Improvements in Driving and Free Wheel Clutches for Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving and Free Wheel Clutches for Cycles.
I, HENRY WILLIAM PATRICK, Manager of The Desideratum Brake and Fork
End Company, of Snow Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention has reference to driving clutches used on cycles for giving free
or stationary pedals when coasting and a rigid forward driving motion, and for
other purposes where two parts of a cycle are desired to rotate in one direction
as rigid and in the other direction as independent.
The improvements according to this invention are comprehended in a clutch
constructed as follows:-The inner or middle-part of the clutch is a circular
disc or plate, and the outer part thereof is a ring or an annulus; the last named
fitting nicely and loosely over the said inner part. The circumference or peri-
phery of the inner or middle-part, as aforesaid, has machined within it a number
of recesses or cut-away parts, within each of which lies and plays a pawl-like
piece or catch, so fitted within the recesses as to move easily. The said recesses
are approximately twice the length of the pawl-like pieces, and the latter can
move in them from end to end, the said ends forming abutments or stops in
either direction to the said pawl-like pieces. Disposed centrally between the
two ends of each recess, so as to act upon each pawl-like piece from the bottom
of each recess, is a tipping device, preferably in the form of a spring, which
acts upon either the nose end or the back end of each pawl-like piece, according
to position, to force outwardly either the one end or the other, the movement
being such that the forcing out of the said one end pushes in the other end.
The bore or inner circumference of the ring or annulus is set up with ratchet
teeth, circumferentially arranged so that the nose end of each pawl-like piece
can engage them in one direction of movement of the disc, and move free or
clear of them in the other direction of movement of the disc.
One of the chief characterists of the improvements is that the clutch is noise-
less in its working, as the pawl-like pieces which work in the recesses between
the ratchet toothed bore of the ring or annulus and the bottoms of the recesses,
are operated to move them into an out of position to engage the ratchet teeth
by the tipping devices, as aforesaid, being either moved by the ring or annulus
under the one or other ends of the said pawl-like pieces, or the said pawl-like
pieces being carried forward or rearwood, as the case may be, over the said
tipping devices; for instance, if the tipping devices are under the nose ends of
the pawl-like pieces to force them outwardly, the back ends of the said pieces
are levered inwardly, and vice versa; the result being no clicking or snap action
of the nose ends into the throats of the ratchet teeth.
The tipping device is in one form a ball or a roller resiliently seated on a
small coil spring or such like, and the action of the pawl-like piece over the said
device is see-saw-like, or to rock.
In some cases an expansible ring may surround the disc or plate, and a recess
for a pawl-like piece to work in, as aforesaid, is then formed between its free.
ends, the one of which is a fixture or comes against a stop and the other movable.

page_text: The first described form of clutch is easy and inexpensive to manufacture,
as the disc or plate is simply machined on its periphery to form the recesses,
and the pawl-like pieces shaped to drop into the said recesses; attached side
plates preventing any lateral displacement of said pawl-like pieces. Holes are
drilled at the bottoms of the recesses, at their middles, into which are dropped
small coil springs, and a small ball is then placed upon each coil spring as a
seating.
pro Diving and free wheel Cutenes for CycleB.
I, HENRY WILLIAM PATRICK, Manager of The Desideratum Brake and Fork
End Company, of Snow Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: —
This invention relates to driving clutches used on cycles for giving free or
stationary pedals when coasting and a rigid forward driving motion when
pedalling forward and for various other purposes where two parts of a cycle
are desired to rotate in one direction as rigid and in another direction as inde-
pendent, or the one free of the other. Such clutches are now generally known
as free wheel clutches particularly having regard to their application on
cycles to admit of the wheels running free of the pedals.
"
The improvements according to this invention are comprehended in a clutch
constructed as follows:-The inner or middle part of the clutch is a circular
disc or plate and the outer part a ring or annulus, the last named fitting nicely
and loosely over the said inner part. The circumference or periphery of the
inner or middle part, as aforesaid, has machined within it a number of recesses
or cut-away parts, within each of which lies and plays a pawl-like piece or
catch, so fitted within the recesses as to move easily and that their outer faces
come flush with the periphery of the said inner part. The recesses are approxi-
mately twice the length of the pawl-like pieces, the latter moving in them
from end to end and coming against the ends of the recesses as abutments or
stops in either direction of their movement.
Disposed centrally between the abutment ends of each recess so as to act upon
each pawl-like piece from the bottom of each recess is a tipping device, prefer-
ably in the form of a spring or a spring actuated part, which is adapted to act
upon either the nose end or the back end of each pawl-like piece (according to
the latters position in the recess) to force outwardly either the one or the other
end, the movement being such that the forcing out of the said one end pushes
or levers in the other.
The bore or inner circumference of the ring or annulus, as aforesaid, is set up
with ratchet teeth, so arranged that when the ring or annulus fits over the inner
part of the clutch as before described the nose end of each pawl-like piece, or
one of them, can engage them, or one of them, in one direction of movement of
the middle part or annulus, and move free or clear of them (the ratchet teeth)
in the other direction of movement of the said disc or annulus.

