IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES OR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES OR
VELOCIPEDES." A communication from abroad by Emile Viarengo
de Forville, of Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th December 1871.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the, nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES, OR
VELOCIPEDES," to be as follows :-
This Invention consists of several improvements (applicable to
bicycles or velocipedes) having for their object to render these articles

page_text: more comfortable and convenient to use than those heretofore con-
structed.
The first improvement has for its object to prevent the shaking motion
or trepidations to which the body and hands of the rider are usually
subjected, and consists in the application or use of a spring between the
spindle and handle and fork of the fore carriage, and of one or more
springs between the seat or saddle and the hinder carriage.
The second improvement consists in giving the impulsion or forward
motion to the bicycle by means of four cranks, two of which are fixed
to the axle of the hind wheel or to the gearing connected therewith, and
two to an intermediate axle which receives its motion directly from the
feet of the rider. These cranks are connected together in couples by
means. of two connecting rods, in order to admit of the speed being
varied while the vehicle is in motion, and at the same time preserving a
regular and uniform motion of the feet, the rotary motion of the cranks is
transmitted to the running wheel by means of toothed. gearing, con-
sisting of a series of change wheels, some of which are capable of
sliding on their shafts, so that they may be thrown in and out of gear
when required by means of a hand lever.
'
:
In ladies' bicycles a space between the two wheels is provided to
receive the ladies dress, which is kept free from the working parts by
means of a splash board or mud guard, which is placed under the seat
and over the wheel for the purpose.

page_text: '
"
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Hér special
Licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times. there-:
after. during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use; exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES OR VELOCIPEDES," being a
communication to me from abroad by Emile Viarengo de Forville, of
Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument, in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly,
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what.
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed.
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
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NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is,
to say):
:
This Invention consists of several improvements (applicable to bicycles:
or. velocipedes). having for. their object to render these articles more.
comfortable and convenient to use than those heretofore constructed.
"
$4
The first improvement has for its object to prevent the shaking motion
or trepidations, to which the body and hands of the rider are usually
subjected, and consists in the application or use of a spring between the
spindle and handles and fork of the fore carriage and of one or more
springs between the seat or saddle and the hinder carriage.
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The second improvement consists in giving the impulsion or forward'
motion to the bicycles by means of four cranks, two of which. are fixed
to the axle of the hind wheel or to the gearing connected therewith, and
two to an intermediate axle which receives its motion directly from the
feet of the rider. These cranks are connected together in couples-by
1

page_text: means of two connecting rods. In order to admit of the speed being
varied while the vehicle is in motion, and at the same time preserving a
regular and uniform motion of the feet, the rotary motion of the cranks
is transmitted to the running wheel by means of toothed gearing, con-.
sisting of a series of change wheels, some of which are capable of sliding
on their shafts so that they may be thrown in and out of gear when
required by means of a hand lever.
In ladies bicycles a space between the two wheels is provided to receive
the ladies dress, which is kept free from the working parts by means of
a splash board or mud guard, which is placed under the seat and over the
wheel for the purpose.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation
of the improved construction of velocipede, the trailing wheel serving as
the driving wheel Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; Figure 3 shews
the improved velocipede adapted for ladies use; Figure 4 is a plan view of
the same; Figure 5 represents an end view of the same system of velocipede,
in which motion is transmitted by means of tooth wheel gearing; Figure
6. is a front view full size of the mechanism for transmitting motion;
Figure 7. represents a vertical section of the moveable spring socket
for the fore part of the vehicle, and Figure 8 is a plan view of the same.
A is the driving wheel placed at the hinder part of the vehicle;
b, rods, transmitting motion from the pedals or treadles c to the driving
wheel a; d is an axle to which the treadles c are adapted, and e is
a bent metal bar for connecting together the fore and after part of
the velocípede; ff, cranks keyed upon the axletree of the driving wheel
a; g.is the axletree of the driving wheel a, and h, "h, are pinions keyed-
upon the axle g. Pinions i, i, are mounted loosely upon the axle j, which
also carries the pinions m; bent arm's k, k, are affixed to the forked
piece, for the purpose of supporting one end of the shafts, or axles j, j,
on which are-keyed-the-pinions m, m. The bent "arms k, k, also assist
in supporting the axle 9, 9, and the nave or stock of the driving wheel a
on the ends of which are keyed the pinions n; o, o, are T-shaped-pieces
to engage and disengage the pinions i, and p, p, are levers which-actuate-
the T shaped pieces o, o. These levers are connected by their upper"
rend
to a cross head q, furnished at end with a knob or handle, whereby it
> may be worked. A transverse slot is made in the interior of the
auxiliary axle to receive the pieces o.

