Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
I, KARL SCHMITT of Zittaw, in the Kingdom of Saxony German Empire,
Gardener, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to velocipedes by the pedal crank axle of which the motion is
transmitted to the driving wheels by means of a chain and suitable intermediate
mechanism. In these, as well as in all other known velocipedes the rider can only
effect a change in the velocity of motion by a corresponding change in the angular
velocity of the pedal cranks.
The subject of my invention is an improved driving mechanism for velocipedes
having three or more wheels such mechanism enabling the rider to ride at different
velocities which can be varied at will while the rotary velocity of the pedal crank
remains the same.
For this purpose, below the pedal crank axle is arranged the shaft of a connecting
gearing, and upon the said axle and this shaft are suitable intermediate wheels and
couplings similar to the sets of wheels in gearing of lathes by means of which the
driving chain is moved either at the velocity that corresponds with the velocity of the
pedal crank axle, or at a velocity that is greater or smaller than the above mentioned
velocity of the pedal crank axle. The necessary displacement of the couplings and
intermediate wheels is effected by the hand of the driver, preferably by means of a
hand lever and suitable rods or levers aud an adjusting bow or quadrant.
The desired adjustments are effected by the rider by means of a hand lever within
convenient reach, which lever can be fixed in three definite positions. The motion of
the hand lever is communicated through two other levers to the wheels by means of
couplings and arranged on two shafts capable of sliding thereon; of these the upper
one is the driving shaft carrying the treadles and parallel therewith is arranged the
auxiliary shaft.
Upon the auxiliary shaft are a number of toothed wheels the size of which may be

page_text: varied according as the difference in the three velocities for riding is to be large or
small. These wheels upon the auxiliary shaft are solidly connected with each other,
they are however adapted to turn and slide freely upon the auxiliary shaft which is
firmly connected with its supporting frame.
Upon the main shaft is a chain wheel which guides the driving chain, this chain
wheel is firmly united with a toothed wheel arranged next to it on the driving shaft,
both can however turn freely upon the main shaft as soon as they are thrown out of
gear with the teeth of the coupling. A spur wheel is fixed upon the driving shaft and
said shaft also carries another toothed wheel.
A motion of the hand lever in the manner hereinafter set forth causes a
displacement of the wheels upon the auxiliary axis to the right or left, and the
coupling disengages or engages at the same time on the main shaft, that is to say,
liberates the chain wheel together with the chain, or renders them dependent on the
motion of the driving shaft. By this displacement and the consequent engagement of
different wheels of the two shafts the various velocities for riding that are desired are
attained.
The chain transmits the power exerted upon the pedals to the axle and thereby to
the large driving wheels.
When the teeth of the coupling of the driving shaft is engaged with the chain
wheel the motion of the pedals is transmitted directly to the chain and thereby to
the driving wheels. The auxiliary shaft and the other wheels thereon do not come
into operation. In this case riding at the ordinary velocity takes place.
When however the tooth of the coupling on the driving shaft is disengaged from
the chain wheel, the said wheel and the toothed wheel fixed thereto, are free to turn
upon the said shaft. The spur wheel keyed upon the driving shaft transmits the
motion of the pedals to a wheel on the auxiliary shaft and thereby to another wheel
on said shaft. The latter transmits the motion to the toothed wheel on the driving
shaft which is connected to the chain wheel and thereby to the chain. Now as the
spur wheel fixed on the driving shaft is smaller than the wheel on the auxiliary shaft
which gears with the former the latter will turn so much slower, but besides as the
second wheel on the auxiliary shaft and the wheel connected with the chain wheel,
are of the same size, the chain wheel and chain will move more slowly, from this
results a much increased transmission of power which can be used to ascend greater
inclinations than would be possible with the ordinary mode of riding.
When it is desired to impart a greater velocity to the driving wheels the coupling
on the driving shaft is disengaged as before, therefore the chain wheel and the toothed
wheel fixed thereto are free to turn upon the driving shaft.
In this case a third wheel fixed upon the driving shaft transmits the motion of the
pedals to a wheel of smaller size on the auxiliary shaft and thereby through another
wheel on said shaft to the wheel fixed to the chain wheel on the driving shaft and
thus to the chain. Now as the third wheel on the driving shaft is larger than the
wheel on the auxiliary shaft in gear therewith the latter will turn so much the
quicker, which quicker motion is transmitted to the driving wheels as above described.
This position of the gearing is usefully applied if on a plane or with a slight descent
of the way the driver bas still power in excess and wishes to use it to increase the
velocity of the device.
