Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th J n., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5:h Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipedes.
WALTER CHATWOOD BURTON of Rose Villa, Latchford, near Warrington, in
the County of Cheshire Engineer & Inventor do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
My said invention has for its object improvements in the driving mechanism or
rear driving safety or like velocipedes tricycles, tandems &c., by which the ordinary
chain driving mechanism is entirely abolished, the frame, rendered shorter and the
wheels smaller, as this invention is especially applicable to spring framed safetys, &
cushioned wheel safetys, although in many cases, it may be adopted to the rigid
framed safety. My said invention consists of a train of three cogged, ball toothed,
or equivalent form of driving discs or wheels, the driver being fitted upon the
crank axle, the driven fitted on the rear wheel, hub or axle and the second being
an intermediate or carrier wheel supported from the side or fork of the frame.
A peculiar formation of bottom fork or frame is provided, when inside bearings are
used, in order to clear the direct train of gear, for in this case, the driving wheel
will be on the outside of the fork whilst the driven is on the inside. The carrier
wheel axle may be fitted in a slotted or equivalent projection from the frame, in
order to allow for a change of gearing.
In some cases I may prefer to use two wheels (on the same axle,) as carrier or
intermediate wheel, in which case, one of the carrier wheels would be driven and the
other a driver, and by substituting a different sized driver or driven, wheel, I
should obtain a simple effective change of gearing.
The bearings and rims of the gearing may be made in one or more pieces, and
firmly secured together by efficient means.
Dated thia 27th dox of Tonwary 1801
WALTER CHATWOOD BURTON.
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Velocipedes.
WALTER CHATWOOD BURTON of Rose Villas, Latchford Warrington in the
County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer & Cycle Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES and in
what manner the same 'is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:- ·
.
My said invention has for its object, improvements in the driving gear of rear
driving safetys, or like velocipedes, tandems &c. whereby the ordinary chain
driving mechanism is entirely abolished, the wheels, rendered smaller, and the base
of frame shorter if desired, and this invention is especially applicable to spring
frame, cushion, pneumatic or other elastic wheel safetys, which absorb all vibration
from even very small wheels. It may however be used or applied by me to rigid
framed machines, and front driving safetys, with any sized wheels.
The gearing may be of any suitable material, although I prefer compressed
buffalo hide.
My said invention consists essentially of a train of three cogged, ball or roller or
equivalent form of driving discs or wheels, of any suitable material, the driver
being fitted upon the crank axle, the driven fitted upon the driving wheel hub or
axle, and the second being an intermediate or carrier wlieel, supported from the
side or fork of the frame. A peculiar formation of bottom fork or frame is provided
017
Ai.

page_text: when inside bearings are used, in order to clear the point of working contact of the
direct train of gear, for in most machines the driving cogged wheel will be on the
outside of the fork, whilst the driven wheel will be on the inside, hence a straight
fork side, as is now used in chain driven machines would be impracticable with
inside bearing machines. The carrier wheel axle may be fixed in a slotted or
equivalent projection from the frame or fork side, in order to allow for a change of
gearing and also to allow of the gear being put deeper in gear, for the purpose of
taking up any back lash that may occur.
as
In some cases I may prefer to use two wheels on the same axle
carrier or
intermediate wheel, in which case one of the wheels would be a driver and the other
a driven, and by simply substituting a different sized driver or driven carrier wheel,
I should attain a simple effective change of gear. I am aware that toothed or other
gearing has been used in tricycles and three or more wheeled velocipedes, but never
to my knowledge has a single train of gearing wheels or discs been used to com-
municate motion from a single crank axle, to the driving wheel axle or hub of
safeties or to tricycles or tandems, which have but one rear or front driving wheel.
For convenience the bearings and arms or spokes of the wheels may be constructed
in one piece whilst that of the gearing circle or rim. may be secured thereto by
bolts, rivets or otherwise, so as to offer facilities for substituting a new rim, or in
some cases a different sized rim to the same body of the wheel. To lessen the
frictional resistance of the air, caused by contact with the arms or spokes, of the
wheels, I may afix to the arms, card board or other suitable material for diminishing
the resistance beforementioned.
