IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Grainger Tandy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1883.
GEORGE GRAINGER TANDY of Clapham in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VELOCIPEDES."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of tricycle in which all the
advantages of a bicycle will be retained without the disadvantages.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a backbone and hind steering wheel as
in a bicycle. The front or driving wheels are placed close together and are set
obliquely so that at the top they will approach closely, but at bottom will be say
one foot apart. These wheels may be mounted on a bent axle, which at the centre
of its length carries in any convenient manner a rod which supports the front end
of the back bone.
In combination with this fixed rod I may employ a steering rod provided at
its lower end with a pinion which works in a rack connected with the steering
wheel.
.
The driving wheels may be geared together by means of bevil gear or in any
other convenient manner or they may be allowed to run separately if desired.
The treadles will be connected externally to the hubs of the wheels instead of to
the axles as heretofore. A brake of any convenient description will be provided
either to the hind wheel or to the driving wheels as may be preferred.
Instead of a single rod to support the back bone I may use a double fork the
central prong being placed between the wheels. In this case I may use two short
axles set at an inclination the inner end of each being provided with a ball which
works in a socket carried by the central prong, the external prongs carrying the
bearings for the outer ends of the axles. The treadles in this form of machine I
prefer to connect to the axles in the usual way. The driving wheels will be geared
as before mentioned.
J
If desired I may connect the lower end of the backbone by a stay with the
central fork or rod.
.
By the above described construction of tricycle I obtain a broad base on which
to run without inconveniencing the rider who will sit straddle as in a bicycle. I
obtain a much lighter tricycle than heretofore and I am enabled to apply the
driving power direct to the wheels instead of through chain or other gearing.
:
::

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Grainger Tandy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1883.
GEORGE GRAINGER TANDY of Clapham in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VELOCIPEDES
This Invention relates to a novel construction of tricycle in which all the
advantages of a bicycle will be retained without the disadvantages.
In carrying out my invention I employ a backbone and hind steering wheel as
in a bicycle The front or driving wheels are placed close together and are set
obliquely so that at the top they will approach closely but at bottom will be, say,
one foot apart. These wheels are mounted on a bent axle which at the centre of
its length carries by means of a saddle piece formed in one with the axle, a
vertical bar or rod which supports the front end of the back bone
In combination with this vertical bar or rod I employ a steering rod provided
at its lower end with a pinion which works in a rack connected with the steering
wheel.
The driving wheels are geared together by means of crown wheels, bevil
gear or in any other convenient manner. The pedals are connected externally to
the hubs of the wheels instead of to the axles as heretofore.
A brake of any convenient description is provided either to the hind wheel or
to the driving wheels as may be preferred
In Sheet I of the accompanying drawings Fig: 1 shews in side elevation a
tricycle constructed according to my Invention, and Fig: 2 is a front elevation
partly in section
A A are the front or driving wheels mounted obliquely on a bent axle B. This
bent axle forms part of, or is rigidly attached to, the vertical bar C which
supports the curved portion of the backbone C¹ by means of the saddle piece c
To increase the rigidity of the frame the lower end of the backbone and the
central fork is connected by the stay c¹. The driving wheels A A are mounted
loosely upon the bent axle on both sides of the saddle piece c; the inner faces of
the wheel hubs are provided with interlocking crown wheels a a, and upon the
outer faces of the hubs are bolted the cranks A' A¹ carrying the pedals a¹ a¹ in
the usual manner.
D is the hind steering wheel mounted in a fork d which is pivotted to the lower
end of the backbone C₁. The head or upper end of this fork is provided with an
arm d¹, to the end of which is pivotted a rod d. The opposite end of this rod is
formed with rack teeth, into which takes a pinion keyed on the lower end of
the steering rod d³. This rod is provided at its upper end with a cross bar
and handles in the usual manner.-The saddle (not shewn in Sheet I the
drawings) is mounted on the backbone C¹, the rider sitting astride both driving
wheels, as in the ordinary bicycle.
The tricycle is provided with a hind wheel spoon brake E, carried on the arm
of a bell-crank lever pivotted to the fork d. To the upper end of this bell crank
lever is attached a cord e which passes over guide pulleys e¹ e² carried by the
frame and is attached to the lower end of the rod e³, mounted in a guide on the end
of the backbone C¹.
This rod is raised to apply the brake by a rock lever 6', mounted on the
steering rod d³
The brake is released by means of a spring arranged in any suitable manner.

page_text: In Sheet II of the accompanying drawings Fig: 3 is a side elevation and Fig: 4
is a front view of a modification of the above described tricycle in which a rotating
axle is employed
Instead of the single rod C of the first described arrangement to support the
backbone C, I employ a fork having three prongs C, C2, C3, the central prong C
being placed between the driving wheels A. A. The outer prongs C³ ³ carry
bearings at their lower ends, and the central prong C at is lower end is divided
to carry two bearings.-In these bearing of the outer and central prongs are
mounted two short axles B B, set at a suitable inclination to give the desired
obliquity to the driving wheels A A. These axles are coupled together by a
universal joint of the ordinary construction.
On
The driving wheels A A are mounted loosely upon the axles B B, and coupled
thereto by a ratchet and pawl, or other well known slip clutch enclosed in the
box A to allow of the outer wheel overrunning when passing round a curve.
the outer end of these axles are keyed the cranks A¹ A¹ carrying pedals a¹ a¹ as
usual. The steering wheel D is mounted in a fork d pivotted to the lower end of
the backbone, an arm d¹ projects from the fork d, and to it is pivotted a rod ď
connecting at its opposite end with an arm d³ on the steering rod d.-The upper
end of this rod is fitted with the ordinary steering handle
The handle bar carries a rock lever for operating the double spoon brake E
which acts simultaneously on both driving wheels.
The saddle F is mounted on the backbone C¹ by means of a spring.
By the above described construction of tricycle I obtain a broader base than in
an ordinary bicycle, on which to run without inconveniencing the rider, I also
obtain a lighter tricycle than heretofore, and I am enabled to apply the driving
power direct to the wheels instead of through chain or other gearing.
$
Having now described my Invention of Improvements in Velocipedes' and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood
that I claim
A tricycle in which the driving wheels are mounted obliquely on inclined stud
or rotating axles the, said wheels or their axles being coupled together substantially
in the manner herein described and for the purpose set forth
In witness whereof I the said George Grainger Tandy have hereunto set my
hand and seal the nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
G. G. TANDY
L.S.)