Improvements in Means for Indicating or Recording the Distance Run by Cycles or Velocipedes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov. 1888
Improvements in Means for Indicating or Recording the Distance
Run by Cycles or Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT MANN LOWNE of Leicester House, East End Finchley, in the County
of Middlesex, Scientific Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to afford a means for automatically registering the
revolutions of cycle or velocipede cranks and driving wheels for the purpose of
recording the distance travelled.
Heretoforo automatic indicators have been made for fixing on to the hubs or axles
of the wheels, these indicators being fixed to part of the wheel revolve directly with
the wheel and so record its revolutions. This plan is very disadvantageous where
the cycle or velocipede driving wheel is geared up, that is where the driving wheel
revolves faster than the crank, as in the safety machines, then the centrifugal force
becomes too great to allow an automatic indicator to work, also it is very
disadvantageous to fix an indicator on the hub of an ordinary bicycle on account of
the hub being required for the lamp.
Now according to my invention, to obviate these disadvantages I construct an
automatic indicator of a very flat form, the thickness of which does not much exceed
the thickness of the cycle crank, and attached to the automatic indicator I employ
a strong clip of any convenient form which shall firmly attach the automatic indicator
to the crank of the cycle or velocipede. I preferably employ a clip made of gun
metal or malleable iron with projecting lugs and a screw to firmly grip the cycle
crank. By this arrangement the automatic indicator will revolve with the crank of
the cycle, and notwithstanding the machine being geared up, it will register the
distance travelled at any practical speed correctly.
In carrying my invention into effect I arrange an automatic action or movement
in the flattest manner conveniently possible as I will immediately explain, the object
of flatness being, that when the automatic indicator is clipped on to the crank of
the cycle, that it shall not project to any considerable extent sideways beyond the

page_text: crank either one side or the other, in order that on one side it may well clear and not
be in the way of the rider's foot or ankle, and that on the other side it may well clear
any working or fixed part of the cycle.
The action or movement I employ for recording the revolutions of cycle cranks and
driving wheels and for the purpose I have already explained, is arranged on a flat
movement plate of metal, the working part of the movement is a flat action plate,
which acts by the force of gravity and is free to move in, what I term, a kind of
elliptical or compound path. This action plate has a pin fixed at about its centre,
which works around a fixed pin on the movement plate, by means of a wheel with
which it is connected and which is free to run on the fixed pin of the movement
plate. In the action plate is cut a slot, this slot is held in position by a roller or pin
which is fixed on to the movement plate, the arrangement is such that when the pin
of the action plate works around the pin of the movement plate, the slot runs on the
roller or pin producing an eccentric or compound motion, the greatest motion being
in the part of the action plate, which is farthest away from the roller.
The wheel which runs on the pin of the movement plate has a number of ratchet
teeth and fixed to the movement plate is a catch which presses on the ratchet teeth
and only allows the wheel to work in one direction; the object of the ratchet teeth
and catch is to prevent vibration from sending the action plate backwards. On the
action plate is a second pin which may be placed in any convenient part; this pin
gives motion to a train of wheels and a hand or hands which, passing over a divided
dial denotes revolutions of the crank or driving wheel or miles travelled according to
the number of teeth of the train of wheels and the number of divisions of the dial;
either the number of teeth of the wheels or the number of divisions on the dial
may be modified according to the size of the driving wheel which is in connection
with the crank of the cycle.
I construct a train of wheels and pinions for being conveniently flat in the following
manner. I rivet or fix a pinion to its wheel with the whole diameter of the pinion
projecting from one side of the wheel; the pinion is then placed through a hole in a
plate, which forms part of the movement plate, the wheel being flat on one side of
the plate and the pinion projecting from the other side, another wheel and pinion is
arranged in like manner with its pinion going through the plate, but this wheel is on
the opposite side of the plate to the first, and gears into the pinion of the first
wheel this arrangement may be continued for any convenient number of wheels.
Dated this 6th day of December 1887.
ROBERT MANN LOWNE.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: Run by Cycles or Velocipedes.
