IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRIVING TRICYCLES; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING OTHER VEHICLES OR THE SHAFTS OF PRIME MOTORS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRIVING TRICYCLES; ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING OTHER VEHICLES OR THE SHAFTS OF PRIME
MOTORS." A communication from abroad by Nelson Merrill, Lawyer, of the
City, County and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th December 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRIVING
TRICYCLES; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING OTHER VEHICLES OR THE SHAFTS OF
PRIME MOTORS." A communication from abroad by Nelson Merrill Lawyer, of
the City, County and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the application of mechanical power
derived from the weight and muscular effort of the operator to produce the revo-
lution of a shaft either for use as a motor in general or specially for the propulsion
of a tricycle bicycle or other form of wheeled vehicle.
It consists in combining with the action of a tricycle or bicycle or the shaft of
a motor two pedal cranks disposed at an angle with each other of about 120 degrees
and a shorter double-crank or a pair of cranks formed to project from the axle or
shaft at an angle with the pedal cranks of about 120 degrees the short double-
crank being coupled by pitmans or connecting rods with vibrating levers carrying
a seat or support for the person operating the machine.
The object of the Invention is to avoid a dead centre in the revolution of the
axle and to utilise the weight of the rider in driving the machine and as a good
illustration I will describe the Invention as applied to a tricycle. The axle

page_text: connecting the driving wheels is bent to form two short cranks inside of and next
to the wheels. These cranks are of equal length and project in the same plane.
Centrally between them two longer cranks are formed to project at an angle of
120 degrees or thereabouts with each other and also with the short outer cranks.
These central cranks are provided with foot pedals of the customary form and are
connected by a central connecting rod.
The steering wheel is supported and rotates between the jaws of a forked
standard which passes up through a pivot bearing in the rear end of a pole or
reach whose front end is forked or divided to extend to the ends of the crank axle
just inside of the wheels. The axle passes through and is journalled in the arms
of the reach and these arms are bent up at the axle to form standards and to
provide a support for the seat of the vehicle. The seat is secured upon the ends
of two levers whose opposite ends extend out forward over and beyond the axle and
are pivoted to brackets, projecting forward from the standards.
These seat levers are connected and coupled with the short cranks next to the
wheels on either side by means of pitman rods pivoted at either end to the one
and the other. The seat is thus made to rise and fall in the revolution of
the axle.
The upper ends of the standards are connected by a horizontal cross bar in
which a vertical rod is pivotted centrally to support a handle fitted thereto. A
similar handle is fitted to the top of the standard of the rear wheel and the
extreme ends of the two handles are connected by cords or chains-So that by
turning the front handle in either direction the standard carrying the guiding
wheel and the wheel itself, may be readily turned to steer the vehicle.
In the operation of this improved machine when the rider is seated upon the
seat with his feet upon the pedals his weight operating upon the seat cranks of
the axle will automatically bring one of the pedals in such position beyond the
centre as that the rider may immediately start the machine by bearing down upon
that pedal.
This movement will ease his weight from the seat the which as its cranks turn
will thereupon begin to rise. The second pedal will in the meantime also move
towards an effective position so that by the time the first pedal has reached a point
at which the downward thrust of the rider's foot thereon will no longer do full
service because of the change of leverage the rider is enabled to throw his weight
with effect upon the second pedal. By the time this has passed the point of
greatest leverage thereon the seat will have risen to its extreme height and
its.cranks will have so far passed the centre as that by dropping fully into the
seat again the rider will transfer his whole weight upon those cranks whilst the
first pedal crank moves forward into its first position. By this means the entire
weight of the rider is constantly thrown upon a crank lever placed in the most
effective position for service and is readily and casily transferred from one crank to
another in succession as quickly as an effective position is lost by the one and
attained by the other.
It is preferred to make the seat cranks one half shorter than the pedal cranks so
that the movement of the seat may be an easy one.
It is evident that by this improved arrangement of the pedal cranks at an angle
of 120 degrees with each other the throw or stretch of rider's feet and legs in
running the machine is much less than where the cranks are directly opposed.
