Improved Speed Gearing for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Light Road Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
Improved Speed Gearing for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes and Light Road Vehicles.
I, RICHARD FREDERICK MARCH CHASE, of Plainfield, in the County of
Union, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 object of my invention is to provide bicycles and other light road vebicles
with a speeding attachment by which the same movement of the treadles which
turns the drive-wheel through one revolution when the attachment is not in gear
will turn the drive-wheel through three revolutions when the attachment is in gear.
I accomplish this result by mounting my speed movement upon the main axle of
the bicycle and making the main wheel loose upon said axle.
Preferably the speeding attachment should lie wholly within the hub of the
wheel or between the spokes and suitably protected by a shield from the entrance
of dust, gravel etc.
My invention consists in a speeding movement for bicycles etc. which consists of
a loose main or drive wheel and a series of gear-wheels mounted; some loosely
upon the axle of the main wheel; some rigidly on said axle and some upon fixed
stationary bearings in the neighbourhood of said axle; whereby one revolution of
said axle causes three revolutions of said main or drive wheel.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle having my improved speed movement set
between the spokes of the main wheel.
Figure 2 is an enlarged linear section of my speed movement.
I have shown my invention as applied to a series of five wheels used in combina-
tion with the main wheel as above stated made loose upon its axle instead of rigidly
mounted thereon as is usually the case; but my invention is not limited to the
exact number of wheels employed as modifications in the arrangement and number
of wheels will readily suggest themselves.
Same letters indicate similar parts in the different figures.
A is the larger or main wheel of the bicycle; the same being made with light
metallic spokes in the usual manner in two series which draw toward each other at
the ends which are inserted in the tire, and provided with the usual treadles B.
C is the smaller or rear wheel of the bicycle.
D the brace or supporting bar.
E the saddle.
There is nothing at all peculiar in the construction of the bicycle as shown in
Figure 1, except that the wheel A is mounted loosely upon the axle a and preferably
on ball bearings or some other antifriction character instead of rigidly as is usually
the case and therefore without the introduction of my improved speed movement
or some other device the motion of the treadles in turning the axle a would not be
communicated to unequal diameter. My invention can be applied without change to
a safety bicycle or other form in which the wheels are of the same diameter; to
tricycles or to the driving wheel of any other light road vehicle.
Passing to Figure 2, which shows the speed movement situated between the two
faces of the usual metallic hub with which bicycle and tricycle wheels are
generally provided it is clearly shown that while the treadles B are pinned to the
axle a as shown by the dotted lines the wheel A cousisting of the hub and
the converging spokes d is wholly disconnected from the axle a and also from the
bearings FF in which said axle turns.
The bearing F is a simple bearing preferably of an antifriction character such
as is usually found on the machine.

page_text: The bearing F also preferably a ball bearing is provided with an extension e in
the form of a sheath which surrounds the speed movement and protects it from dust,
gravel etc. which might clog its action. This sheath also serves as a point of
support for such wheels of the movement as require an outside support.
As before stated the speed movement shown in Figure 2, by which a single
revolution of the axle a is transferred to the wheel A as a triple revolution is com-
posed of five wheels, although as above stated some larger number of wheels might
be employed for the same purpose; five being the smallest number by which I have
thus far succeeded in converting a single revolution of the axle into a triple revolu-
tion of the wheel. All of the wheels are preferably provided with ball bearings.
The size of the wheels forming the speed movement is not important but the
number of teeth of all the wheels should either be the same or so related to
each other that the end of the revolution of. one wheel should find the wheel'
with which it meshes in exactly the same relation in which it was when the
revolution began. The wheel G is pinned to the axle and of course turns
with it. The wheel H is pivoted to the sheath e and meshes on one side with
the wheel G and on the other side with one face of the wheel which is
mounted loosely on the axle a. The other face of the wheel 1. meshes with the
wheel J which is mounted on the arm which is pinned to the axle a and turns
with. it. This wheel J also meshes with the wheel. K which is loosely mounted
ou the axle a but is rigidly secured to and forms a part of one face of the
hub of the wheel A.
It is obvious that a single revolution of the axle a becomes, that is, generates
a triple revolution of the wheel K and the large wheel A for the wheel G
being pinned to the axle a takes up a single revolution which it transmits
unchanged in amount, but reversed in direction to the loose wheel I by means
of the intermediate wheel H.. This same single revolution is transmitted to the
wheel without change in amount but again reversed in direction by the
wheel J. Meanwhile however the wheel J being caused to move around the axle
by reason of the arm on which it is hung being pinned to the axle a receives
a second revolution by reason. of its meshing with the wheel I and communicates
this second revolution to the wheel K; both revolutions being now in the same
direction. At the same time the wheel J meshing directly with wheel. K has
the same effect on it as if the wheel J were a pin carried around by the arm f
and thus communicates a third revolution, still in the same direction as the
other two, directly to the wheel K. from the axle a. And thus the wheel K
has received three revolutions by the time the axle a has turned around once.
Obviously any given movement of the treadle B will thus give three times
the amount of speed to the vehicle as the same motion gives in the bicycle and
tricycle now in use where the wheel A is mounted directly on axle a and as
this is found in practice not to generate sufficient friction to render the attach-
ment undesirable the ability to get a triple speed with a single axle without
undue increase of effort constitutes the practical merit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A speeding movement for bicycles etc. which consists of a loose main or drive
wheel and a series of gear-wheels mounted some loosely upon the axle of the
main wheel; some rigidly on said axle; and some upon stationary bearings in
the neighbourhood of said axle ; whereby one revolution of said axle causes three
revolutions of said main or drive wheel, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 10th 1
1000
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.