Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
Improvements in Bicycles.
I, MARIE CATHERINE MCINTIRE, of Bedington, in the County of Berkeley,
and State of West Virginia, United States of America, 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 an improvement in that class of bicycles known as the
"Safety" pattern, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient driving
mechanism by means of which greatly-increased speed may be attained and the
machine geared to any desired point.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of bicycle-
frame by means of which the track-wheel may be properly supported and guided,
the required pressure applied directly to the driving friction-wheel, and the desired
spring or elasticity afforded for absorbing the vibration and preventing the same
from being communicated to the rider's seat.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the
subjoined description.
The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and
arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and
finally pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle constructed in accordance with the
present invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the rim of the friction-
wheel and the inner rim of the track-wheel.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the driving wheels,
showing also its relation to the inner rim of the track-wheel.
.:
Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the front or steering
wheel of a safety-bicycle and 2 the rear wheel; to which the driving power is
transmitted. This rear wheel is constructed with an open center and in reality
constitutes a circular track upon which the driving friction-wheel of the machine
rests and runs. The track-wheel 2 comprises an outer rim 3 of crescent shape, in
which is arranged either a solid, cushion, or pneumatic tire, and also an inter rim 4,
concentric to the outer rim and connected rigidly thereto by means of a series of
interposed laced spokes 5. The inner rim 4 of the track-wheel is substantially
U-shaped in cross-section comprising a flat horizontal bearing-surface and a pair
of circumferential flanges 6 extending in parallel relation to each other and at right
angles to the central or horizontal portion of the rim, as shown in Fig. 2. These
circumferential flanges are perforated at suitable intervals and receive the headed
inner ends of the spokes 5, thus giving a neat and ornamental appearance to the
track-wheel and rendering the same easy of repair when necessary.
7 designates the driving-wheel from which motion is communicated directly to
the track-wheel 2. This driving-wheel is mounted in the rear end of what is
ordinarily termed the "reach" 8 of the machine-frame and is braced from the
saddle and adapted to have the weight of the rider communicated directly thereto
by means of a substantially vertical bar 9 one of which is arranged upon each side
of the track-wheel and extended upwardly to and connected with the upper main

page_text: horizontal bar 10 of the machine-frame. An additional brace 11, extends from the
junction of the bars 9 and 10 downward to the reach 8, and connects rigidly
therewith at a point in proximity to the bearing-bracket, in which the shaft of the
main sprocket-wheel 12 is mounted, thus serving to brace such shaft which also
constitutes the crank-axle and obviates twisting the frame.
The rim of the driving-wheel 7 is composed of two equal and similar metal
rings 13, the inner adjacent faces of which are concaved to receive a friction tire
or band 14, preferably of rubber and round in cross section. Each of said rings is
formed with an inwardly-projecting annular flange 15 by means of which the said
rings are united to form a rim, said flanges also being perforated in transverse
alignment to receive the outer headed extremities of the wheel-spokes in the
manner indicated in Fig. 2. The peripheral flanges of the rim thus formed are
extended sufficiently to rest upon either side of and embrace the inner rim 4 of the
track-wheel 2 so that the tire or band 14 will rest with the full weight of the
rider against the inner flat surface of said inner rim and obtain a firm frictional
hold thereon, while the oppositely-disposed flanges of the driving or friction wheel
rim are capable of playing freely against the sides of the inner rim of the track-
wheel for accommodating the compression of the tire or band 14, and at the same
time preventing any liability of the displacement of the driving or friction-wheel
with relation to the track-wheel. By reason of the inner faces of the outwardly-
projecting flanges of the driving wheel rim being parallel with each other aud
parallel with the opposite outer faces of the circumferential flanges of the inner
rim of the track-wheel which are also parallel with each other, the two rims are
capable of sliding and adjusting themselves relatively to each other, thus com-
pensating for inequalities in the surface traveled over, and keeping the friction
driving wheel in constant working engagement with the track-wheel. The shaft
of the driving-wheel 7 is provided with a fixed sprocket-pinion, which receives
the drive-chain from the main sprocket wheel 12 on the crank-axle, as shown
in Fig. 1.
In order to guide the track-wheel 2 and bold the same against wabbling or
lateral play, a triangular frame 16 is provided, the said frame being connected to
the main frame of the machine at a point coincident with the axial center of the
driving friction-wheel 7. Journaled at the other angle of this triangular
supplemental frame 16 are two guiding wheels 17 each provided with oppositely-
disposed circumferential flanges 18, extending in parallel relation and spaced apart
sufficiently to embrace the sides of the inner rim of the track-wheel 2, in the
manner shown in Fig. 3. These wheels are journaled ou suitable spindles or stud-
shafts 19 carried by the triangular frame 16, and are capable of running freely
against the inner surface of the inner rim 4, thus supporting the track-wheel
against lateral movement.
20 designates a brace which is interposed between the rear end of the upper
main horizontal bar 10 of the machine-frame and the rear corner of the supple-
mental triangular frame 16. This brace is made in two sections and their adjacent
ends are coupled together in such manner as to permit of longitudinal contraction
and expansion, the amount of which is influenced by a spiral spring 21 as shown.
This spring serves to cushion the weight of the rider and prevents such weight
being transferred to the supplemental frame 16 in such a way as to cause the latter
to bind against the inner rim 4. From the foregoing description it will be seen
that a very simple and efficient driving-gear for bicycles is obtained, in which the
speed may be increased as desired by changing the relative sizes of the two
sprocket-wheels. It is also possible to construct the track-wheel of different sizes,
both as regards the outer rim and the inner rim. By constructing the supplemental
triangular frame independently of the main frame and connecting it with said main
frame by means of an extensible brace the said supplemental frame may accommodate
itself to the vibrations of the track-wheel and thus prevent frictional binding which
would otherwise occur.
Various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, may.

page_text: be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages
of this invention.
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 1
claim is :-
1. In a safety-bicycle, the combination with the machine-frame, and with one of
the ground-wheels having an open rim, of a friction driving wheel journaled in the
machine-frame and operating against the inner face of said open rim, means for
driving said friction-wheel, and a supplemental triangular frame having a yielding
connection with the main frame and arranged within said open rim and also provided
at its angles with guiding rollers or wheels, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. In a bicycle, the combination with the machine-frame and one of the ground
wheels having an open rim, of a friction driving wheel journaled in the machine-
frame and operating against the inner face of said open rim, means for driving
said friction-wheel, a supplemental and independent frame arranged within said
open rim and carrying guiding rollers or wheels, bearing against the open rim and
an automatically-extensible and contractible brace interposed between the main
frame and supplemental frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 25th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.