The hand lever turns upon a fixed point. The two connecting levers lead to the
hand lever in such a manner that the one is before, and the other behind the hand
lever from the rider. The end of the hind connecting lever is slotted and brought in
connection with the hand lover in such a manner that if the hand lever is moved from
the perpendicular position to the right or left the hind connecting lever and with this
the tooth of the coupling on the driving shaft with which the said lever engages can
only at the commencement of the motion of the hand lever to the right or left make a
motion of a certain limited length and invariably only to one side. During the back
motion of the hand lever from the position on the right or left, the certain limited
motion of the hind connecting lever together with the tooth of the coupling takes
place at the end of the stroke of the hand lever. The front connecting lever is

page_text: connected with the hand lever in such a manner that the former which engages with
a tooth of the coupling on the auxiliary shaft takes part in the full motion from the
right to the left. In the perpendicular position of the hand lever the tooth of
the coupling on the driving shaft is engaged, and the tooth of the coupling on the
auxiliary shaft holds all the wheels on the auxiliary axis in the position in which they
do not come into operation. If the hand lever is placed to the left or right, the
coupling on the driving shaft disengages and only when this has been completely
effected, the engagement of the corresponding toothed wheels takes place.
The toothed wheels must be allowed to slide freely upon the auxiliary shaft to an
extent equal to the travel of the coupling on said shaft till the engagement takes
place. This is necessary to obviate breakage, because no wheel on the auxiliary shaft
must be engaged to the least extent, if the coupling on the driving shaft is not
completely disengaged. The teeth of the wheels are suitably pointed laterally, in
order that they may easily engage and not strike upon one another from the side.
Dated this 18th day of June 1887.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
4, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Velocipedes.
1, KARL SCHMITT of Zittaw in the kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, Gardener,
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:-
My invention relates to velocipedes in which motion is transmitted from the pedal-
crank-shaft to the driving-wheels by means of a chain and suitable intermediate
mechanism. In these, as well as in all other known velocipedes the rider can only
effect a change in the velocity of motion by a corresponding change in the angular
velocity of the pedal-cranks.
The subject of my invention is an improved driving mechanism for velocipedes
having three or more wheels, such mechanism enabling the rider to ride at different
velocities, which can be varied at will while the rotary velocity of the pedal cranks
remains the same.
For this purpose an auxiliary shaft is arranged below the pedal-crank-shaft and
upon the said shafts are placed suitable wheels and couplings, (similar to the sets of
wheels in gearing of lathes) by means of which the driving-chain is moved either
at the velocity that corresponds with the velocity of the pedal-crank-shaft or at
a velocity that is greater or smaller than the said velocity. The necessary displace-
ment of the couplings and intermediate wheels is effected by the hand of the driver,
preferably by means of a hand lever and suitable rods or levers and an adjusting bow
or quadrant.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a general view of my velocipede, Figs. 2, 3
and 4 show the improved driving mechanism in three different positions, corre-
sponding to the three velocities to be obtained, Figs. 5 and 6 the adjusting mechanism,
Fig. 5 being a front view, Fig. 6 a back view, and Fig. 7 represents the construction
of the teeth of the wheels, preferably to be used.
In Figs. 1 to 4 x is the main or pedal-crank-shaft and y the auxiliary shaft, the
latter being fixed in its supporting frame. Upon the said main shaft is placed
a chain-wheel t which guides the driving chain a, a spur-wheel b firmly united with
the wheel t, and a coupling k by means whereof the wheels t and b can be connected
to the shaft, the said wheels being otherwise free to rotate thereon. Moreover the
shaft carries the spur-wheel g which is smaller than the wheel b and the spur-
wheel h which is larger, the wheels g and being keyed on the shaft.
Upon the auxiliary shaft y are placed the spur-wheels feed, all fixed to one nave i
adapted to freely rotate and to slide lengthwise on the shaft. The wheels and d have
such diameters as to be capable of gearing with the respective wheels and while
the wheels e and c which are of the same size, are adapted to gear with the wheel b.
Besides, the wheels feed are so arranged on the nave i that, when being in the
position shown in Fig. 2, they are all out of gear with the wheels hb and g, whereas,
when they are shifted to the left, as represented in Fig. 3, the wheels c and d gear

page_text: respectively with the wheels b and g, and when they are shifted to the right, as in
Fig. 4, the wheels fande gear respectively with the wheels h and b. Preferably the
wheels e and c are made of the same diameter as the wheel b.
