Improvements in Chainless Gears for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chainless Gears for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
I, ROBERT HENRY HENNEMEIER, of 274, West 119th Street, New York, in the
County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, Salesman,
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; -
This invention relates to chainless gear for bicycles and similar vehicles, and
the object thereof is to provide an improved gear of this class which is simple
in construction and efficient in operation, and which is also comparatively
noiseless.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which ;-
Fig. 1, is a side view of a bicycle provided with my improved gear;
Fig. 2, a similar view, showing the gear on an enlarged scale;
Fig. 3, a face view of the face gear which I employ; and,
Fig. 4, a partial section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.
In the drawing forming part of this specification the separate parts of my
improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the
views, and in said drawing, reference being made to Fig. 1, I have shown a
bicycle the frame of which is of the usual diamond shape pattern, provided with
the usual hub 7 through which the pedal shaft passes, the usual rods 8 and 9
which extend respectively from said hub upwardly to the seat support and up-
wardly and forwardly to the tubular head 10 of the frame, together with the
lower horizontal fork 11 in which the drive wheel is mounted, and the upper
fork 12 which extends upwardly from the support of the drive wheel to the
seat support. In this improvement the lower horizontal fork 11 is connected
with the hub 7 by an open ring shaped or circular attachment 13, and the
forks 11 and 12 are connected in the usual or any preferred manner.
In this improvement the pedal shaft 14 is provided with the usual pedal
cranks 15, and at one end with a sprocket wheel 10 provided at its perimeter
with projecting teeth 17 separated by segmental spaces 18, and the teeth on
the sprocket wheel 22 which is mounted on the drive wheel in the usual manner
are also separated by corresponding segmental spaces 18".
The separate sides of the lower horizontal fork 11 are tubular in form and
mounted in one of said sides is a shaft 19 which carries at its forward end a face
gear wheel 20 which is operated by the sprocket wheel 16 on the pedal shaft,
and said shaft carries at its rear end a corresponding face gear 21 which operates
in connection with the sprocket wheel 22 on the hub of the drive wheel.
The gear wheels 20 and 21 are similar in construction, and constitute the chief
features of this invention, and said wheels are each provided with a central hub 23
(see Figs. 3 to 4, inclusive) which is adapted to be screwed on to a screw threaded
extension 24 formed on the end of the shaft 19.
The shaft 19 is preferably provided with an enlarged head 15 at each end with
which the wheels 20 and 21 are connected, and the hubs of said wheels are held
in place on the screw threaded extension 24 by means of a headed screw 26.

page_text: Each of the wheels 20 and 21 consist of the hub 23 provided with an annular
circular disk or plate 23ª, the perimeter of which is provided at regular intervals
with shoulders or bearings 27 which as shown in Fig. 3, are five in number,
and said circular disk or plate 23" is provided with a corresponding number of
radial openings 28 in which are mounted radial anti friction rollers 29 which
are conical in form, and the bases of which are directed outwardly.
The anti friction rollers 29 are mounted on shafts 30 which are screwed into
the hub 23 and into the shoulders or bearings 27 as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and
said anti friction rollers constitute the teeth of the gear in connection with which
the teeth or sprockets 17 of the wheel 16 and the teeth or sprockets on the
wheel 22 operate.
The teeth or sprockets on the pedal shaft sprocket wheel 16 and the teeth or
sprockets on the sprocket wheel 22 which is mounted on the hub of the drive
wheel are separated by segmental spaces 18 as herein before described; and the
segmental spaces or segments are segments of the greatest diameter of the anti
friction rollers 29.
In this form of construction the anti friction rollers 29 take the place of the
usual radial teeth of face gears and with this improved gear the teeth of the
sprocket wheels on the pedal shaft and hub of the drive wheel strike the conical
anti friction rollers 29 of the face gears at or near the outer and larger ends
thereof, and the rounded forms of said rollers enable the teeth of the sprocket
wheel to attain the proper contact therewith at the commencement and termina-
tion of their engagement, and as said wheels revolve the teeth of the sprocket
wheels slide over the rounded surfaces of the anti friction rollers of the face gears,
said sprocket teeth first approaching the centre of the face gears and then receding
therefrom and passing over the outer ends of the said anti friction rollers.
By means of this construction I obtain a practically noiseless gear, and one
having the least possible amount of friction, and by means of which great speed
may be secured without any material increase of the power applied to the pedal
shaft.
The opening 28 in the disks or plates 23ª in which the anti friction rollers 29
revolve are substantially of the form of said rollers, and serve to keep the latter
clean at all times, and this operation is also facilitated by the teeth of the sprocket
wheels which move over said rollers.
My improvement is simple in construction and operation, and well adapted to
accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it will be apparent that
changes in and modifications of the construction described, may be made without
departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A face gear wheel provided with radially mounted anti friction rollers which
constitute the teeth of the wheel, substantially as shown and described.
2. A face gear wheel provided with radially mounted anti friction rollers
which are conical in form, and the bases of which are directed outwardly, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
3. A face gear wheel comprising a central hub, a circular disk or plate con-
nected therewith and provided with radial openings which are conical in form,
and radially mounted anti friction rollers which are also conical in form, and
which are adapted to turn in said openings, substantially as shown and described.
4. A face gear wheel comprising a central hub, a circular disk or plate con-
nected therewith and provided with radial openings which are conical in form.
and radially mounted anti friction rollers which are also conical in form, and
which are adapted to turn in said openings, the bases of said openings and said
rollers being directed outwardly, substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination with a face gear provided with radially mounted anti

page_text: friction rollers which are conical in form, and the bases of which are directed
outwardly, of a sprocket wheel which is adapted to operate in connection with
said face gear, said sprocket wheel being provided with teeth which are separated
by segmental spaces, substantially as shown and described.
6. In a gearing of the class described, the combination with a face gear pro-
vided with radially mounted anti friction rollers which are cylindrical in cross
section, of a sprocket wheel provided with teeth which are separated by seg-
mental spaces, substantially as shown and described.
7. A bicycle provided with the usual pedal shaft and sprocket wheel mounted
thereon, and a sprocket wheel mounted on the hub of the drive wheel, said
sprocket wheels being provided with teeth separated by segmental spaces, and
a shaft suitably mounted between said sprocket wheels and provided at each end
with face gears which are adapted to operate in connection therewith, said face
gear being provided with radially mounted anti friction rollers in connection with
which the teeth of said sprocket wheels, operate, substantially as shown and
described.
8. A bicycle provided with the usual pedal shaft and sprocket wheel mounted
thereon, and a sprocket wheel mounted on the hub of the drive wheel, said
sprocket wheels being provided with teeth separated by segmental spaces, and a
shaft suitably mounted between said sprocket wheels and provided at each end
with face gears which are adapted to operate in connection therewith, said face
gears being provided with radially mounted anti friction rollers in connection
with which the teeth of said sprocket wheels, operate, said anti friction rollers
being radial in form, and the bases thereof being directed outwardly, substan-
tially as shown and described.
Dated this 6th day of March 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.O., Agents.