IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING VELOCIPEDES, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Collis, of Webber Street, Blackfriars
Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING VELOCIPEDES, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Scaled the 18th March 1870, and dated the 24th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Collis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1869.
I, RICHARD COLLIS, of Webber Street, Blackfriars Road, in the
County of Surrey; do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING VELOCIPEDES, ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the means of propelling
velocipedes, and consists in utilizing the gravity of the person riding
thercon for that purpose, whereby the fatigue consequent on the

page_text: exertion now required is greatly diminished, a rise and fall of the rider's
body being produced as when mounted on a trotting horse.
I will first describe my Invention as applied to a velocipede having
three or more wheels. The driving wheels are connected by a
cranked axle in the usual manner and support a frame, with which the i
steering wheel or wheels are also connected. I form the driving axle
with three cranks, the middle one of which is placed diametrically
opposite to the two others, which are precisely similar to one another.
To these two latter cranks are connected short rods forming links which
are jointed to the ends of treadles, the other ends of which are also
jointed to links or rods connected with the frame. To the central
crank is also connected a rod, to the upper end of which is jointed a
perch or bar carrying the rider's seat, the other end of the perch being
pivoted to the framing. The seat being thus mounted on a cranked
shaft will have a rising and falling motion at each revolution of the
driving wheels as well as the treadles, which always move in the
contrary direction to the seat.
The velocipede is started and propelled in the following manner :-
Supposing the seat be at the highest and consequently the treadles
at their lowest positions, with the driver's feet resting on the treadles,
he by bearing or pushing against the guide handle with which the
steering wheels are provided will be enabled to partially rotate the
driving wheels so as to enable the weight of the body (which is now
brought to bear entirely on the seat) to depress the crank on which
the seat is mounted to its lowest position, the driving wheals are thus
partly rotated and the treadle cranks brought to their highest position,
when the weight of the rider being transferred from the seat to the
treadles the latter are depressed in turn, the driving wheels completing
a revolution. In this manner the rider by bringing his weight to bear
alternately on the seat and on the treadles will be enabled to propel the
vehicle with but little exertion beyond that necessary to maintain the
rise and fall necessary for keeping the cranks in motion. If necessary the
rider may in starting alternately pull and push the steering handle
when the treadles are at their highest and lowest positions respectively to
assist the cranks in passing the dead point until a sufficiently high speed
is attained. If it is desired to start and propel the velocipede in the
backward direction, the force will be applied to the handle in the
contrary way when the cranks are at the dead point. A suitable brake

page_text: may be provided for the purpose of retarding or arresting the motion
of the carriage, or the same result may be attained by the rider allowing
his weight to bear entirely upon either the seat or the treadles. A clutch
is placed on the driving axle for enabling one of the driving wheels to
be thrown out of gear by means of a suitable handle to facilitate turning
the vehicle. The above described apparatus may also be employed for
propelling water velocipedes or boats by mounting it thereon and
substituting a pair of paddle wheels for the driving wheels referred to.
The apparatus may also be applied for working pumps and lifts by
connecting the driving axle therewith by means of suitable gearing.
I will now proceed to describe the Invention as applied to a two-
wheeled velocipede or bicycle. Instead of supporting the rear end of
the spring carrying the rider's seat on a strut fixed rigidly to the framing
I fork the end of the spring and joint the limbs of the fork to connecting
rods attached at their lower ends to cranks radiating in the same
direction and fixed at either end of the axle of the rear wheel, on either
side of which the connecting rods are placed. The axle of the forc
wheel is also furnished with cranks as usual except that they both
radiate in the same direction. To these cranks I attach treadles one on
either side, which are supported at their rear ends by rods or links
connected loosely to the axle of the rear wheel, from which they are
dependent. If necessary the treadles may be hinged towards their front
ends so as to permit of the fore wheel being turned in the usual manner
for the purpose of guiding the vehicle. In this manner supposing the
crank of the rear wheel and consequently the seat to be at their highest
and the treadle cranks at their lowest positions, the carriage may be
started and propelled in the manner before described. It is essential
that the two wheels should be of the same diameter, in order that their
respective cranks may always maintain opposite positions and cause the
seat to rise while the treadles are falling and thereby enable the rider to
propel the carriage as before described.