IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edouard Carl Friedrich
Otto at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1880.
EDOUARD CARL FRIEDRICH OTTO, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
In the Specification of my Patent dated 31st March 1879, No. 1274, I have
described a novel mode of and means for balancing a rider seated between two
wheels and above their centre. Now the object of this present Invention is to
adapt the same improvement to a vehicle consisting of only one wheel, the rider
being seated above it.
For the purpose of this Invention I employ a comparatively small but light road
wheel, which drive by pulleys and steel band or chain, or by tooth wheel or
other gearing, from two treadle crank spindles, fitted and working in each side of a
lower continuation of the fork lever. On the inner side of each treadle crank
spindle 1 fix the pulley or tooth wheel, and on the road wheel hub or spindle I
fix the corresponding pulley or tooth wheel. In case tooth wheels are employed I
use an intermediate wheel on each side, such wheel running on a gudgeon or pin
fixed to inner side of the fork.
The pedals may be provided with foot straps.
The back bone is made just long enough to hold the saddle, and the latter is by
preference fixed to the back bone by springs to prevent jolting; the hind part of
the back bone may be formed so that an additional back extension may be fixed
thereto for the purpose of carrying a small hind wheel, thus if required transforming
the vehicle into a bicycle of small size but great speed.
The back bone is movable sideways to a slight extent, but is kept in its normal
position by one or more springs, so that the rider may steer as with an ordinary
bicycle.
A brake acting on the driving wheel by lever or cord may be fitted to the
vehicle

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edouard Carl Friedrich Otto in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1881.
EDOUARD CARL FRIEDRICH OTгo, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES."
In the Specification of my Patent dated 31st March 1879, No. 1274, I have
described a novel mode of and means for balancing a rider seated between two
wheels and above their centre. Now the object of this present Invention is to
adapt the same improvement to a vehicle consisting of only one wheel, the rider
being seated above it.
For the purpose of this Invention I employ a comparatively small but light road
wheel which I drive by pulleys and steel bands or chains, or by tooth wheel or
other gearing, from two treadle crank spindles fitted and working in each side of a
lower continuation of the fork lever. On the inner side of each treadle crank
spindle I fix the pulley or tooth wheel, and on the road wheel hub or spindle I
fix the corresponding pulley or tooth wheel. In case tooth wheels are employed I
use an intermediate wheel on each side, such wheel running on a gudgeon or pin
fixed to the inner side of the fork.
The pedals may be provided with footstraps.
The "backbone" is made just long enough to hold the saddle, and the latter is
by preference fixed to the backbone by springs to prevent jolting; the hind part of
the backbone or a lower extension of the fork may be formed so that an additional
back extension may be. fixed thereto for the purpose of carrying a small hind
wheel, thus if required transforming the vehicle into a bicycle of small size but
great speed.
The aforesaid short or rudimentary "backbone" is movable sideways to a slight
extent, but is kept in its normal position by one or more springs, so that the rider
may steer as with an ordinary bicycle.
A brake acting on the driving wheel by lever or cord may be fitted to the
vehicle.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a side view of a unicycle constructed according to this Invention,
and Figure 2 a front view of same; Figure 1a is a perspective view of the
machine with a rider thereon, whereby the proportions of the unicycle are more
clearly seen.
The road wheel A is comparatively small and light; it may, however, be made
with a comparatively wide rim or tyre for the purpose of facilitating the mounting
and balancing (or I may use two rims or tyres a short distance apart); on each
side of its centre I fix a small flanged pulley B, and on a lower continuation C' of
the fork lever C (which continuation C₁ I prefer to make forked) I arrange on
ench side a treadle spindle D with flange pulley E, treadle crank D', and treadle D³,
by preference, as shown here, provided with foot strap D³, Figure 2; the propelling
power is transmitted from the flange pulleys E to the road wheel pulleys B by means
of bands or chains, the pulleys being correspondingly formed with projections or
recesses, or otherwise, so as to prevent all slip between pulleys and bands or chains.
I prefer to use a peculiar kind of band which will be described further on with
reference to Figures 12 to 17.
The driving pulleys E are of a larger diameter than the driven pulleys B on the
axis or hub of the road or main wheel A for the purpose of increasing the speed of
the machine equal to that of an ordinary bicycle, but with a less number of
revolutions of the crank and a less expenditure of propelling force.
The forks C¹ carrying the pulleys É are extended backwards into a forked back-
bone or back rest C, which terminates at the rear of the wheel A, carrying a small

