Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I OSCAR DUWEZ of Rue d'Hoves, Enghien in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to bicycles and consists in so constructing them as to cause
the weight of the rider to act through connecting rods upon levers or arms situated
beyond or at the rear of the axis of the driving wheel (in the case of a safety
bicycle or rear driver) in order that the said weight may tend to push the said
wheel forwards and consequently facilitate the work of propelling the machine.
With this object the horizontal limb of the L pin or support of the saddle is
prolonged towards the rear and is supported by two connecting rods connected at
their lower extremities to levers or arms forming an extension of the back fork of
the frame and projecting backwards beyond the axis of the driving wheel the
horizontal part of the pin being made of sufficient length to enable the saddle to
be set back behind a vertical line passing through the axis of the driving wheel.
The pin or support of the saddle is capable of being adjusted according to the
height of the rider in the usual manner and the saddle as well as the connecting
rods hereinbefore referred to are capable of being shifted backwards and forwards
upon the horizontal limb of the L pin.
The lower ends of the connecting rods are also capable of being shifted towards
or from the axis of the driving wheel. These adjustments render it necessary to
provide for lengthening and shortening the said connecting rods. With this object
they may be composed of a tube having a right handed screw thread in one end
and a left handed screw thread in the other end.
These screw threads engage with corresponding screws attached to the support
of the saddle and to the levers or arms on the frame so that by rotating the tubular
part of the connecting rod it can be lengthened or shortened as required. The
screws at the upper end are connected by a transverse bolt which also enables the
saddle to be adjusted horizontally on its support. It is evident that any other
suitable arrangement may be employed for adjusting the length of the connecting
rods. For example a screw may be provided at one end of each rod working in a
swivel or socket. The arms on the fork are provided with a series of holes or
other suitable means such as a slide and set screw for enabling the lower ends of
the connecting rods to be adjusted upon the said arms at any required distance
from the axis of the wheel. The upper ends of the connecting rods may be capable
of adjustment independently of the saddle and it is preferable to attach the saddle
to the support at a point situated behind the point at which the connecting rods
are attached to the said support.
For the purpose of adjusting the driving wheel and regulating the tension of the
chain an iron bracket or plate bent at right angles is attached to the fork on each
side of the wheel and a similar bracket is placed on each end of the spindle. A
bolt is screwed into the ends of these brackets so that by rotating the bolt they
can be shifted nearer together or further apart thereby causing the spindle to slide
in slots provided for the purpose in the ends of the fork.
The frame is preferably of the diamond type a curved rod attached to the upper
part of the socket of the L pin being connected at its lower end to the arms on the
fork at a point preferably situated behind the axis of the driving wheel.
In order to facilitate learning to ride on this machine and prevent the rider
from falling backwards owing to the seat being placed behind the axle of the
driving wheel the arms on the back fork have attached to them at their rear ends

page_text: rods or bars provided at their lower extremities with rollers or small wheels
situated a short distance from the surface of the ground. These wheels are capable
of adjustment so as to be placed closer to or farther from the surface of the ground
according to the condition of the road.
These small wheels prevent the machine from tilting backwards. The saddle
may be shifted forwards at first and be gradually moved backwards as the rider
becomes accustomed to the machine until it reaches a point where the weight of
the rider acts upon the wheel in such a manner as to 'assist in propelling it
forwards.
Machines constructed according to this invention run very easily and in climbing
hills in particular they do not fatigue the rider so much as do the ordinary
machines.
In going down hill the rider is enabled to exert so much power in back pedalling
that the brake is seldom required or may even be dispensed with altogether.
There being little or no weight on the front wheel it is enabled to be made more
cheaply and an economy is thus effected in the cost of the machine.
Dated this 1st day of September 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
17, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I OSCAR DUWEZ, Manufacturer, of Rue d'Hoves Enghien in the Kingdom of
Belgium 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 :-
As will be seen from the following description and from the annexed drawings,
the purpose of my invention is principally to actuate the two connecting rods B by
the weight of the body of the rider on the levers beyond the axis of motive wheel,
in order that this weight may act in such a manner as to push this wheel forwards
and thus facilitate the actuating of the vehicle.
For this purpose I make the support of the saddle A so as to rest on two
connecting rods B, connected with the levers C which form the prolongation of the
fork D, behind the axis of the wheel.
For this purpose I make the support for the saddle A long enough so that it
surpasses backwardly the vertical line passing through the axis of the wheel, by a
suitable amount, say for instance about 15 centimeters for a wheel of 70 centimeters
diameter.
As the rider is shorter or taller, it is necessary, as in the known systems, to
lower or lift the support of the saddle, said support being made to slide in the
post L, moreover according to the greater or less experience and ability of the
rider he (or she) must be able to advance or move back at will the connecting rods
and the saddle in a forward or backward direction on the support A. Lastly the
lower point of attachment of the connecting rods B must be enabled to approach or
recede according to requirement, from the axis of the wheel. To realize these
different movements it is necessary that the length of these connecting rods B be
easily regulatable.
To this end I construct the rods B of a piece of cylindrical or any polygonal
cross section, the extremities of which are provided with screw threads or screw
threaded sockets with right and left handed threads respectively.
In the lower end a pin E is screwed, which is bolted at one of the holes in the
lever C.
In the upper extremities are screwed pins F united by means of a bolt or

