Improvements in Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
I, ADOLPHE FELIX BOWERS, of 62 Rue du Faubourg Poissonniére, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the driving gear of
velocipedes, my invention having particular reference to that class of driving gear
known as two-speed gear."
According to my invention, I fit one of the cranks with an internally toothed
wheel and integral therewith, the whole being keyed on to the crank shaft. This
internally toothed wheel drives an intermediate ring carrying pins fitted with
rollers, the ring being carried by an eccentric strap on an eccentric bearing which
is itself free, in certain cases, to revolve concentrically with the crank axle."
A number of the pins, carrying roliers, preferably four, extend beyond the back
of the ring and pass through suitable slots or holes in the chain wheel in order to
fix the ring to the eccentric strap, the chain wheel being mounted on suitable
bearings fixed on the crank itself.
The eccentric bearing, carrying the eccentric strap, is fitted with a sliding bolt
or other suitable provision in order to secure either the strap to the eccentric
bearing or the eccentric bearing to the usual bottom bracket carrying the crank
axle.
The action is as follows:-If the bolt secures the strap to the eccentric bearing,
the whole mechanism revolves together as one piece; but if the bolt secures the
eccentric bearing to the bottom bracket, the crank imparts motion to the internally
toothed wheel, which revolves the ring, on the eccentric bearing, thus driving the
chain wheel at a higher speed than the internally toothed wheel, according to the
relative number of teeth.
Deted 14th Donombor 1904
Improvements in Driving Gear for Velocipedes.
I, ADOLPHE FELIX BOWERS, of 62 Rue du Faubourg Poissonniére, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Mechanic, 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 :-
-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in driving gear of
velocipedes, my invention having particular reference to that class of driving gear
known as "two speed-gear."
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional plan and Figure 2 a part sectional elevation of my
.

page_text: Figure 3 is a general view of a bicycle with my improved gear attached.
Figures 4 & 5 are detached detail views of my gear.
According to my invention I fit one of my cranks A with an internally toothed
wheel B and which is integral therewith, the whole being keyed on the crank
shaft C. This internally toothed' wheel B drives an intermediate toothed ring D
carrying pins d fitted with rollers or collars d 1, the ring being carried by an
eccentric strap E'on an eccentric bearing e which is itself free in certain cases to
revolve concentrically with the crank axle c.
A number of pins d, carrying rollers or collars d preferably three or four,
extend beyond the back of the ring D, and pass through suitable slots or holes g,
in the chain wheel G in order to fix the ring D to the eccentric strap E the
chain wheel G being mounted on suitable bearings F, fixed on the crank axle C
itself.
The eccentric bearing e carrying the eccentric strap E is fitted with a sliding
bolt H or other suitable provision in order to secure either the strap E to the
eccentric bearing e, or the eccentric bearing e to the usual bottom bracket carrying
the crank axle.
The sliding bolt H which lies in a transversely disposed tube or cylinder formed
within a suitable portion of the frame as shown in Figure 1 is provided with a
hollow cylindrical interior in which a spiral spring works and acts intending to
impel such bolt forward against the tension of a cord, wire or other suitable means
of connecting and retaining the bolt in its home position; such cord or wire being
preferably passed along the diagonal or other member of the frame and passed into
a suitable position conveniently and readily accessible to the rider for operation
any suitable device being used for this purpose. That shewn in the drawings
(Figure 1) consists of a ratchet wheel arranged upon the horizontal upper member
of the frame and secured to a spindle to which in turn is secured a handle m, and a
disc to which the end of the cord or wire is secured; so that the slight rotation of
the handle serves to draw the cord or wire, and to withdraw the sliding bolt H;
a spring pawl d being provided for retaining the ratchet and spindle in position,
which on depression allows the spring actuated bolt H to be released.
The eccentric e is provided with a face or cheek J integral therewith, and
superposed as an annular circular path, concentric with the centre of the spindle C
such path being interrupted at k, to form a radial jaw or guide for the purpose of
receiving a locking bolt or catch K which is provided with a corresponding recess;
upon each side to allow of its movement in a radial direction under the control of a
spring, which is caused to be fitted into the slot R in the eccentric e, being
coiled preferably about two pins secured to a cover plate R 1, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 3. The said spring rr tends to draw the locking bolt or catch K
towards the axis of the spindle and thus to bring its extremity k1 into engagement
with notches E 1, a number of which are arranged upon the eccentric strap E,
thereby integrally connecting such strap with the eccentric e. Upon the face of
the locking bolt or catch K I provide an upper projecting surface the inner edges
of which incline in opposite directions from the centre, so that on the release of
-the bolt H by the rider, its extremity travels upon the surface of the cheek J and
in passing the locking bolt or catch K comes into contact with its inclined edge and
forces up the bolt into such a position that the hole O which is formed in the catch
comes immediately in front thereof and under the action of its spring is forced
there-through and into the hole r1 formed in this eccentric e, which is thereby
rigidly held the strap E being released for rotation thereon.
The action is as follows-If the sliding catch K secures the strap E to the
eccentric bearing e, the whole mechanism revolves together as one piece; but if
the bolt H secures the eccentric bearing e to the bottom bracket K, the crank A
imparts motion to the internally toothed wheel B which revolves the ring E by
means of the ring D on the eccentric bearing e, thus driving the chain wheel G at
a higher speed than the internally toothed wheel, according to the relative number
of teeth between B and D.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The improvements in double speed driving gear for velocipedes, substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In a velocipede speed accelerating gear the combination and arrangement of
an internal toothed wheel which gears with an eccentric toothed ring to which is
secured an eccentric strap and having a locking device for securing the eccentric
bearing to the eccentric strap and for rigidly holding the eccentric substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a
velocipede the method of transmitting motion to a chain wheel by means
of another wheel arranged in a plane parallel to but not concentric therewith, the
speed of both wheels being equal, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of September 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.