Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
I, JOSEPH LIDDELL ANDERSON of 70 Marylebone Lane, in the County of
London, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in velocipedes and consists in the use of,
a large driving wheel suspended between and in frictional contact with two small
wheels.
The driving wheel is carried by a suitable framing supported by the axles of
the small wheels and is driven by gearing such as toothed or chain wheels from the,
pedal crank axle. The upper part of this framing above the driving wheel consists
of a horizontal tube or rod carrying at its rear end an adjustable seat or saddle and
provided at its forward end with a handle bar steering head. The steering bar
consists of a vertical fork whose arms extend down each side of the driving wheel
are joined together and pivoted to an extension of the framing near the level of the
road in a direct line with the point of contact of the driving wheel with the small
front wheel.
The said steering rod or fork is connected with the axle of the small front wheel
so as to turn the latter in either direction about its point of contact with the
driving wheel thereby steering the machine and at the same time keeping the wheels
always in contact.
By means of my invention I provide a compact machine occupying considerably
less space than an ordinary bicycle or tricycle.
In the accompanying drawing a is the driving wheel and b, c the two other
wheels, d is the frame supported by the axles of the other wheels, its top part
forming a horizontal tube or rod d suspended centrally above the wheel a and being
provided at its rear end with an adjustable saddle or seat e whilst its front end is
formed with a steering head f. provided with steering handles g. h is the steering
fork whose arms extend downwards on each side of the wheel a and are joined
together and pivoted at to the extension d² of the framing d. The pivoted axis
of the fork is in a direct line with the point of contact of the wheels a and b so
that as the fork is turned in either direction the wheel 6 moves with it on a pivot
or centre corresponding with the said point of contact thus always maintaining the
contact of the wheels a and b with one another.
The wheel a is driven by the ordinary pedal cranks i and suitable toothed gear
wheels k carried in or supported by the cross frame or case or instead of the
toothed wheels the wheel a may be driven by a small gear chain and sprocket
wheels. The frame or case connects the centre parts of the framing rigidly
together and the lower parts are connected by rods or stays m adjusted or tightened
up by the right and left hand screwed connection n.
The wheels b and c are provided with pneumatic tyres and the wheel a may be
likewise furnished with a pneumatic tyre or have simply a plain rim in contact
with the tyres of the wheels b and c as shown in the drawing.
The points of contact of the wheel a with the wheels b & c are out of the vertical
centre lines of the said wheels so that the weight of the former does not bear
directly on the latter.

page_text: As my improvements are capable of some slight modification without departing
from the principle of my invention, I do not restrict myself to the precise form or
placement of the parts thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In velocipedes the use of a driving wheel in frictional contact with two other
wheels supporting the frame of the machine to which the driving wheel is suspended
substantially as described for the purposes specified.
2. In velocipedes having a driving wheel a in frictional contact with two other
wheels b &c the mechanism for steering the same consisting of the handles y rod
or fork pivoted at 2 to the extension d² of the frame d of the machine in a line
coincident with the point of contact of the large wheel a with the other steering
wheel b substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. In velocipedes the combination of the driving wheel a with two other wheels
&c, framing d, d', d², saddle steering head f, handles g, steering fork, cranks i,
gear k, cross frame l, stays m, and screwed connection n all arranged and operating
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. The improved velocipede substantially as shewn in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 30th day of October 1896
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.