IMPROVED MEANS OF GENERATING, OR PRODUCING MOTIVE-POWER FOR FACILITATING THE PROPULSION OF TRICYCLES, AND OTHER LIGHT CARRIAGES OR CONSTRUCTIONS, AND FOR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Sturge of 27 Queen's Row Walworth in the
County of Surrey Mechanician, for an Invention of " IMPROVED MEANS OF
GENERATING, OR PRODUCING MOTIVE-POWER FOR FACILITATING THE PROPULSION
OF TRICYCLES, AND OTHER LIGHT CARRIAGES OR CONSTRUCTIONS, AND FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Sturge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1883.
EDWIN STURGE of 27 Queen's Row Walworth, in the County of Surrey
Mechanician. "IMPROVED MEANS OF GENERATING, OR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER
FOR FACILITATING THE PROPULSION OF TRICYCLES, AND OTHER LIGHT CARRIAGES, OR
CONSTRUCTIONS; AND FOR DRIVING LIGHT MACHINERY GENERALLY "
The object of my invention. is to generate or produce motive power for
facilitating the propulsion of Tricycles, and other light carriages, and for driving
light machinery in general, wherewith crank motion is used. The means which
I employ for carrying my invention into practice are as follows. I fix in
convenient positions vertical, or horizontal on the Tricycle, carriage, or machine
two cylinders of suitable size, in each of which a piston-rod works, and I connect
these piston-rods to the crank. Over each of said cylinders, I provide a suitable
receptacle or hopper which holds a convenient number of small cartridges of
detonating powder or other suitable material or substance, and is so arranged that
it shall automatically discharge by means of a slide or other suitable contrivance
one of said cartridges into the cylinder at each half revolution of the crank.-Above
the bottom of each of said cylinders, and connected to the crank I fix a hammer or
other suitable contrivance which strikes each cartridge which passes through each
of the aforesaid receptacles, or hoppers, and causes it to explode and produce the
necessary force for effecting the forward stroke, and also the alternate back motion
of said crank At every half revolution of the said crank one of the aforesaid.
Cartridges is discharged from each of the aforesaid receptacles, or hoppers, and is
exploded in each of the aforesaid cylinders thereby producing constant motive
force. I provide for the escape of smoke, or gaseous fluid from said cylinders
through a small valve, on the outside thereof respectively.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Sturge in the Patent Office on the 9th April 1884.
EDWIN STURGE of 27 Queen's Row Walworth in the County of Surrey
Mechanician "IMPROVED MEANS OF GENERATING OR PRODUCING MOTIVE POWER
FOR FACILITATING THE PROPULSION OF TRICYCLES, AND OTHER LIGHT CARRIAGES OR
CONSTRUCTIONS AND FOR DRIVING LIGHT MACHINERY GENERALLY
""
My invention relates to improved means of generating or producing motive
power for the propulsion of Tricycles and other light carriages or constructions and
for driving light machinery generally. In order that the nature of my said
invention and the mode and means of performing or carrying the same into
practice may be fully understood I refer to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1-is a sectional view of a Tricycle showing the hopper and cylinder
hereinafter respectively mentioned in section the cylinder in position for receiving
the cartridges hereinafter described. Figure 2-is a partial back view showing the
hopper and cylinder in elevation. Figure 8 is a side view of the cylinder and
the apparatus connected therewith showing the same in part section in the position
at the moment the explosion hereinafter described takes place. Figure 4-is a
vertical cross-section of the upper part of the cylinder, and shows more fully the
mechanism for discharging the spent cartridges hereinafter mentioned. Figure 5-
is a horizontal part section through the block or saddle hereinafter mentioned
taken at the level of the top of the cylinder, and shows a plan of the latter, and
more particularly plan of the mechanism for discharging the spent cartridges,
and also the slide hereinafter described for retaining the cartridges in the hopper
when the cylinder has moved away from it. Figure 6-is a plan of the block or
saddle showing the socket for holding the hopper, but with the hopper removed.
Like letters designate like parts throughout the several views.
