US256870A - Velocipede - Google Patents

Description

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W. C. BECKWITH.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 256,870. Patented Apr 25, 1882.

w, INVENTOB ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER O. BEUKWITH, OF NORWALK, OHIO.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,870, dated April 25, 1882.

Application filed July 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER (J. BEGKW'ITH, of Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes; and I do hereby deelare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which. form part of this specification.

Myinvent-ion relates to velocipedes,aud particularly to that class of velocipedes known as tricycles orthree-wheeled velocipedes and it consists in parts and combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of a velocipede constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a detached view of that portion of my device which shows the steering mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view in detail of a modification of the driving mechan- 1811].

In the said drawings, A represents the seat, which is intended to be occupied by the operator. This seat has suitable supports, A,which rest upon the axle B and sustain the rear portion of the seat. To the forward portion is attached a leg, 0, which is sustained by the shank D of the caster-wheel E. To the leg 0 is adj ustablyat tached the cross-piece F, which is provided with foot-rests G. To permit a vertical adjustment of this cross-piece,and so regulate the foot-rest Gr tor the convenience of the size of the person operating the velocipede, the leg U is slotted and provided with a set-screw to hold it at any desiredpoint in the slot. This cross-piece F is pivoted at F.

H H are pulleys attached to the under side of the seat A,and over which pass the straps I I. The axle B is provided with two cranks, B and B These cranks are connected with and operated by the cross-bar F by means of the straps I. The shank D of the castenwheel E is pivoted to the leg 0, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of brackets or supports d. At its upper end it is provided with a crank, D. To this crank D is pivoted a cross-bar, K. To either end of this cross-bar K are attached 1evers LL, pivoted to brackets M uponthe side of the seat A, and provided at either upper extremity with handles N N.

In Fig.3 is shown a modification of the driving mechanism of my device. As shown in Fig.

1, in this modification the strap I, extending from the cross-bar F, is attached to a bellcrank, P, suspended from the seat A. To the other end of the bell-crank is attached a rigid bar connecting the same wit-h the cranks B and B in the axle B.

Having thus described the construction of my device, its operation is as follows: The person who desires to operate this device'will occupy the seat A, placing his feet upon the rests G G, and moving his feet forward and backward alternately, which will operate the straps I, which are connected to the cranks B B of the axle B, and thus drive the velocipede forward orbackward, as desired. If it is desired to keep a straight forward course, the casterwheel E will be kept moving in a parallel plane to that of the main wheels 0 0. If it is desired to turn to the right or to the left, the wheel E can be easily turned in the direction desired by manipulating the handles N N, which are convenient for operation to the person occupying the seat A.

It is apparent that two wheels may be substituted for the single caster-wheel E without departing from my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a three-wheeled vehicle or velocipede, the combination,with a double-crank axle and the leg connecting the front or caster wheel and the seat, of an adjustable oscillating footrest and straps, or equivalent means, connecting the cranks and the outer ends of said footrest, substantially as set forth.

2. In a velocipede, the combination, with the leg 0, of the centrally-pivoted rest F, constructed and arranged substantially as described, to be vertically adjusted, substantially as set forth.

3. In athree-wheeled velocipede, the combination of a caster-wheel, E, having its shank pivoted to the leg 0, the crank D, and suitable mechanism for moving said crank, substantially as and for the purposes shown.

4. In a velocipede adapted to be driven by the feet, the combination, with a leg supported by a caster-wheel, of a bar adj ustably attached to the leg, substantially as and for the purposes shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: WALTER C. BECKWITII.

ARTHUR L. HUSTED, G. L. KENNAN.

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