A DWARF SAFETY BICYCLE FITTED WITH SPEED AND POWER GEAR
Year: 1884

page_text: JAMES LEE, 37 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, Sussex, Tailor, EDWARD WHITINGTON,
11 Whitecross Street Brighton, Sussex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
our Invention for A DWARF SAFETY BICYCLE FITTED WITH SPEED AND POWER
GEAR to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to ennable riders of dwarf safety bicycles to ride
at increased speed with the normal rate of tread when riding on good roads and
under other favourable circumstances, and also by means of power gear to ride
hills and heavy roads with ease but less speed.
The general principle of the gear consists in making the boss of the driving
wheel revolve on an independent axle by means of which axle the speed or power
is transmitted to the driving wheel by an arrangement of cog-wheels concealed in
the hub. The independent axle extends beyond the fork bearings each side
sufficiently to allow the crank to be fixed and just inside the fork a front wheel
bearings, on each side, is fixed a bevelled cog-wheel fitted with a clutch to throw
the gear in or out, the driving cog on one side being larger, for speed, and on the
other side smaller for power.
The boss of the driving wheel is tubular, fitted with two flanges for the spokes
of the wheel, and is of such a size as to revolve freely, but not loosely, on the axle.
The flanges into which the spokes are fitted are about half-an-inch from each
end of the boss, and these half-inch spaces are occupied by two other bevelled
cog-wheels (one on each side). Motion is transmitted to the driving wheel thus,-
A short horizontal arm is firmly clamped or welded to each leg of the fork above
the bearings which holds in place a double bevelled pinion, this pinion is put in
motion by the cog-wheel on the axle, and in it's turn gives motion to the cog-wheel
on the boss. The gear is supposed to be set for speed, and when required to be
shifted for power is done by simply pulling a lever fixed to the handles of the
machine.
The mode of driving the bicycle is as follows-A short distance above the front
bearings an arm or elbow of convenient length is clamped or welded, one on each
leg of the fork in a horizontal direction and leading forward, at the ends of which
are joints to take the ends of the driving levers which lead down and abaft and
to the after ends of these levers are fitted adjustable treadles. The part of the
levers directly under the axle is connected to the crank by a connecting rod of
proper length by which means motion is transmitted to the crank. On the
horizontal arms or elbows before mentioned are fitted small sliding rods which
can be clamped by means of set screws, thus forming adjustable foot-rests.
Dated thin orth do 1001

