Improvements in Clutches, principally for use in Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1900-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clutches, principally for use in Cycles.
I, CHARLES AUGUSTUS HYDE, Managing Director of The James Cycle Company
Limited, of Sampson Road North, Sparkbrook, in the City of Birmingham, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to clutches to be used principally in connection with
the back-pedalling brake-mechanism and free-wheel gear of cycles, and has
for its object, to provide a clutch which, when not in action for transmitting
motion either from the crank for operating a brake, or from a sprocket or cog
ring for driving a road wheel, shall be practically frictionless and will thus have
no retarding influence upon the forwardly rotating crank axle or the hub of the
free-running wheel. The improved clutch is also silent and positive in its
action.
In carrying out one form of my invention in connection with a clutch for
transmitting motion from the crank axle to the operating mechanism of a back-
pedalling brake, I propose to screw or otherwise secure onto the boss of the
crank. or onto the crank itself, a ring or dise having a series of ratchet teeth
formed around its periphery with the teeth raking backward from the direction
of forward pedalling. This inner ring constitutes the driving element of the
clutch and is encircled by a loose outer ring or driven element, an arm or pro-
jection on or near the outer edge of which is connected with the rod lever or the
like which works the brake, whilst its inner periphery is formed with any suit-
able number of recesses or pockets, each having a deep curved end and a shallow
curved end with an incline running from the one to other in a direction opposite
to the inclinations of the ratchet teeth. Located within each of these pockets is a
bard steel ball which constitutes the means of connecting the driving and driven
elements or transmitting motion from one to the other. The balls are retained
in position by side plates or cheeks secured to the outer ring and encircling the
axle.
During forward pedalling, the teeth of the inner ring wipe under the balls
and lift them into the deeper ends of their pockets, the depth of the said ends
being slightly greater than the diameter of the balls employed, but when for-
ward rotation is discontinued, the balls fall by gravity and the whole or a part
of them drop into the spaces between the points of the teeth of the inner ring
aud the shoulders formed by the shallower ends of the pockets. The inner and
outer members are thereby connected or keyed together and should a rider
back-pedal to apply the brake, the movement of the inner ring on the crank is
transmitted to the outer ring through the balls.
To afford a proper bearing against the balls, the shoulders formed by the
ratchet teeth may be concaved or rounded and the pockets may only be provided
around the upper part of the periphery of the outer member, whilst instead of
using balls, which are preferably as the keving medium, I may use rollers,
blocks or other loose means for the same purpose.

page_text: In carrying out my invention as applied to a free wheel clutch in which the
outer ring is toothed and forms the driver whilst the inner ring is driven and
connected with the hub, the ratchet teeth are formed in the inner periphery of
the outer member of the shoulder ended recesses or pockets for the balls or other
loose key devices in the opposed periphery of the inner ring, or as a modified
and preferred form, instead of the driving ring surrounding the driven one tho
one may work against the face of the other, in which case the ratchet teeth
are formed on the inner face of the toothed driving or
sprocket wheel whilst the
recesses into which the balls or the like are pushed during free running are
made on the opposed face of the driven ring and the whole surrounded by a
suitable sleeve or casing for preventing the balls or the like from dropping out.
Dated the 6th day of November 1899.
Improvements in Clutches, principally for use in Cycles.
1, CHARLES AUGUstus Hyde, Managing Director of The James Cycle Company
Limited, of Sampson Road North, Sparkbrook, in the City of Birmingham, 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 und by the follow-
ing statement:-
-
This invention relates to clutches to be used principally in connection with
the back-pedalling biake mechanism of cycles, and has for its object, to
provide a clutch which, when not in action for transmitting motion either from
the crank for operating a brake, shall be practically frictionless and will thus
have no retarding influence upon a forwardly rotating crank axle. The improved
clutch is also silent and positivo in its action.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an elevation of a friction-
less clutch constructed in accordance with my invention and adapted for the
purpose of communicating motion from the crunk axle of a bicycle to the back-
pedalling brake mechanism. This view shows the parts of the clutch in the
positions which they assume when the clutch is operative or when motion is
being communicated, by a back-pedalling movement of the crank in the direction
of the arrow, from the inner member (which is made fast to the crank axle) to
the outer member in connection with the brake mechanism.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation to that represented in Figure 1, but shows the
clutch in its inoperative condition, or with the parts in the positions they assumo
during driving by forward pedalling.
Figure 3 represents the clutch in vertical section upon the dotted line r
Figure 2, showing its application to the crank axle of a bicycle.
Figure 4 represents an elevation of the outer ring or driven member of the
clutch separately, and Figure 5 is a vertical section thereof upon the dotted
line Figure 4, this view also showing in section the side plates or or cheeks
by which the loose parts of the clutch are retained in position and one of the
screws by which the same are affixed.
Figure 6 represents an elevation and Figure 7 an edge view of the inner ring
or driving element, which is made fast to the crank axle, and serves to transmit
the back-pedalling movement of the said axle to the outer ring of the clutch and

