Improvements in Transmitting or Driving Gear for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov, 1897
Cmulate Cranifination Loft 16th Sent 1893Accented. 16th Feb.. 1899
Date of Application, 16th Nov, 1897
Complete Specification Loft, 16th Sont
1803 Accented. 16th Feb.. 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Transmitting or Driving Gear for Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS HENRY WILLIAMS, of 64, Grant Road, Battersea, in the County of
London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows.
My invention relates to and consists of improvements in transmitting or
driving gear, or mechanism, for cycles, velocipedes, motor-cars, and other
vehicles. Its objects are to provide a more efficient, safer and neater driving
gear than the chain and sprocket wheel and to entirely dispense with the latter
device.
I attain these objects in the following manner:-On the crank or crank shaft,
I preferably mount a wheel of suitable diameter which is provided with helical,
or screw, teeth or threads; this gears into and drives a smaller wheel or pinion
which also is provided with corresponding helical, or screw teeth or threads and
is suitably mounted on one end of either a rigid or flexible transmitting shaft;
the other or rear end of this said shaft is coupled or connected to the axil or
hub of the rear or driving wheel of the cycle or other vehicle, by means of a
suitably modified Hooke's joint or universal, or flexible coupling, or its or their
equivalent. Or as an alternative device I sometimes mount on or form in one
piece with the rear end of the said transmitting shaft a suitable helical or
screw wheel and cause the same to gear into and drive a similar wheel mounted
on, or formed in one piece with, the axil or hub of said rear or driving wheel
of the cycle or other vehicle. As a further' alternative device or modification
of my invention I also sometimes couple, or connect, the said transmitting
shaft to the pedal crank or crank shaft by means of the said suitably modified
Hooke's joint or universal, or flexible coupling, and a link and lever, or links
and levers, or in lieu of a link and lever, or links and levers, I may employ
helical, or ordinary cog wheels in combination with the said suitably modified
Hooke's joint, or universal or flexible coupling, or its or their equivalent device.
The said transmitting shaft is carried and rotates in suitable bearings or
guides mounted on or formed in one piece with, the frame of the cycle or other
vehicle. The said helical or cog wheels and Hooke's joint or equivalent device
are suitably encased to protect them from dust and dirt.
speeding
Obviously my invention is capable of other modifications and combinations
for the purpose of "
"either in combination with the rotary pedal
crank and shaft or in combination with lever or oscillating pedals and with
ratchet motions without departing from its nature and scope.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897.
THOMAS HENRY WILLIAMS.

page_text: ;{ענעעע
Improvements in Transmitting or Driving Gear for Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS HENRY WILLIAMS, of G4, Grant Road, Battersea, in the County of
London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and iu
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to and consists of improvements in transmitting or driving
gear, or mechanism for cycles, velocipedes, motor-cars, and other vehicles.
Its objects are to provide a more efficient, safer, and neater driving gear than
the chain and sprocket wheel and to entirely dispense with the latter device.
I attain these objects and carry my invention into pratical effect in the
following manner:-
On the crank or other driving shaft I mount a bevel wheel of suitable diameter,
or it may be, a wheel provided with helical teeth or cogs, this gears into and
drives a smaller wheel or pinion which is provided with corresponding teeth
or cogs to permit of mutual gearing and is suitably mounted on one end of a
"lay or transmitting shaft the other end of which said shaft is coupled to
the axle or hub of the rear or driven wheel or wheels of the cycle or other vehicle
by means of a suitably modified "Hooke's" joint or "universal" coupling in
manner hereinafter more fully described.
"
As an alternative device or modification of my invention I may couple or
connect the said "lay" or transmitting shaft to the pedal, crank or other driving
shaft by means of the said suitably modified "Hooke's" joint, or "universal
coupling, and transmit the motion of the said "lay" or transmitting shaft to
the driven wheel or wheels of the cycle or other vehicle through the medium
of bevel wheels, or I may employ screw or helical wheels in lieu of bevel wheels.
The said transmitting shaft is carried and rotates in suitable ball or other
bearings, mounted on, or formed in one piece with the frame of the cycle or
other vehicle. The said shaft, likewise the said driving wheels and "Hooke's '
joint are preferably enclosed in oil and dust-tight casings.
33
In order that my invention may be better understood I will describe the same
with the aid of and in reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1, (Sheet 1,) is a side elevation partly in section of one method of carrying
my invention into practical effect.
Fig. 2, (Sheet 1,) is a part sectional plan of the same, shewing modified
"Hooke's" joint.
وو
Figs. 3&4, (Sheet 2) are respectively a side elevation and plan partly in
section, shewing another modification of the said Hooke's joint in combina-
tion with bevel wheels.
Referring to Figs. 1 & 2, (Sheet 1.) a is the crank axle which is mounted
and works in ball bearings fitted in the bottom bracket in the usual way. c is
a helical or screw wheel mounted on the said crank axle a and rotates therewith
and gears into and drives a corresponding helical or screw pinion d which is
mounted on alay" or transmitting shaft e This said shaft is suitably
mounted in ball or other bearings which are fitted to or formed in one piece
with the tubular stay f and the shaft rotates therein.
The ends of the tubular stay are suitably secured to the brackets b and 61
respectively and the said stay serves to bind the said brackets more securely
together and imparts greater strength and rigidity to the frame work of the
machine on the side where the power is transmitted. It also serves as a casing
for the protection of the said "lay" or transmitting shaft. The opposite or rear

