Improvements in Chainless Change Speed Gear for Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chainless Change Speed Gear for Bicycles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by Johann Resch, of
34, Castellfeldgasse, Graz, Austria, Architect, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a transmission gear for chainless bicycles, in which the
speed can be changed during use and capable of being entirely disconnected or
thrown out of gear when so desired. The improvement also relates to the con-
struction and mounting of the transmission gear shaft.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bicycle fitted with the new gear which forms the
subject of this invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section to an enlarged scale of the transmission gear at
the moment when the low speed gear is in engagement.
Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line X X of Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is part of a longitudinal section, similar to Fig. 2, but connected together
for the high-speed gear.
Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 3, with the snap hook locked;
and
Fig. 5 is a similar section with the snap hook in the unlocked position. The
same parts are lettered to correspond in all the figures.
The chainless double gear contrivance for bicycles is substantially formed as
follows;-
The
The bevel wheel k is fast on the pedal shaft o and gears with the bevel wheel e,
which latter is firmly connected with the toothed wheel d fast on the shaft x.
shaft x is arranged in the interior of the hollow shaft z, this latter driving the hind
wheel of the bicycle. The bevel wheel R is firmly attached to the hub of the
hind wheel; it thus actuates the hind wheel, the axle w of which is fixed. Loose
on the axle w is a ring w', which is externally screw threaded and engages with
the cone-bearer g. The axle w is also externally threaded and provided with a
nut w². In consequence of this arrangement it is possible to adjust the bevel
wheelf, which is on the hollow shaft z, in the longitudinal direction of the axle w,
and thus to remove the bevel wheels R and more or less farther away from one
another or to bring them nearer together. The bevel wheel f, which is fastened at
the rear on the shaft z is screwed on to an axle-bearing m¹, lying against a ball
bearing, which latter is formed by the cone m and the axle bearing m¹.
The
cone m is fastened to the cone-bearing pin t2 by means of the female screw t and
covering disc t¹. The cone bearer, marked g, which is firmly joined to the rear
fork P, thus serves on the one hand to keep the cone firm, and on the other to fix the
axle w which is fastened by screws and nuts.
*
The shaft is seated in the interior of the shaft z, at the one end between the cone q
and the ball bearings ql, and at the other between the ball-bearings q².

page_text: Secured in a projection ut on the bottom bracket is seated a bearing piece u
which terminates in a cone so that the tooth wheel d takes its bearing in the ball-
bearing u'. It should be observed that into the bearing piece u a screw bolt u² of
unhardened spring steel is screwed, this screw bolt serves to hold the hardened
.cone together, so that the same is stable and unbreakable.
On the driving shaft a toothed wheel a is placed which can be moved forwards
and backwards over the guide blocks or feathers which are fixed to thickened
parts of the shaft (see Figs. 4 and 5). The toothed wheel a is furnished with two
or four pins a¹ which engage in the corresponding recesses s in the bevel wheel e.
Behind the wheel a is a locking lever h, which is under the action of a spring h.
Lever and spring are fixed to the wheel a by means of screws or the like. The
driving shaft z is furnished with an indentation or recess h² corresponding with the
locking lever h, the arrangement being such that the locking lever falls into this
indentation or recess h2, and thus forms a lock or catch, when the pins a¹ have
engaged with the recesses s in the bevel wheel e. This catch prevents the two
wheels a and e from coming apart when the bicycle is in motion.
When the gear
is put out of engagement, the locking lever his lifted out by means of the disc_r,
which latter is affixed to the wheel b, and the wheel a is pushed backwards by
means of the second disc rl, which is on the teeth of the wheel b.
On the parallel shaft y are fixed the two toothed wheels b and c; the former
engages with the wheel a and the latter with the wheel d. The shaft y is movably
seated in the ball bearings n and n¹, these latter being supported by means of the
stay rod p and the reserve ball bearing n², which latter also serves as a bearing for
the shaft z. The reserve ball-bearing n², is intended to be employed when the low
speed gear is used, and there is any greater pressure, to prevent the fork P from
being pushed downwards, or the lower bearing n sideways. It also forms at the
same time a means of partially removing the burden from the bearings u of the
wheels d and e and thereby also serves to relieve the shaft x. With the high speed
gear the bearing n² is not called into request.
The stay rod p is attached below the wheel axles o and w and connected at one
end with the cone bearer g by means of the screw bolts h³ with the assistance of
the nuts, and at the other end is fixed to the gear case by means of its ex-
tension p. The guiding or releasing disc r already mentioned, as well as the
disc rare likewise seated on the shaft y.
