supports himself by while working the vehicle (his arins
while standing upon the pedals hanging in a nearly vertical position over the hand
holders).

page_text: In order to still more effectually provide against the oscillation of the tread bars
particularly for persons not experienced in working the machine I sometimes
combine with the axial hand holders the wrist yokes E E each of which consists of
two horizontal prongs of wood or metal (say two inches apart and three or four
inches long set directly over and a few inches above the hand holder H so as to
embrace and be nearly in contact with the front and rear sides of the operator's
wrist while standing upon the pedals and grasping the fixed hand holder. One end
of this wrist yoke is rigidly attached to some bar or frame which hangs upon the
axis of the wheel and with which the tread bars are connected.
In most one wheel velocipedes employing reciprocating pedals, a frame depending
from the axis of the wheel forms an essential part of the machine, and with this
frame the tread bars carrying the pedals are usually connected the tread bars
and pendant frame oscillating together. In all such machines (where it is
practicable to use the axial hand holders) I simply extend some part of the frame
a few inches above the axis of the wheel and rigidly attach the wrist yokes E E
thereto. But as the machine herein described does not require such a frame
I attach the wrist yokes to the upper ends of two short vertical pendant bars PP
which are journaled on the axis of the wheel just outside of the fixed cranks and
connected with the two tread bars respectively by means of the light sub-cranks
00 one end of each sub-crank being pivoted in the bar P and the opposite end in
the tread bar. The sub-cranks being of the same length as the fixed cranks of the
wheel secure the constant parallelisin of the tread bars with the bars P, hence
while the wrist yokes prevent the oscillation of the bars PP, they also prevent the
oscillation and preserve the vertical position of the tread bars to which they are
attached.
These wrist yokes may be made stationary in the position desired; but for the
convenience of handling the machine while the operator is on the ground it is pre-
ferable to pivot each of them in a slot formed in the upper end of the bar P
(a short shauk being made on the end of the yoke adapted to work in such slot as
shown at J, in figure 4 of the drawings) so that the yoke can be turned up in a
vertical position out of the way of the operator (as represented in figure 2 and on
the left hand in figure 3) while he is pushing or mounting the vehicle and dropped
down to its horizontal position after mounting.
In starting the vehicle the operator steps under the rolling rim just forward of
the ribs and walking or running unimpeded on the ground with both hands
grasping the hand holders pushes it forward until it has acquired sufficient motion,
then stepping upon the foot plates drops the wrist yokes into their horizontal
position against his wrists and continues the movement by transferring his weight
alternately from one pedal to the other as it decends steadying himself by the
stationary hand holders on the axis of the wheel. The arms of the fixed cranks
carrying the head of the tread bars revolve between his own arms and his body
without contact with either and he guides the vehicle to the right or left by
firmly gripping the axial hand holders and essaying to turn his own body.
The invention is not confined to wheels having but one rolling rim as most parts
of it are equally applicable to a single wheel resting and rolling on two rims.
To protect the garments of the operator from possible contact with the moving
rank pin there is interposed between his body and the revolving arm of the
rank C, a thin circular sheet of metal Q about 14 inches in diameter attaching it
igidly to the pendant bar P, by means of a strong shank S, bent over the top of
he crank arm as shown in the detal sectional view Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
nvention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is
1. In a one wheel velocipede driven by means of reciprocating pedals operating
pon fixed cranks inside of and axial to the wheel, a wheel having but a single
air of diametric or transverse ribs or spokes in contact with the rolling rim,
ubstantially as herein described whereby the pedals can be placed nearer to the

page_text: ground and the operator is enabled to walk or run upon the ground without
impediment in starting mounting and alighting from the vehicle.
2. In a one wheel velocipede driven by means of pedals working fixed cranks
within the wheel, the combination with the fixed cranks and pedals and connecting
rods of the hand holders H H placed on the axes or spindles of the wheel between
the side ribs and the arms of the fixed cranks by means of which the operator
obtains a firm and unyielding fulcrum by which to support his body and control
the vehicle.
3. In a one wheel velocipde, the combination with the hand holders H H and
the reciprocating tread bars G G of the wrist yokes E E attached to the upper end
of the bars or frame depending from the axis of the wheel; said wrist yokes pro-
jecting horizontally over the axial hand holders so as to embrace the front and rear
sides of the operator's wrists whereby he is enabled to prevent the oscillation and
preserve the vertical position of such pendent bars or frame and of the tread bars
which are connected therewith.
4. The combination with the pendant bars P P of the jointed yokes E by means
of which the yokes may be turned up out of the way, or dropped down into their
horizontal position as required.
5. In a one wheel velocipede the combination with the axial hand holders HH,
the tread bars G G, and the pendant bars P P, of the sub-cranks OO each having
one end pivoted on the bar P and the opposite end pivoted on the tread bar sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
6. In a one wheel velocipede to be driven by means of two reciprocating tread
bars and pedals depending from crank pins within the wheel, the means for
securing the parallelism and preventing the lateral swaying of said tread bars
which consists in the combination therewith of the revolving crank from tether K
connecting the two pedals with each other substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
7. The combination with a monocycle having a single pair of diametric ribs B B
of the crank and pedal mechanism arranged to descend to its position of lowest
throw at points on the periphery of the rolling rim intermediate to the connections
of the diametric ribs with the rim, as and for the purpose described.
8. In combination with the fixed crank C the tread bar G and pendant bar P,
the crank shield Q attached to the pendant bar P, and extending over the crank
and tread bar substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a one wheel velocipede the combination with the fixed cranks C, and the
axial hand holders H of the vertically adjustable pedals F.
10. In a one wheel velocipede the combination with the fixed cranks C the axial
hand holders H and the reciprocating pedals F, of the revolving tether K, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
"
P T110OK