I, ROBERT MANN LOWNE of Leicester House, East End Finchley, in the County
of Middlesex, Scientific Instrument Manufacturer, 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, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
The object of my invention is to afford a means for automatically registering the
revolutions of cycle or velocipede cranks and driving wheels for the purpose of
recording the distance travelled.
Heretofore automatic indicators have been made for fixing on to the hubs or axles
of the wheels, these indicators, being fixed to part of the wheel, revolve directly with
the wheel and so record its revolutions. This plan is very disadvantageous where the
cycle or velocipede driving wheel is geared up, that is, where the driving wheel
revolves faster than the crank, as in the safety machines; then the centrifugal force
becomes too great to allow an automatic indicator to work, also, it is very
disadvantageous to fix an indicator on the hub of an ordinary bicycle, on account of
the hub being required for the lamp.
Now, according to my invention, to obviate these disadvantages, I construct an
automatic indicator of a very flat form, the thickness of which does not much exceed
the thickness of the cycle crank, and, attached to the automatic indicator, I employ a
strong clip of any convenient form, which shall firmly attach the automatic indicator
to the crank of the cycle or velocipede. I preferably employ a clip made of gun
metal or malleable iron with projecting lugs and a screw to firmly grip the cycle
crank. By this arrangement the automatic indicator will revolve with the crank of
the cycle, and, notwithstanding the machine being geared up, it will register the
distance travelled at any practical speed correctly.
In carrying my invention into effect, I arrange an automatic action or movement in the
flattest or shallowest manner conveniently possible, as I will immediately explain, the
object of the flatness or shallowness being that, when the automatic indicator is clipped
on to the crank of the cycle, it shall not project to any considerable extent sideways
beyond the crank either one side or the other, in order that, on one side, it may well
clear, and not be in the way of, the rider's foot or ankle, and that, on the other side, it
may well clear any working or fixed part of the cycle.
The action or movement I employ for recording the revolutions of cycle cranks and
driving wheels, and for the purpose I have already explained, is arranged on a flat
movement plate of metal; the working part of the movement is a flat action plate,
which acts by the force of gravity, and is free to move in, what I term, a kind of
elliptical or compound path. This action plate has a pin fixed at about its centre,
which works around a fixed pin on the movement plate by means of a wheel with
which it is connected, and which is free to run on the fixed pin of the movement
plate. In the action plate is cut a slot; this slot is held in position by a roller or pin,
which is fixed on to the movement plate; the arrangement is such that, when the pin

page_text: [
of the action plate works around the pin of the movement plate, the slot runs on the
roller or pin, producing an eccentric or compound motion, the greatest motion being
in the part of the action plate which is farthest away from the roller.
On the
The wheel which runs on the pin of the movement plate has a number of ratchet
teeth, and fixed to the movement plate is a catch which presses on the ratchet toeth
and only allows the wheel to work in one direction; the object of the ratchet teeth
and catch is to prevent vibration from sending the action plate backwards.
action plate is a second pin, which may be placed in any convenient part; this pin
gives motion to a train of wheels and a hand or hands, which, passing over a divided
dial, denotes revolutions of the crank or driving wheel, or miles travelled, according
to the number of teeth of the train of wheels and the number of divisions of the dial;
either the number of teeth of the wheels or the number of divisions of the dial may
be modified according to the size of the driving wheel which is in connection with
the crank of the cycle.
I construct a train of wheels and pinions for being conveniently flat in the following
manner. I rivet or fix a pinion to its wheel with the whole length of the pinion pro-
jecting from one side of the wheel; the pinion is then placed through a hole in a
plate, which is fixed to the movement plate, the wheel being flat on one side of the
plate and the pinion projecting from the other side; another wheel and pinion is
arranged in like manner with its pinion going through the plate, but this wheel is on
the opposite side of the plate to the first, and gears into the pinion of the first
wheel; this arrangement may be continued for any convenient number of wheels.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 is a plan of an automatic distance indicator
combined, according to my invention, with a crank of a velocipede.
a, Figure 1, is a case containing the mechanism. a¹ is the divided dial showing
the hands at and as, a is an aperture in the dial, is the clip for fixing the indicator
to a crank of a velocipede, and which may be fixed to the case a by screws or solder,
or in any other convenient manner. is the clamp screw, bare the lugs, c is the
crank of the machine, d is the pedal, a is a milled bizzle which holds a glass a³.
