IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRICYCLES." A communication from abroad by Samuel Norman Silver,
of Auburn, in the County of Androscoggin, and Charles Edward Page, of
Bideford, in the County of York, both in the State of Maine, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES." [A communication
from abroad by Samuel Norman Silver, of Auburn, in the County of Androscoggin,
and Charles Edward Page, of Bideford, in the County of York, both in the State of
Maine, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to a new and improved tricycle, which may be easily
propelled, steered, and controlled by the occupant.
The Invention consists in a tricycle provided with two pivoted foot levers
connected with arms loosely mounted on the driving axle, and provided at their
outer ends with pivoted pawls engaging in notches in discs loosely mounted on the
axle, said discs being provided with friction clutch dogs catching on the inner
surface of the circumferential flange of a disc fast on the axle, whereby when the
foot levers are depressed springs on the axle connected with the loose discs, and
other springs, also connected with these discs, will be brought in tension, and when
the pawls are released from the discs the springs revolve the loose disks which
catch on the fast disk, thereby rotating the axle and propelling the vehicle forward.
The tricycle is provided with a brake operated by means of a handle sliding on
a squared rod surrounded by a spiral spring, and the front guide or steering wheel
is connected with a like squared rod provided with a handle and spring, these
bandles and springs being also used to increase the power for propelling the vehicle.
The Invention further consists in the arrangement and construction of certain
parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

page_text: The frame is in form of a right angled triangle, and is bent upwards at its rear
end to form bearings for the axle. The driving wheels may either be fast on the axle
or provided with boxes having internal ratchet teeth with which pawls on the axle
engage only when the axle turns in the one direction and not in the other. The foot
levers are pivoted at their front ends to the frame in front of the axle, and their
rear ends extend behind the axle, and are respectively connected by links with
arms loose on the axle and carrying pawls engaging with notches in the edges of
discs also loose on the axle. Between the loose discs is another disc fast on the
axle and having a broad rim, against the internal periphery of which bear two
opposite friction clutch dogs pivoted to the inner face of each loose disc, and resting
against and connected by springs to a diametral rib on the said inner face. The
arms and loose discs are held close up to the fast disc by a coiled spring. Powerful
springs are coiled upon the axle at either side of this double friction clutch box,
and are attached to the loose discs thereof, and strong springs are also attached to
the frame and to the loose discs. Either or both of these springs may be used.
By depressing the treadle levers alternately the arm and pawl are drawn down
and the corresponding loose disc is turned backward a portion of a revolution (its
movement being limited by a stop) and the springs connected to it are thereby
put in tension. When the pawl reaches the end of its stroke it strikes a fixed
cam block and is thrown off, thereby releasing the loose disc, which is thereupon
turned by the springs in the forward direction. In this forward movement the
friction clutch dogs engage with the rim of the disc fast on the axle, which will
then be rotated, the vehicle being propelled forward by the power of the springs.
The treadles have a socket at the underside resting on a ball on the treadle lever
and held thereon by a stirrup embracing the lever. A steering wheel is loosely
mounted on a short shaft in the front forked end of the frame in line with one of
the steering wheels, and an arm on this short shaft is connected by a rod with a
crank arm at the lower end of an upright rod, turning at its upper and lower ends
in the frame. This rod is of square section, and upon it slides the lower bent end
of a guided rod, having a handle at its upper end by which the square rod can_be
turned at same time that the handle is free to slide up and down thereon. The
handle is pressed down by a strong spring on the square rod, but may be locked
in the raised position when the action of the springs is not required.
A similar arrangement at the opposite side of the vehicle is connected with a
cross bar carrying brake shoes to be applied to the driving wheels. The action of
the springs applied to these two handles is by drawing the handles downward
against the upward pull of the rider's hands, to draw the rider's body downwards,
and so increase the power applied to the treadle levers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Olark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th April 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRICYCLES." A communication
from abroad by Samuel Norman Silver, of Auburn, in the County of Androscoggin,
and Charles Edward Page, of Bideford, in the County of York, both in the State of
Maine, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improved tricycle, which may be easily propelled,
steered, and controlled by the occupant.
