Improvements in connection with the Driving Gear of Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Driving Gear of Bicycles and
the like.
I, GEORGE JOHN BELLINGHAM, 11, Hartham Road, Holloway, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple method of speed gearing
for propelling bicycles and the like without what is now known as a driving chain
and in carrying out this invention I prefer driving the rear road wheel, I there-
fore extend each end of the rear fork to carry a pair of pins or bearings for the
rear ends of a pair of levers to work from, the forward ends of these levers are
suitably arranged with pedals. The hub is extended each end for an axle for
the fork bearings, near the hub I fix a spur toothed pinion, through the axle and
hub I have a running driving spindle on which is fixed a toothed wheel and
through the side of the fork I have a short running spindle with a toothed wheel
fixed on each end, the wheel outside the fork meshing with the driving spindle,
wheel and the wheel inside the fork meshing with the hub pinion at each end of
the driving spindle, at opposite angles I fix a crank carrying a crank pin which
may be connected to the lever by a rod each side at suitable distances between
the rear ends and the pedals, or the connecting rods may be dispensed with and
an equally satisfactory revolution of the cranks obtained by using flanged or
other suitable rollers on the crank pins and the levers formed to allow the rollers
to travel forward and backward as the cranks turn round in their downward and
upward course, the dead points usually experienced when pedalling being obviated
as each lever being forced down on to the roller on the crank pin from its highest
point to its lowest has turned the crank round more than half a revolution and
thus, before, the downward force on the lever is spent the opposite side crank
has raised its lever to its highest point.
Dated this 18th day of May 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Driving Gear of Bicycles and
the like.
I, GEORGE JOHN BELLINGHAM, of 11, Hartham Road, Holloway, in the County
of London, 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 the driving gear of bicycles and the like in which a
pair of operating cranks diametrically opposite is employed, and has for object

page_text: to provide a gear in which the dead-points of both cranks do not occur simul-
taneously..
:
In carrying out my invention I form arms or extensions on the rear forks of
the cycle and I fulcrum thereto two pedal levers which extend forward. The
said levers are advantageously provided with slots which engage with the pins 5
of the driving cranks, on which pins are preferably mounted anti-friction rollers,
the crank axle being arranged to drive the driving-wheel direct or through the
medium of gear-wheels. Bearings for the hub of the driving wheel and the crank-
axle are advantageously formed in connection with a tube carried by the rear
forks.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, reference is had to the
accompanying drawing, in which, Figure. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle pro-
vided with my improved driving gear, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of a portion
of the rear part of the same drawn to a larger scale.
a, a are the rear forks of the bicycle and b b are the arms or extensions on the
same. c, c are the pedal levers fulcrummed at d, d to the arms b, b and e, e are
the slots in the said levers engaging with the pins f, f of the driving cranks f¹if";
the said cranks being arranged diametrically opposite. g, g are the anti-friction
rollers which are advantageously flanged and arranged upon the pins f, f. so as
to roll in the slots e, e and reduce friction: is the crank-axle and the hub of
the driving-wheel, the said axle and hub having their bearings internally, and
externally respectively of the tube held by nuts, in recesses in the
forks: a, a. k is a gear-wheel upon the axle hand in gear with a gear-wheel.
upon one end of a spindle carried in a bearing in one of the bottom stays 'm, the
other end of the spindle carrying another gear-wheel n in gear with a gear-wheel: o
upon the hub i.
By my arrangement of pedal levers engaging diametrically opposite cranks it
will be seen by reference to Figure 1 that when one crank is at its dead point
relatively with its pedal-lever, the other crank is still capable of operation by
its lever.
Although I have described and shewn the pedal levers and cranks as operating
the driving wheel through the medium of gear-wheels, I may in some cases dis-
pense with the said wheels and operate the driving wheel direct, the hub i being
extended at the ends through bearings in the forks a, a and connected to the
cranks:
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what maiiner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:
1. In a bicycle or the like having cranks arranged diametrically opposite, the
combination with the said cranks of pedal levers fulcrummed to the frame of the
bicycle or the like. and engaging directly with the pins of the cranks substantially
as described.
2. In a bicycle or the like of the kind described in the preceding claiming clause
the combination with the pedal levers and cranks of gear-wheels for operating
the driving wheel substantially as described.
3. In a bicycle or the like of the kind described in the preceding claiming clause
the employment of a tube connecting the rear forks forming bearings for
crank axle and hub of the driving wheel substantially as described.
the
4. The improved driving gear for bicycles or the like substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 18th day of November 1898.
GEORGE JOHN BELLINGHAM.