page_text: roller; this back rest assists the rider in mounting, and is also useful for steadying
the machine when used by beginners, but this machine may also be made and used
without such backbone or back-rest C.
The top of the fork carries the handles as well as the rider's seat or saddle.
The spring G is pivotted at G¹ to the top part of the fork C, more clearly seen in
plan at Figure 3. H are the handles; on a lower extension thereof is a tooth h
engaging with a corresponding notch in the fore part of the spring G, so that by
the movement of the handles in the direction in which the machine is required to
go the spring G, together with the rider's seat, will turn either one way or the other
as desired, as shown in dotted lines, and thus by the assistance of the weight and
balance of the rider the machine will be directed either to the right or to the left,
or travel in a straight course. The rider has perfect control of the machine when
mounted, and with his feet upon the pedals, as is the case with the Otto safety
bicycle patented by me on the 31st March 1879, No. 1274, of which Patent the
present Invention may be said more especially to be a developement or
improvement.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a modified form of unicycle in which no back rest C¹³
is shown. The lower continuations C' of the fork C are here made diverging in
opposite directions therefrom, the treadlo spindles D being otherwise arranged and
driven in a similar manner; it will be seen that the rider in this case will have to
sit more forward, and this position may be obtained by slanting the fork C or by
shifting the saddle into a more forward position, the fork C remaining about vertical
as shown.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a unicycle without a back rest C, and with both
the lower continuations C₁ of the fork in the same direction. This unicycle may
however be made with such a back rost C³, as shown in the part view,
Figure 6.
In Figure 7 I have shown a side view, and in Figure 8 an end view of a bicycle
constructed according to this Invention; it is fitted with a swivelling trailing
wheel T at the lower end of the backbone C; this part is shown about full size in
side view in Figure 9, and in end view in Figure 10; the fork piece K carrying
the wheel I is constructed somewhat similar to that described in the Specification
of my Patent, No. 2164, of 1879; it can swivel on a pivot I', which has an
extension 12 that can swivel in the opposite direction in an eye formed at the lower
junction of the fork end of the backbone C2, and the extension 12 of the pivot l' is
formed with a square part on which is fitted a bracket L, which by means of a
rod M is connected to the fork piece K; the rod M carries an india rubber or other
buffer spring N between two washers N'. As the wheel I rises and falls to the
inequalities of the road, turning on the pivot I¹, it compresses the buffer spring N,
which latter thus takes up the jar. But the trailing wheel I serves also for steering,
and for this purpose I connect two cords or wires O, by preference music wire, to
the eye shaped ends of the pin or pivot I¹, the wires O passing up along the inside
of the fork C¹, C, and winding in opposite directions two or more times around
each side of the handle H; by turning the latter in one direction or the other the
trailing wheel I is canted towards one side or the other.
Figure 11 is a part view showing a usual form of brake which may be used against
the top of the road wheel A; the handle or lever P turning on a fulcrum pin P¹
is connected to the upper arm Q of the brake lever Q. I have also here shown in
dotted lines a detachable back extension Q connected to the backbone or projection
on the top of the fork C. This back extension carries a castor when used as a
unicycle, but when used as a bicycle it may carry a trailing wheel and need not be
detachable.
It is evidently important in this kind of unicycle or bicycle that there be no
slip in the driving band or chain in case of any undue or sudden strain, for in that
case the relative position of the pedals or cranks would be shifted or altered; a
chain may be used to connect the pulleys B and E, but a chain causes undue
friction; a thin steel band, such as I have patented in connection with my bicycle

page_text: in my Patent, No. 1673, of 1880, would if used with flange pulleys, as therein
described, require to be kept very tight in order to prevent possibility of slipping,
and this tightness involves undue friction of the revolving parts; hence I adapt my
patent steel band to this present Invention by forming it with any suitable
indentations, perforations, or projections on the flat, or on the edge or edges, and I
form the grooves of the wheels B and E with corresponding projections or
indentations.
Figure 12 shows part of such a steel band R having rivets Ri at regular intervals,
and applied to a wheel B having corresponding cup shaped depressions B'; Figure 13
is a plan of this band; Figure 14 is a side view partly in section, and Figure 15 a
plan of a band having cup shaped indentations; the wheels inust in that case have
corresponding projections; Figure 16 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 17 &
plan of a band having perforations, the wheels being then forned with corresponding
projections. In Figure 18 I have shown a band with notched edges, the wheel
flanges being then formed with corresponding but slightly smaller projections,
such as little steel pegs driven radially into the wheel along the inside of the
flanges.
If I use my plain flat band without projections, or indentations or notches, then
I make the wheel groove taper, narrower at the bottom, so as to cause the band to
bind between the flanges, and I cover the part between the flanges with a soft
india rubber band.
In Figure 19 I have shown the outline of a unicycle in which the treadle spindles
are driven by tooth wheel gearing, that is, with an intermediate wheel between the
wheel on the treadle spindle wheel and the road wheel spindle wheel. This form
of unicycle may, like those previously described, be formed with a back rest C³, as
shown in dotted lines.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, and
shown how the same may be carried into effect, I declare that I claim,
First. The combination of parts forming a balanced unicycle, in which the rider
sits astride above the wheel and works on treadles arranged in continuations of the
fork below the centre of the wheel, motion being communicated to the latter by
band or other gearing, all substantially as set forth.
Second. The construction of the fork C having lower extension parts C¹, C', and
provided with back rest or back extension C² or Q³, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Third. The mode of steering by means of a handle with tooth h gearing in a
notch in a pivotted spring or backbone, or saddle-part, substantially as set forth
and applied to a velocipede, in conjunction or not with a trailing wheel steering
gear.
Fourth. The application of bands made of steel or other hard strong flexible
metal, and provided with indentations, perforations, notches, or projections to
pulleys formed with corresponding projections or depressions for the purpose of
communicating motion in unicycles and other vehicles without slip, substantially as
set forth.
Fifth. The adaptation or mode of transforming my unicycle into a bicycle,
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edouard Carl Friedrich Otto, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.