US633943A - Mechanism for assisting in propulsion of cycles. - Google Patents

Description

No. 633,943. Ratentgd Sept. 26,1899.

a. s. H.. Ausm. I

IECHANISH Fim -SSISTINH IN PRUPULSION 0F CYCLES.

(Anuncian ma Aug. 1, 189er,

(lh laici.)

'$602196 fzlasa'z,

STATES PATENTy GEoReEsRouerfi-in iiuiiiiir, Ausriiuffoii Ammoniti, vicfronm.

MEHANism for: Assis-UNG m PRoPULsioN or CYCLES.

srncrrrcn'rronforming part freaersratent No. 633,943,- daiujseptember 2e, 1899. f Applicants metingen Liege. sneu No. qsmivf nu modem To a/ZZ 1071/0711, t vir/ay concern):

Be itlmo'wn that I, GEORGE BROUGHAM i HUBERT AUSTIN, architect, a subject'of the' pulsion of Cycles,

Queen of Great Britain, residing at N o. G Ar? madale road, Armadale,'near Melbourne, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented Improved Mechanismfor Assisting in the Fro- (for which I appliedA for a patent in AVictoria on 1898, No. 15,203; in New South .Waleson the th day of May. 1898, No. 8,377; vin Queens! land on the 21st day of.May, 1898, No.4,4183

in South Australia on the 19th day of. May;

1898, No. 5,395; in Tasmania on the 24th day of May, 1898, No. 2,168; in New Zealand onthe 26th day of May, 1898, No. 10,619, and in Western Australia on the th day of May,

1898, No. 2,06%) of which the following isa specification.

This invention has been devised in order to utilize the cyclists Weight for assisting in the propulsion ofthe machine, especially on rough roads, Where the rider is bumped up and down, orfwhen mounting, or when it is practicable for the cyclist to raise or lower himself'upon the saddle at intervals-as, forinstance, when ascending hills.

According to my invention a tube or rod connected to the saddle extends for a considerable distance into one or more of the down- Wardly-projecting tubes of the frame of the machine and is provided neark its lower'end with suitable mechanism adapted to engage' With gearing on or leading to the crank-shaft' or hub of the drive-wheel, so as to utilize the',- movement of the rider-on and off lthe saddle" for the ultimate purpose of rotating said drive- Wheel and so assisting in the propulsion of the machine. Suitable roller or other guides are provided for insuring said tube or tubes' moving freely in the doWnWardly-projecting,l

' tubes of the irame,and the seater saddle may in some cases be mounted in such a way that it can turn horizontallyfor a certain distance upon a pivot, thus lessening the chances'of straining the mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of the upperportion of the main down-tube of a bicycle' fitted with my invention,

is a central verticalesection'of the lower partV the 18th dayof May? com c Fig. 2y

. of. the` device and designed to match4 with A re'presents an ordinary saddle carried by a pillar-,or support a, fitted into a short tube ct,"n`1ounted in ball-bearings a? within a larger tube "B-,extending nearly to thebottom of a dowmvardlyprojecting tube C of the ma- ;chine.' l y f Thetjube B is provided near its top with a ciossepin b, extending diametrically across rsaidtnbe,its ends being projected into slots bXin tli'e'tube B. These slots bx are formed Vhorizontally or at right angles to the axis of the4 .tubeB and are comparatively short, as 'shown in Fig. 3, their length being such as to permit the vsaddle A to turn horizontally with the movement of the riders body instead'of permitting the strain of such movements to be unicated to the mechanism with* which the lower end of the tube B is connected. At the top of the downwardly-extending tube C isapap c', and at the top of the tube B is a second cap b". These two parts combine with kthe cross-pin b to hold the saddle A in proper positionV and prevent it from being removed by drawing the clamping-collarai its around' the upper end of the short tube a', by lmeans of which the height of the saddle may be adjusted.`

ism out of operation-for inst-ance, when de.-v

scending hills.

LYThe tube B ts 'comparatively loosel'y into the.downwardly-projectingv tube'C, but is kept'in position and prevented from turning post a out of the tube a', A

.8o D represents a locking-.bolt adapted toenaround by `means of one or more removable' rollers b3 Workin@ in one or` more slots b4 in said tube, as illustrated, with or Without anti- ,friction vguide-wheels b5, mounted on said tube.' A springB is coiled around said' tube .B and Valways-tends to litt' saidtube upward.V

Atthe bottom of the tube B 'is abufter. This buiiercomprises a piston F, operating Within a short cylindrical chamber Fv at the bottom of they down-tube' C, said chamber having aninlet-valve, as F2, anoutlet-fvalve, as F3, and a pipe F4, leading into any suitable reservoirG for compressed air-such,for

instance, as one' or moreof the tubes'constituting,` the frame ot the machine. On the downstroke of the piston F thc air in cliamber F is forced into pipo F1 through outletvalve F3, and on the upstroke of said piston moreair is drawn into chamber F through inlet-Valve 1"?, and so on.

The tube B has a rack B2, (see Fig. 2,) engaging with studs or eogs on a wheel D, mounted loosely on the crank-shaft and carrying pallets or pawls D2, adapted to rotate a pin-y ion E, keyed to the crank-shaft E', on the downward motion of the tube and escape on the upward movement as before.

The air forced into the reservoir G or into the tubes of the frame may be utilized for the blowing of a Whistle or other signal, and the pressure might be relieved by an automatic relief-valve or other oontrivance, which, however, it is not thought necessary to describe.

In operating the deviceA the rider should rest his Weight upon the pedals after the saddle has gone down in order to allow the coiled spring` and buffer to return the saddle to its initial position, as Will bc readily understood.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvcntion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- In a mechanism for the propulsion of cycles, the combination with the drive-Wheel shaft of a gear loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet rigid on said shaft, a pawl pivoted on said gear and meshing with the ratchet in one direction of movement, a saddle-supporting tube longitudinally movable in a part of the frame of the cycle and provided with a rack to mesh with the gear, an air-chamber below the shaft of said gear, a pipe leading from said chamber for connection With a storagereservoir having,` a relief-valve, a piston upon the lower end of the movable tube to lit and have movement in said air-chamber, and inlet and outlet valves for the latter, substantially as described.

GEORGE BROUGHAM HUBERT AUSTIN. lVitnesses:

EDWARD WATERS, EDWARD WATERS, J r.

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