IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Burdess at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd February 1883.
16
ADAM BURDESS of Coventry in the County of Warwick 'IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRICYCLES
"
This Invention relates to improvements in tricycles and has for its object to
enable the rider to readily obtain speed and power as circumstances may require
The first part of my invention relates to the application of my present improve-
ments to my improved treadling backwards tricycle for which Letters Patent
N° 3200 of 1881, were granted to me
To effect this I fit each end of the treadle crank with a cog wheel running loose
and gearing into a similar cog wheel attached to each of the driving wheels
Such loose cog wheels are provided on their inner sides with teeth which take
into toothed discs carried on keys fastened to the shaft of the treadle crank
These toothed discs are provided with grooved spindles wherein suitably shaped
links work; such links being either fastened to or formed on the lever rods
presently mentioned, and being kept in position by suitable collars placed on the
disc spindles
Attached to a connecting bar are two levers placed one on each side of the
vehicle and each fitted with a lever rod-These levers and rods are operated by a
handle attached to the connecting bar-The lower ends of such rods are curved
and flattened and have slots formed therein to allow of their working up and down
over suitable pins attached to the framework of the machine when the levers are
put into motion
The operation of this improved arrangement is as follows:— -When the lever
handle is pulled forwards one of the lever rods is depressed while the other is
raised, thus causing one of the toothed discs to engage in one of the loose cog
wheels while the other disc is thrown out of gear and by this means power is
obtained-When on the contrary it is desired to obtain speed it is only necessary

page_text: to operate the lever handle in the opposite direction by doing which the rod
previously depressed is raised and the corresponding disc is thrown out of gear
while the opposite rod is depressed and its corresponding disc becomes engaged
thus causing speed to be obtained
Or I may so fix the levers as to produce a similar result by a contrary motion
The second part of my invention relates to an improved combined arrangement
whereby both speed and power may be obtained-To effect this I mount two cog
wheels upon one side of the machine one of such cog wheels being attached to the
driving wheel of the machine while the second of such cog wheels is mounted loose
on the crank shaft-This second wheel gears into the first and is operated by a
clutch or other equivalent arrangement so that when the crank is worked backwards
it is engaged thereby. By this means I obtain power
In order to obtain speed I employ three cog wheels placed on the opposite side
of the vehicle and arranged as follows-The first of such wheels I fix to the driving
wheel while I attach the second to the framework, so as to form an intermediary
wheel which gears into the first and third wheels such third wheel being mounted
loose on the crank shaft-This third wheel is operated by a clutch or other
equivalent arrangement whereby when the crank is turned in a forward direction
speed is obtained the operation of this part of my invention being that by turning
the crank backwards it operates the two wheels mounted on one side and so power
is applied; while by turning the crank forwards the three wheels on the opposite
side are operated and the other two wheels are released and thus speed is obtained
or vice versa
Or in lieu of employing three wheels as above described I may employ two
wheels in combination with an endless chain and so obtain similar results

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Adam Burdess in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st July
1883.
ADAM BURDESS of Coventry in the County of Warwick
TRICYCLES
IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to improvements in tricycles and has for its object to
enable the rider to readily obtain speed and power as circumstances may require.
And in order that my said invention may be better understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, whereon
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts proceed to more particularly
describe the same.
Fig 1 of such drawings shews a front view in perspective of a tricycle with my
improvements applied thereto and Figs: 2 and 3 shew detailed views of my
improved mechanism.
In order to obtain power I mount two Cog wheels D. E. Figs 1. and 3-upon
one side of the machine the wheel D. being attached to the driving wheel of the
machine while the wheel E. is mounted loose on the Crank shaft. Such wheel E
gears into the wheel D and is operated by a ratchet F. or clutch or other suitable
equivalent mounted on the crank shaft; so that when the crank is worked back-
wards it is engaged thereby and so motion is transmitted and driving power is
obtained The wheel E is smaller than the wheel D
In order to obtain speed I employ three Cog wheels A. B. C. Figs: 1 and 2
placed on the opposite side of the machine and arranged as follows:-Wheel A is
attached to the driving wheel-Wheel B is an intermediate wheel fixed to the
framework and gearing into wheel A and wheel C, which latter is the Crank wheel
that works loose upon the Crank shaft when the treadles are worked backwards as
the clicks then pass over the teeth of the ratchet F or other suitable equivalent
which is mounted on the Crank shaft; but, when the treadles are worked forwards
the clicks engage with such teeth and so transmit motion to the wheels and speed
is obtained-Such crank wheel C is larger than the wheel A
Or in lieu of employing three wheels as above described, I may employ two
wheels in combination with an endless chain and so obtain a similar result
The operation of my invention is as follows; videlicet;-By turning the Crank
backwards the two wheels D, E, are actuated and so power is obtained-By
turning the crank forwards the three wheels A. B. C. are actuated while the other
two wheels are released and thus speed is obtained or vice versa
One great advantage of my present invention is that the levers heretofore
employed in order to throw the mechanism of the machine in and out of gear are
entirely dispensed with
Having thus particularly described the nature and operation of my said invention
of "Improvements in tricycles I would have it understood that what I claim as
novel and of my invention is
Firstly The obtaining power by the application to a tricycle of two Cog wheels
and a ratchet or other suitable equivalent combined, arranged and fitted substantially
in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated
Secondly-The obtaining speed by the application to a tricycle of three cog
wheels and a ratchet or other suitable equivalent combined arranged and fitted

page_text: substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated-Or in lieu of
such three Cog wheels I claim the use of two Cog wheels and an endless chain
geared up for treadling forwards whereby a similar result is obtained
In Witness whereof I the said Adam Burdess have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Thirtieth day of July in the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
ADAM BURDESS
(L.S.)