The displacement of the nave i carrying the wheels feed is brought about by a
lever m arranged to turn on the rocking shaft Fig. 1 and connected by its arm m² to
the nave at , while the coupling is put into and out of engagement with the
chain-wheel by the lever 1, the rocking shaft 12 and the arm 13, and the said levers
and m are connected in the manner to be described hereafter to a hand-lever n,
in convenient reach of the rider, so that, according as the lever is in its central
position or shifted to one side or the other, the wheels on the nave i and the coupling k
will be in either of the positions shown by Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
If the teeth of the coupling k are engaged with chain-wheel t, and the wheels
on the nave i are out of gear with those on the shaft a, as in Fig. 2, the motion of the
treadles p is transmitted directly to the chain a and thereby through the medium of
the chain-wheel q, Fig. 1, to the axle of the driving-wheels r. In this case riding at
the ordinary-velocity takes place.
If the teeth of the coupling k are disengaged from the chain-wheel t, while the
wheel d gears with the wheel g, and the wheel c with the wheel b, as in Fig. 3, the
united wheels and bare free to rotate on the crank-shaft.c, and motion is transmitted
from the said shaft through the wheel g to the wheel d and thereby to the wheel_c,
while the latter drives the wheel together with the chain-wheel t. Now as the
wheel g is smaller than the wheel d, and as the wheels c and are of like diameter,
the chain-wheel and the chain will move more slowly than in the first case, and from
this results an increase in power, which can be utilized to ascend greater inclines than
would otherwise be possible to surmount.
If, thirdly, the coupling is disengaged as in the second case, while the wheel f
gears with the wheel h, and the wheel e with the wheel b, as represented by Fig. 4,
motion is conveyed from the shaft x to the chain-wheel t through the medium of the
wheels hfe and b; and, as h is larger than (the wheels e and b being again alike in
size) the chain-wheel and the chain and consequently the driving-wheels > will move
faster than in the first case. This adjustment of the gearing is usefully applied if, on
a road which is horizontal or slightly inclined downward, the rider has power in excess
and wishes to use it to drive at an increased speed.
The relative size of the co-operating spur-wheels may of course be varied according
to the difference in the three velocities desired to be attained.
The connection between the hand-lever n and the levers I, m is as follows.
The lever, operating the coupling k, carries at its upper end a slotted bow or
cam-piece integral with the said lever. Into this bow projects a pin n¹ fixed to a
horizontal arm of the hand-lever n, the fulcrum whereof is at o. The bow is formed
with a straight middle portion and with its ends curved in arcs of a circle, so that
when the lever n is in its central position, the bow will be maintained by the pin n¹ at
the greatest distance from the fulcrum o, the coupling & being at the time in
engagement with the wheel t, as in Fig. 2; whereas, when the lever n is turned from
its central or perpendicular position to the right or the left, the pin n, sliding in the
straight portion of the bow, will first move the said bow towards the fulcrum o and
then, on passing along the curved portion, will retain the same in this position. By
the said motion of the bow the coupling & is caused to be disengaged from the wheel t
during the first part of the motion of the lever n, whether this motion takes place one
way or the other, while the further motion of the lever does not affect the
coupling.
The lever m engages with its arm m² which is bifurcated, in a coupling or brace-
ring on the nave i, and it is connected at the upper end by means of a short link to
an arm of the hand-lever n projecting downward. The lever m thus takes part in the
full motion of the lever n to the right and the left, and the parts are so arranged that,
when the lever n is in its central position, the nave i will be in the position shown by
Fig. 2, in which the spur-wheels are all out of gear with each, whereas when the

page_text: lever n has been moved fully to the left or the right, the nave i and the wheels fecd
will be in the respective position shown by Figs. 3 and 4.
that the
In order to avoid breakage when the described mechanism is adjusted for a
different speed, there must be so much lateral play between the spur-wheels fe c d
when being in their mean position (as in Fig. 2), and the wheels h b
former may be freely shifted sideward, without coming into gear with the latter, until
the complete disengagement of the coupling k (which is brought about during the
first part of the motion of the lever n, as described) has been effected.
When the hand-lever n, being in either position to the right or the left, is moved
back to its central position, it first operates through the lever m to bring the
spur-wheels out of gear with cach other, the coupling meanwhile remaining
disengaged, as the pin n¹ of the lever n moves in either of the curved portions of the
bow . Towards the end of its stroke the hand lever then acts through its pin n³ on
the straight part of the bow , and thereby causes the lever to engage the coupling k
with the chain-wheel t.
In order that the teeth of the spur-wheels may not strike upon each other, when
the wheels are to be brought into gear, the said teeth are bevelled at their lateral
edges, as shown by Fig. 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
In a velocipede, the combination, with a main or pedal-crank-axle x, of an auxiliary
shaft y, spur-wheels / bg, connecting spur-wheels fe cd, coupling k, and means for
shifting the said coupling and connecting spur-wheels on their shafts by a hand-
lever n, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated the Twenty-eighth day of February 1988