Improvements in Driving Gear for Cycling Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Driving Gear for Cycling Machines.
.
A communication from JAMES JOHN MARSHALL, of Sydney, New South Wales,
Gentleman.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
The invention consists specially in driving the propelling wheel of a cycling
machine by means of levers and differential gear, the pedalling levers being peculiar
in construction. Upon the axis of the driving wheel of the cycling machine is a
pinion that gears with a differential wheel. This gearing may be either frictional
or spur gearing, but it is prefer that the pinion should be a spur wheel, and the
differential wheel be either a spur wheel or so constructed as to represent a rigid
chain in the form of a wheel. This differential wheel is provided with a crank arm
to which is connected one end of the pedalling lever. The pedalling lever may be
constructed all in one piece, and the whole lever made to slide on a fixed point, in
which case the pedals themselves would have a circular motion somewhat similar
to the ordinary cycle pedals; or the pedals may be constructed in two parts, the
long arm to which the pedals are attached being pivoted at a fixed point near
the axis of the driving wheel of the cycle, while a shorter arm that is attached to
the crank arm of the differential wheel will slide back and forth in a long bearing
that forms part of the long arm of the lever.
But in order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, reference will
be made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved driving gear.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, the section being taken on the line 1-2
of Fig. 1.
The detailed figures will be referred to in their proper order.
A is the driving cycle wheel, of which a is the axis. B, B is the frame. C is
the differential wheel, c the pinion that gears therewith. This part of the gear
is shown in detail on an enlarged scale at Fig. 3. The differential wheel C is
preferably constructed as a rigid chain in the form of a circle, and consists of a
peripheral groove in the felloe that is fitted with transverse axes on which are
placed antifriction rollers with which the pinion c will gear. This rigid chain is
mounted in roller bearings d that are carried by the rear end of the frame B. The
pinion c is on the axis of the driving wheel A, so that any rotary movement that is
imparted to the differential wheel C will be communicated through the pinion c to
the driving wheel A, and the latter will be caused to revolve. The differential
wheel C is provided with a crank arm D to which is connected the end of the pedal
levers E, E. In the drawing Fig. 1 this pedal lever is shown constructed in two
parts, but it may be constructed all in one piece, and caused to slide upon a fixed
and rolling point, as may be seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5. In these two
figures E is the pedal lever, the rear end of which is secured preferably by ball
bearings e to the crank arm D. On the same axis as the driving wheel A is placed
a rolling block F. The pedal lever E is slotted at this part so as to receive the
block F upon which it can slide freely longitudinally. The block F is internally

page_text: provided with ball bearings so as to allow of a rotation of the block F upon the
axis a of the driving wheel. The balls are retained in their positions by means of
the flat head g on the extreme end of the axle a and by the nut G, by which the
space within which they revolve may be more or less confined. This appliance
will work in the following manner :-The foot of the rider is pressed downwards on
the pedal E', causing it to rock on the axis a, and the crank arm D will be rotated
in the direction of the arrow X, causing the pedal lever E to slide forward on the
block F, thus giving a kind of circular motion to the pedals E. As the crank arm
continue to rotate, and attains its maximum forward position, the pedal lever E will
be carried with it sliding on the block F until the dead centre is passed, when the
crank arm will travel backwards, carrying with it always the pedal lever E, and
thus the movement of the pedal lever will be a kind of complex circular and sliding
motion.
Figs. 6 and 7 show the modification of this sliding pedal lever as it is illustrated
in Fig. 1, Fig. 7 being a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-4 of
Fig. 6. In this modification the lever E is pivotted on the axis a in such a
manner as not to slide thereupon, but will merely rock upon it without any end way
motion. Above the axis a, and secured to the lever E, is placed a long bearing H
through which the rod J, that is secured to the crank arm D, will slide end ways.
In order to reduce the friction on this rod, the bearing H is perforated with circular
holes to receive balls h that are retained in contact with the rod J by means of the
set screws . The rod J is preferably flattened or grooved so as to afford a
bearing surface for the balls . When the apparatus is at work the pedals E¹ will
have a direct up and down motion in the form of an arc of a circle, of which the
centre is the axis a. The crank arm D and wheel C will be rotated in the direction
of the arrow X, and the rod J will slide endways within the bearing H.
Figs. 8 and 9 show an apparatus similar in principle to that shown in Fig. 4,
with the appliances shown in Fig. 6 adapted to the particular necessities of this
case. The pedal lever E is not divided into two parts, E and J, as in Fig. 6, but
is constructed in one length as in Fig. 4, one end being secured to the crank arm D
and the other end being provided with pedals. The pedal lever E will slide longi-
tudinally through the longitudinal bearing or block L that is provided with balls,
and is constructed in precisely the same manner as the bearing H shown in Fig. 6.
The block or longitudinal bearing L is hung below, but may be placed above or in
the same line with the rocking bearing M which encircles the axis a, and the
combination of the two will allow of the same complex rolling and sliding motion
as described in reference to Fig. 4.
It has not been thought necessary to enter into any elaborate description of the
details of construction of these several joints and bearings as it will be obvious to
any one who is skilled in the art that all such details may be varied in a multiplicity
of ways. I have sought merely to so illustrate the principles of this invention
that a skilled person might make alterations, amendments, or modifications of
various kinds without departing in any essential particular from the spirit of the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim is :-
1. In cycling machines, in combination, a fixed pivot on or near the axis of the
driving wheel of the cycle, a pedalling lever that will slide or roll upon the fixed
pivot, the rear end of the lever being secured to a crank arm connected to a
differential wheel that gears with a pinion fixed to the axis of the driving wheel of
the cycle as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. In cycling machines, in combination, a fixed pivot on or near the axis of the
driving wheel of the cycle, a pedalling lever the rear end of which oscillates upor
the fixed pivot and is provided with a longitudinal bearing in which a rod may
slide longitudinally, one end of such sliding-rod being connected to a crank arm of

page_text: a differential wheel that gears with a pinion fixed on the axle of the driving wheel
of the cycle as and for the purposes herein specified.
3. In cycling machines, in combination, a pedalling lever or levers such as are
claimed in the previous claims and a differential wheel that is constructed in the
form of a rigid chain as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing and for the purposes
specified.
4. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts in the
improved driving gear for cycling machines as specified and for the several
purposes herein set forth.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.