Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Velocipedes.
I PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of Nos. 19 & 20 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inventon to be as follows:-
Whereas the rear driven safety velocipede is usually steered by means of the
front wheel only with the result that on curves the two wheels run in different
tracks and therefore produce interference with one another, I make both wheels
steer; by using two steering heads with a coupling gear, both wheels will always
run in the same path and take the same inclination on curves, thus ensuring less
resistance and less "drag" and "skid" on the ground and therefore greater speed
and safety.
Where the machine is built as a Tandem, each wheel may be fitted with driving
gear; as owing to both wheels running in one track the interference caused on
the earlier double driven Tandem Safeties does not exist. But where one wheel
only acts as driver, the rear wheel is propelled by motor or by pedalling apparatus.
Where chaingear is employed of the usual type, I prefer a chain-wheel capable
of being detached and changed readily. For this purpose I use the device described
in Fig. 6 of the Specification 20401/91 for which I have obtained Letters Patent.
In order however to narrow the crank laterally and also to bring it in a line with
the centre of the axle, I modify the device described in the aforesaid Specification,
as follows:-
The projecting arm, acting as the crank, is preferably of rectangular section;
the lower end which fastens itself and the chain-wheel to the axle is cylindrical
and provided with a tapering flat; it is also tapped for the purpose of receiving
a lock screw; the outer face of the crank is stepped out and made to project 1/16th
of an inch or more, so as to bring it about level with the end of the boss of the
chainwheel. I may use an axle with the usual small end with a key way cut
across it; in this case the cylindrical end of the crank is set at an angle to the
rest so as to bring the latter in a line with the centre of the axle, the boss of the
wheel being such as shewn in the aforesaid Specification. I prefer however to
enlarge the axle end and pierce it with a D shaped hole, so situated that the boss
of the wheel may be central with the periphery and that the cylindrical_end of
the crank and the projecting part may lie in one straight continuation. By this
means a neater appearance is obtained, whilst a narrow "tread" is preserved and
the employment of a chain or gear case facilitated.
The rear steering head of my improved double steering velocipede carries the
seat pillar in such a way that it moves in unison with the rear wheel.
The top of this seat pillar is preferably domed and provided with a slot; inside
the dome is a domed and grooved nut; outside is a conical and grooved top which
carries the saddle frame; a screw passes through a top plate, the saddle frame

page_text: the conical top and the slot in the seat pillar into the domed and grooved nut,
thus clipping the whole together and providing angular tilt and longitudinal
adjustment.
Dated 14 Joo of Desmo 190G
Improvements in anа солестеа with veloстреаев.
I, PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF of Nos. 19 & 20 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London
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:-
I
The object of this invention is to provide readily attached and also readily
detachable chain or gear wheel on the driving axles of velocipedes. For this
purpose the chain or gear wheel is provided with a boss fitting over the axle, such
boss being perforated and the axle is cut for a keyway just under the aforesaid
perforation. A key or wedge being inserted through the boss of the chain or
gear wheel so that it impinges against the keyway on the axle, it is evident that
the chain or gearwheel the axle and the key may be firmly locked together. It
is also evident that if the perforation of the boss is made large enough, and the
key or cottar is long enough, this key or cottar can be made to serve as the driving
crank. In this case however it is desirable from a mechanical point of view,
and imperative from a commercial one that the centre of the crank and the centre
of the axle should lie in one and the same plane and also that the outer face of
the crank should be flush or nearly flush with the outer face of the boss of the
chain or gear wheel.
For this purpose I employ as the crank a rod of sufficient strength the main
body of which is shaped exactly like that of an ordinary crank of square transverse
section. One end is suited to take the pedal pin in the ordinary way, but the
other end is preferably cylindrical and provided with a tapering flat after the
manner of the usual cottar. This end is also bored and tapped to receive a screw
for drawing and locking the cottaring crank in position." Where an ordinary
axle is used with an ordinary keyway cut across the surface, I form the crank
of such shape that the cylindrical end forms an angle with the square body and is
so pitched that the latter is at a right angle to the axle, and the centre of the axle
and the centre of the lody of the crank lie in one plane. Where the cylindricul
and the square parts of the crank form one straight continuation the axle must
be thick enough to allow a hole to be shaped right across it of sufficient size to
admit the cylindrical end of the crank to be passed through it; one side of this
hole is preferably flat to receive the flat on the cylinder. The outer face of the
crank is stepped out beyond the cylindrical part so that it comes flush or nearly
so with the face of the boss of the chain or gearwheel.
Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 shews a rod or crank C of the usual square
section with a hole at one end to receive a pedal pin, but with the end c turned
to cylindrical shape, and provided with a cottaring flat f and drilled & tapped
to receive the tightening screw E.
Fig. 2 represents a chainwheel B with a D-shaped boss b. This boss is bored
to fit the axle-end A Fig. 3 and also transversely as shewn by the dotted lines
to receive the cylindrical crank-end C.
Fig. 3 shews an axle-end A with a transverse keyway f¹.
Fig. 4 shews the before-mentioned parts in position, D being a washer inter-

page_text: posed between the head of the tightening screw and the boss b; the inner face
of this washer is shewn in section in Fig. 1 and is recessed on one side to afford
clearance and draught for the cottaring ende should it protrude slightly beyond
the boss b. This drawing shews that in consequence of the angular position of
end c to the rest of crank C the centre of the latter is in line with the centre of
the axle A.
Fig. 5 shews a chainwheel B with a circular boss & perforated by the cylindrical
end of crank C; the side elevation on Fig. 7 shews the same parts, the face of
crank C being flush with the boss b; this boss is preferably not bored quite through
and therefore forms a cap over the end of the axle shewn separutely in Fig. 6.
This axle end is thickened up and pierced by the D-hole f; the cylindrical end
of crank C in Figs. 5 & 7 being a straight continuation of the square sectioned
body the latter will be central with the axle when drawn into position. As the
faces of these square cranks project beyond the cylindrical part there is no
liability on the part of the rider to knock his ankle on the boss of the chain or
gear-wheel.
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. The combination of a square crank provided with a cottar-action end, with
a perforated wheel boss and an axle in the manner and for the purpose described.
2. A crank forming a cottar for a detachable chain or gear wheel and with
the outer face of the main part projecting beyond the cottaring end in the manner
& for the purpose described.
3. The cottaring crank C Figs. 1 & 4 having one end set off from the main body
for the purpose of bringing the latter central with the axle A.
4. The combination of the D-holed axle A Fig. 6 with the square crank C
Figs. 5 & 7 having the projecting face as described.
Dated this 15th day of October 1897
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF.