Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes and other Road Vehicles:
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes
and other Road Vehicles:
We, GEORGE SINGER, Managing Director of Singer Cycle Company Limited,
of Coventry, and FREDERICK HAYWARD WILLIAMSON, Engineer, of 2, Wren Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows; -
This invention refers to the construction of a ratchet device and its arrange-
ment and combination with the driving gear of velocipedes and other road
vehicles, the object being, that the driving crank axle or motor shaft may be
held stationary while the vehicle is travelling, or the road wheels may over-run
the driving shaft.
According to our invention, we provide either fastened upon, or forming part
of the body to be driven, a circular step or boss in which is formed one, two,
three, four or more radial holes, accurately fitted with plungers or piston rods.
These plungers are forced outwards by means of springs fitted either in or under-
neath them. Over this step is fitted a pulley or sprocket wheel or casing, which
has a number of inclined planes cut on its inner surface in which the piston rods
engage when forced outwards by their springs. These planes are so placed that
when driving in the required direction the piston rods engage at the bottom of
them and the whole arrangement is driven together as one body, but when the
outer body is held stationary, the piston rods by mounting the inclined planes
are closed into their sockets and allow the inner body to revolve freely by itself.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise details as described above, for
instance, in some cases it would be necessary to fit the plunger rods into the
outer body and the inclined planes on the inner and so reverse the motion.
1
1800
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with the Driving Gear of Velocipedes
and other Road Vehicles.
We, GEORGE SINGER, Managing Director of Singer Cycle Company Limited,
of Coventry, and FREDERICK HAYWARD WILLIAMSON, Engineer, of 2, Wren Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
―
This invention refers to the construction of a ratchet device and its arrange-
ment and combination with the driving gear of velocipedes and other road
vehicles, the object being, that the driving crank axle or motor shaft may be
held stationary while the vehicle is travelling, or the road wheels may over-run
the driving shaft.
According to our invention, we provide either fastened upon, or forming part
of the body to be driven, as the road wheel hub, a circular step, boss, or collar,
in which is formed one, two, three, four or more radial holes, accurately fitted
with plungers. These plungers act as pawls and are forced outwards by means
of springs fitted either in or underneath them. Over this circular step or collar
is fitted a pulley, sprocket wheel, or casing, which has a number of inclined
planes cut around its inner circular surface in which the plunger pawls engage
when forced outwards by their springs. These planes or ratchet teeth are so
placed that when driving in the required direction the plunger pawls engage at
the bottom of them and the whole arrangement is driven together as one body,
but when the sprocket ring or casing is held stationary, the. plunger. pawls, by
mounting the inclined planes are closed into their sockets and allow the cir-
cular collar and consequently the wheel hub, to revolve, freely by itself.
We will now more fully describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
the construction of the aforesaid ratchet device and its arrangement and com-
bination with the driving gear of a rear driven velocipede according to our
invention.
"
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our sprocket wheel in the form of a cylindrical ring or
casing, and shewing the ratchet teeth formed therein; Fig. 2 is a transverse
central section of same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation shewing the
complete device. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the circular collar or boss carry-
ing plunger pawls, the sprocket ring being removed therefrom. Fig. 5 is an
end elevation with the sprocket ring in position. Figs. 6 illustrate the construc-
tion of plunger pawls by an end elevation, plan, side elevation, and inverted
plan view, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the circular boss shewing the
plunger pawls therein and the arrangement of springs for forcing same outwardly.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts on the several figures of the
drawings.
The pulley or sprocket wheel Figs. 1 and 2, we form with a cylindrical ring.
part A, having teeth A¹ projecting therefrom on the exterior surface, to engage
the driving chain or equivalent driving device, while about centrally of the
interior circular surface of the ring we form ratchet teeth A², there being, ball
races A3, A4, formed one upon each side of the said teeth.
↓
.
Fastened upon, or forming part of the body to. be driven, that is, fixed to,..or
formed with, the hub B of the velocipede wheel, Figs. 3 and 4, we provide a
circular step or boss C Figs. 3, 4 and 5, in which is formed one or more radial
holes, for example four, as shewn at Fig. 7. Within these holes we place accu-
rately fitted plungers D which we cause to normally project outwardly by means
of springs E located beneath same. The plunger D we preferably make circular,
as shewn at Figs. 6, the part of each plunger normally projecting beyond the
circular surface of the boss C being curved at the top, and having a flat D¹ cut
on the rear faces.
In order to prevent noise by the heads of the plungers striking the base of the
ratchet teeth, we form a groove in the head of each plunger and insert a piece of
leather D2 or other suitable material, allowing the leather to slightly project and
form a buffer for the plunger.
Laterally of the plungers, and on one side of the boss C we form a ball race (¹
Fig. 4, while upon the other side we make a screw thread C2 or provide other 5
fixing means to receive a ring F on which is formed an outer ball race.

page_text: 1. A driving gear for velocipedes and other road vehicles, consisting of a cylin-
drical collar or boss fixed to or formed in a piece with the road wheel hub, radial
cylindrical holes formed in the boss, plunger pawls fitting within the radial holes,
and helical springs in the bases of the holes which tend to force the pawls out-
wards, so as to project from the boss; in combination with a sprocket toothed
cylindrical ring, the sprocket teeth being of ordinary construction to receive a
driving chain, the interior of the cylindrical ring being formed with a series
of ratchet teeth to co-act with the said pawls, in such a manner that the cylin-
drical collar and the cylindrical ring engage when the ring is being driven at
as high a speed as the road wheel, while the cylindrical ring becomes free or dis-
engaged when the road wheel, and consequently the collar revolves faster than
the ring, substantially as described.
2. A driving gear for velocipedes and other road vehicles, consisting of a cylin-
drical collar or boss, fixed to or formed with tue road wheel hub, radial holes in
the boss containing plunger pawls, normally caused to project outwards by helical
springs arranged below same, a ball race formed upon one side of the boss, and
a laterally adjustable collar upon the other side to form a second ball race; in
combination with a cylindrical ring placed around the said collar or boss and
having ratchet teeth formed interiorally and centrally, with which teeth the
pawl plungers co-act, and a ball race upon each side of the ratchet teeth, the
ring being supported upon the boss by two lateral series of balls located in the
aforesaid ball races to be capable of freely revolving thereon, sprocket teeth or
equivalent means around the periphery of the ring by which it may be driven
from the pedal or driving shaft, the pawl plungers and ratchet teeth being so
arranged that the driving shaft and cylindrical ring may be held stationary,
while the collar or boss and consequently the road wheel revolve forwardly, sub-
stantially as described.
3. The combination and arrangement with the driving gear of velocipedes and
other road vehicles, of the ratchet mechanism constructed and acting as herein-
before described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of October 1899.
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.