A neat dust proof cover of any suitable material and with lubricating trough
may also be applied to the gearing when desired.
In order that my said invention may be particularly described, and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of rear driving safety bicycle shewing the method
of application of the driving mechanism.
Figs. 2, 3, are front elevation and plan respectively of the gearing mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a plan of modified gearing.
Fig. 5 shews plan of frame side and gearing.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3 a represents the driving gear wheel, fixed upon the crank axle s.
is the intermediate or carrier wheel which may be trough shaped to carry balls,
or rollers, or other projections forming teeth, free to revolve on studs or screws m,
or if preferred I may use a wheel with teeth or double projecting lugs, shaped as
wheel.a and secure thereto centrally the studs upon which the rollers or balls
revolve and thus lighten the wheel considerably without diminishing its strength.
The intermediate wheel is free. to revolve on a ball or other bearing axis,
mounted in the slotted lug d of the fork side. The slot allows of the inter-
mediate wheel being placed in any suitable position, for gearing accurately into the
wheels a and e. It also allows of a larger or smaller wheel à or c or both being
applied without altering the fixed distance between their centres. e is the driven
wheel on the hub, or axle of the rear driving wheel.
The frame side or fork when used with inside bearings may be constructed or
curved as shewn by dotted lines e and m', n, which represents the plan (Fig. 6)
and thus escape the point of working contact of the two wheels bc.
If with outside bearings the straight fork side will be as shewu, by full shaded
lines in which latter case the gearing would be a direct train inside the fork side.
I may prefer the modification as shewn in Fig..5, for inside bearings, where m¹n¹
represents the fork side constructed in two separate pieces which are securely
bolted together, in a manner similar to the ordinary safety front fork, making the
two pieces rigidly secure, yet so arranged that the intermediate wheel revolves
freely upon the ball bearing spindle and between the two pieces forming the before-
mentioned fork side or frame...
.
In Fig. 1 represents the crank axles (in a tandem safety) for the rear

page_text: rider, o the wheel working into the carrier , and on the opposite side of safety..
o gears into o', and thence to c.
In Fig. 4a represents the driving wheel,
respectively revolving on axle o and fixed in side fork 9.
c is the driven wheel on rear driving hub or axle.
driven and driver wheels
It will easily be seen how a change of gearing can be quickly effected by
varying the relative sizes of either pair of the four wheels.
When the cranks wv are worked in the ordinary way by the rider of the safety,
single driving wheel tricycle, or tandem, the motion of the crank shaft s is trans-
mitted to the axis of the large driving wheel i through the gearing a, b, c, the motion
of the wheel a on the crank axle, being transmitted through the roller or other
toothed wheel c on the axis of the driving wheel i with great smoothness, without
noise, and with little friction. It is very evident that the front wheel may be
geared and driven instead of the back or rear wheel if desired.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention of
Improvements in Velocipedes,
1st. Constructing the frame and applying ball toothed roller or other gearing by
which the motion of a single crank shaft of rear and front driving safety bicycles.
and single driving wheel tricycles and tandems, is transmitted to the driving wheel,
in the manner herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
that is to say connecting the toothed wheel of the crank shaft and driving wheel
shaft or axis, by an intermediate wheel, so as to form a direct train of gearing
joined together by a fork or frame side, which may be in one or more pieces sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated, also the modification
described in which two trains of gearing are used with reference to Fig. 4, as
illustrated and described.
2nd. The construction, device or arrangement of fork side or fang which is
curved, bent or shaped so as to allow the wheels b, c to clear the fork side at the
point of working contact as substantially described and illustrated.
3rd. The construction, device or mechanism whereby the fork side or frame,.
Fig. 5, is made in two approximately parallel parts, and rigidly bolted or fixed
together, so as to allow of an adjustable ball or other bearing wheel, revolving
freely upon the stud joining the two parts, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this the 26th day of October 1891.
WALTER CHATWOOD BURTON.