page_text: end of the "lay " shaft e terminates in a crank g, in the eye g' of which fits
and works a socket h, which is made in halves and engages with the spherical
end of one arm or member of the bell crank lever or link k. The spherical
end of the other arm or member of the said bell crank lever or link k engages
with a similar socket m which fits and works in the eye n of the crank which
is formed on one end of the hub axle r. The said bell crank lever or link k is
formed with a cylindrical guide or sleeves which fits and works upon a spindle t
which is fitted to the bracket or motion box 61. The hub v of the rear or driving
wheel is rigidly mounted on and secured to the axler and rotates therewith.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-In pedalling the helical or screw
wheel c drives the corresponding screw or helical pinion d thereby imparting a
rotary motion to the "lay" or transmitting shaft é the crank g of which imparts
a combined oscillatory rectilineal reciprocating motion to the said bell crank
lever or link k on its axis or spindle s which said combined motions are con-
verted into rotary motion of the hub axle through its crank p. This device
constitutes a modified Hooke's" joint, or "universal" coupling and permits
of deflection or springing of the framework of the machine without causing
binding or undue resistance of the said mechanism, whereby the friction which
obtains with bevel wheels and other chainless driving gears, as hitherto con-
structed, is elliminated. The said bracket or motion box constitutes an oil
and dust-tight casing for the said driving or transmitting mechanism.
"
Referring to Figs. & 4 (Sheet 2) a is the crank axle which is mounted and
works in ball bearings fitted into the bottom bracket bas heretofore described.
c is a bevel wheel which may be provided with the ordinary teeth or cogs, or
preferably in lieu thereof with helical teeth or cogs. The said bevel wheel is
mounted on the crank a which is securely cottered or otherwise fixed to the
said crank axle a and rotates therewith. The said wheel mutually gears into
and drives a corresponding pinion d which is mounted on a "lay" or transmitting
shaft e.
The said shaft is mounted in suitable ball or other bearings formed
in or fitted to one member f of the tubular back fork of the machine and the
said shaft rotates therein. The ends of the said member f of the back fork are
respectively brazed or otherwise securely attached to the bracket b and bracket
or motion box 6' and the said member falso serves as a casing for the protection
of the "lay" or transmitting shaft e. On the opposite or rear end of the "lay"
shaft e is formed a square e¹ which engages with and is free to slide in a corre-
spondingly square hole formed in the boss g of a conical disc g¹. The said disc gl
is provided with a hollow trunnion h pivotted thereto. A similar conical disc p
is formed on the end of the hub axle r and is also provided with a similar hollow
trunnion m. These said conical discs are connected together by means of a
link the ends of which are fulcrated or pivotted to the said hollow trunnions n
and m respectively by the pins j and 7. The axes of the said link k and the
trunnions n and m respectively are in the same plane and coincident with the
axis of the lay or transmitting shaft e and the axis of the hub axle r. The hub v
is securely and rigidly fixed to its axle which is carried and rotates in suitable
ball or other bearings and formed in their respective brackets and 62 on
the ends of the aforesaid back fork this device constitutes the other modification
of the said "Hooke's" joint hereinbefore referred to; its action is as follows:--
In pedalling the bevel wheel c drives its corresponding pinion d thereby imparting
rotary motion to the "lay" or transmitting shaft which motion is transmitted
to the hub axle through the said conical disc gl, its hollow trunnion h, the
connecting link and its respective pivots or pins j and 1, the hollow trunnion m
and its conical disc p which is formed in one piece with or otherwise secured
to the said axle r as hereinbefore described.
66
Obviously the modified Hooke's" joint, as herein before described and illus-
trated by Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, of the accompanying drawings can be combined
with the bevel wheels hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4,
Sheet 2, of the accompanying drawings in lieu of the helical wheels hereinbefore

page_text: described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 Sheet 1 of the accompanying draw-
ing. And similarly the modified Hookes" joint herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 Sheet 2, of the accompanying drawings can be used
in combination with the said helical wheels hereinbefore described and illustrated
by Figs. 1 and 2 Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings without departing from
the scope and nature of my invention.
Although the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings particu-
larly relate to a bicycle obviously my invention is equally applicable to tricycles
and other types of cycles or velocipedes. It is also applicable to motor cycles
and motor cars and other vehicles when used in conjunction or combination with
a motor or motors in lieu of the chain and sprocket gear for transmitting the
motive power to the driven wheel or wheels.
Other speeding devices than those described may obviously be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Transmitting or driving gear for cycles and other vehicles consisting of
a lay or transmitting shaft connected at one end by a suitably modified Hooke's
joint or universal coupling either to the driving or the driven part, substantially
as described and illustrated by accompanying drawings.
2. Transmitting or driving gear for cycles and other vehicles consisting of
a lay or transmitting shaft connected at one end by a suitably modified Hooke's
joint or universal coupling either to the driving or the driven part and connected
at the other end by skew gear to the driven or driving part, substantially as
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. Transmitting or driving gear for cycles and other vehicles consisting of
a lay or transmitting shaft connected at one end by a suitably modified Hooke's
joint or universal coupling either to the driving or the driven part and connected
at the other end by bevel gear to the driven or driving part, substantially as
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. Transmitting or driving gear for cycles and other vehicles substantially
as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 16th day September 1898.
THOMAS HENRY WILLIAMS.