'
The Invention consists in a tricycle in which the foot levers are connected with
arms loosely on the driving axle, and provided with pawls that engage in notches
in discs loose on the axle, said discs being provided with friction clutch dogs
engaging with the circumferential flange of a disc fast on the axle, whereby when
the foot levers are depressed springs connected with the loose discs will be put in
tension, so that when the pawls are released from the discs the springs will revolve
the loose discs, which then engage with the fast disc, thereby rotating the axle and
propelling the vehicle forward. The tricycle is provided with a brake ope....
by means of a handle sliding on a squared rod surrounded by a spiral spring, and
the front guide or steering wheel is connected with a like squared rod provided
with a handle and spring, these handles and springs being also used to increase
the power for propelling the vehicle. The Invention further consists in the
arrangement and construction of certain parts, as will be more fully described
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying Drawings forming part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved tricycle; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
elevation of the same, parts being shown in section on the line x, x, of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation
through the flanged disc fast on the axle on the line y, y, of Figure 5; Figure 5 is a
cross sectional elevation of the same on the line z, z, of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a
cross sectional elevation of the hub of the wheel; Figure 7 is a cross sectional
elevation of the foot lever and treadle on the line v, v, of Figure 1.
A is a triangular frame bent upward at its rear or wide end to form journal
boxes or bearings A¹ for the driving axle B. The driving wheels C may either be
fast on the axle or be provided with boxes D having internal ratchet teeth with which
spring pawls a engage, as shown in Figure 6, so that the wheels will only be
rotated when the axle B rotates in the one direction and not in the other. Two
levers E are pivoted at their front ends to the frame A at a point in front of the
axle B, and their rear ends extend behind the axle and are respectively connected
by links E¹ to arms F loosely mounted on the axle. To the outer end of each of
these arms Fa pawl F' is pivoted, the pawls being respectively pressed by springs b
against the edges of discs G loosely mounted on the axle B, the circular edges of
these discs being provided with notches or shoulders c and d. A disc H provided
with a broad rim H¹ is fast on the axle B between the two loose discs G.
Two opposite friction clutch dogs G³, G', are pivoted to the inner side of each
disc G and rest against a diametral rib Q2 on the inner face thereof, and are
connected with this rib by springs G³. Powerful springs I coiled around the
axle B at each side of this double friction clutch box are connected with the axle
and also with projections I of the discs G, and powerful springs K attached to the
transverse ar A¹ of the frame A are also connected with the projectious I¹ of the

page_text: discs G. The arms F and the discs G and H are all held together by a coiled
spring L, as shown in Figure 5. A check block M resting against the front of
the rim of the disc H is attached to the upper end of an arm M' resting on the
transverse bar A¹ of the frame, and a cam block N resting against the rear of
the rim of the disc H is attached to the upper end of an arm N¹ resting on the
transverse bar A' of the frame A. Treadles O provided on the underside with
a socket rest on balls O¹ on the levers E, and are held on these balls by stirrups O
surrounding the levers E. These levers E are pressed upward by springs P attached
to the frame A. A steering wheel Qis loosely mounted on a short shaft Q¹
pivoted in the front forked end R of the frame A. An arm Q on the shaft Q¹ is
connected by a rod R¹ with a crank or arm at the lower end of a squared rod S
pivoted on the cross piece A2 and arms B' of the frame A. The lower bent end of
a guided rod T provided with a handle T¹ surrounds the rod S, so that the rod T
can slide up and down on the rod S, and at the same time the rod S can be turned
by means of the treadle T¹.
A powerful spring V upon the rod S bears upon the
lower bent end of the rod T and presses it downward. The rod T is provided
with a hole to receive a pin h to lock the rod T in a raised position.