page_text: We JAMES LEE of No. 37 Trafalgar Street Tailor and EDWARD WHITINGTON
of No. 11, Whitecross Street, Engineer both, in the Town of Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "A DWARF
SAFETY BICYCLE FITTED WITH SPEED AND POWER GEAR" 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 this Invention is to allow riders of dwarf safety bicycles, when
riding on good roads and under other favourable circumstances, to ride at increased
speed with the normal rate of tread, and also by means of power gear to ride hills
and heavy roads with ease but less speed. The general principle of the gear
consists in making the hub of the driving wheel revolve on an independent axle,
by means of which axle the speed or power is transmitted to the driving wheel by
an arrangement of cog wheels concealed in the hub. The independent axle extends
beyond the fork bearings on each side sufficiently to allow the cranks to be fixed,
and just inside the fork bearing, on each side, is fixed a bevelled cog-wheel fitted
with a clutch to throw the gear in or out, the driving cog, on one side being large
for speed, and on the other small for power. The boss of the driving wheel is
tubular, and fitted with the two flanges for the spokes of the wheel, and is of such
a size as to revolve freely but not loosely on the axle. The flanges into which the
spokes are fitted are about inch from each end of the boss, and these inch
spaces are occupied by two other bevelled cog-wheels (one on each side.). Motion
is transmitted to the driving wheel thus;-A short horizontal arm is firmly welded
or clamped to each leg of the fork above the bearings which holds in place a
double bevelled pinion, this pinion is put in motion by the fixed cog-wheel on the
axle, and in its turn, puts in motion the cog-wheel on the hub of the wheel. When
it is required to be shifted for speed or power it is done by simply pulling a lever
fixed to the handles of the machine, which actuates the clutches through a suitable
arrangement of rods and levers. The mode of driving the gear is as follows:--
A short distance above each of the bearings on the front fork, an arm or elbow of
convenient length is clamped or welded, at the ends of which are joints to take
the ends of the driving levers which lead down and abaft, and to the rear ends of
these levers are fitted adjustable treadles. The part of the levers directly under
the axle are connected to the cranks by connecting rods of proper length, by which
means motion is transmitted to the crank. On the horizontal arms or elbows
above mentioned are fitted small sliding rods which can be clamped by means of
a set screw, thus forming adjustable foot rests.
In order that we may be fully understood we will more particularly describe our
Invention with the aid of the accompanying Drawings in which similar parts are
marked with like letters of reference. On Sheet No. 1, of the accompanying
Drawings Fig. 1, is a side elevation and Fig. 2, a front elevation of our bicycle,
on Sheet No. 2, Fig. 1, is a cross section of the speed and power gear, Fig. 2, is
a side elevation showing the driving gear and Fig. 3, is a section on line x, y, of
the speed and power gear.
On reference to Sheet No. 1, of the accompanying Drawings it will be seen that
the general construction of our bicycle is much the same as those at present in in
use, with the exception of the driving gear which is arranged as follows:-We use
preferable a small driving wheel of about 40 inches diameter. From the bottom of
each side of the front fork we clamp or otherwise fix arms A, A, curved forwards
and downwards, on the end of each of these arms we pivoted levers B, B, provided

page_text: at their other extremities with adjustable treadles C, O. The cranks of the
machine D, D, are connected to these treadle levers by rods E, E. On the curved
arms A, A, are clamped small bent arms F, F, which form adjustable foot rests.
Having thus described the driving gear of our bicycle we will proceed to
describe the speed and power gear whereby the machine may be driven for either
speed or power, making reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, of Sheet No. 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
The hub of the driving wheel G is mounted loosely on the axle H which runs
in bearings of the usual kind fitted to the ends of the front fork. Cranks D, D,
are fitted on to the ends of the axle to receive the motion imparted by the driving
gear as before described.
The hub of the driving wheel G is recessed on either side and is made as much
narrower than the width between the forks as will admit of the introduction of a
train of bevel wheels on each side to obtain the two speeds required. On each
Bide of the hub G of the driving wheel are fixed two bevel wheels. I and F and
mounted loosely on the axle opposite to each of the wheels I and 11 are other bevel
wheels J and J of equal and opposite sizes to one another, that is to say the
wheel I and J are small wheels and the wheels I and J are large ones, the
difference in sizes being governed by the variations in the speeds required. Clamped
or otherwise fixed on the ends of the fork are two arms K, K. Mounted on the
end of each of these arms are double bevel pinions L and L¹, gearing respectively
with the bevel wheels I and J. and with 1 and J. The loose bevel wheels J
and J¹ are connected to the axle H by sliding clutches M and M₁ manipulated by
the rider from the saddle by means of a lever N and the connecting rods O, O and
bell cranks P, P, or any other suitable arrangement, all arranged so that the act of
clutching one bevel wheel disconnects the other and vice versa, so that only one set
of bevel wheels are in action at one time. Suitable coverings Q, Q, are fitted to
the fork ends to cover in the gear and keep out the dust. It will be seen that by
our arrangement of gear a bicycle with say a 40 inch driving wheel may be geared
up to any desired size for speed or down to any size for power; when the normal
size of the wheel is considered sufficient for either speed or power, we use only one
set of gear to speed either up or down as required and clutch the axle direct on
to the hub of the wheel for the other speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;
First The arrangement of speed and power gear substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown.
Secondly-The combination of the driving gear with the speed and power gear
as hereinbefore described and shown.
Thirdly; The adjustable footrests as described and shown.
JAMES LEE.
EDWARD WHITINGTON.