Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOHANN WILHELM THEEGARTEN of Mülheim on the Rhine, Rhenish Prussia,
Germany, Mechanical engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to create a better means for transmitting the power
exerted by the rider than is possible with the devices and with the bellcrank pedals
now mostly in use.
My invention is described hereafter and shown on the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 shows a side view of the new velocipede.
front view of the same.
2
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plan.
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5 is a horizontal section through the pedal mechanism.
4 side view of the same in an enlarged scale.
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Instead of using the ordinary bellcrank treadles which are fixed at the ends of a
shaft and make a complete revolution with every two steps of the feet, one half of
the revolution being caused by the weight or power of the right leg, the other half
by the left leg, I use the lever pedals A, A which are allowed to turn round the
shaft B to a certain extent, being prevented to go down too deep, when the foot stands
on them, by stops C fixed on the main or saddle frame D of the machine.
The position of these lever pedals and the stops Care so arranged that the way
passed by them lies for one half above the horizontal plane and for the other half
below the horizontal plane laid through the fulcrum of the pedals or through the
centre line of shaft B.
Springs C¹, fixed with one end to the pedal levers and with the other against
the frame D pull the levers upwards when they are released from the pressure of
the foot upon them.
Thus a person riding on the saddle E can cause the pedals to swing alternately up
and down by treading on the pedals as usual.
The same motion of the pedals can be obtained when the rider takes or imitates
the position on the saddle E as if going on horseback, alternately sitting on the
saddle and standing on the pedals. In the first case the rod F, upon which the
saddle is erected, goes down with it, a spring G laid round the rod F below the saddle
and resting on the boss H of the saddle frame being then depressed. At its foot the
rod F takes hold of the end of a lever I which is mounted upon the shaft B in
the same manner as the pedal levers A, so that it can swing up and down in the
same manner.
It will thus be easily understood that, if a rider sits down upon the saddle E
this will go down with the rod F and with the lever I, hereby depressing the
spring G; and if the rider stands upon the pedals and so releasing the weight on
the saddle the spring G will raise the saddle again and with it the rod F and
the lever I and so the rider can imitate exactly the motion as if he were going
on horse back.
Now outside of the boss of one of each pair of the pedal levers A & A' are fixed
the combined chain wheels and friction clutches K & K and at one side of the lever I
is fixed on the shaft B a friction clutch L without a toothed rim.
Towards the inner side the discs of these friction clutches are provided with the
flange M, and in diametrically opposite directions the friction claws N with their
forked prongs take hold of the flanges M. The other ends of these claws bear upon
the boss of the levers A, A¹ & I respectively, into which are cut recesses O, as seen
best from fig. 4, in such a manner that one side of the claws stands radial and flush

page_text: against the back of the recess in the boss; this being that part of the recess looking
forwards with respect to the downward direction of the levers; the other part of the
recess is cut out or shaped so; that when the lever goes back or rises again the claw
can slide over the boss.
Therefore when the lever goes down and the boss is turned on the shaft B, it
takes the claws N along with it at their inner end, having the tendency to turn
them.
The direction of pressure of the boss against the claws being an eccentric one
with regard to the prongs upon the flange M, the claws will cramp the flange between
them and thus take this round with them.
The discs K & K¹, respectively L being keyed fast on the shaft, this will be turned
and with it the chain wheel and thus by means of the chains R & R the motion of
the chain wheel discs K & K¹ is transmitted to the chain wheels S & S¹ which are
fixed on the axles T & T of the driving wheels U of the velocipede, and it will
now be understood how the riding or going motion of the rider on the saddle or
on the pedals respectively is transformed in a very practical manner in the rotary
motion of the driving wheels.
No dead points are possible and the rider can always exert bis full power, because
his own weight comes to its full exertion which is impossible by the use of bellcrank
pedals and other devices now in use.
Dated this 31st day of December 1888
KARL J. MAYER,
Agent for Joh. Wilh. Theegarten.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, JOHANN WILHELM THEEGARTEN of Mülheim on the Rhine, Rhenish Prussia
Germany, Mechanical Engineer 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 my invention is to create a better means for transmitting the power
exerted by the rider than by the bell crank pedals now most in use.
The following is a description of my new invention which is shown on the
accompanying drawing, where
Fig. 1 shows a side view of the new velocipede.
Fig. 2 shows a front view of the same.
Fig. 3 shows a plan of it.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of one form of the driving clutch.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of an improved form of the driving clutch.
Fig. 6 is a section of the same along line I II III IV.
Fig. 7 is a section through fig. 4.
Instead of using the ordinary bellcrank treadles which are fixed on the treadle shaft
and make a complete revolution with every two steps of the feet, one half of the
turn being performed by the weight or power of the right leg, the other half by the
left leg, I use the lever pedals A & A' which are allowed to turn round the shaft B to
a certain extend, being prevented to go down too deep when the foot presses on them
by adjustable stops C fixed in a sliding piece C¹ connected to the strut D' of the main
frame D of the machine.
The positions of these lever pedals and the stops C are so arranged that the way
described by them lies for one half above the horizontal plane and for the other
half below the horizontal plane laid through the fulcrum shaft B.
Springs fixed with one end to the pedal levers and with the other against the
frame D pull the levers upwards when they are released from the pressure of the
foot upon them.

