IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUMOTIVE VEHICLES FOR RUNNING ON COMMON ROADS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stanley Lewis, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Bicycle Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUMOTIVE VEHICLES FOR RUNNING ON COMMON ROADS."
Sealed the 20th October 1877, and dated the 14th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stanley Lewis at
tlie Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1877.
"
WILLIAM STANLEY LEWIS, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Bicycle
Manufacturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUMOTIVE VEHICLES FOR RUNNING ON
COMMON ROADS."
This Invention relates to those vehicles which have two hinder wheels, and one
or a pair of front wheels connected to the main frame by means of a centre pin, to
act as the steerage wheels.
The axle which carries the hinder wheels revolves in suitable bearings, and is
provided with two cranks, one at or near each end thereof, both cranks being set to
throw together.
Along each side of the vehicle is fixed a working frame or parallelogram, con-
sisting of vertical levers fixed to fulcrum pins on the main frame of the vehicle,
and also of a rod connecting together the upper ends of the levers. The corre-
sponding levers on opposite sides of the vehicle are connected together by rods
across the vehicle. From suitable points in each of the front levers of the working
frames, connecting rods pass to the cranks aforesaid.
A seat or seats are provided across the interior of the vehicle, and the occupant
or occupants work the working frames much the same as in rowing, by alternately
pulling and pushing the rods connecting the two frames. Motion is thus given to
the crank axle through the medium of the connecting rods aforesaid.
One of the hinder wheels is free to revolve loosely upon the axle in order to
facilitate the steering of the vehicle.
The points of connection between the connecting rods and the front levers can
Prins 6dl

page_text: .
be made adjustable to suit different gradients and loads by means of a pin and slot
or equivalent connection.
Instead of the cranks being upon the back axle, they may be upon an inter-
mediate axle, and the back axle or one of the hinder wheels be driven therefrom
by means of pullies and belting, or by spur gearing, the revolutions of the hinder
wheels being thus greater or less than the double vibrations of the working frame,
according as may be desired to suit the intended traffic.
In connection with the above improvements, and with vehicles of a similar
nature to those referred to, a coil spring may be used, suitably geared to the crank
axle or driving wheel, so as to be wound up as the vehicle descends a hill.
The spring is thrown out of gear when on a level road by means of a clutch or
equivalent mechanism, and into suitable gear again with the axle or driving wheel
when going up hill, so as to unwind itself and drive the said wheel.
The box containing the spring is fitted with a break, which may act as the break
to the vehicle, and also as a lock to prevent the spring unwinding except when
required to do so.
The Drawings are to a scale of one inch to a foot.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a half plan of a three-wheeled
vehicle constructed to carry nine persons, that is, two on each end cross seat, four
on the centre seat, sitting two and two, back to back, and one on the seat over the
. steering wheel.
The same letters of reference occurring on both views indicate corresponding
parts.
A, A, A, A, are the seats; B, B, B, B, the footboards; C, C, are vertical levers
working on fulcrum bars F, F, which connect the two sides of the framing G, G, G.
The levers C, C, are connected together by the rod D, and are connected to corre-
sponding levers on the other side of the vehicle by the rods E, E; H is a connecting
rod, which connects the front lever C with the crank J on the axle K. The con-
necting rod H is connected to a part L on the front lever C, the said part L being
adjustable up and down the lever by means of the thumbscrew d, by which the
back plate or gland f of the part L may be slackened or tightened when the part L

