Improvements in and connected with Gearing for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Gearing for Cycles.
A communication by JOHN FRANKLIN BRADY, of 1820, Melrose Street, Chicago,
in the County of Cook, and State of Illinois, United States of America, Real
Estate Agent.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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: —
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle in which are embodied the improve-
ments;
Figure 2 is a plan of the lower reach and crank hanger as they appear broken
away from the frame of the bicycle, showing a pair of front cranks and their pedal
pieces, and the pedal pieces of two rear cranks, together with two connecting rods
between the cranks, and the hub of the rear drive wheel with two spur cog wheels
mounted on the ends thereof; the rim of the drive wheel, the tyre mounted
thereon, and two internal cog wheels which engage with the spur cog wheels on
the hub, being shown in horizontal axial section;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the rear lower corner of the bicycle
frame to illustrate the construction of the vertical and horizontal rear forks
thereof whose bifurcations straddle the drive wheel, which latter is mounted on
an axle firmly connecting the rear lower portion of the frame as usual in bicycles
of the ordinary construction;
Figure 4 is a plan of the rear portion of the lower reach with the rear post of
the bicycle frame broken away at the broken line 6, and showing the reach as it
would appear looking in the direction indicated by arrow 7, Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the forked post portion of the rear of the bicycle
frame, looking in the direction indicated by arrow 8, Figure 3, showing as in
Figure 4 the outwardly bent portions of the lower rear side corners of the frames
and the ball bearing centres upon which are mounted two internal cog gears which,
because of the peculiar shape of this portion of the frame, although mounted at the
outside of the bicycle frame, are adapted to engage the two spur cog wheels at
the ends of the hub of the drive wheel inside the frame.
In order to more clearly show the shape of the forked portion of the rear post,
the lower reach is not shown in Figure 5; Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are drawn to a
scale one fourth larger than Figure 1.
Figure 1 shows a tandem two seat bicycle in which there is an ordinary crank
shaft hanger A with the shaft B mounted therein with cranks C and D secured
to the end thereof, the rear portion of the bicycle frame comprises a forked post E
upon the top of which is secured the rear seat, and there is a reach F, having two

page_text: side pieces whose rear ends join the bottom ends of the members of the forked
post E, Figure 3.
There are rearward projections G and G¹ from the sides of the portion of the
frame formed by the junction of post E with reach, I, which projections have holes
in which the ends of the drive wheel axle H are secured.
Drive wheel H is mounted to revolve on the axle H¹ and the hub of this wheel
has secured to the ends thereof spur cog wheels H2 and H.
At the outside of the lower reach F, at each side of the frame, are secured
centre bearing discs I and I', which have grooved peripheral surfaces, and upon
these discs are fitted internal cog wheels J and J, which are grooved in the
surface of the hub to register with the grooves of discs I and I and thus form,
when the cog wheels are in position, a circular canal which is filled with balls to
form a bearing between the wheels and the discs. The teeth of cog wheels J and J'
engage with the teeth of spur cog wheels H2 and H. Crank arms 12 and 13 are
integral with, or are secured to internal cog gears J and J¹, and projecting
laterally from these arms are crank pins K and K¹.
The forward cranks C and D have crank pins C¹ and D¹, and upon these pins
are mounted the usual pedal pieces adapted to receive the pressure of the feet of
the riders of the bicycle.
Crank pins D¹ and K are connected by rod L, and crank pins C¹ and K¹ are
connected by rod L¹.
The row of cogs around the interior of the rims of both internal cog wheels J
and J¹, overhang the plane of revolution of the ends of the hub H³ of drive wheel H,
as shown in Figure 2, which form permits the side pieces of the lower ends of
forked post E, and the rear ends of reach F to flare outwardly at their junctions,
and take a position within the central portion of these cog wheels for the support
of the ball bearing discs I and I', close to the inside face thereof, and also permit
the attachment of the ends of the drive wheel axle in such a position that the
teeth of the small spur cog wheels H3 and H4 may be disposed in the same plane
of revolution, and be engaged by the teeth of the internal gears whose rims each
project inwardly beyond the ends of the projections G and G¹ of the bicycle frame,
as shown in Figure 2.
It is obvious that a bicycle constructed as herein before shown and described,
with the necessary usual parts as indicated in outline in Figure 1, may be mounted
and propelled with the feet of either one or two riders, in the same manner as a
bicycle having the ordinary chain and sprocket wheel gearing for connecting the
cranks with the drive wheel.
The usual form of this bicycle gearing is without the rods L and L', and cranks C
and D, and the middle of length portion of the frame shown, to provide for the
front rider, the single form of the vehicle having only the front and rear portions
of the frame, as shown, so that, the front steering handles in the single form are in
the same relative position to the hind seat as the hind steering handles now are
as shown in Figure 1, so that the rider in the single form sits almost directly over
the hind wheel where he may use his feet applied to the pedals of cranks K and K¹
which are directly connected with the internal gears.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
4
1. In a bicycle gearing, in combination, a rear drive wheel with a hub having a
spur cog wheel, attached thereto at each end and pivotally mounted between the 5
sides of a divided bicycle frame, an internal cog wheel revolubly mounted at
each side, outside the said frame, each of said internal cog wheels projecting rear-
wardly beyond the end of the sides of the bicycle frame, and inwardly into engage-
ment with one of the said spur cog wheels, in the manner substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
2. In a bicycle gearing, a rear drive wheel pivotally mounted between the sides
5

page_text: of a divided rear portion of a bicycle frame, a spur cog wheel secured at each end
of the drive wheel hub, and an internal cog wheel mounted to revolve at each side
of the rear portion of the bicycle frame, and each of said internal cog wheels in
engagement with one of the said spur cog wheels, the ends of each side of the
bicycle frame shaped to flare outwardly to a distance so that a portion thereof is
disposed within the internal cog wheels and beyond the plane of revolution of the
cogs of the engaged cog wheels substantially as shown and described.
3. In a bicycle gearing, in combination, a rear drive wheel having spur cog
wheels secured to the hub thereof, which hub is mounted between the sides of
a divided bicycle frame, an internal cog wheel revolubly mounted at each
side, outside of the bicycle frame, and in engagement with the said spur cog
wheels, a crank shaft mounted in the bicycle frame forward of the drive wheel,
and a crank arm secured to each end of said shaft, and each of said arms having
crank pins which are pivotally connected with the ends of rods whose other ends
are pivotally connected with crank pins, connected with the said internal gears,
substantially as set forth.
Dadth 17th day of Mah 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.