IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCEPEDES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hugh Williams at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
May 1869.
I, HUGH WILLIAMS, of Number 20, Portwood Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCEPEDES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to give greater speed, ease of propulsion,
steadiness of steering, security and power of action given to the rider,
and a facility of its being adapted for more than one rider.
The improvements consist in the great speed obtained in. consequence
of having the fore or driving wheel of great diameter. This fore or
driving wheel is supported from the axis by a wrought iron or steel
forked eye rod which is fitted into a bearing socket in the beam or frame.
This wheel is driven by double cranks on each side of the wheel worked
by the rider by means of treadles or levers working on pins secured to
brackets attached to the forked eye rod before mentioned. These treadles
are nicely balanced by means of counterweights, placed on the opposite.
end of the treadles to that from which the impetus is given, in order to.

page_text: reduce the pressure or weight against the back stroke of the cranks.
The balanced end of these treadles are brought to bear on the under side
of the cranks and impel them.
The steering is effected by means of a curved rack secured to the end
of the steering bar, which is the termination of the forked eye rod. This
rack is worked by means of a bevelled pinion, the spindle of which works
in bearings secured to back of beam or frame and brought sufficiently
low for the rider to obtain full command of the steering, which is done
by means of the band wheel or handle attached to end of spindle. The
seat or saddle is sustained on an adjustable spring (serving the purpose
a back in order that the rider may rest his body against it) secured to
the beam or frame by means of strap or clip and thumb screw, so that it
is easily adjusted higher or lower to suit the rider. Another advantage
gained by this Invention is that the seat is placed below the axle of the
driving wheel or at any height that the rider will be able to touch the
ground with his feet. The consequence will he that all classes of riders
will have greater confidence in mounting this apparatus.
The body of this machine is made to be easily lengthened, so that two
might ride on it, with adjustable treadles and cranks attached to the fore.
and hind wheel. This is done by means of a slot or groove in the forked
brace sustained by the hind wheel. The axle of this hind wheel is made.
to move in this slot or groove and secured in any desired position. by-
means of nuts or thumb screws.
The break is worked by means of a light chain or other suitable
material wound round a small drum, attached to the back of the beam or
frame immediately in the front of the rider, and worked by one hand
by a small hand wheel or handle, and brought to bear on either the hind
or the driving wheel. This brake is placed within the forked brace of
the hind wheel directly below the saddle.
It is obvious that I can apply my arrangements to velocepedes with
three or four wheels as well as the two-wheeled or bycicle arrangement
herein described.