page_text: is to be moved up or down, or to be retained in position; a nut or another thumb-
screw is used at the other end of the gland. The leverage can thus be adjusted to
suit the load or gradient.
The hind axle is worked by the occupants of the cross seats, who alternately pull
and push the cross rods E, E, much as in rowing, and thus give motion to the two.
connecting rods which are coupled to the two cranks on the axle K. The two.
cranks are set to throw together.
The front wheel is worked by treadles, the same as in working a bicycle. This
wheel is shewn extra large, but may of course be made of any desired size.
The parts of the vehicle are made as light as convenient, tube iron being used
where practicable.
One of the hind wheels is fast on the axle K, and the other is free to turn thereon
in order to facilitate the steering of the vehicle.
The loose wheel may have a washer a (see Figure 2) outside the hub, pressed up
against the hub by a curved spring b (which is let into the washer a at its points of
contact therewith) by means of the lock nuts c, in which case the friction of the
washer is sufficient to prevent the wheel turning on the axle in ordinary straight
running, but allows it to turn thereon in going round a curve.
A modification of the above-described vehicles consists in removing the centre
cross seat altogether, and bringing the two end cross seats as near together as the
centre and end seats are shewn. There is thus only one downward curve in the..
framing. In this case also there is only one vertical lever on each side of the
vehicle, and the connecting rods to the cranks are connected to the single levers on
each side, being thus shorter than with the vehicle before described, but the
levers are curved outwards from the axle at the connections of the connecting rods
in order to give more length to the connecting rods.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 a plan of a three-wheeled vehicle
constructed to carry one person.
The same letters occurring upon both views indicate corresponding parts.
A' is a lever terminating upwards in a pair of handles, and having for its fulcrum
the axle B¹, upon which it turns; C¹ is a connecting rod connecting the crank D¹
in the centre of the axle E' with a universal joint F₁ on the lever A'. The lever A¹
has a telescopic slide G₁ held by the thumbscrew H¹. The leverage can thus be
adjusted to suit the load or gradient; J¹ is the seat and K¹, K¹, the framing. The
front wheel is connected to the framing by a fork and socket.
The vehicle is propelled by alternately pulling and pushing the lever A', which
actuates the connecting rod C₁ and the crank D₁, and thus revolves the axle E¹
The steering is also effected by means of the lever A', the universal joint F¹.
permitting the lever A' to be turned sideways without interfering with the proper
action of the connecting rod. In this case also, one of the hind wheels is fast on
the axle, and the other free to turn thereon, and the latter may be provided with
a washer and spring as before described.
A modification of this vehicle, and which may be used by one or two persons,
consists in working two cranks on the axle by means of two side levers, as in the
modification of Figures 1 and 2, and steering the front wheel by means of a handle
as in the case of a bath chair.
Referring to the first illustration it will be seen that the framing may be boxed
or panelled in, if desired, for the carriage of goods or other purposes.
Instead of the crank or cranks being upon the back axle, they may be upon an
intermediate axle, and the back axle or one of the hinder wheels be driven there-
from by means of pulleys and belting, or by means of other well-known gearing,
the revolutions of the hinder wheel being thus greater or less than the double
vibrations of the working lever or levers, according as may be desired to suit the
intended traffic.
A coil spring may be used to store up work in going down hill, and give it out
again going up hill, but as the vehicles are propelled with ease without such an
arrangement, it is not found necessary to use it.

page_text: Vehicles propelled by the rowing action before described, though made especially
to run on common roads, may of course be made to run on other planes, such as
tramways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit
myself to the exact details as described and shewn, as such may be departed from
in many obvious ways without lessening the, utility of my Invention, but I declare
that I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-
1st. Constructing manumotive vehicles for running on common roads in such a
manner that the same are propelled by means of vertical levers actuating the
connecting rods and the two cranks set to throw together, substantially as described,
and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2, and as described in the modification of the said
Figures 1 and 2, and of the Figures 3 and 4.
2nd. Constructing the vehicles aforesaid in such a manner that the same are
propelled and steered by means of the vertical lever, substantially as described, and
illustrated by Figures 3 and 4.
3rd: Constructing the vehicles aforesaid with one hind wheel fast on the hind
axle and the other free to turn thereon, substantially as and for the purpose
described and shown.
4th. Adjusting the leverage to suit the load or gradient, substantially as described
and shewn, or by equivalent méchanism.
5th. Combining the vertical levers or lever-actuating cranks, or a crank upon
an intermediate axle, with the pullies and the belting or other gearing, substan-
tially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stanley Lewis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Assoc. Inst. C.E.,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
WILLIAM STANLEY LEWIS. (L.S.)