US311112A

US311112A - Transcycle

Info

Publication number: US311112A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1902-01-20

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J.- A. ENOS.

1 TRANSGYOLB. I No. 311,112. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. ENOS.

TRANSGYOLE. No. 311,112. Patented Jan. 20,1885.

WITNESSES W w W N. PETERS, Phowuum m hpr. Wnih nsien, D. C.

propelling the same on the track, all as here- 'periphery, which groove fits around the part UNITED; STATES v FFICE.

ATENT TRANSC'YCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,112, dated January 20, 1885.

Application filed January 8, 1983. Renewed December ll, 188-1. (No n1odel.)

f0 all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, JOHN A. Enos, of Peabody,in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Transcycles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end or edge view. Fig. 3 is a top view of the saddle-frame. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the rail and the flange of the wheel. Fig. 5is a detail of one of the journal bearings of the wheel-shaft.

My invention is designed to provide a speedy and easy means of transportation, which I have styled the Transcyclc.

It consists of a single wheel mounted upon an elevated track, combined with a seat and a treadle or driving mechanism, located beneath the point of support and connected to the wheel by a peculiar trussed frame extending up on one side of the rail, and also by a gearing for transmitting the power generated below to the wheel above for the purpose of inafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents vertical posts or standards, having offsetting arms B fixed at right angles to the posts near the top, and strengthened by braces G G. On the outer ends of these arms is supported astringer or beam, D, upon which is laid the single rail E, the whole forming an elevated single track. The general form of the rail in cross-section is rightangular, one of its flanges being its base, by which itis bolted to the stringer, and the other flange standing Vertical, and being formed with a round swell, a, (see Fig. 4,) at its upper edge. Upon this rail is arranged a large wheel, F, which is unlimited as to size, and in this respect is unlike the wheel of the ordinary bicycle, which is limited to the length required by ones legs. In other respects this wheel is like the ordinary bicycle-wheel, being formed with radial spokes of steel wire and a grooved a of the rail. Projecting laterally from this wheel is a shaft, G, fixed rigidly to the same, and carrying at its remote end a disk, 6, and

wheel-shaft G. Near the lower end of the main frame is the horizontal saddle-frame I, (see Fig. 3,) which saddle-frame is bolted to the main rod H and the braces c, and upon which is detachably clamped the saddle or seat 'J. At the extreme or lowest end of the main frame is another horizontal frame, K, carrying two bearings, 99, in which is journaled the doublecrank shaft L, carrying pedals z On one end of this crank-shaft is a disk, M, and wrist-pin j, to which latter is jointed the lower end of a braced or skeleton connectingrod, N, which at its upper end is jointed to the wrist-pin of the wheel-shaft. It will therefore be seen that when the operator is seated on the saddle his center of gravity will be approximately beneath the point of support of the wheel on the track, and the vertical position of the device will be perfectly main tained, and whenever power is applied through his feet to the treadles the crank-shaft will be rotated and the power transferred to the wheel-shaft above through the connectingrod to cause a travel of the wheel over the track with its subjacent load.

The device as thus described forms a very light, easily-driven means of transportation, and one capable of great speed without danger of being upset.

I do not confine myself to any particular means for driving the device, and instead of the treadle may employ any light motor. I may also, instead of using a connectingrod for transmitting power from the lower to the upper shaft, employ a shaft with bevel-wheels, a flexible shaftcoupling, a belt, or any other equivalent means for transmitting the motion. I may also make the connecting-rod to vibrate about its center to cause its upper end to pass the dead-centers. This may be effected by a slot in the connecting-rod and a fixed pin on the frame passing through it, or by a pin on the connecting-rod and a slot in the frame.

I am aware of the fact that a basket has been suspended upon a flexible cable by a wheel,

and a belt provided for the rotation of said wheel, and I do not claim such arrangement.

My invention is distinctive in the peculiar construction of the light skeleton trussed frame connecting the wheel above to the seat and driving mechanism below, which frame is sufficiently light as not to materially aifect the relation of the center of gravity of the rider to the point of support, and yet is sufficiently rigid by reason of its trussed or braced character as to permit the frame to extend wholly upon one side of the rider and the rail and still resist any tendency to bend.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with a supportingwheel and a subjacent seat or saddle, of alight JOHN AUGUSTUS ENOS.

Vitnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, SoLoN O. KEMON.