Through the top member M of the frame passes a rod v¹, which carries the head
or knob v and is furnished with indentations or recesses jjj². By means of a
hinge joint this rod is joined to the lever l, the fulcrum of which is at the point 12.
A slot in the underside of the lever / engages with the shouldered end y¹ of the
shaft y.
On the top member M. of the frame is a spring v2, the tendency of which
is to press the rod v firmly against the frame, so that the pin 3 engages firmly in
the corresponding recess j j¹ or j². It is obvious that the rod can have any other
suitable position and bearing.
The above substantially describes the chainless double bicycle gear. Now follows
an explanation of the operation and effect of this gear. The whole contrivance
being in the normal position, Fig. 2, the pin ja has engaged with the indentation or
recess 2 of the rod v11. At the same time the shaft y has been pushed back towards
the hind wheel, to its extreme position, by means of the lever l, so that the toothed
wheels c and 6 which are firmly attached to the shaft y engage with the toothed
wheels d and a on the shafts and respectively. The guiding disc r' fixed to
the wheel b has pushed back the tooth wheel a, and removed the pins a¹¹ from the
recesses 8, whereby the shaft z is disconnected from the bevel wheel e, and con-
sequently from the shaft x.
If now the pedal be operated, the bevel wheel e is operated by means of the
bevel wheel k, and therewith the toothed wheel d fixed to the former, and
consequently the toothed wheel c together with the shaft y and the wheel b
seated thereon, which latter in turn sets in motion the toothed wheel a and
therewith the shaft z, whereby the motion is transmitted to the bevel wheel R.

page_text: If, however, the head or knob v be pressed until the pin j³ enters the recess j,
the rod is pushed down and the lever turned on its fulcrum 12 carrying
with it the shaft y together with the tooth wheels c and b, (see Fig. 3).
As however, the guiding disc r moves with the wheel b, the wheel a together with
its pins al is carried towards the back of the bevel wheel e and the pins a¹ enter
the recesses 8.
In consequence of this the shaft z is directly connected with the
bevel wheel e and the soap arrangement h effects a locking. The shaft y is put
out of action and thus a quicker motion or in other words a higher speed of
transmission is brought about.
It is also possible to throw the pedal crank entirely out of gear, the pin ³
being allowed to engage with the middle indentation or recess j¹ of the rod v¹.
Thereby the pins a¹ are brought out of the recesses 8, whilst the wheels c and d
are not yet in gear with one another. This throwing out of gear is principally
important when travelling down hill.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Chainless change speed gear for bicycles, which can be connected and dis-
connected whilst the bicycle is in motion, and characterised by the combination of
a rod v furnished with three recesses jjj with a lever l, which operates a shaft y
carrying the toothed wheels b and c, and in such a manner that when a pin ³ is
introduced into the lower recess 2 the toothed wheels b and c engage with the
toothed wheels a and d whose motion is trausmitted to the driving shaft z, whereby
the low speed of transmission results, whilst by the engaging of the pin js with the
upper recess; the toothed wheel a is coupled direct with the bevel wheel e and the
toothed wheels b and c are thrown out of gear, whereby a high speed of transmission
is attained substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a chainless change speed gear for bicycles, as indicated in Claim 1, the
arrangement of the transmission shaft z, with the rear end seated by means of the
small cone m, in the cone bearer g which latter is fastened to the rear fork P for
the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
3. In a chainless change speed gear for bicycles, as indicated in Claim 1, the
arrangement of the recess j₁ in the rod v' by means of which, upon the engagement
of the pin therewith the gear is placed in such a position that the pedal crank is
thrown completely out of gear substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a chainless change speed gear for bicycles as indicated in Claim 1, the
arrangement of guiding or releasing discs on the toothed wheel and of a
spring locking lever on the wheel a, which falls into a corresponding recess 2 in
the shaft z, and thus fixes the wheel a, whilst the discs and r¹ push the wheel a
at a suitable moment, and the disc r effects the release of the locking lever h
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a chainless change speed gear for bicycles as indicated in Claim 1 the
arrangement of a ring w externally screw threaded on the axle w of the rear
wheel, for the purpose of enabling the bevel wheelf to be moved in the longitudinal
direction of the axle w and thereby to keep the teeth of the said wheel more or less
apart from those of the bevel wheel R substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
nated his 20th Jan of 1007