page_text: In Figures 1, 3, and 7, s.is the moveable upper socket of the leading
wheel, and t is the lower socket affixed to the leading wheel; u is the
forked rod of the bicycle spring, and the steering bar; x is a bolt pin
affixed to the sockets and working in the slot y of the rod u; z is a
circular collar at the junction of the two sockets 8 and t; wo is a bar of
iron joining together the fore and after part of the bicycle.
.
.
It will be seen by the accompanying Drawing, and particularly at
Figures 7 and 8,, that the socket of the fore part of the vehicle is
composed of two pieces s, t, the upper part of which s turns upon
the lower part t. It receives the shaft or rod u of the fork which rises
and falls at will in the interior of the socket according to the pressure
upon the spring. The shaft u although made free to rise or fall cannot
turn horizontally without drawing with it the upper moveable sockets,
which carries the steering bar v, the latter being jointed thereto by means
of a pin x, which traverses the slot y in the shaft u, this giving the wheel
the direction required by the rider of the bicycle, whilst preserving the
free up-and-down motion caused by the action of the spring. A simple
half-flat may be substituted for the slot y in the shaft u, to which will be
applied a conical key or bowle. This second method allows of the play
produced by the constant frictional action of the shaft u in the socket s
to be easily adjusted.
2-1
The two parts of the socket carry at their points of junction a circular
recess 2, destined to receive a pin which serves to connect the two parts
s and t, allowing however the upper socket 8 to turn upon the socket t
affixed to the rod w, which forms the body of the machine.
The mechanism which is employed in this system of velocipedes for
transmitting motion to the driving wheel a, which is placed behind,
consists (as will be seen at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4), in the employment of two
connecting rods b, actuated by the treadles c, which are mounted upon
an intermediate axle d, affixed to the bent part of, the bar e, which joins
the fore and after part of the vehicle together. This arrangement, has a
great superiority over the old system of treadles placed in front, inasmuch
as it does away with the strain upon the arms whilst altering the
direction of the wheel in steering the velocipede. Further, in the
arrangement of bicycles for males shown at Figures 1 and 2, the rider
has a more comfortable seat and can better employ his strength, the
weight of his body being almost sufficient to actuate the treadles. His
movements are more natural and graceful. In fine this arrangement

page_text: allows of the application of a system for the transmission of motion at
varying speeds which shall be presently described.
The fore crank system is (as has been already said) characterised by
the bar e, which unites the fore and after parts of the vehicle together,
being bent very considerably. It also carries at its lower part the shaft d, 5
which serves as an axle for the two treadles. The cranks c (keyed to
the ends of this shaft) are made fast by the connecting rods 6 to the
cranks f; keyed upon the axle 'g of the driving wheel a, which is placed
in the rear part of the bicycle.
1
1
The ladies' bicycle (shown at Figures 3 and 4) is strongly constructed 1
although light and of easy motion. Its arrangement. admits of a lady
mounting with a long dress without danger. Further it is constructed so
as to prevent any possible accident. The lady sits gracefully and
elegantly, the motion is easy, and the equilibrium is better kept than
upon the ordinary volocipedes with the driving wheel in front.
+
*
T
"
'I shall now describe the actuating motion which operates by means of
a system of tooth gearing which is shewn at Figures 5 and 6 in the
accompanying Drawing.
7
In this system the driving wheel a is free to turn upon its axle g,
which carries the cranks f, and upon which are keyed the pinions h. 2
These pinions géar into wheels & upon the auxiliary axles j, held in
position by the bent bars or frame k, affixed to the fork 7. Upon this
same axle
jare keyed the pinions m, which gear with wheels n,
keyed upon the socket which forms the nave or stock of the driving
wheel à. The pinions h, i, m, n, are of different diameters at either side 2
of the wheel a, so as to correspond to "two different rates of speed which.
can be imparted to this wheel. Further they are constantly in gear and
turn continually.
10
In order to engage or throw into gear one or other of systems,
there is made in the interior of the auxiliary shaftj a slot r, into which a
T-shaped piece ofits, the ends of which extend beyond the external
diameter of the axles_and_penetrate the boss of the pinions i, which
-are-thus made fast or left free to turn upon their axles as regulated by
the pieces o
The T pieces o turn constantly with the shafts ;, and engage or

page_text: To avoid accidents the T shaped pieces o are actuated by a system of
levers p, which are worked by a single transverse bar q, terminating in a
crank pin. Accidents are thus guarded against, as but one side of the
vehicle can be engaged at a time.
This system can also be so applied that by maintaining the two T pieces.
at the intermediate part neither of the two pinions i will be engaged,
and the velocipede will continue to move forward simply by reason of its
acquired speed.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in bicycles or
velocipedes which has been communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,-
First. The adaptation of elliptic springs to the fore and hinder part of
the vehicle as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. Arranging the driving wheel at the after part of the vehicle,
and actuating the same by means of two rods and four cranks as herein
set forth.
I also claim transmitting motion to the running wheel by toothed
gearing, as herein set forth, by means of which the rate of speed may be
varied at pleasure.
I claim also the general combination and arrangement of parts par-
ticularly combining the fore and after parts of the vehicle by means of a
bent bar as herein set forth, and suspending the parts upon elliptic
springs as and for the purposes herein set forth.
ค
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.