Improvements relating to Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1895-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
We, SALOMON DAVID LEVY, Merchant at Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 16, and
MORITZ HERMANN BARDACH, Merchant at Hamburg, Altonaerstrasse 54, 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 modern bicycle, after having experienced continual improvements has
gained the sympathy of everybody, and has long since ceased to be an object of
luxury, its usefulnes having caused it to be a necessary means to travel long
distances without trouble and expenses and very quickly.
All the improvements hitherto applied to the bicycle were all of them destined
to facilitate the working of the machine i.e. the treading, and to attain this object
the improvements invented and applied hitherto only referred to a better bedding
of the wheel-axles and a reduction of the weight, no other devices having been
thought of; with the sole-exeption of the motor-bicycle, where by the appliance
of a benzine-motor the bicycle has properly speaking become a two-wheeler
locomotive, thus completely losing its original character.
The inventors of the following modification starts from quite a different point
of view; their aim is to assist the bicyclist in the work to be performed by
accumulating energy in the very mechanism of the machine when it runs down
sloping tracks, which accumulated energy will be available afterwards on a rising
ground; the which is realized by the insertion of a spring, for which reason the
inventors call this device a spring-accumulator.
With the aid of the annexed designs, whereof Fig. 1 shows part of the frame of
a bicycle and Fig. 2 the mechanism alone in front-view its operating will easily be
explained.
To the frame traverses a & a casing c is rigidly attached. This casing carries
the spring-box d; which may also at will be wound up by means of a crank, for
which purpose the axle of the spring is square-shaped at e. Supposing the spring
to be wound up, its accumulated energy is transferred by means of the spur-gear f
and thus by means of the wheel on the chain disk k applied together with the
latter to the same wheel tree. The signification of the letter as treading-cranks
is obvious.
Now when the bicyclist is reaching a sloping ground, he will by means of a
lever-device m. n. o. to be operated upon from his seat, shift the gearing g & h
moveable on its axle into which in o catches the engaging and disengaging device n
so as to cause the cogged-wheel h to take the position indicated by the painted
lines; thus stretching the spring and operating upon its axle. In this moment
the transmission g is disengaged. In this way it is in the power of the bicyclist,
by engaging and disengaging the mechanism, to apply the accumulated energy for
facilitating his own work, without being obliged to alight from his machine. The
selv-evident click-and ratchet wheel have been omitted in the design for a better
comprehension's sake. Instead of one spring several may be applied and
connected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:

page_text: facilitating the work of the bicyclist, by means of cogged-wheel gearing (f. g. h. i.)
on the axle-tree of the tread-crauks, the spring of which is being wound up by a
gearing m, n, o, g, h. to be engaged while the bicycle is running, by means of the
cogged-wheel applied to.
Dated, Hamburg, the 25th of June 1895.
For SALOMON DAVID LEVY,
For MORITZ HERMANN BARDACH,
Carl O. Lange,
Patent Agent.