Improvements in the Driving Gear of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1889.
1
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 17th May, 1890,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION...
Improvements in the Driving Gear of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes..
.1:
I, CASTLE SMITH of 54 Fleet Street in the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention as communicated to me from abroad by
Frederick Henry Addis, of Ajmere, India to be as follows :-
The object of this invention is to replace the driving chains and sprocket wheels
at present in vogue by the use of coupling rods. Coupling rods have already been
used but without success on account of the difficulty experienced in getting over
the dead centres, and sets of three rods have also been used with no better result.
By this invention however this difficulty is overcome.
According to this Invention the pedal cranks are themselves cranked or set so
that the pin to which the coupling rod is attached is outside a straight line drawn
from the pedal piu to the axle. The cranks are bent or set both in the same direction
when in place so that an angle is formed between each coupling pin and the axle.
This angle may be varied according to the make of the cycle &c., but is preferably
rather greater than a right angle.
The other end of the coupling rod is attached to a geared wheel carried by the
framing or by a bracket attached to the framing and driving a pinion fixed to the
axle of the driven wheel. The geared wheel is made so as to box in the gearing and
keep out dirt and grit. Each coupling rod of course actuates a set of gear wheels
as described.
Dated this 1st day of Jul 1800
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Gear of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes.
I, CASTLE SMITH, of 54 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, as communicated to me from abroad by Frederick Henry Addis, of
Ajmere, India, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to replace the driving chains and sprocket wheels
at present in vogue in the driving gear of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
by the use of coupling rods. Coupling rods have already been used but without
success, on account of the difficulty experienced in getting over the dead centres,
and sets of three rods have also been used with no better result. By this invention
however, this difficulty is overcome.
According to this invention, the pedal cranks are themselves cranked or set so
that the pin to which the coupling rod is attached is outside a straight line drawn
from the pedal pin to the axle. The cranks are bent or set both in the same direction
when in place, so that an angle is formed between each coupling pin and the axle.
This angle may be varied according to the make of the cycle etc., but is preferably
rather greater than a right angle.
The other end of the coupling rod is attached to a geared wheel carried by the
framing or by a bracket attached to the framing and driving a pinion fixed to the
axle of the driven wheel. The geared wheel is made so as to box in the gearing

page_text: and keep out dirt and grit. Each coupling rod, of course, actuates a set of gear wheels
as described.
And in order that the invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety bicycle fitted with this invention:
Figures II, II and IV shew examples of the shapes the cranks may be made
according to circumstances; Figure shews elevation and plan of the gear wheels
attached to and working on the fork; and Figure VI shews the method of attaching
the gear wheels to a tricycle or other machine where the power is applied to a shaft
connecting the driven wheels.
The coupling rods F are placed on the pins D of the pedal cranks (see Figure II)
so that the coupling rods and the pedals necessarily move in their own planes. The
pedal cranks are so bent or set that the pedals are always diametrically opposite to
each other (see Figures II, III and IV) the angle A C B being varied to suit
requirements but being always preferably greater than a right angle. The rear end
of each coupling rod F is placed on a pin K rigidly affixed to an internally toothed
wheel G, carried by the framing of the machine or by a bracket E, affixed to the
fork as shewn in Figure V. The toothed wheel G is made of box shape substantially
as shewn to keep out dirt etc., and gears with a pinion H keyed fast on the axle J
of the driven wheel:
In Figure V1 the bracket E' is fixed to the framing of the machine and forms the
journals for the pinions H and is extended to form a carrier such as E Figure V
for the geared driving wheels G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes, the connecting
rods, coupled at one end to the pedal cranks bent or set at an angle substantially as
described, and at the other end to an internally toothed wheel gearing with a pinion
fixed on the axle of the driven wheel or wheels arranged and operating substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein before set forth and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
(2) My improved driving gear for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 13th day of March 1890.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.