page_text: Thus a person riding on the saddle E can cause the pedals to oscillate alternately up
and down by treading on the pedals as nsually.
The samo motion of the pedals can be obtained when the rider imitates the position
on the saddle E as if going on horseback, alternately sitting on the saddle and
standing on the pedals. In the first case the rod F upon which the saddle is
erected goes down and with it a spring G, laid round the rod below the saddle
between the collar P and the strut D and resting on the boss H of the strut, is
depressed. At its foot the rod F takes hold of the end of a lever I which is fixed
upon the shaft B exactly in the same manner as the pedal levers A so that it can
oscillate up and down in the same manner.
It will therefore be understood easily, that if a rider sits down upon the saddle E,
this will go down with the rod F and with the lever I, hereby depressing the
spring G, and if the rider stands upon the pedals and so releasing the weight
saddle, the spring will raise the saddle again and with it the rod F and the lever 1
and thus the rider can imitate the motion as if he were going on horse back.
on the
Now inside of the pedal levers A & A' are fixed the friction clutches K & K on
shaft B and on one side of the lever I the friction clutch L.
The discs of these friction clutches are provided with the flange M and in
diametrically opposite directions the friction claws N (fig. 4) with their forked
prongs take hold of the flanges M; the other ends of these claws bear upon the
boss of the levers A, A' or I respectively, into which are cut recesses Y, as best
seen from figure 4, in such a manner, that one side of the claws stands radial and
flush against the remaining part of the boss, this being the part of the boss standing
forward with respect to the turning direction of the levers when going downwards;
the other part is cut out so that when the lever goes back or rises again the claw
can slide over the boss. Therefore when the lever goes down and the boss is
turned on the shaft B it takes the claws N along with it at their inner end, having
the tendency to turn them. The pressure of the boss against the claws being exerted
in an excentric direction with regard to the prongs upon the flange M, the claws will
cramp the flange between them and thus take the flange and the disc round with
them. The discs being keyed fast on the shaft, this will also be turned and with it
the chain wheel.
The figures 5 & 6 show a modified and improved design of arranging the friction
clutch. Instead of the two claws N standing radially, I use only one, N2, in the
direction of a cord of the arch of the disc M². This claw N2 forms a lever having its
fulcrum on the flange M² and its point of attack on the opposite side; a projection Q
of the lever A2 pressing upon N2 when it goes down, causes the prongs of №2 to take
hold of the flange in a similar manner as before and turns the disc round.
On the shaft B is fixed a chain wheel S and by means of a chain R the motion of
the wheel S is transmitted to the chain wheel S¹ keyed upon the axle T of the
driving wheels U of the velocipede and it will now be understood how the riding or
the going motion of the rider on the pedals is transformed in a very practical manner
into the rotary motion of the driving wheels.
No ded points occuring, and the rider can always exert his full power, because his
own weight comes to its full exertion which is impossible by the use of bellcrank
pedals and therefore he can ride much easier than with any other contrivance used
with velocipedes.
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. The arrangement for transmitting either the power of the legs or of the own
weight of a rider on a velocipede consisting,
a) in the lever pedals A and A¹ in combination with the friction clutch K M N,
(KM'N) and of the chain K and the chain wheels S & S¹ for transmitting
the oscillating motion of the pedals A and A' into the rotary motion of the
driving wheels U;

page_text: b) in the lever I in combination with the friction clutch L and the chain R
and the chain wheels S & S for transmitting the oscillating motion of the
lever I, the rod F and saddle E respectively into the rotary motion of the
driving wheels U.
2. The modified arrangement of the friction clutch consisting of the forked claw N'
taking hold of the flange M2 of the disc when the free end of the claw is being
pressed down by the projection Q of a pedal lever A2, the whole as set forth and as
shown.
501 1
1000
KARL J. MAYER,
Agent for J. W. Theegarten.