Improvements in Driving Gear of Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar. 1345
Improvements in Driving Gear of Velocipedes.
I, JEAN BONICARD, of 130 Avenue Parmentier, Paris, France, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to a new description of bicycle without chain, and having
a multiplication or speed gear wheels; the movement turns loosely on short axles
mounted on the frame and transmits the rotation by means of gear wheels, with or
without intermediate axles, to the rear driving wheel which revolves on an axle
forming a cross bar or tie bar in the frame.
Among the principal parts of which a bicycle is composed, the transmission gear
is in a general way the most liable to get out of order. By reason also of the
almost equal diameters of the two wheels, the rider's position is between the two,
the front wheel being only for steering purposes and the rear wheel the driver. He
is therefore placed in front of the motor which is not the best position as regards
the most advantageous utilisation of the power, and he transmits his work by very
imperfect means, viz. the chain gear, the inconveniences of which have long been
well known.
.
On the other hand, the multiplying or speed gears on the driving wheel hitherto
known have certain serious disadvantages (which are obviated in the present
invention) cousisting principally of the strain on the mechanism by the direct
vertical and lateral efforts, and whereas the ends of the fork being only supported
by the ball bearings, the fork becomes distorted under the torsional force it sustains
which thus causes a relative displacement of the gear axles, and consequently a
wedging effect and sometimes a breaking of the gear teeth.
My invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 represents the application of my mechanism to a bicycle.
Figure 2 represents a "tandem," and Figure 3 a safety bicycle constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 4 represents in its two halves (right and left) two different forms of
mechanism in section, and suitable for bicycles shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 5 represents in the same way two different methods of applying this
invention to the bicycle shown in Figure 1, the pedal axle in the left half view being
dropped below the wheel axle.
Referring to the two last figures, the pedal cranks M are fixed direct by screws v,
Figure 4, on the gear wheels E meshing into the pinions e; in the left hand half
view of Figure 4 the pedal is keyed on a short axle revolving in ball bearings in a
piece C brazed on the frame; the gear wheel E is inside and controls the pinion p
(which is in a piece with the hub m of the driving wheel, and receives the spokes)
by the intermediate tooth wheels e and P which are fixed to each other and turn in
ball bearings around a short axle b in the piece C.
In all these arrangements, the same movement is repeated symmetrically on
both sides of the machine, the cranks may therefore be detached or interchanged
when any irregular wear of the teeth occurs.
The right hand half of Figure 4 shows a similar arrangement to the left hand
half, and it only differs by reason of the crauk M, which is a part of the gear
wheel E; turning with it on a short axle fixed to the frame, and the pinion and
gear wheel P are keyed one inside and one outside on a short axle revolving in

page_text: ball bearings in a socket of the piece C, thus transferring the motion to the inside
and actuating the hub m in the manner already above described.
The two arrangements shown in Figure 5 are the same in principle as those
referred to, and they are only modifications necessitated as above indicated by the
adaptation of the mechanism to a bicycle of the "ordinary" type.
It will be seen that in all these figures the axle of the driving wheel forms a
cross bar or tie bar.
This new bicycle has the following advantages; Any desired multiplication of
gearing may be obtained the length of the frame is reduced; the driving wheel
revolves on a fixed axle forming a tie bar; the rolling movements are easy, and
the power exerted is always tangential and normal; the machine can be very easily
put together, or taken to pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a velocipede provided with a toothed gear multiplying motion, the com-
bination of a fixed axle A forming a cross tie between two pieces C brazed on the
frame, or on the ends of the steering fork, with the hub of the driving wheel
revolving on this axle and fixed or forming part of two pinions controlled by
intermediate gear wheels mounted loosely on short axles, or keyed on short axles
revolving in sockets or bearings of the pieces C, these intermediate gear wheels
being each actuated on one side of the machine by a toothed wheel fixed to or
forming part of the corresponding pedal crank.
2. The method of fixing the cranks on the gear wheels by means of screws,
which when the teeth are worn irregularly allow of changing the pedal cranks one
for the other, or of keying them at another angle in order that new teeth may take
a position where the most wear or strain occurs.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1805
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Jean Bonicard.