Improvements in or relating to Means for Driving or Propelling Cycles, Motor Cars, and all Kinds of Vehicles Worked or Driven by Pedals or by Motors of any Description.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means for Driving or Propelling
Cycles, Motor Cars, and all Kinds of Vehicles Worked or Driven
by Pedals or by Motors of any Description.
I, EDWARD JOSEPH CURTIN, of 6, St. Ronan's Avenue, Redland, Bristol,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the method of working or driving
of bicycles tricycles tram or motor cars and other vehicles and for this purpose
when the machine is driven or worked by pedals I connect the pedal shaft with
the wheels or axles of the machine by means of one or more flexible shafts of
any size or make, either with or without the intervention of gear wheels of any
design or shape. Instead of using one pedal shaft upon which the two pedals
are fixed as at present I may also use two shafts placed in any convenient posi-
tion in relation to each other with one pedal only on each shaft and to the other
ends of such shafts I attach the flexible shafts and connect these to the wheels
or axles of the machines with or without the intervention of gear wheels of any
design or shape.
For motor or tram cars or other vehicles driven by steam oil or gas engines
or electric or other motors of any description I place the said engine or motor
in any convenient position in the vehicle or carriage to be driven and to either
or both ends of the driving shaft of the engine or motor I connect a flexible
shaft or shafts and the other ends of such flexible shaft or shafts I connect to
the driving wheels or axles of such vehicles or carriages with or without the
intervention of spur or bevil wheels or worm wheels and worms or any other form
or description of gearing whatever.
Dated this 15th dow of Tn 1000
Improvements in or relating to Means for Driving or Propelling
Cycles, Motor Cars, and all Kinds of Vehicles Worked or Driven
by Pedals or by Motors of any Description.
I, EDWARD JOSEPH CURTIN, of 6, St. Ronan's Avenue, Redland, Bristol,
Engineer, 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:--
This invention relates to improvements in means for working or driving

page_text: bicycles and other vehicles propelled by pedalling, and also to motor-cars and
other vehicles propelled by gas, electric or other motors.
According to this invention as applied to pedal-driven vehicles, the pedal shaft
transmits motion to the wheels or axles of the vehicles through a flexible shaft
or through two such flexible shafts driven through the medium of bevel or
other suitable gearing.
Similarly, with respect to motor-driven vehicles, the motion from the motor
is transmitted to the axles of the driving wheels by means of a flexible shaft or
of flexible shafts by which the motion may be transmitted direct or through
gearing or equivalent mechanism.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 illus-
trates, in side elevation, and Fig. 2 in plan, my invention in one of its forms of
application to a bicycle. Keyed on the pedal crank shaft is a bevel wheel a
gearing with another bevel wheel 6 keyed on a flexible shaft c which is carried
in a bracket d fixed to the vehicle frame e. The shaft c extends to the centre
of the driving wheelf and is turned through its hub to form the driving axle
upon which the driving wheel is keyed or otherwise secured.
According to a modification of my invention as applied to pedal-driven vehicles,
cach pedal crank shaft is distinct from the other and each such shaft is separately
connected by a separate flexible shaft to the point of application of the driving
power to the driving wheels or the axles thereof.
At Fig. 3 is illustrated in side elevation, and at Fig. 4 in plan, my inven-
tion in one of its methods of application to the driving wheels of a motor-car
or a tram car or other motor-propelled vehicle. The motor-which may be
actuated by electricity, gas, oil, or other motive agent is diagrammatically
indicated at g. It may be placed in any convenient position in relation to the
body of the vehicle and is suitably supported by a frame or other support. From
the motor are extended a pair of flexible shafts h, h', supported in bearings con-
nected to the vehicle frame. The shaft h transmits motion from the motor g
to the bevel wheel by means of the bevel wheel j. Similarly, the shaft h¹
transmits motion to the bevel wheel by means of the bevel wheel j¹. On the
driving shaft is a sliding collar and a pair of coil clutches of a known type.
The wheels i, il are normally loose on the shaft but either can be made to
rotate with the shaft by operating the clutch accordingly. Other kinds of
clutches may be used in lieu of those shown.
By the employment of two sets of driving, gear, the vehicle is made two-
speeded. Or, one set of gearing may be adapted for driving ahead, and the
other for reversing.
According to a modification of my invention as applied to motor-driven vehicles,
the rotatory motion derived from the motor is transmitted therefrom to the
driving wheel axles by flexible shafts without intervening gearing, the driving
being thus direct. In such cases, the axle is divided, and carries a wheel on
cach part and the flexible shafts are connected directly to either end of the
divided axle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In cycles and other pedal-driven vehicles, means for transmitting the driv-
ing power to the driving wheel or wheels, said means consisting of a flexible
shaft, or of flexible shafts, rotated from the pedal crank shaft or crank shafts
and connected to the driving wheel or wheels or the axle or axles thereof in
such manner as to rotate the same, substantially as hereinabove described.
2. In vehicles propelled by electric, gas, oil or other motors, means for trans-
mitting the driving power from the motor to the driving wheel or wheels; said
means consisting of a flexible shaft, or of flexible shafts, arranged so as to rotate

page_text: the driving wheel or wheels or the axle or axles thereof either directly or through
the medium of bevel, mitre or other gearing, substantially as hereinabove
described.
Dated this 15th day of March 1899
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent, Bristol.