US498800A - Velocipede or bicycle - Google Patents

Description

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R L O .V E EB Mu RB Km 4 n 00 0 L E (No Model.)

Patented June 6, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheefg 2. O. KROMER.

VELOGIPBDE 0R BICYCLE.

No. 498,800. Patented June 6,1893.

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1 (R0 Model.)

. No. 498,800. Patented June 6, 1893.

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UNITED STATES ATENT QFFICE.

CAMILLO KROMER, OF ALBANY, NEYV YORK.

VELOCIPEDE OR BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,800, dated June 6, 1893. Application filed October 19, 1892. $erial No. 449,387. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, OAMILLO KROMER, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Velocipedes or Bicycles, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has reference to velocipedes or bicycles and particularly to that class in which the driving wheel is operated by an oscillatin g pedal.

The object of the present invention is theprovision of a clutch mechanism which can be thrown into and out of engagement with the drive-wheel at the will of the rider, thereby releasing the pedals which may be moved to throw a suitable brake into operation. This feature of the invention togetherwith other important details of construction may be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I, is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. II, is a front view of the steering wheel. Fig. III, is a vertical section, taken from the rear, on line III of Fig. I. Fig. IV, is an enlarged side elevation of the rackframe. Fig. V, is a detail View of the pedal. Figs. VI, VII and VIII are details of a modification of the rack-bar and pedal therefor, and Fig. IX, is a perspective View of the spring seat support.

In the drawings A represents the drive or rear wheel, B the front or steering wheel, 0 the handle bar and D the seat. On each side of the drive wheel are two parallel bars a between which are clamped the ends of the curved guard a which passes around the upper portion of the wheel. A U-shaped brace a is secured at about its middle to the curved guard a and extends down on opposite sides of the wheel A, where it is firmly secured to the parallel bars a. In the brace a just below the upper of parallel bars a are formed bearings for the ends of shaft a of the drivewheel. This shaft projects beyond the brace a and carries at its outer ends drive pinions D formed at their inner and outer edges with circular flanges d.

Pivoted to the extreme lower ends of the brace a are oscillatory rack-frames, each consisting of a forwardly extending bare curved outwardly and upwardly at its forward end and formed with a slot e therein, a rearwardly extending arm e carrying a brake-shoe e which is adapted to be thrown into contact with flanges cl of drive pinion D, and the S- shaped rack-bar F, the lower end of which passes through a slot in the end of arm e and which is provided with a lugfheld in engagement with said arm a by a springf. The forward portion of said rack bar passes through a slot in a guide-arm e and its end engages under the inner end of a pivoted pedal block f Said pedal block is pivoted at about its middle to the inwardly extending arm f of bar e, which is provided at its inner end with an upward right angle extension, formed with a slot f therein. The pedal block has projecting pins f at its ends which slidingly engage in slots e and J. The end of the rack-bar engaging under the pedal block is normally held up and out of engagement with the pinion D by a spring)" which also serves to hold up the inner end of the pedal-block. Springs f connected at one end with the brace 66 and at the other end with the rack-frame serve to normally hold the latter at the limit of its upward movement and return the same to that position at the end of each stroke. Instead of the springs I may use a cord 00 (shown in Fig. I) connected to the rack-frames on the opposite sides of the machine and engaging over a pulleyy secured to the guard a.

The back-bone of my machine is preferably formed of the two curved pieces of wood g, secured at their lower ends between the bars a, curved forwardly and upwardly, carrying at their upper ends a bearing for the head or steering rod H of the machine to which is secured the handle bar 0.

h represent flat springs, two on each side of the front wheel, having right angle extensions at their upper ends which are adapted to be clamped between blocks h secured to the lower end of the head or steering rod H, the lower ends thereof being curved outwardly in opposite directions parallel with the plane of the front wheel. Adjustably secured to the axle or shaft a of the wheel 13 by clamps c are curved springs c secured at their extremities to the ends of the curved lower portions of springs h. This construction allows the adjustment of the front-wheel along the springs 0' thereby compensating for unevenness in the tension of the springs. Instead of having the two springs h on each side of the wheel I may form both springs continuous by joining the right angle extensions, which is probably the preferable construction for strength.

