Improvements in Cycles for use either on Land or in the Water.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles for use either on Land or in the Water.
We GEORGE PETTS of 17 Southcote Road Tufnell Park Road, Holloway, in tho
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, and ERNEST JAMES WILLIS of 79 Wells
Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The object of this invention is to produce an improved cycle which can be used
either on land or in the water.
The cycle is constructed preferably in the form of a tricycle, with a steering wheel
in front, and two side wheels connected to a transverse spindle.
The wheels are replaced by hollow drums of suitable size to give the necessary
flotation, when used in the water, the front wheel or drum being so shaped as to
form a cutwater, or with a cutwater projecting from the steering fork as found
convenient. Each drum is provided with curved blades or paddles.
The pedals are attached to a driving wheel carried by a frame, and the motion is
transmitted from the driving wheel to the transverse axis by chain gearing in the
ordinary manner.
The seat and driving wheel are each made so as to be adjusted to suit different
sizes and weights of drivers, and to carry one or more if desired.
A flange may be constructed on the outer edge of each drum, so that an elastic
band may be stretched over and placed therein where it is required to use the
invention on land.
Dated this 17th day of January 1889.
st
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles for Use either on Land or in the Water.
We, George PETTS, of 17 Southcote Road, Tufnell Park Road, Holloway, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, and ERNEST JAMES WILLIS, of 79
Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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:-
The object of this invention is to produce an improved cycle which can be used
either on land or in the water.
The wheels of the cycle are replaced by hollow drums of suitable size to give the
necessary flotation when used in the water, and each drum is provided with curved
blades or paddles.
The pedals are attached to a driving wheel carried by a frame, and the motion
is transinitted from the driving wheel to the transverse axis by chain gearing in the
ordinary manner.
The seat and driving wheel are each made so as to be adjusted to suit different sizes
and weights of drivers, and to carry one or more if desired.
A flange may be constructed on each drum so that an elastic band may be
stretched theroover and placed therein, when it is required to use the invention on
land.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how the invention may be carried
into practical effect to produce a velocipede of the "tandem" kind with four

page_text: water.
hollow drums to give the necessary buoyancy and to propel the cycle through the
We wish it however to be well understood that we do not confine ourselves
to this form of cycle, as the invention can be produced in any of the various shapes
of road cycles at present in use, without departing from the nature of our invention,
as will be well understood without further explanation on our part by mechanics and
others engaged in the manufacture of cycles.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a "tandem" cycle; Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 a front elevation of the same; Figures 4 and 5 are respectively side
elevation and sectional plan of one of the hollow drums A.
All the parts of the framework, handle bars etc. are preferably made tubular so as
to add as little as possible to the weight of the cycle. The drums A are fixed on
their spindles B which rotate in suitable bearings in the longitudinal bars C of the
frame. Affixed to the bars Care uprights D carrying transverse bars E to which is
affixed a central longitudinal bar F carrying the handle-bars G and saddle bars H.
JJ are stays to support the handle and saddle bars. The pedal bars K rotate in
bearings in forked brackets L (see Figure 3). A double sprocket wheel N is fast on
each pedal bar, and they are geared together by the chain O so as to equalise their
speed. The remaining halves of the sprocket wheels N are geared by the chains Q
to sprocket wheels P fast on the spindles B (see Figure 1). Hence the rotation of
either of the pedal bars is transmitted equally to the two spindles B as in the ordinary
form of "tandem" cycle.
The hollow drums A shewn in detail in Figures 4 and 5 are made with two equal
discs R and a central disc S of larger diameter. These discs are circular and are
rigidly attached to flanges and s affixed to the outside of a tube T, the interior of
which fits over the end of the spindle B. Covering plates t, provided with square
lugs, are fixed over the ends of the tube T, the lugs being passed into correspondingly
squared holes made for their reception in the end of the spindle B, thus securing the
spindle and drum together. The discs R and S are made of metal preferably sheet
steel and are connected together by an outer casing U also preferably of sheet steel.
soldered, brazed, or similarly affixed to the peripheries of the said discs. The drums
are thus made perfectly air and water tight and are in the shape of two truncated
cones with a common base S, as shewn in Figure 5. The outer casing U carries any
suitable number of pivoted blades or paddles V similarly and equally disposed in
pairs one on each side of the central disc S. The blades are each in the shape of a
right angled triangle with the hypotenuse resting on the outer casing U and of such a
size that when parallel to the axis of rotation the side v is at right angles to the disc S.
This position is shewn in the lower part of the drums in Figure 3. Each blade or
paddle is attached to a spiral or other spring W whose other end is affixed to the
outer casing U, the tendency of the springs being to keep the blades or paddles so
that their sides are normally at an acute angle to the central disc S as shewn in the
upper part of the drums A in Figure 3. As the blades or paddles V enter the water
the resistance thereof on their longer arms will turn them on their pivots X until
their sides vare at right angles to the central disc S the springs W being then under
tension. They will keep this position relative to the central disc as long as they are
in the water, but on leaving the water, the resistance being removed, the springs will
return them to their normal inclined position. In Figure 4 a drum is represented
as rotating in the water in the direction of the arrow, the correct positions of all the
blades and the springs W being shewn. The blades or paddles V are made of
such a length that when parallel to the axis of rotation the apices of each pair of
blades touch or nearly touch each other so as to offer as much resisting surface to the
water as possible.
A flange V2 is constructed on or attached to the outer casing U of each drum A
into which an elastic tyre may be stretched when the cycle is required on land. A
section of a tyre in position is shewn in Figure 5. The blades or paddles may be
secured close down on the outer casing U by similar endless bands laid over them at
or near their pivots. The steering is effected from either or both of the handle bars
by means of lines, cords or the like attached to the said handle bars each of which

page_text: rotates in a socket. The lines, cords, or the like pass over pulleys and are preferably
crossed and attached to a rudder carried in the centre of the frame work at the
stern.
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) For water cycles or floating velocipedes, the construction and use of air and
water tight drums with pivoted paddles normally held by springs in an inclined
position, but assuming a position parallel to the axis of rotation when passing through
water, substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth and illustrated "in
Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
(2) The air and water tight drums with blades or paddles for giving the necessary
buoyancy to and for propelling water cycles or floating velocipedes substantially as
described and illustrated.
(3) The construction of a cycle in which the wheels are replaced by air and water
tight drums rotated by mechanisin actuated by foot power for use either on land or in
the water substantially as described.
(4) Our improved cycle of the "tandem " type for use either on land or in the
water constructed substantially as described.
RD IT ST
O CLODER LOO
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention " Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.