Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 19th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1887
Wheel.
I, FRANK HUGHES, of the firm of Hughes, Eli and Hughes, No. 76 Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Patent Agents and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention, a communication to me from abroad by Georg Rothgiesser, of the firm of
R. Nagel & Coy, Manufacturers of bicycle and tricycle accessories, of Bielefeld,
Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in bicycles known as the Rover' type
driven by the back wheel, and is constructed so as to prevent fatiguing the arms of
the rider, which is produced by attaching both cranks and saddle to the rear wheel
and its frame, while the weight of the arms rest only on the front wheel.
I construct a frame where the saddle is placed over the rear wheel, this frame being
fixed to the centre hub of the front wheel, but the pedals and driving gear are fixed
to the centre hub of the rear wheel, which reduces the power required for steering,
the stem of the handle bars is also fixed to the rear frame.
A machine constructed on this principle may be ridden without using the arms at
all, the power for driving the machine being produced by working the pedals fixed to
the driving gear on the rear wheel, although the rider is seated at the end of the fork
attached to and bearing on the hub of the front wheel.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Bicycles Driven by the Rear
Wheel.
I, FRANK HUGHES, of the firm of Hughes, Eli & Hughes, No. 76 Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Patent Agents and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, a communication to me from abroad by Georg Rothgiesser, of the firm of
R. Nagel & Co. manufacturers of bicycle and tricycle accessories, of Bielefeld,
Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany, 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 improvements in bicycles of the type known as the
"Rover" which are driven by the back wheel and in which both the cranks and the
saddle have their bearings or supports in the frame of the rear wheel. The whole
weight of the body is thus concentrated in the first place upon one part of the machine
and acts as so much dead weight leaving the arms to accomplish the whole of the work
of steering, thereby occasioning a cousiderable amount of fatigue.
According to this Invention, the saddle though situated above the rear wheel is
fixed to the front portion of the frame and therefore partakes of the motion of the
front wheel. The pedals and driving gear are supported from the frame of the rear
wheel and thus the weight of the rider is divided between the two parts front and rear
of the machine and can be utilized for the purpose of steering.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a bicycle constructed according
to this Invention, A being the front wheel carrying the frame B to the top of which
is fixed the saddle C. D is the rear wheel which is connected with the front wheel by
means of the frame E and revolving head E. A branch E2 of the rear frame carries
the pedals F and chain wheel G for driving the rear wheel, H is the handle bar which
is fixed to the front frame B.
By placing the saddle and pedals in such manner that they can move independently
of each other, the rider by changing the position of his body or otherwise altering his
equilibrium can steer the machine without using the handle bar except for the purpose
of steadying himself.
The same construction may be applied to tricycles which have one wheel in front
and two driving wheels behind so as to place the saddle upon the frame of the front
wheel, the pedals being fixed to the frame of the back wheel, as shewn in Figure 2.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
In a bicycle driven from the rear wheel the method of distributing the weight of
the rider by fixing the saddle to the front portion of the framework and the pedals
to the rear portion, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 10th day of October 1887
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.