The seat support is formed of a double spring 7a and the single spring is which passes between the upper portion of the double spring. The upper ends of both springs are pivotally secured to the ends of seat-springk to which the seat D is adj ustably clamped.

Instead of the S-shaped rack-bars F and the pinion D, I mayemploy the strapm (of leather or other sultable material) as shown in Figs. VI and VII,adapted to encircle a dru m M, said strap being divided into two parts atone end, and secured to the arm 6 passing up, over and around the drum M, the opposite or single end of the strap passing forward between the divided end thereof and under the inner end of pedal block f and is secured to the forwardly extending bracket m on arm f. This strap normally engages loosely about drum M, but upon the rider pressing down upon the inner end of pedal block f the strap is made taut and grips the drum.

In operation the rider upon the downward movement of the pedal exerts the pressure of his foot on the inner end of block f thereby throwing the gearing into operation and revolving the drive-wheel. When the end of the stroke is reached he shifts the pressure of his foot to the outside of the block, thereby disengaging the gear and allowing the spring f to return the rack-frame to its normal position. If it is at any time desired to put on the brake it is only necessary to throw the driving gear out of engagement and force the rack-frame downward until the brake-shoe 6 comes into contact with the circular flanges (Z. By this construction great power can be applied to the brake-without danger of 1 springs, and bearings for the steering wheel looping or otherwise injuring the tire.

Ido not wish to limit myself to the exact forms of clutch mechanisms shown, as it is obvious that other modifications may be substituted with the same result.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a velocipede, the combination with the drive-wheel, of a pivoted driving frame, carrying gearing for connecting said frame with the drive wheel, a pedal-block secured to and movable with reference to said driving frame,

and means whereby upon the movement of the pedal-block the gearing may be thrown into or out of engagement, substantially as ing witnesses.

ward end of the driving frame connected with said rack-bar, whereby the latter is thrown into and out of engagement with the pinion upon the movement of said pedal-block on its pivot, substantially as described.

3. In a bicycle or velocipede, the combination with the drive-wheel, main frame, and pinion on the axle of the drive-wheel, of a forwardly extending rack-bar above said pinion, carried by the driving frame, a pivoted pedal-block on the forward end of the driving frame, under one end of which the rackbar engages and means for normally holding the rack-bar out of engagement with the pinion on the drive-shaft, substantially as described.

et. In a velocipede the combination with the drive-wheel of a pivoted driving frame carrying the pedal, driving mechanism for connecting said frame with the drive-wheel, means 'for throwing said driving mechanism into and out of engagement with a pinion of the shaft of the drive-wheel, a flange around the edge of said pinion, and a brake-shoe on the driving frame adapted to .be brought into contact with said flange, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the steering wheel of a fork comprising substantially parallel springs extending down on opposite sides of said wheel, and curved outwardly in opposite directions at their lower ends, downwardly curved connecting springs fixed at their ends to the ends of the downwardly extending springs, and connections between said connecting springs and the steering wheel, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the steering wheel of a fork comprising substantially parallel springs extending down on opposite sides of said wheel, and curved outwardly in opposite directions at their lower ends, downwardly curved connecting springs fixed at theirends to the ends of the downwardly extending adjustable along said connecting springs, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the frame-work and seat, of a seat support consisting of an upwardly extending double spring,-a spring passing up between the upper portion of said double sprin both of said springs being secured at their lower ends to the frame of the machine, and a seat spring to which the seat is clamped, and to the ends of which are pivotally connected the upper ends of the upwardly extending-springs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- GAMILLO KROMER.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. SANDS, VALENTINE Sets.

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