A bar W having brake shoes W¹ at the ends is pivoted to the frame A and can
be pressed toward or from the wheels C by means of a handle T of a rod T
(sliding on a rod S¹), the lower bent or angular end of which is pivoted to a
connecting rod X pivoted to the bar W. The handle T¹ for operating the steering
wheel Qis at one side of the seat Y, and the handle T2 for operating the brakes is
at the other side of the seat, which is arranged above the clutch mechanism on the
axle B.
The operation is as follows:-By depressing a lever E the corresponding arm F
will be turned in the direction of the arrow a¹ and as its pawl F¹ catches on the
shoulder d of the corresponding disc G this disc will be rotated in the same
direction, thereby stretching or lengthening the corresponding spring K and
twisting or winding up the spring I, as both of these springs are attached to the
Baid disc G. But when the lever E has been depressed to its full extent the end
of the pawl F¹ strikes the cam block N and is forced outward, thereby releasing
the disc G which is immediately rotated in the inverse direction of the arrow a' by
the action of the springs I and K which are in tension. But if the disc G moves
in the inverse direction of the arrow a¹ the clutch dogs G¹ will bind against the
inner surface of the rim H' of the disc H, which together with the axle B will
also be rotated in the same direction and the vehicle will be moved forward. By
depressing the other lever E the above operation will be repeated, and so on.
If desired the springs K may be conveniently replaced by stronger or weaker
springs according to the strength and weight of the rider or the speed desired. To
prevent the springs I and K rotating the discs G too far in the inverse direction
of the arrow a¹ the check block M is provided, against which the shoulders c of the
discs G strike. If the power for driving the vehicle is to be increased, the rider
pulls the handles T1, T2, upward, thereby compressing the springs V and V, which
thus tend to pull the body of the rider downward, thereby increasing the weight on
the levers E. If the springs V, V₁, are not to be in action and the handles T¹, T2,
are to be in a convenient position for the rider the handles are raised until
the holes G of the rods T, Ts, are above the arm B¹, and then the pins h are
inserted in the holes g. If desired the springs I only or the springs K only may
be used.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. In a tricycle, the combination with the axle B and wheels C of the springs I,
the loose discs G, the fast disc H, the arms F, the pawls F, the clutches G³, the
springs K, and the foot levers E, substantially as herein shown and described, and
for the purpose set forth.
2. In a tricycle, the combination with the axle B and wheels C of the discs G

page_text: and H, the arms F, the pawls F¹, the clutches G₁, the foot levers E, the springs I, K,
and the cam block N, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the
purpose set forth.
3. In a tricycle, the combination with the axle B and wheels C of the discs G
and H, the arms F, the pawls F', the clutches G¹, the foot levers E, the cam block N,
the check block M, and the springs I, K, substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a tricycle, the combination with the lever E provided with the ball O'
of the treadle shoe having a socket in the underside, and of the stirrup 0³,
substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a tricycle the combination with the frame A, the axle B, and wheels C of
the guide or steering wheel Q, the arm Q2 of the guide wheel shaft Q', the
rod R', the squared rod S provided with a crank at its lower end, and the rod T
provided with a handle T at its upper end and an eye at its lower angular
end, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a tricycle, the combination with the rods S, S', and the sliding rods T, Ts,
having angular lower ends and provided with handles T', T, at their upper ends
of the springs V, V, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a tricycle, the combination with the frame A, the axle B, and the wheels C
of the pivoted brake bar and shoes W, W', the connecting rod X, the rod S¹ and of
the rod T3 provided with a handle T2, substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a tricycle, the combination with the axle B of the disc H fast thereon and
provided with a rim H', the discs G loosely mounted on the axle and provided
with pivoted clutch dogs G', and with notches d in the edge, the arms F loosely
mounted on the axle, the pawls F¹ pivoted to the arms F, the connecting rod E¹,
the foot levers E, and springs I, K, substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, A.D. 1882.