GB659041A - Bicycles - Google Patents

Abstract

659,041. Cycles; engine-assisted bicycles. RUEGGER, A. J. B. A. Oct. 27, 1949, Nos. 27593 and 27594. Convention dates, Nov. 3, 1948, and Oct. 19, 1949. [Classes 79 (iii), 136 (i), 136 (ii)( and 136 (iii)] A bicycle having a front engine mounted for driving the front wheel through frictional engagement with the tyre has the front and rear wheels supported by one armed forks and a crank gear, to drive the rear wheel comprising crank members operated with an alternating motion through a limited angle and connected to each other by a device whereby one crank member is lifted when the other is depressed. As shown in Fig. 1, the frame comprises a tube 1 secured to the steering column 2, a saddle supporting tube 3 flared at 31 to produce resiliency for the telescopically mounted saddle tube 4. The front wheel is supported by a half-fork 10, and the rear wheel by a half-fork 111. The front wheel is driven by a friction wheel 21 operated by a motor supplied with fuel from a petrol tank 22, situated between the handlebars. A rear member 11 supports a luggage carrier 12 and a spare wheel. A splash guard 16 provided with foot rests is secured to the front tube. The bicycle is pedal assisted through cranks 27, 28. Crank 27 is, as shown in Fig. 3; keyed to a shaft 32 and through a free-wheel 33 operates the sprocket 39 through a member 38. The crank 28 is mounted on a sleeve 34 which is mounted on bearings on shaft 32 operating the sprocket through a free wheel 37. When one crank is depressed the other is raised by means of sun gears 44 and 45 on the shafts 32 and 34 respectively which alternately are rotated by the cranks to engage a planet gear 48 to cause one sun gear to rotate in the reverse direction and so raise the corresponding crank as the other is depressed. The wheel axles are secured to the fork arm at one end and are mounted on ball bearings within a sleeve. In Fig. 6 the rear wheel axle 70 is shown supported on beatings within a sleeve 71 being connected to the hub 78 by pins 77. The hub has flanges 84 and 86 for the spokes and is integral with the brake drum 79. The braking shoes 87, 88 are operated by a lever 89. The brake supporting plate 92 is bolted to a bracket 93 secured to the half-fork 1<SP>11</SP>. For chain tensioning the bolt is slackened. A cap nut 80 fits over the end of the hub sleeve and tightened by a pin applied to the hole 81. Alternately the axle may be mounted within a hub having a key projection engaging a groove in the hub sleeve to secure in position and a cone for clamping the sprocket and an end nut screwing within the hub end. In a modification the sun and planet gearing for the cranks is dispensed with, the cranks are connected by free wheels to a shaft and the cranks are interconnected by a cable passing round pulleys to limit movement to produce reciprocation.