page_text: traverse, serving at the same time to maintain the attachment sleeve of these
connecting rods on the support A. This arrangement allows of the sleeve sliding
on the support and of fixing it at the desired point.
By this arrangement it is sufficient to turn by hand the body of the connecting
rods B in the one or the other direction, in order to shorten or lengthen them
according to requirement.
There may be used any other system serving the same purpose, for instance
there may be only one threaded end whilst the other forms a neck turning in a
ring. In this case the lengthening or shortening respectively would take place
more slowly.
The levers C may be provided with holes such as indicated in the drawing, in
order to adapt therein the lower end of the connecting rods B, but the distance of
this end to the axis of the wheel may also be regulated in any other suitable
manner, for instance by the aid of a guide and a set screw.
Although the fixing point of the saddle on its support is independent of the point
of attachment of the connecting rods B, they could be made to coincide if desired.
In most cases, the attachment of the saddle is behind the attachment of the
connecting rods, but the contrary may be had and the attachment of the connecting
rods be put back as far as possible for instance for light riders.
The tension of the chain and the adjustment of the driving wheel may be effected
by any known means; the following is a suitable arrangement.
At one point of the fork D, I provide a piece of metal bent to a square G; in
the opposite sense a second one G is arranged which receives the end of the shaft
of the wheel. A pin screwed in the two ends of the iron pieces G and G', allows
of increasing or diminishing the distance between these, and consequently of
stretching the chain more or less. It is understood, that, in order to let the shaft
of the wheel pass through the levers C, the latter must be bored with a sufficiently
large groove for introducing the shaft of the wheel, over a length of about
5 centimeters so as to allow of the displacement of the wheel in regulating the
gearing chain.
The fixed frame bars H, which may have the curved form shown in the drawing,
must rest upon the levers C behind the axis of the motor wheel.
The backward position which I give to the saddle renders it possible to add to my
vehicle another new propelling appliance of great efficiency in comparison to the
pedals. It consists of a cog-wheel R (Sheet 2) provided with cranks, which can
be actuated by hand and which actuates by the medium of an endless chain another
cog-wheel of smaller diameter placed on the axis of the motor wheel and is similar
to that which is actuated from the pedals.
For bicycles and tricycles for one person, this wheel R is placed behind the
steering head; in this case it can only be utilized when the rider is sufficiently
experienced to manipulate it with the one hand, whilst the other is used for steering.
For tandems it will be of a more general use and is to be actuated by the person
seated behind having no steering to handle, who is thus enabled to drive the
cranks with both hands whilst working the pedals at the same time. Additional
propelling power is thus obtained by this arrangement, which is especially
advantageous for ascents.
For descents, this crank wheel may be used in replacement of the brake. The
use of this wheel is not practicable for "safety" bicycles of present construction,
since the saddle is arranged too far forward to allow of its setting.
For those who, when learning are afraid to take all at once a rather backward
position on the support of the saddle, two arms may be fixed by means of pins on
to the levers B, each of these arms being provided at its lower extremity with a
wheel r of about 15 centimeters in diameter and covered with rubber either hollow
or solid or with sole leather. These wheels must be suspended some centimeters
above the ground, more or less according as the roads are found to be as a whole
good or bad, and one must be enabled to adjust the effective length of the arms for
instance by fixing the latter at one or other of the holes in order not to be

page_text: stopped by projecting stones. These arms provided with wheels prevent the motor
wheel from turning over too far, and by the support it meets when turning over it
allows the rider to regain his (or her) equilibrium easier by giving him (or her) by
this check, time to move the front wheel thus re-establishing his or her equilibrium.
Having now described my invention it remains to point out the advantages
offered by this system over other ones.
During learning, the rider can slide his saddle toward the front in order to
facilitate his (or her) position of equilibrium, then, in proportion to his (or her)
ability progresses, he (or she) may move backward the connecting rods and the
saddle till that moment where the weight of his (or her) body will act on the
wheel so as to make it advance. There is certainly a practical limit which cannot
be surpassed without the risk of lifting the steering wheel and of turning over the
machine, but practice will determine for everybody the best position to be given to
the connecting rods and to the saddle according as the rider is a more or less
skilful equilibrist.
By this arrangement the machine moves very easily and especially on ascents;
the rider does not become so fatigued as with the existing machines.
This bicycle is much more economical in construction than others, since the
whole weight of the rider rests on the rear or motor wheel; the front or steering
wheel has much less effort to undergo. It may be constructed in a less careful
manner while yet more durable than the other; it may also be covered with a more
solid and less costly tyre than the pneumatic so as to materially increase its
durability and thus realize a notable economy since the wheels represent about
three quarters of the cost of a bicycle.
My invention may be applied to most types of known "safety" bicycles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In bicycles the construction whereby the fixing point of the saddle on its
support may be behind the vertical axis of the motor wheel, and adaptable to a
distance variable at will, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a bicycle, so as to make the weight of the rider act as indicated, the
construction of connecting rods B of variable length in combination with levers C
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In bicycles as constructed in Claims 1 or 2 the method of extending the chain
and of regulating the motor wheel by means of two square shaped metal dogs G
and G and of a screwed pin adapted to cause said dogs to approach or recede
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a velocipede the use of a cog wheel R with cranks adapted to be
actuated by hand in combination with a gearing chain and another cog-wheel
placed on the axis of the motor wheel so as to facilitate the actuation of the vehicle
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In bicycles the combination with the lever C of arms provided with small
wheels thereon, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 1st day of June 1894.
R. HADDAN,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.