The levers carrying the seat may be pivoted to a fixed support in the rear of
the rider instead of front of him without materially changing the operation of the
machine and such a change is contemplated in the structure of the machine--also a
combination of springs with the seat or with the seat levers to modify and ease
the movements thereof is contemplated likewise, substituting a shaft revolving
freely in suitable fixed bearings for the driving axle of the machine so that the
devices employed to produce a rotation of the axle may be made to produce a
rotation of the shaft and be utilized as a motive power for light work.
In making such an application as this of the Invention the shaft with its double

page_text: cranks may be hung over head and the seat or saddle placed beneath it, the con-
necting rods between the saddle and cranks will in such case extend up to the
shaft instead of down to an axle and the pedals or treadles for the feet be connected
with their proper cranks by pitmans. The shaft provided with a suitable fly-wheel
to equalize its movement is then made to revolve under the influence of the whole
weight of the operator brought to bear thereon by his alternately rising upon his
feet and sitting down upon the saddle in manner as hereinbefore described.
The weight and effort of two or more operators may be readily brought to bear
upon a single shaft by simply duplicating the saddle and the cranks and pedals
arranged as set forth and the seats and cranks may be so arranged on the shaft or
axle that while the scat weight of one operator bears on the short cranks the feet
weight of another will at the same time bear on the long cranks and thus alternately
equalise the power throughout each revolution of the shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in
the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer. " IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRIVING
TRICYCLES; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING OTHER VEHICLES OR THE SHAFTS OF
PRIME MOTORS." A communication from abroad by Nelson Merrill Lawyer of
the City County and State of New York United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the application of mechanical
power derived from the weight and muscular effort of the operator, to produce the
revolution of a shaft, either for use as a motor in general or specially for the
propulsion of a tricycle, bicycle or other form of wheeled vehicle. It consists in
combining with the axle of a tricycle or bicycle, or the shaft of a motor, two pedal
cranks disposed at an angle with each other of about 120 degrees.and_a.shorter-1
-double-crank, or a pair of cranks formed to project from the axle or shaft at an
angle with the pedal cranks of about 120 degrees, the short double-crank being
coupled by pitmans or connecting rods with vibrating levers carrying a seat or
support for the person operating the machine. The object of the Invention is to
avoid a dead center in the revolution of the axle, and to utilize the weight of the
rider in driving the machine, in the accompanying Drawings. Figure 1. is a side
elevation, and Figure 2, a front view of a tricycle embodying the Invention.
Figure 3 a view in perspective of a shaft provided with double cranks arranged as
required by the Invention. A. A. are the driving wheels and B. the steering
wheel of the vehicle. The axle connecting the driving wheels is bent to form two 2
short cranks C. C. inside of and next to the wheels. These cranks are of equal
length and project in the same plano. Centrally between them two longer cranks
D. D. are formed to project at an angle of 120 degrees, or there-abouts, with each
other and also with the short outer cranks, as shown in Fig. 3. These central
cranks D. D. are provided with foot pedals W. W. of the customary form-as shown 3
in Figs. 1 and 2 and are connected by a central connecting rod P. see Fig. 3.
The steering wheel B. is supported and rotates between the jaws of a forked
standard E. which passes up through a pivot bearing in the rear end of a pole or
reach F. whose front end is forked or divided to extend to the ends of the crank
axle just inside of the wheels. The axle passes through and is journalled in the 3
arms of the reach, and these arms f. f. are bent up at the axle to form standards
and to provide a support for the scat of the vehicle. The seat S. is secured upon
the ends of two levers G. G. whose opposite ends extend out forward, over and
beyond the axle, and are pivoted to brackets H. H. projecting forward from the
standards f. f. These seat levers G. G. are connected and coupled with the 4
short cranks C C. next to the wheels on either side by means of pitman rods K. K.
