Improvements in Bicycles and Tricycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles and Tricycles.
THOMAS HORTON Rednal near Bromsgrove I do bereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in connecting one end of a rod to a crank-pin of a
bicycle or tricycle so that the rider may by alternately pulling and pushing the.
rod with his hand give motion or assist in giving motion to the crank and so propel
or aid in propelling his machine with his hand by means of the said rod while he
is using the pedal of the machine with his foot. The said rod may be made of a
steel tube-or solid, or of any suitable material. If preferable for some machines.
the said rod may be moved backward and forward by a lever.
Dated this 25th day of April 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles and Tricycles.
I THOMAS HORTON of Rednal near Bromsgrove 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 :-
My invention consists in connecting one end of a rod to a crank-pin of a bicycle
or a tricycle, so that the rider may by alternately pulling the said rod upwards
and pushing it downwards by means of his hand, assist in giving motion to one of
the pedal-cranks, and thus aid with his hand in propelling his machine while he is
pressing upon one of the pedals with his foot.
The accompanying drawings shew how I carry my invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a drawing of a bicycle driven by a chain and the rear wheel, and
Figure 2 is a plan shewing a bracket fixed to the frame of the machine.
a. is a rod having one end of it connected to the crank-pin b. of the short
crank m
The short crank m. is fixed to the pedal-pin n. The other end of the
rod, a. is connected to the lever c. The lever c. is connected to the bracket d.
The rider by alternately pulling upwards and pushing downwards one end of the
lever e, by the handle e. with his hand also pulls upwards and pushes downwards
the rod a. and thus assists in giving motion to the pedal-crank p. by means of his
hand while he is pressing upon one of the pedals with his foot.
I will now shew how I apply my invention to a bicycle driven by the front
wheel.
Figure 3. is a drawing of a bicycle driven by the front wheel.
Figure 4 is a skeleton drawing of parts relating to my invention and
Figure 5 a drawing of these parts on an enlarged scale, and shewing my invention
applied to each side of a bicycle.
a. is a rod having one end of it connected to the crank-pin 6 of the auxilliary
crank x.
The other end of the rod a, is connected to the lever c. One end of the
lever, is connected to the handle bar h. It will be seen that the rider by
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page_text: alternately pulling upwards and pushing downwards one end' of the lever c by the
handle e, with his hand also pulls upwards and pushes downwards the rod, a, and
thus assists in giving motion to the pedal-crank p, by means of his hand while he
is pressing upon one of the pedals with his foot.
The ordinary handles can be attached to a bicycle or tricycle in the usual way.
I have not shewn them on Figures 3, 4 and 5, as this is not necessary in describing
my invention. The pedal-crank shewn on Figures 3, 4, and 5 is a double crank
put together in parts. That part (t) of the axle on which the auxilliary crank r.
is fixed is supported by the bracket s which may be fixed to, or form part of the
front fork of the machine, as shewn on Figures 3, 4 and 5. The rod a is so placed
as to give room for the rider's legs between the said rod and the frame of the
machine, when the machine is driven by a chain and the rear wheel, and between
the said rod and the front fork of the machine when the machine is driven by the
front wheel.
My invention may also be applied to a tandem bicycle or a tandem tricycle in a
similar manner to the methods I have described of applying it to a bicycle.
The same crank and lever arrangements (described herein and shewn by
Figures 3, 4, and 5.) as applied to a bicycle driven by the front wheel may also be
applied to one side of a bicycle or a tricycle driven by a chain and the rear wheel,
or wheels, by fixing a bracket similar to the brackets (shewo on Figures 3, 4,
and 5) to the frame of the machine underneath the axle of the chain wheel to
support that part (t) of the crank axle on which the auxilliary crank a is fixed.
My invention may be applied to a tricycle driven by a chain and the rear wheels,
as shewn and described by Figures 1 and 2. and to a tricycle driven by the front
wheel as shewn and described by Figures 3, 4, and 5.
I remark that, for brevity I herein use the term machine to denote a bicycle or
a tricycle.
It is obvious that the use of my invention will greatly assist, a rider of a bicycle
or a tricycle in propelling his machine when ascending hills.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of ny said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim as my invention is;-
Connecting one end of a rod to a crank-pin of a bicyle or of a tricycle, so that
the rider may by alternately pulling the said rod upwards and pushing it downwards
by means of his hand assist in giving motion to one of the pedal-cranks, and in this
manner aid with his hand in propelling his machine, while he is pressing upon one
of the pedals of his machine with. his foot, or propel his machine by means of his
feet, and both his hands when my said invention is applied to both sides of his
machine.
Tim 14h 1. of Io1006