The bizzle a is fixed to the dial a' in any convenient manner and is capable of
revolving in or on the case a in such a manner that, by turning the milled bizzle a²,
the dial will also turn, the object being that the zero point of the divisions may be
set in a line with the long hand a¹, so that a rider at starting can always set the dial
to the zero.
The use of the small hand as I will presently explain.
e, Figure 3, is the movement plate, el is a pin fixed to the movement plate, which
carries the ratchet wheel e², e3 is the click or catch for preventing back action of the
parts, et is the pin fixed to the movement plate which carries the roller ³, is the
motion plate, is the pin connected to the action plate by the arm f* and carried
by the ratchet wheel e, which is rotated by the action of the action plate f, f³ is
the pin, fixed to the action plate f, which operates the train of wheels shown at
Figure 4.
Figure 4 is the reverse side of the movement plate e, Figure 3; g. 9. 9²¸ I. 9¹,
Figure 4, are a train of wheels operated by the pin 3 of the action plate f. 1 may
here remark that any convenient number of click springs may be used for steadying
and holding any of the wheels in position. g', Figure 4, is the wheel which carries
the hand a, Figure 1; This hand is flat down on the wheel g'; it is behind the dial
and is only seen through the aperture a, Figures 1 and 7.
By this arrangement the dial may be turned in either direction in order to set the
zero point to the hand at, and the hand a will only be visible when the aperture in
the dial is over it. In order to form a guide for placing the aperture in the dial
directly over the hand, I arrange a partition h, Figure 7, with an aperture correspond-
ing to the aperture in the dial. This partition does not turn but is fixed in any
convenient manner to the case a, Figure 1, or the movement plate e, Figure 4. In
.setting the dial for reading the hand a, all that is necessary is to turn the dial
until its aperture a corresponds to the aperture in the partition, the hand a³ is
then seen through the two apertures, viz., the aperture in the dial and the aperture
in the partition.

page_text: Instead of employing the hand a', I sometimes arrange numbers a' on the wheel g¹,
as shown in Figure 6. The apertures in the dial and partition may then be
smaller, so as to expose one number to view only at a time, as shown in Figures 8
and 9. Figures 10 and 11 show the zero of the dial set to the hand; the aperture a
is shown moved away from the corresponding aperture in the partition, and the hand a
in the one arrangement, or the figures a' in the other arrangement, cannot be seen.
The object of the wheel g', which may either carry the hand a³, see Figures 1 and 7,
or the numbers a', see Figures 6 and 8, is to denote numbers of revolutions of the
long hand at
Figures 13 and 14 show the partitions of the two arrangements with their
respective apertures. Figure 16 is a separate elevation of the clip shown applied to
the indicator at Figure 1, and Figure 17 is a side elevation of Figure 16. Figure 18
is a section through two plates, showing the arrangement of wheels and pinions in
the conveniently flat form as described.
In this figure e is the movement plate and k is a plate fixed thereto. I rivet or
fix a pinion to its wheel (2) with the whole length of the pinion projecting from one
side of the wheel; the pinion is then placed through a hole in the plate k fixed to
the movement plate e, the wheel g² being flat on one side of the plate and the pinion
projecting from the other side any convenient number of wheels and pinions can be
thus arranged to form a train.
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the particular train of gearing,
or to the peculiar form and action of the gravity weight, nor to the construction of
clip or holder herein described, as such may be varied without departing from the
peculiar character of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is:-
1. The combination, with a velocipede crank, of an automatic distance recorder fixed
thereto substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. The improved construction of automatic distance indicator acting by gravity,
whereby the same is rendered sufficiently shallow and otherwise suitable for fixing to
a velocipede crank substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In automatic distance indicators acting by gravity for cycles or velocipedes, the
method of arranging the train of wheels and pinions in relation to each other and to
the movement plates substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
4. In automatic distance indicators acting by gravity the peculiar construction
and mode of action of the gravity action plate substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 6th lane of Cantambre 1000
ROBERT MANN LOWNE.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.