IMPROVEMENTS IN GEARING FOR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
I ARTHUR HENRY LEE of Gilnow Park Bolton in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
GEARING FOR VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
In velocipedes in which an increase of velocity-ratio from the Angular Motion of the
crank pin to that of the driving wheel is obtained by the employment of gearing
known as the Sun and Planet gearing in which the Sun wheel is prevented from
rotating on its own axis by being rigidly attached either to a connecting rod or to a
swinging pedal rod, or to the pedal itself or by any of the known means I employ
instead of the usual circular and concentric wheels, wheels of varying radii.
They may have circular pitch lines but be mounted excentrically or they may have
elliptical pitch lines. The pitch lines may be of equal length in the two wheels or the
length of the pitch line of the sun wheel may be any multiple of that of the planet
wheel in which case the lobes of the sun wheel are made of the correct radial
dimensions to gear with the planet whoel as in ordinary eccentric elliptical or lobed
spur gear.
The planet wheel is so fixed to its retaining piece as that the portion of its pitch line
of greatest radial distance is in gear at or about the central portion of the downward
stroke of the pedal. The portion of least radial distance will then be in gear at or
about the centre of the upward stroke.
From this it results that the up-stroke is
performed in less time than the down stroke and as the two cranks are so set as
to be diametrically opposite at or about the position at which one pedal is at the
centre of its downward stroke the upward moving pedal will have passed its highest
point and have commenced its downward movement by the time or before the other
pedal lever has reached its lowest point.

page_text: Another portion of my invention for accomplishing the same object is the
employment of eccentric, elliptical or lobed spur gear wheels for gearing
Velocipedes when sun & planet motion is not employed the axis of both wheels being
in this case rigidly carried by or attached to the frame the driving spur wheel being
operated either by a crank or lever and connecting or pedal rod in any of the well
known ways.
My object in attaining the action described is to enable a rider to transfer his
weight immediately from one pedal to the other without loss of effect by an inter-
mittent transference of weight to the saddle and without fear of a reversal of impulse
upon the Crank or Pedal.
Dated this 30th day of December 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Gearing for Velocipedes
I, ARTHUR HENRY LEE of Latchford formerly of Gilnow Park Bolton in the county
of Lancaster, 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 :—
In velocipedes in which an increase of velocity-ratio from the Angular Motion of
the crank pin to that of the driving wheel is obtained by the employment of gearing
known as the Sun and planet gearing in which the planet wheel is prevented from
rotating on its own axis by being rigidly attached either to a connecting rod
or to a swinging pedal rod or to the pedal itself or by any of the known means
I employ instead of the usual circular and concentric wheels, wheels of varying radii.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a section of the arrangement of axle,
gearing, cranks and bearings of the driving axle and Hub of a velocipede with
elliptical wheels constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. II. is an
elevation of the elliptical Sun and planet wheels, which in this case bear the ratio of
two to one. Fig. III. is a side elevation of a portion of a velocipede the wheels in
this case being equal. Fig. IV. is a diagram of the movements shewing the relative
positions of the pedals and wheels during one revolution. In all the Figures the same
reference letters denoto the same parts. a is the axle to one end of which one of the
cranks or radius arms c is rigidly keyed or attached. The other crank or radius
arm c can revolve on the axle either by an ordinary bearing or by means of ball
bearings d d as shewn. is the hollow Hub which though shewn as made in three
different pieces may be treated as one piece. e are the usual ball bearings attached to
the fork ends f. f. Upon the projecting ends of the Hub bare keyed the elliptical
Sun wheels g and g. In the case shewn in Figs. I and 11 where the sun wheel has
two long and short radii and bearing a ratio to the planet wheel of two to one the
Sun wheels are keyed on in such a position that the long radii of the one are at right
angles to the long radii of the other.
When the Sun wheel is equal to the planet wheel and has one short and one
long radius as in Fig. III. the two Sun wheels are keyed on to the Hub with their
longest and shortest radii parallel.
The planet wheels are attached to studs which run loosely in bearings in the
crank or radius rods c and c¹. These bearings may be ball bearings as shewn at k.
The studs i are rigidly by nuts 11 secured to the end of the connecting rods m m².
Or these rods inay be the ends of pedal rods or levers supported by a swing link from
the frame. The planet wheels are so fixed to the rods m. m' as that the portion of
its pitch line of greatest radial distance is in gear with the Sun wheel at or about the
central portion of the downward stroke of the pedal. The gearing as illustrated
in Figs. I. and II i.e. with the teeth of the Sun wheel double the number of those of
the planet wheel gives an aggregate increase in ratio of 2 to 3. That is for two
double strokes of the pedal the Sun wheel and consequently the driving wheel W
makes 3 revolutions. Hence a wheel of 30 in. diameter thus geared is equal to a wheel
of 45 in. ungeared.

page_text: In the arrangement as shewn in Fig. III. the Sun wheel g has teeth equal in
number to those of the planet wheel. In this case therefore the aggregate
ratio is as 1 to 2. In this Fig. is also shewn an arrangement of connecting rod m
and pedal levers o and o¹ carried on fulcrum p and having at the other end pedals p.
and p. These however form no part of my present invention.
It is obvious that a three lobed Sun wheel may be used having three times the
number of teeth of the planet wheel and in this case the aggregate ratio will be
as 3 to 4.
The planet wheel must in all cases be the unit and be single lobed and the number
of teeth in the Sun wheel must be an equal multiple.
From the elliptical form of the wheels and the positions of the gearing described
it results that the upstroke is performed in less time than the downstroke.
C
In Fig. IV. c represents the radius rod connected by the link m² to the pedal Pl:
and the radius rod connected by the link m to the pedal P. P¹ is shewn at the
extremity of its stroke downwards and the figures 0 to 11 on the orbit circle of the planet
wheel correspond with the points marked 0 to 11 on the pedal arc during (in this case)
two revolutions of the driving wheel and the equal divisions of the circle w representing
this wheel marked also 0 to 11 shew the travel of any point in the wheel during equal
times. The position of the other pedal P on its downward stroke at the time P¹ is at
its lowest point is distinctly shewn by the strong lines.
I also employ elliptical or eccentric spur gearing with fixed centres but in this
case my invention is only applicable where the wheels have an equal number of teeth.
My object in attaining the action described is to enable a rider to transfer his
weight immediately from one pedal to the other without loss of effect by an
intermittent transference of weight to the saddle and without fear of a reversal of
impulse upon the crank or pedal.
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
I. Elliptical Sun and planet gearing wheels for driving velocipedes, substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described.
II. Eccentric Sun and planet gearing wheels for driving velocipedes substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.
III. Lobed Sun and planet gearing wheels with two or more lobes on the sun wheel
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
IV. Eccentric or elliptical gearing wheels with an equal number of teeth in each
wheel and with fixed centres for gearing volocipedes substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described.
Dated this 15th day of August 1888.