US435977A - Velocipede - Google Patents

Description

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VELOGIPEDE.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

NEIVTON MCKEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent IVe-135,97*?, dated September 9, 1890.

I Application filed October 14, 1889. Serial No. 326,945.' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON MCKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Actuating Devices for Velocipedes, ttc., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the devices whereby velocipedes, hand-cars, invalid-chairs, pleasure-boats, and other vehicles may be driven.

In the practice of the invention I employ an oscillating seat and oscillating foot-pedals and connect them both to the driving mechanism, so that the rider may apply the power of both in driving the vehicle. The connecting mechanism, I have illustrated fully in the accompanying drawings, as the same is applicable to a railway-velocipede.

In the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of such a railway-velocipede. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a partialside elevation showing the parts in a differentposition or part of the stroke from that given in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4 4. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the chair support or bearing shown at Fig. 4.

In said drawings, A A represent the framework of a railway-velocipede supported upon wheels B B, running upon one rail of the track, and by the wheel b, running upon the other rail.

C is the oscillating seat, having a back c, whereby the rider may brace himself and obtain power, and a spring-seat c. The spring feature of the seat is preferable, though not necessary.

The chair is supported upon a cross-barD, having a knife-edge d resting in notches e of bearing-plates E, secured to the frame A at either side of the vehicle. This cross-bar is conned in the bearings by caps e', and the construction is such as allows the chair to rock with a minimum of friction.` Extending.

downwardly from the chair is a forked lever F, which is rigid with the chair and moves with it. From one arm of this lever apitmanconnection G extends to the foot-pedal H. Said foot-pedal is formed upon the lower end of a swinging rod h, which is provided with a bearing upon the frame-work, as shown. Vith these connections between the chair and the pedal each time the rider throws the chair backward the pedal will move forward, so that the rider bythe act of straightening himself out imparts the necessary power to drivethe vehicle, and such power is transmitted to the driving-wheel by mechanism now to be described.

Upon a backwardly-extending arm e', rigid with the chair, is pivoted one arm of an elbow-leverr J, pivoted to the frame at j. The other arm of this lever is connected by a pitman K to an arm 7c, which is rigid with a segment-gear L, supported preferably upon the end of the cross-bar D. The arm is provided with an elongated slotfi, to give the pivot which joins it to the lever J the requisite freedom. The gear L meshes with acorresponding segment-gear M, pivotedv upon the lever F at m. An arm or leverN extends from this gear M downwardly, and is joined by a pitman n to the crank 0 upon the shaft O, carrying a gear P. Through this gear and one or more smaller gears p p (shown partially by dotted lines in Fig. 1) motionv is communicated to the axle Q of thedrivingwheel B. These gears multiply the motion imparted to the initial gear, so that the speed of the driving-wheel is considerably greater than it would be if the motion were carried direct from the arm N to the axle Q. By means of the segment-gears and the connections by which they receive power from the chair I am enabled to increase the leverage over what would be obtained by joining the lower end of lever F directly to crank O, as the lower end of lever N has a much greater range of movement than has the lower end of lever F, so that the crank o may be made quite long and be driven with strong power. By the two features enumerated I obtain both an increase of motion or speed by the driv` ing-wheel and an added leverage at the crank o, so that the rider by a slight movement at the chair and pedals is enabled to obtain a very considerable speed land all the power requisite at the drivingwheel. l

By making the lever F wide or forked, as shown, I am enabled to provide it with two springs R, each of which is regulated by a set-screw r, and which will act upon the lever IOC N at each end of its stroke. The benet of these springs is found in the fact that they cushion the shocks occasioned by the lever reaching the end of its stroke, and also store up power whereby to assist its start in the reverse direction and help the machine pass the dead-centers. The spring S may be employed to re-enforce the seat-sprin g and cushion its downward movement.

S is a brake-lever pivoted upon a cross bar or rod t and actuating a sliding bar T, the farther end of which bar T may be made to bear upon the periphery of the drive-wheel when the rider pulls the lever S toward him.

The system of connecting-levers, &c., by which the seat and pedals are enabled to communicate motion to the driving-wheel may be duplicated on both sides of the machine, as illustrated, or but one set thereof may be used, and instead o f placing the levers, doc., at the outside of the frame they may be placed in the interior thereof; and while I have shown the invention as applied to a railway-velocipede it will be understood thatI do not limit myself to such use, as it is equally applicable to other classes of vehicles, to boats, and even to the actuating of light machines.

In the use of my invention the rider employs his weight in addition to the strength he exerts at his feet and shoulders whenhe straightens out and pushes against the seatback and pedals. Additional power is gained, also, by supporting the spring-seat at the outer edge of the seat-frame, as in this manner the weight is all transmitted to the outer edge.

I am aware that rocking-chairs with backs combined with stationary foot-rests have been employed in propelling vehicles; also, that rocking seats without backs have been geared to swin gin g treadles, whereby -power has been obtained from both the seat and the treadle; but obviously a seat withouta back can exert power when moving in one direction only, whereas by the addition of the back the user is enabled to make it a source of power in both directions without serious eifort.

I am not aware that a backed seat has ever before been combined with a swinging treadle, and it is only by such a combination that the best results can be obtained with the least exertion upon the part of the person using the device. Without the use of the back the labor devolved upon the user is onerous, but with it, in conjunction with the swinging treadle, the work becomes comparatively easy.

I claim- 1. The oscillating chair having a back and carrying the lever F, depending below the center of oscillation, in combination with the swinging pedal having a pitman-connection with lever F, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the oscillating chair carrying a lever or arm fi, of the segment-gear L, operated from said arm t', the segment-gear M meshing with gear L and driving the crank 0, and said crank, substantially as specified.

3. The oscillating chair having a depending lever F, the lever N, having an increased motion over lever F, the mechanism actuating said lever N from the chair, and the crank o, driven from said lever N, substantially as set forth.

4. The oscillating chair, the forked leverF, carried by the chair and provided with springs R, in combination with the lever N and the parts driven therefrom, substantially as set forth.

5. The oscillating chair, the gears Land M, and the actuating devices whereby said gears are driven from the chair, in combination with the lever F, suspended from the chair and supporting gear M, substantially as set forth.

6. As a means of imparting power to a velocipede or other object, a rocking-chair having a back and aswinging pedalboth adapted to be actuated by the user, in combination with mechanism for transmitting power from the chair and pedal to the parts to be driven, substantially as set forth.

7. In an oscillating chair employed to obtain power, a spring-seat supported Wholly from the front edge of the chair, substantially as set forth.

NEWTON MCKEE.

NVitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDW. S. EvARTs.

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