Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles and other similar Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Bicycles and other similar
Machines.
We ALFRED DAVY, Mechanical Engineer, of 4 Woburn Place, London, W.C.
and THOMAS WALLACE, of 4 Woburn Place London Mining Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in driving gear for bicycles and
other similar machines by which considerable advantages are obtained in a very
simple and effective manner.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect we have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which we have given an example of the application of our invention to the
ordinary diamond frame of a bicycle, but it must be distinctly understood that we
do not confine ourselves to the particular mode illustrated, as a variety of modes
may be adopted for applying the invention when it is once clearly understood, for
which purpose the example here given will suffice.
Figure 1. is a side elevation of an ordinary diamond frame F bicycle with our
system of driving applied thereto and which we are about to explain."
Figure 2. is a plan of the said frame F also showing the application of our
driving gear applied thereto.
Instead of using a chain, connecting rod or such like devices we mount a
wheel A in a bracket s¹ fastened to the back forks at the driving side of the
machine with means for raising or lowering it such for instance as the slot s³ or
other obvious means for regulating and altering the distance of A from the centre
of driving wheel B and the centre of the main bracket E which is also the centre
of the pedal shaft as usual. This wheel A may be made from a light stamped
disc with a rim and mounted with a pneumatic tyre or tube or solid elastic rim of
any suitable material.
This wheel A is revolved from the pedal shaft E by means of the wheel e¹ and
in its turn the wheel A. operates upon the wheel 6' which is fast to the driving or
traction wheel B. The wheels e¹ and b¹ may have metal rins or metal covered
with a soft material such as solid rubber or they may have a pneumatic covering
but probably it will generally be sufficient if the wheels e and bare metal
grooved, and only the wheel A covered with a pneumatic or elastic tyre which is
one of the most important parts of our invention.
In some kinds of velocipedes and carriages the wheel A may be driven by
connection rods worked by foot or hand levers or both and so drive direct on to
the wheels B or b¹ the framing being suited to that adaption or application.
The invention is illustrated as applied to the usual driving side of the machine,
it may be applied to both sides.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
The improved driving gear for bicycles and other machines consisting essentially
of a friction wheel A carrying a pneumatic tyre and operating either from an

page_text: intermediate position or by connection rods from the driving shaft upon the traction
wheel either direct or through a smaller wheel substantially as herein set forth and
shown.
Dated this 10th day of June 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.