Improvements in Velocipedes or Carriages Propelled by their Riders.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes or Carriages Propelled by their
Riders.
We HARVEY FERNANDO CRAWFORD, Manufacturer, and RICHARD CLARK
LAMBERT, Mechanic, both of Brockton in the State of Massachusetts one of the
United States of America 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 has for its object to provide a novel vehicle and means for
propelling the same whereby greater power may be exerted by the operator.
In accordance with this invention the axle carrying the driving wheels is fitted
with a crank or a suitable clutch mechanism operated by the reciprocating piston
of a hydraulic cylinder, the water or other liquid being forced into the cylinder
behind the piston by a plunger of small diameter actuated by a lever, preferably
operated by hand.
The particular features of our invention will be hereinafter described and pointed
out in the claim.
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation and partial section a vehicle embodying this
invention,
Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same,
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, details of the clutch mechanism to be referred to,
Fig. 8, a perspective detail showing the steering mechanism, and
Figs. 9 and 10 side and top views respectively of a modified form of vehicle.
Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, A represents the frame of a
vehicle, herein shown as a tricycle, the said frame having bearings for the usual
driving axle a operating the driving wheels b.
The frame A, preferably at or near its opposite ends, carries the hydraulic
cylinders c, e arranged facing each other on the axle a, and fitted with pistons cx,
see Fig. 1, whose piston rods ² are suitably shaped and provided with teeth to
engage and operate the toothed wheels a¹, a² loose on the driving shaft a, see
Figs. 3 and 4, the said piston rods, engaging the said wheels a', a² upon their
upper and under sides respectively, as shown, so that movement of the piston rods
in opposite directions will turn the toothed wheels a¹, a² in the same direction as
will be hereinafter described.
A yoke or guide-block g, shown separately in Fig. 7, is supported loosely upon
the driving axle a between the wheels a¹, a², said yoke having suitable guide-ways
or openings 2, through which the piston rods c² pass, the yoke serving as a guide
for the outer ends of said piston rods to keep the teeth thereon in engagement
with the toothed wheels a¹ a².
The toothed wheels a', a² are herein shown as formed upon or fast to the
sleeves a³, a loose on the driving shaft, and provided with the ratchet toothed
wheels a, a, engaged by pawls a', a pivoted to arms a radiating from and
preferably forming a part of the hubs a¹o, see Fig. 6, made fast on the driving
axle a by set screws 6 or otherwise.
Springs 12 carried by the arms a bear upon the pawls a', a to keep them in
engagement with the ratchet teeth on the wheels a, a, see Fig. 5.
The cylinders c, c¹ have connected to their outer ends pipes or tubes c³, preferably
bent or curved over facing each other, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive the plungers c*,
herein shown as carried at opposite ends of the connecting bar e, provided at or
near its middle with a pin or stud c working in a vertical slot c7 in the lever 1,
herein shown as pivoted at in the frame, and the said lever at its upper end is
fitted with suitable handles l².

page_text: The pipes and cylinders e, e¹ are filled with water or other liquid, and, when
the plungers e³ are reciprocated by means of the lever l, the pistons in the cylinders
will be reciprocated, their piston rods 2 operating through the clutch mechanism
on the driving shaft to turn the wheels b to propel the vehicle.
The frame A, preferably at its rear end, is provided with a socket which receives
the vertical spindle w forked at its lower end and carrying the steering wheel w¹,
the axle w² of which is extended longitudinally and has swivelled to its ends the
rods w³ jointed at their opposite ends to the bar w fast on the lower end of the
vertical shafts, mounted in suitable bearings in the frame and provided at its
upper end with the cross bar wⓇ.
The cross bar w³, see Fig. 8, is threaded at its ends to receive the nuts w³,
between which and the shoulders 10 are clamped the blocks 13 to which are
pivoted the foot rests f.
The foot rests fare represented as made adjustable with relation to their length
by providing the front or toe portions with a longitudinal slot to receive the
bolt 15 movable with the heel portion f¹, as shown.
In use the operator is seated upon the seat s with the feet placed in the rests f,
operating the clutch mechanism to propel the vehicle by the lever, steering the
same by the feet and the foot rests f, being pivoted to the cross bar w, turn with
relation to and independently thereof, so that the feet are not confined to the exact
movements of the cross bar, but may be given some freedom with relation thereto,
and the angle in which the foot rests stand may also be adjusted by means of the
nuts w7.
The cross bar w is held in a central position by the action of two springs 25, 26
one or the other of which yields as the cross bar is turned in steering, the springs
aiding in returning the same and its wheel always to a central position.
In lieu of the clutch mechanism shown and described, we may employ a crank m,
see Figs. 9 and 10, with which are connected the pitmen m³, jointed to the pistons c*
in the cylinders c, c¹.
In Figs. 9 and 10 we have shown a modified form of vehicle, wherein two guide
or steering wheels 63, 64 are employed, their supporting spindles 61, 62 being
sustained in the frame A, the said wheels having their extended axles connected
with the ends of the cross bar w by connecting rods 65, 66, as shown, whereby the
wheels are turned simultaneously in opposite directions by movement of the cross
bar w¹.
We do not confine this invention to the particular clutch mechanism shown as
any well known clutch mechanism may be employed as well, neither do we desire
to limit ourselves to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown
as the same may be varied.
The invention herein shown and described is applicable as well for propelling
other vehicles or bodies than the particular ones shown, as for instance the propelling
of boats, wherein the paddle wheels or propeller are driven by or from the driving
axle a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a velocipede or carriage propelled by the rider or riders.
1 The frame, and the driving axle having bearings therein, combined with a
cylinder having a piston, and mechanism operated by said piston to turn said axle,
a plunger for said cylinder, and a lever to operate said plunger, substantially
as described.
2: The frame, the driving axle having bearings therein and provided with
clutch mechanism, combined with two cylinders having pistons to operate the
said clutch mechanism, plungers for the said cylinders placed substantially in
line, and mechanism to reciprocate the said plungers in unison, to operate, sub-
stantially as described.

page_text: 3: The frame, the driving axle having bearings therein and provided with a
clutch mechanism, combined with a cylinder having a piston, a connection between
said piston and clutch mechanism, a plunger for said cylinder, and the lever 1
to operate said plunger, substantially as described.
4 The frame, the driving axle a, having bearings therein, and a clutch
mechanism on said axle, combined with the cylinder c, piston c, piston rod e²,
plunger and lever 1, to operate, substantially as described.
5 The frame, the driving axle having bearings therein, and the wheel w¹,
combined with the axle 2, rods w³, cross bar w, shaft w³, cross bar we, and
the adjustable foot-rests pivoted thereto, to operate, substantially as described.
6 The frame, driving axle having bearings therein, the wheels and w',
combined with the cross-bar w, and mechanism, substantially as described,
intermediate said cross-bar and wheel w¹, and the springs 25, 26, to operate,
substantially as described.
7: The steering shaft w the threaded cross-bar w having shoulders 10,
and the nuts w', combined with the blocks 13, and foot-rests carried thereby,
substantially as described.
8-The frame, the drive axle having bearings therein and provided with a
crank, combined with a cylinder having a piston, a pitman connecting said
piston and crank, a plunger for said cylinder, and a lever to operate said
plunger, substantially as described.
Deted the 5th day of January 1891
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.