page_text: thence to the brake mechanism, through the medium of a series of steel balls,
as hereinafter fully described.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said
Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.
In this form of my invention a boss or extension a', of one of the pedal
cranks a, has screwed or otherwise made fast to it, a ring or disc b, having a
series of ratchet teeth c, formed around its outer periphery, with the teeth
raking backward from the direction of forward pedalling. This inner ring con-
stitutes the driving element of the clutch and is encircled by a loose outer ring
or driven element d, which carries a short arm or projection ', having jointed
to it, the connection rod e, by which motion is communicated to the brako,
whilst its inner periphery is formed with four or other suitable number of
recesses or pockets, each having a deep curved end f and a shallow curved
end with an incline running from the one to other and raking in a
direction opposite to the inclinations of the ratchet teeth. Located within each
of these pockets is a loose or gravitating steel ball g, which constitutes the means
of connecting the driving and driven elements or transmitting motion from one
to the other. The balls are retained in position by side plates or checks h
secured to the outer ring by screws h', or other means, and encircling the axle.
During forward pedalling or driving, the teeth e of the inner ring wipe under
the gravitating balls 9. and lift them into the deeper ends fl of their pockets f,
(as represented in Figure 2) it being understood that the depth of the said ends
is slightly greater than the diameter of the balls employed, but when forward
rotation is discontinued the balls full by gravity and the whole or some of them
drop into the spaces between the shoulders formed by the terminations of the
teeth c of the inner ring and the opposed shoulders, at the shallower onds of
the pockets in the outer ring. The inner and outer members are thereby connected
together as represented in Figure 1, and should a rider back pedal to apply tho
brake by depressing the crank in the direction indicated by the arrow in the said
Figure 1, the movement of the inner ring, which is made fast to, and moves with
the crank, is transmitted to the outer ring through the balls.
To afford a proper bearing for the gravitating balls, the shoulders C¹, formed
by the ratchet teeth may be concaved or pocketted. The pockets in the outer
ring also serve as leads for guiding the balls into their clutching positions and
are only provided around the inner periphery of the upper part thereof, whilst
instead of using balls, which are preferably, as the connecting medium, I may
use loose rollers for the same purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is:-
First-
:-A gravity-clutch in which both the inner and outer elements have
shouldered pockets or abutments on their opposed peripheries, with convection
being established by means of loose balls or rollers which fall by gravity into
their clutching positions between the said abutments but are lifted out of their
clutching path (when the clutch is out of action) by means of inclines or teeth
on a rotating element, substantially as herein described, and also as set forth
in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly: A gravity-clutch for operating the back-pedalling bruke mechanism
of eveles, comprising an inner ring or driving element, made fast to and rotating
with the crank axle, and provided with a series of inclined and shouldered
peripheral teeth, and a driven element in connection with the brake to be
actuated, provided on its inner periphery with a series of pockets or shouldered
recesses; with connection between the two parts being established (for the pur-
pose of communicating back-pedalling motion to the brake) by means of a series
of loose balls or rollers adapted to fall by gravity into clutching positions be-
tween the shoulders on the opposed peripheries, but to be lifted or taken from

page_text: their clutching path, and into suitable recesses or clearances in the driven ring,
by means of the inclined teeth on the driving element when the latter is rotated
forwardly, substantially as herein before described and also as set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
ow
1000
CHARLES AUGUSTUS HYDE,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.