Improvements in and connected with the Driving Gear of Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1395
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1896-Accented, 15th May, 1396
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Driving Gear of Cycles.
We, EDWARD GOODMAN SHEWARD, of 60 Harold Road, Upper Norwood,
Surrey, Gentleman, and THE MARVEL BICYCLE SYNDICATE LIMITED, of
1 Whittington Avenue, City of London, Cycle Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a driving gear for cycles from a
combination of cranks and levers arranged in such a manner that an increased
result is obtained from the propelling power exerted by the rider without increasing
the leg movement beyond what is usual in machines as at present constructed at
the same time to effect this by a rotary movement of the foot, thereby obtaining the
combined advantages of increased efficiency with the most hygienic form of
pedalling.
The invention is primarily intended for use in connection with rear driving
safety bicycles but can also be adapted to other patterns of cycle if desired.
One
In its application to a rear driving bicycle, it consists of two compound cranks,
the arms or webs of each crank being at any suitable angle to each other.
of the said cranks is pivoted preferably to an extension of the back fork, and the
other is secured to the spindle that passes through ball bearings in the back
wheel.
The respective arms of each compound crank are connected to the other in one
case by a connecting rod, and in the other by a lengthened bar carrying a pedal
at the end thereof which constitutes a lever to which the power of the rider is
applied.
The before mentioned lever during its movement remains parallel to the centre
of both cranks and partakes of a circular or rotary motion corresponding in
direction and degree to that of the compound cranks to which it is pivoted, the
action being such that the power applied by the rider to the end of the lever is
transferred to one of the compound cranks, the other acting as a fulcrum, any
reaction of one of the cranks that would occur in certain positions being com-
pensated by the thrust of the connecting rod pivoted to the other arms of the said
crauks.
To the spindle that is working loosely in the back wheel of the bicycle is attached
a wheel having internal teeth and which gears with a smaller wheel carrying the
chain for transferring the motion to the hub of said back wheel, but any kind of
gear may be used.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Edward Goodman Sheward and
The Marvel Bicycle Syndicate Limited.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with the Driving Gear of Cycles.
We, EDWARD GOODMAN SHEWARD, of 60 Harold Road, Upper Norwood,
Surrey, Gentleman, and THE MARVEL BICYCLE SYNDICATE LIMITED of
1, Whittington Avenue, City of London, Cycle Manufacturers 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 this invention is to construct a driving gear for cycles from a
combination of cranks and lovers arranged in such a manner that an increased
result is obtained from the propelling power exerted by the rider without increasing
the leg movement beyond what is usual in machines as at present constructed
at the same time to effect this by a rotary movement of the foot thereby obtaining
the combined advantages of increased efficiency with the most hygienic form of
pedalling.
The invention is primarily intended for use in connection with rear driving
safety bicycles but can also be adapted to other patterns of cycle if desired.
In its application to a rear driving bicycle as represented at Figures 1 and 2, it
consists of two compound cranks the arms or webs of each crank being at any
suitable angle to each other. One of the said cranks is pivoted preferably to an
extension of the back fork, and the other is secured to the axle E that passes
through ball bearings in the back wheel.
The respective arms of each additional crank are connected at one end by a rod,
and at the other, as well as the arms of each main crank, by a lengthened bar
carrying a pedal at the end, this constituting a lever on which the power of the
rider is applied.
The before mentioned bar or lever maintains its horizontal position during its
movement while following the motion of both cranks round their respective centres,
the action being such that the power applied by the rider to the outer or pedal end
of the lever is transferred to the main arms at one part of its length, and to the
other arms of the compound cranks at the inner end of its length, any reaction of
one of the cranks that would occur in certain positions being compensated by the
thrust of the connecting rod pivoted to the additional arms of the said cranks.
To enable our invention to be more clearly understood we describe one set of
cranks only, the other set being precisely similar. We make each prong of the
back fork D with an extension C and secure a crank A to a pin a projecting
outwardly therefrom. We attach a crank A' by the pin b, this being of sufficient
length as to pass through the pedal bar H, the opposite end of said crank A'
by its pin c is by means of the rod G in connection by a similar pin d with
the crank B', said crank B¹ being on another long pin e which passes through the
pedal bar H as indicated into the end of the crank B which is affixed to the
axle E.
The axle E of the drive wheel F is free and works loosely in the hub of same;
it has attached to it an internal toothed wheel J into which a smaller wheel K
gears, this by its spindle passing through the main frame D carrying a sprocket
wheel L transfers by the chain L' the motion to the sprocket wheel L" fixed ou
the hub M of said back wheel F which becomes driven thereby.
We have only shown one kind of gear but any other kind may be used between
the compound cranks and the drive wheel.
As before mentioned, the pedal I partakes of a circular motion, therefore to
prevent any outward movement of the lever H when the power of the rider is
applied, we may couple the pedal to a crank of suitable length arranged in the
bottom bracket of the machine.

page_text: The diagram, Figures 3, 4 and 5, indicates some of the ways the compound
cranks can be connected to the lever and connecting rod.
According to Figure 3, the order of the cranks is reversed to that shown at
Figures 1 and 2, i.e. the pedal bar H and connecting rod G are on opposite sides
of the wheel centre instead of on the same side.
Figure 4, the compound cranks A, A', B, B1, are at reverse angles to those
shown at Figure 1, that is to say, the cranks A', B', point away from the crank
and not towards the bracket as is the case in Figure 1 when the pedal is at its
lowest position.
Figure 5 is similar in arrangement to Figure 3 in so far that the pedal bar H
may occupy the positions relative to the crank centres and connecting rods G
there shown, but the crank webs A, A, B, B', are somewhat differently arranged,
for example, instead of the crank webs A', B', proceeding from the crank
centres a, E, as shown in Figure 3 and as indicated by the dotted lines A", B", in
Figure 5 they spring from the end of the crank webs A, B, to the points 1, 2,
respectively, thus giving an equivalent action to that described with reference to
Figure 3 but modified in construction to the extent of attaching the crank
webs A, B1, in such a manner that the ends to which the connecting rod G is
attached occupy such positions that they act as the equivalents of cranks set at
right angles to the cranks A, B. Having demonstrated that Figure 5 is the exact
equivalent of Figure 3, it is obvious that it can also be made to act as the
equivalent of Figure 1 by shifting the pedal bar H to the middle position as
indicated by the dotted lines H and inaking the top centres 3 and 4 the
axles a, E; or if the crank webs A, B, Figure 5, be turned backwards to point in the
opposite direction, and be connected up as just described with the pedal bar H in
the middle position it will in action be the equivalent of Figure 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination of cranks and levers herein described and as shown on the
accompanying drawings as a gear for driving cycles from pedal levers, as set
forth.
2. In a driving gear for propelling cycles, the combination of two compound
cranks with a lengthened bar and connecting rod, and so pivoting one of said
compound cranks to the frame of the machine and the other to a spindle having
free rotation within the hub of the wheel and bearings in said frame, that the said
lengthened bar acting as a pedal lever is caused to partake of a rotary motion and
remain parallel to the centre of said compound cranks, and so arranging the
connecting rod that it compensates for the leverage thrust of the lengthened bar
when the change of fulcrum occurs as and for the purposes set forth and sub-
stantially as shown.
The 15th day of February 1806
.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Edward Goodman Sheward and
The Marvel Bicycle Syndicate Limited.