IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES COMPOSED OF TWO WHEELS ONLY, AND USUALLY CALLED BYCICLES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS OF VELOCIPEDES, WHICH IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORDINARY CARRIAGE WHEELS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Armand Meyer dit Moyse at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st July 1875.
I, ARMAND MEYER DIT MOYSE, of 38, Great Portland Street, Oxford
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Perfumer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES COMPOSED
OF TWO WHEELS ONLY, AND USUALLY CALLED BYCICLES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF WHEELS OF VELOCIPEDES, WHICH IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORDINARY
CARRIAGE WHEELS," to be as follows .—
This Invention consists,―
1° In constructing a carriage of the bycicle kind so that it becomes
not liable to be overturned, and that it can be ridden in confidence
by a lady or a child as well as by a gentleman, and capable of being
propelled without danger at a great speed, being easily worked and
steered or stopped.
2°. In an improved construction of the wheels, which improvement is
also applicable to ordinary carriage wheels requiring light weight and

page_text: The velocipede is constructed as follows -The wheels (W) vary in
heighth from four to eight fect, according to the size or weight of the
person the machine is intended to carry They are composed of spokes
made of iron barrels screwed at one extremity in a metal stock (S) on
two rows, and driven in a line at the other end into a wooden felloe
circled with an iron tyre (flat or half round). These wheels have the
advantage of being very light and extremely solid. The two wheels,
which are parallel to one another, are made a fixture at each end of the
axle (described hereafter)
The axle is composed of two axles forming one, both axles X and Y
are of the same length. At one end (the wheel end) they are both of
square shape to fit into the stocks (S) of the wheels (W), which are
pierced square in their centre to receive the said square ends of the
axles, thus compelling the wheels to obey the action of the axles. At
their ends opposite to the wheel ends one of the axles (axle X) is shaped
in point, and the other one (axle Y) hollowed in to correspond to the
point of the other which is to fit in, so that the two axles turn in a
centre like a lathe, but independent of each other. They are joined in
one axle (in appearance) by means of two round colars (C) of from one
to four inches (according to the size of the velocipede) larger in diameter
than the axle itself, and brazed on the axles at a short distance from
their ends, opposite to the square wheel ends, then a metal box (V)
made in two parts fits over these colars (C), and by means of moveable
screws (P) keeps the pointed end of one of the axles into the hollow
groove of the other, thus forming apparently one long axle in a straight
linc, but in reality there are two, perfectly independent from each other.
The turning of the colars (C) into the box (V) is facilitated by grease
being constantly kept inside the box (V), Jike in railway carriage wheels.
By screwing in or out the moveable screws (P) of the metal box (V) the
friction of the axles into one another can be regulated. The outer shape
of the box (V) is square. Now on the end of each axle near the wheels
is a bearing (No. 1) in which the axle turns loose, being elubricated by
an oil cup (O) fitted on the top of the bearing (No. 1). From each one
of the two bearings (No 1) drops down (to a few inches from the
ground) the suspension bars, not perpendicular to the ground (G), but
a little slanting towards the centre of the machine
The Seat. At cach lower end of these two suspension bars is fixed
the cross bar, which is parallel to the axles (X and Y) and to the

page_text: ground (G). On the middle of the cross bar is fixed an upright (L),
which at its upper end is shaped to receive (see letters F) the squaio
shaped box (V) This upright (1.) in velocipedes for gentlemen is fitted
with a saddle which is adjusted on an horizontal bearing (S), and which
bearing is moveable on the upright (L) to fix it to the heighth suitable
to the legs of the operator. In velocipedes for ladies there are instead
of the upright (L), two curved uprights fixed at an equal distance from
the middle of the machine, so as to allow a comfortable scat of the style
of an arm chair or other seat to be put in between, thus allowing a lady
to sit on the velocipede like on an ordinary chair, without having to be
in the position of a gentleman on horseback.
The propelling of the machine is obtained as follows -Each axle is
provided with two cranks (A and B) on a right angle with regard to
cach other The object of putting thus the cranks on a right angle is
to avoid what is technically called "the dead point," when after a rest
it is required to put the cranks in motion, but two "dead points"
cannot exist at the same time within a right angle, and if one of the
cranks happens to be at "dead point" when starting the other one will
be sufficient to give the impetus The crank (A) which is the nearest
from the centre is connected by a bearing (No. 2) running loose round
it, and fitted with an oil cup (0) to a hinged foot treadle working loose
by another bearing (No 4) (fitted also with an oil cup) round the cross
bar. The other ciank (B) (the nearest to the wheel) is connected by a
bearing (No. 3) (fitted also with an oil cup) working loose round it,
to a treadle (M) lunged to a hand lever which is of an 7 shape
(L upside down), and whose middle branch works loose into the loop of
an upright (U) coming only about half way between the cross bar
and the axle, and fitted above the loop with an oil cup. Now the two
axles being so fitted in the same way with two cranks, cach (at night
angles), the rider takes lus or her seat, and putting the foot into the
moveable clogs (Z) attached to the foot treadles, gives the stait by
helping himself or herself with the land levers till the impetus is
given, when the feet only will be sufficient to keep the motion.
Turning. When it is required to turn the rider leaves off working
the leg on the side he wishes to turn, and at the same time catches hold
of the hand lever of that same side, and by its aid, either stops or
reduces the speed of the wheel connected to that side, which therefore
forms a pivot, while the opposite wheel is kept working at full speed.

page_text: As soon as the desired direction is obtained, the rider engages again the
foot in the clog (Z), and gives a new start to the hand lever till the two
wheels are again at the same speed.
-
To Stop The operator leaves off moving the feet and catches hold of
the two hand levers, which can be stopped either instantly or gradually.
In descending hills they are a check to the speed ad libitum, and can be
used as breaks.
To Balance. The total framework of the scat, which is perfectly por-
pendicular to the ground before the rider gets on, but becomes oblique
forward when the rider gets on by the effect of his weight, two rods (D)
are fixed on the top of the two bearings (No. 1) supporting the
suspension bars, and are thrown in front of the rider on the other side
of the axles, therefore the operator sits on one side of the axle (his legs
working underneath, and the upper part of his body standing above),
and the two rods are thrown straight on the other side of the axle. On
these rods are fitted some sliding weights which are pushed towards the
end of the rods, more or less, in proportion of the weight of the rider, to
counterbalance him.