Improvements in Bicycle Gearing.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
Improvements in Bicycle Gearing.
I, FREDERICK JOHN REPP, of Steelton, in the County of Dauphin, and State-
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Gentleman, 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, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon,
which form a part of this specification:-
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in bicycle gearing, and
has for its object to provide a device of this description, by means of which the
greatest possible amount of power may be exerted from a given source upon the
rear wheel during the downward stroke of the pedals, for the purpose of propelling.
the machine forward, and also to permit the changing of the driving gears, in
order that others may be substituted of greater or less diameter to increase or
decrease the speed of the machine.
With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction.
and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated
by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may
understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now
be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of
this specification, in which-
Fig. 1 represents the rear portion of a bicycle having my improvement applied.
thereto, and
Fig. 2, a detailed section at the line, of Figure 1.
In carrying out my invention I provide the rear hub A of a bicycle with two
pinions B, one mounted upon each end thereof outside of the spokes, and with
these pinions mesh the gears C, the diameters of which, relative to the diameters
of the pinions, are such as to give the bicycle the proper speed relative to the
movements of the pedals. The gears C are mounted upon the studs D, the inner
ends of which are passed through the slots E, and are secured therein by means of
the bolts F, so that these gears may be removed and others of different diameters
substituted therefor; and to insure the gears maintaining their proper relative
position to the hitch line of the pinious, the rear surfaces of the frame in which.
the slots E are formed, are serrated, as indicated at G, and the washers H, which.
interpose between the nuts F and side surfaces, may also be serrated to correspond
with these surfaces, whereby slipping of the studs will be prevented. Levers I
are fulerumed upon the axial line of the rear hub, as clearly shown in the drawing,
by either an extension of the axle upon which said hub turns, or any other con-
venient manner, and these levers extend forward and have mounted thereon the
pedals J, of usual construction, and each of these levers is connected to one of the
wheels C, by a crank-pin K, projecting from, said wheel within the slot L, formed
in the lever, and the crank-pins may be retained in position by suitable nuts and
washers.
From this it will be seen that a rider mounted upon the machine will be enabled.
to depress the levers by the application of the feet to the pedals with great force,
since said levers are of considerable length, and this force will be transmitted to
the gear wheels through the crank pins, to cause the machine to move forward,

page_text: and since the forward movement of the machine causes the gear wheels to revolve
in the direction of the arrow, it follows that the force transmitted from these levers
to the crank-pins will increase as said pins advance towards the fulcrum of the
levers, which is indicated by the letter M.
When the crank-pins pass the lower vertical central line of the gear wheels,
they will then commence to lift the levers, and as they recede from the fulcrum
from this point until reaching the horizontal central line of said gears, the lever
being lifted will not move upward so rapidly as the one being depressed upon the
opposite side of the machine; thus the well known mechanical principle of gaining
power at the expense of speed is utilized.
A bicycle fitted with my improvement will enable the rider to exert considerably
more force upon the drive wheel for propelling the same, and is therefore well
adapted for travelling over rough roads or up steep inclines, and when it is
desired to increase the capacity of the machine for speed, this is accomplished by
increasing the size of the gears C.
I am aware that the exact arrangement of the parts here shown may be varied
without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to
be limited to this exact design.
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 what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with a bicycle, pinions secured upon the hub of the drive
wheel, gears meshing with said pinions, levers fulcrumed upon the axial line of
said hub, said levers having slots formed therein, and crank-pins carried by the
gears, projecting within said slots, as specified.
2. In combination with a bicycle and the drive wheel thereof, two pinions
secured to the hub of said wheel, two gears adapted. to mesh with said pinions,
said gears being detachably secured to the frame of the machine, levers fulcrumed
concentric with a hub having slots formed therein, crank-pins projecting from the
gear wheels within said slots and pedals carried by said levers, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
3. The herein described combination with a bicycle, of a pair of pinions rigidly
mounted upon the hub of the drive wheel, gear wheels detachably secured to the
frame of the machine and adapted to mesh with the pinions, crank-pins projecting
from said wheels, levers fulcrumed concentric with the drive wheel, said levers
having slots formed therein for the reception of the crank-pins, and pedals
carried upon the outer ends of the levers, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 1th 1
1007
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for Applicant.