IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE PROPULSION OF VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING AUTOMATICALLY er Tors
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jules Nicolas Steiner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th September 1869.
I, JULES NICOLAS STEINER, of No. 25, Rue de Saintonge, in the
City of Paris, Toy Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE PROPULSION OF
VELOCIPEDES, PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING AUTOMATICALLY
er Tors," to be as follows:-
The improvements in velocipedes forming the subject of the present
Invention relate especially to the mode of propulsion, whilst sup-
pressing all dead centres, accellerating speed, and reducing the fatigue
of working the apparatus, and admitting of mounting and dismounting
with the greatest facility, the said improvements being alike applicable
to the two, three, or four wheeled vehicles. On the axle of the wheel
selected as the driving and guiding wheel (it is immaterial to which I
adapt my system) and on each side thereof a pinion is placed, which is
actuated by a rack or sector, which is articulated to the forked shaft of
the driving wheel; at this point a pedal is attached and the gearing of
the pinions is insured by a rundle forming a ratchet and by a pin or
rod traversing the axle. The ratchet forms part of the axle and par-

page_text: ticipates in its movement, whilst its pawl is fixed on the pinion, so that
when the rider acts on one of the pedals to produce a partial turn of
the rack this latter moves the pinion equally, whilst the pinion by aid
of the pawl produces the rotary motion of the ratchet and driving wheel,
which movement causes the descent of the other pedal, and it is thus
rendered continuous. Thus an alternate oscillatory movement of the
toothed sector and pinion communicating a continuous rotary motion
to the driving wheel by aid of the pawl (forming part of the pinion) is
the fundamental principle of my Invention. The brake is lowered by
pressing on the handle of a lever, and a spiral spring reinstates the
brake when the hand is removed from the lever. Two jointed rods
attached to either side of the forked shaft and connected by a cross
Different forms of rack
shaft prevent the capsizing of the vehicle.
may be employed in place of the sector, and a spring and roller used to
prevent its ungearing from the pinion, the teeth of which as well as those
of the rack may be either square or oblique.
Another adaptation of my system to a tricicle is remarkable for the
means employed in actuating the pinions governing the ratchets which
are keyed to the axis of the hind or small wheels, the large one being
retained as the guide wheel, the three wheels being connected by rods
serving as guide to the fork which receives a pivoted brake, and in
lieu of manoeuvring which by means of a special handle it can be worked
by the guiding lever; for this purpose all that is necessary is to unite
the axis of the handles to the end of the brake lever by means of a
shaft, this lever and the axis of the directing handles being thus con-
nected the brake lever has its fulcrum on the guide lever instead of on
the rods connecting the wheels; these rods bear two hinges on which
two pedals are fixed, the ends of which are attached to two racks
governing the pinions, the pedals being raised by springs when the foot
is lifted.
My principle may also be adapted to a toy to work automatically,
motion being produced by a barrel spring or clockwork, which when
wound transmits motion to an eccentric turning a slide, and is from
thence conducted to two levers and to the sector.