At each side of the tricycle or other light carriage or machine I place in a
convenient position vertically, horizontally or otherwise a metal block or saddle l,
figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 & 6. fixed to the axle or bar between the wheels, the side
cheeks of said block or saddle being provided with bearings for the trunnions of
the cylinder hereinafter mentioned. In said block or saddle h, I fix a cylinder a
of convenient size in which cylinder a piston b and piston-rod 6' figures 1. 2 & 3
work. The piston and rod are connected to the crank-wheel c, figures 1. 2 & 3
Over the cylinder a I place a removable hopper or receptacle d figures 1. 2, & 3
which hopper or receptacle is inserted into a socket h³ figures 1. 2, & 6, and is held
in position by the spring d¹ figures 1 & 3. The hopper or receptacle d holds
a supply of small cartridges of detonating powder or other suitable explosive
material or substance, each of which cartridges is automatically discharged from
said hopper or receptacle into said cylinder a by the means which I now proceed
to describe. Under the hopper or receptacle d I provide a slide e figures 1 & 3
with a spiral spring e¹ attached to it. I attach to the bottom end of the cylinder a,
a hammer f, figures 1, 3 & 4, and a spring f¹ figures 1 & 3. As the cylinder a
oscillates on its trunnions a¹ figure 2, its bottom end a figures 1 & 3 pushes back
the slide e, and thereby permits a cartridge to fall into the passage at the bottom
end of said cylinder which then moves from beneath said hopper and the slide e is
returned to it's original position by means of the spiral spring c¹. When the
cylinder thus moves from beneath said hopper or receptacle the hammer f arriving
under that part of the block or saddle marked h¹ is pressed down, and striking the
cartridge explodes it. That action having been completed the bottom end of the
cylinder a² moves, in the return or contrary direction, and when it has moved from

page_text: beneath that part of the block or saddle marked h¹, the spring f¹, fastened to the
cylinder acting on the tail of the hammer f, raises said hammer, and permits the
ejector k figures 1. 3. 4 & 5, to eject the case of each cartridge. Proper action is
given to the ejector k, by two spiral springs h¹. at each end of the same, and these
springs are recessed into the bottom of the cylinder as shown in figure 4. The
mechanism for discharging the case of each cartridge after being exploded consists
of said ejector k, and the springs . The cartridge case is caught under it's rim by
the ejector k, which (by the action of the springs k',) in rising, carries with it the
said case, and casts it out, the ejector being retained within due limits by the
flange k, of the block or saddle h. When the cylinder a moves from beneath the
hopper or receptacle d, the cartridges in said hopper or receptacle are held in
position therein and prevented from falling out thereof by the slide e.
The rotary
action of the crank-wheel is communicated to the wheel j, figures 1 & 2 by means
of the pullies 1, figures 1 & 2, and the hand or chain l. At each half revolution
of the crank-wheel a cartridge is discharged from the hopper or receptacle d at
each side of the tricycle or other light carriage and is exploded in the manner and
by the means hereinbefore described, and thus the necessary force or power for
effecting the forward and also the alternate backward action of the said crank-
wheel is produced, the piston and piston-rod acting on said crank-wheel being put
into motion by said force. I provide for the escape of gas, and smoke after each
explosion by piercing the cylinder a with the holes g, figures 1. 2 & 3. The
machine is provided with the usual treadle, to be used, if desired, and also with a
brake, and the other ordinary appliances. The hopper or receptacle d being
removable at pleasure admits of cartridges of various degrees of power being
supplied to it, which cartridges may be carried by the rider of the Tricycle or
stored in a suitable receptacle attached thereto.
Having now fully described the nature of my said invention and the means by
which the same can be carried into practice I claim the combination and
arrangement of the block or saddle, hopper or receptacle for holding the cartridges
slide and spring, cylinder, piston and piston rod, hammer, ejector, and springs all
respectively herein before described, substantially as and for the purposes mentioned
in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings
In Witness whereof I the said Edwin Sturge have hereunto set my hand and
seal this fifth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight Hundred
and Eighty four