pivotted at either end to the one and the other. The seat is thus made to rise and
fall in the revolution of the axle. The upper ends of the standards f. f. are con-
nected by a horizontal cross bar L-see Fig. 2-in which a vertical rod is pivotted
centrally to support a handle M. fitted thereto. A similar handle N, is fitted to 4
the top of the standard E. of the rear-wheel and the extreme ends of the two
handles, are connected by cords or chains-sec Fig. 1-so that by turning the
handle M. in either direction the standard carrying the guiding wheel and the

page_text: wheel itself may be readily turned to steer the vehicle. In the operation of this
improved machine when the rider is seated upon the seat F. with his feet upon the
pedals W. W. his weight operating upon the seat-cranks C. C. of the axle will
automatically bring one of the pedals in such position beyond the center, as that
the rider may immediately start the machine by bearing down upon upon that pedal.
This movement will case his weight from the seat F. the which as its cranks
turn will thereupon begin to rise. The second pedal will in the meantime also
move towards an effective position, so that by the time the first pedal has reached
a point at which the downward thrust of the rider's foot thereon will no longer do
full service because of the change of leverage, the rider is enabled to throw his
weight with effect upon the second pedal. By the time this has passed the point
of greatest leverage thereon, the seat will have risen to its extreme height and its
cranks will have so far passed the center, as that by dropping fully into the seat
again, the rider will transfer his whole weight upon those cranks, whilst the first
pedal crank moves forward into its first position. By this means the entire weight
of the rider is constantly thrown upon a crank lever placed in the most effective
position for service, and is readily and easily transferred from one crank to another
in succession as quickly as an effective position is lost by the one and attained by
the other.
It is preferred to make the seat cranks C. C. one half shorter than the pedal
cranks D. D. so that the movement of the seat may be an easy one.
It is evident that by this improved arrangement of the pedal cranks at an angle
of 120 degrees with each other the throw or stretch of rider's feet and legs in
running the machine is much less than where the cranks are directly opposed.
The levers G. G. carrying the seat may be pivotted to a fixed support in the rear
of the rider, instead of in front of him as illustrated in the Drawings without
materially changing the operation of the machine, and such a change is contem-
plated in the structure of the machine, also a combination of springs with the seat,
or with the seat levers G. G. to modify and case the movements thereof. Likewise,
substituting a shaft revolving freely in suitable fixed bearings, for the driving axle
of the machine illustrated in the Drawings, so that the devices employed to produce
a rotation of the axle may be made to produce a rotation of the shaft, and be
utilized as a motive power for light work.
In making such an application as this of the Invention the shaft with its double
cranks may be hung overhead and the seat or saddle placed beneath it, the con-
necting rods between the saddle and cranks will in such case, extend up to
the shaft instead of down to an axle, and the pedals or treadles for the feet be
connected with their proper cranks by pitmans. The shaft provided with a suitablo
fly-wheel to equalize its movement, is then made to revolve under the influence of
the whole weight of the operator, brought to bear thereon by his alternately rising
upon his feet and sitting down upon the saddle, in manner as herein before described.
The weight and effort of two or more operators may be readily brought to bear
upon a single shaft by simply duplicating the saddle, and the cranks and pedals
arranged as set forth, and the seats and cranks may be so arranged on the shaft or
axle that while the seat weight of one operator bears on the short cranks the feet
weight of another will at the same time bear on the long cranks, and thus alternating,
equalize the power throughout each revolution of the shaft.
Having now described this Invention as communicated to me I wish it to be
understood that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is
1st. The combination with each other and with the shaft or axle of a vehicle or
motor, of pedal cranks D. D. placed at an angle of 120 degrees with each other, and
shorter seat cranks C. C. projecting at an angle of about 120 degrees with said
pedal cranks substantially in the manner and for purpose herein set forth.
2nd. The combination of pivotted seat-levers G. G. vibrating vertically and of
cranks C. C. actuating and actuated by said seat levers; with pedal cranks D. D.

page_text: formed upon the crank shaft or axle at an angle of about 120 degrees with cach
other and with said seat cranks C. C. substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand & seal this Fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)