page_text: The tipping device is, in one form, a ball resiliently seated upon a small coil
spring let into a hole in the bottom of the recess in the periphery of the clutche's
inner part, and the action of the pawl-like piece as it moves over the said device
is when possible see-saw-like, or to rock.
A clutch constructed according to this invention is shown in the annexed
sheet of drawings. In this sheet Fig. 1. shows a side view of the clutch in its
free running position, that is to say, the two parts of the clutch moving in
reverse directions, or the outer part stationary and the inner part moving in
the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 2 a like elevation with the clutch in its
rigid driving position, the outer part of the clutch in this fig. being the driver
of the inner part in the direction of the arrow. Figs. and 4 are transverse
sections on the dotted lines A and B Fig. 1, the last named cutting through the
outer part of the clutch only, whilst Fig. 5 shows side elevations of parts of
the clutch separated. The clutch in these drawings is designed for attachment
to the hub of the rear wheel of a cycle, the outer part being formed as a chain
wheel and mounted over the inner part, and the latter rigidly fixed to the
said hub.
In these drawings as aforesaid a is the inner part and c the outer part of the
clutch, the latter fitting nicely and loosely over the part a. The said part a
is a circular disc or plate and the outer part ca ring or annulus. The disc or
plate has machined within its periphery or circumference a² a number of
recesses or cut away parts d, d, d, within each of which lies and plays a pawl-like
piece or catch e, each pawl-like piece fitting its recess so as to move in it easily
and so as to come flush with the periphery of the disc a. The recesses d, d, d,
are approximately twice the length of the pawl-like pieces e, e, e, and the latter
can move in them from end to end. The recesses extend the full breadth of
the disc, a, and are machined out to guage.
f, f, f, are tipping devices, one of which is arranged within the bottom of
each recess in the disc «, central between the ends of each recess, to act upon
each pawl-like piece to force outwardly, automatically either the nose or back
ende, e³, according to the position of the said pawl-like piece in respect of
the said tipping device; for example, in Fig. 1 the tipping devices are all acting
upon the back ends e³ of the pawl-like pieces, but in Fig. 2 they are all acting
upon the nose ends of the said pieces.
Each tipping device comprises a ball resiliently seated upon a small coil
spring working in a hole f* drilled within the bottom of the recess in which
the said device is placed, the said ball sometimes being concealed in the recess,
as in Fig. 1, and at other times protruding, as in Fig. 2.
The bore or inner circumference of the ring or annulus fits over the
periphery of the disc a nicely and freely and is set up with a number of ratchet
teeth g, with which the pawl-like pieces e, e, e, are adapted to sometimes engage,
the said pawl-like pieces at other times moving round clear of them, or wiping
over them inoperative, this according to the direction of rotation of the two parts
of the clutch; for example, one of the pawl-like pieces engage a ratchet tooth
in Fig. 2 and couple the parts a and c to rotate in one direction, whilst in Fig. 1
the pawl-like pieces are wiping idly over the said ratchet teeth, the two parts
of the clutch being uncoupled at this time.
Side plates and i are connected to the disc a by screw pins 7, to prevent any
lateral displacement between the disc a and the ring and also to keep the
pawl-like pieces in the recesses.
One of the chief characterists of the improvements herein defined is the
making of the clutch noiseless in its action. This is brought about by the pawl-
like pieces e, which work in the recesses & between the ratchet tooth bore of
the ring and the bottoms of the said recesses, being operated to move them
into and out of position to engage the ratchet teeth g by the tipping devices,
which are either brought, in the working of the clutch, under the one or other
ends of the said pieces; for instance, if the tipping devices are under the nose

page_text: ends of the pawl-like pieces, forcing them outwardly, the back ends e³ of the
said pieces are levered inwardly, and vice versa; the result of this being no
clicking or snap action of the nose ends of the pieces into the throats of the
ratchet teeth.
In the drawings the ratchet teeth in the annulus c are disposed at irregular
intervals, in order to obtain a quick coupling action of the clutch, one pawl-like
piece only engaging a ratchet tooth at any time, but the said ratchet teeth
may be formed at regular intervals in the ring and all the pawl-like pieces made
to engage them at a time.
The lowest pawl-like piece in the view Fig. 1 will show how the snap action
and clicking noise of the pawls into the teeth is prevented, it being understood
that there is always a little and sufficient friction between the pawl-like pieces
and the bore of the ring e to cause the said pawl-like pieces to make the necessary
movement in the recesses to be properly governed by the tipping devices.
The clutch herein before described and illustrated in the drawings is one easy
and inexpensive to manufacture, as the disc or plate a is simply machined on
its periphery to form the recesses, the pawl-like pieces cut off from a shaped
bar so as to fit the said recesses, holes drilled in the bottom of the recesses to
receive the springs and balls and the ratchet teeth machined in the ring c.
Further, the clutch is a strong one, as the driving strain on the inner portion
is against a solid abutment, namely, against one of the ends of the recesses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:—
First. A driving and free wheel clutch for cycles consisting of two parts
loosely fitting each other so as to rotate independently, the one part having
formed within it ratchet teeth or their equivalents, and the other part recesses
or cut-away parts wherein pawl-like pieces or catches work and play and tipping
devices to the said pawl-like pieces are provided, all operating substantially as
described.
Second. A driving and free wheel clutch for cycles consisting of an inner
part a having formed within its periphery recesses d, an outer part working
over said inner part and having ratchet teeth or the like within its bore, pawl-like
pieces or catches working in said recesses and which are adapted to engage the
said ratchet teeth, and tipping devices fitted within the bottoms of the recesses
to act on the pawl-like pieces substantially as described and illustrated.
Third. A driving and free wheel clutch having in its combination a circular
disc a formed with recesses d on its periphery and holes f within the bottoms
of the said recesses, an annulus c fitting to rotate upon said disc and having
ratchet teeth formed within its bore pawl-like pieces c located and playing in
said recesses between their bottoms and the ratehet toothed bore of the annulus,
and balls and springs f2, 3, located in the holes f4, and acting upon the pawl-like
pieces substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5.
Fourth. A driving and free wheel clutch constructed and having its parts
arranged and fitted in the manner specified in Figs. 1 to 3.
Dated this 8th day of Max 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,.
Also at Liverpool, London and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.