Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1895
-PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Cycles.
We, GEORGE STEER,' of 11 Monmouth Street, in the City of Sheffield, Cycle
Maker, and HENRY STEER, of 11 Common Lane, Wath-upon-Dearue, in the
County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object to give increased driving power for the
propulsion of cycles, such increase being provided only at the front portion of the
stroke or movement of the crank or pedal upon which the energy of the driver is
usually exerted.
To accomplish this we propose in the case of a bicycle for example, to attach
an appliance to each side of the machine and constructed in the following
manner.
Upon the back fork or other convenient part of the frame, according to the
construction of the machine and near to the hub of the driving wheel we fix a stud
or pin upon which we hang a short arm which can oscillate or swing upon the said
stud.
To the lower end of this arm we pin joint one end of a horizontally suspended
side rod which extends forward towards the crank, and at some pre-arranged
distance from its front end say for example six inches, or a distance equal to the
length of the crank we attach it to the crank pin, and at its extreme end we fix the
pedal. We do not of necessity interfere with the usual chain gearing or any other
part of the machine.
The action of the appliance is such as to cause the pedal to be advanced to its
full extent (say twelve inches) when in the best position for receiving the most
effective application of the riders foot pressure, and then gradually as moves
down and backwards the leverage is reduced, the pedal passing in front of the
centre of the crank shaft.
We thus obtain the power of a twelve inch crank where it is of most use for
the application of force without the inconvenience which such a large throw would
entail in the other parts of the stroke, the figure described by the pedal being
elliptical.
In some cases we construct the short depending arm to rotate instead of
oscillating, in which case we fix it to a shaft passing through the axle of the hub
upon the back wheel, but we prefer the first described arrangement.
We propose to fit all the joints of the appliance with ball bearings.
Dated the 30th day of October 1895.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Cycles.
We GEORGE STEER of 11 Monmouth Street in the City of Sheffield, Cycle
Maker, and HENRY STEER of 11 Common Lane, Wath-upon-Dearne, in the
County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same has to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates more particularly to cycles which are driven through the
medium of chain gearing, and has for its object to give increased driving power for
the propulsion of such cycles, by allowing the foot to act with better effect at that'
part of the stroke where the energy of the rider is usually exerted.
The mechanism and its arrangement is illustrated in the sheet of drawings
annexed, which represents an elevation of the mechanism as applied on the one
side of a geared bicycle.
Upon the hinder part of the frame of cycle and preferably from a short pro-
jecting arm A, rising a little above the hub B, of driving wheel C, we suspend a
rod D, free to swing upon its pivot E.
To the lower end of this rod at F, we joint a lever G, which extends forward,
and carries at its front end a pedal H ;-at some distance behind the pedal H, we
joint the lever G, to the pin of the driving crank I, which is fixed upon the axle of
the chain wheel J.
A similar arrangement of levers is fixed upon the opposite side of the
machine.
When the cycle is in motion the pin of the crank I, revolving in the circular
track L, the pedal H, travels in an approximately elliptical path indicated by the
dotted line K, in the direction of the arrows, the front portion of this path being
adapted for receiving more effective application of the riders foot pressure than
when the path is circular.
We fit all the pivotted joints in the levers with ball bearings but this forms no
part of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood
that we are aware that in ungeared bicycles it has been proposed to mount the
pedals on the rear ends of levers having their front ends jointed to swinging tension
rods, and their middles jointed to the driving crank of the front driving wheel, and
we therefore make no general claim to such arrangement, but we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Driving mechanism for a geared cycle having on each side a lever carrying
at its front end a pedal, having its rear end suspended by a rod from the hinder
part of the frame, and having a point somewhat behind the pedal pivotted to the
driving crank of the chain wheel, as hereinbefore described with reference to the
drawings.
2. In combination with the chain wheel and crank of a geared bicycle, a lever G,
carrying at its front end a pedal H, having its rear end suspended at E, from the
hinder part of the cycle frame A by a rod D, and pivotted somewhat behind the
pedal to the driving crank I, as herein before described and shown.
Dated the 27th day of June 1896.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Agent for Applicants.