THE FEATHERSTONE CHAINLESS.
The [Featherstone chainless], called the “King,” in order to match with the name borne by the line of bicycles made by this concern, is of the same type as the foregoing in respect of driving, but embodies new and peculiar features, which are in the patent recently issued to Michael McAmeny of Denver. Double driving rods are used with two pairs of short cranks, and the rods are made slightly adjustable in length at their rear ends as indicated in the cut. It is claimed, however, that when these rods are once properly adjusted, they will need no further attention, “as the driving connection itself adds to the rigidity of the lower frame members of the machine and prevents any variation in the distance from rear wheel hub to the crank shaft and the other shafts in the crank-hanger case.” As the cut shows, this hanger contains three shafts instead of two. The third one is necessary because—since a spur gear is used instead of a “link belt” or chain—a second reversing of the direction of movement is completed in order to avoid the dilemma which one of the witless inventors whose contrivances were described in our article of a week ago accepted without hesitation, namely, that either the bicycle wheel must travel backward or the rider must pedal backward. The pedals being run in the forward direction, the crank shaft is driven forward and the shaft gearing with it runs backward; the third shaft gearing with that, of course, runs forward again, and this carries the pairs of cranks which work the wheel. This introduction of a third shaft within the hanger (which is avoidable only by using a belt or an internal gear) is cleverly utilized to produce the novelty of chainless driving, combined with a changeable gear having two speeds and the old notion of making the pedals footrests at will.
FEATHERSTONE “CHANGE GEAR” CHAINLESS.
The manner in which these results are accomplished can be made out by a careful examination of the [sectional cut of the interior of the crank hanger], for which cut (exclusive of the lettering and description) we are indebted to the Cycle Age. Gear marked 1 is firmly attached to the crank shaft and stands at the top, as shown in the cut of the bicycle. This gear 1 meshes into the one marked x-1-x, and this latter one, it must be understood, is placed between gears 2 and 2x, which are on the same shaft; the three are on one shaft (the one indicated just forward of the crank), but are not in any way fast to one another except by a device to be presently mentioned. Gear 2 (the larger of the two whose teeth are shown, the gear x-1-x being concealed between them) meshes with gear 3x on the third and rearward shaft, this gear being shown in dotted lines because it is hidden behind its larger fellow, gear 3; gear 2x in its turn meshes with gear 3. There are in all six spur pinions or gears within the crank-hanger. The pair on the rearward shaft, gears 3 and 3x, are fast on the same shaft, and hence must revolve at the same speed. The shaft marked C is hollow or slotted and contains what is known as a sliding clutch, operated by the small rod or cord and little crank shown reaching up to the top bar of the bicycle.
Gear 1, being fast on the pedal shaft, runs with the pedals, and of course carries with it gear x-1-x. Now if the clutch just mentioned makes gear 2 fast to x-1-x, the motion of gear 2 is carried to gear 3x and to the shaft of this latter gear are attached the pair of outside cranks which drive the other pair on the rear wheel by means of the connecting rods, so the bicycle is driven at a certain speed. If the clutch makes gear 2x fast to x-1-x, then the motion of 2x is carried to gear 3, and the drive cranks and drive rods are run at another rate of speed, slower than before. When the clutch makes x-1-x fast to either gear 2 or gear 2x, it causes it to let go of the other one, and that other one, thus released, runs around on the shaft independently, at the rate it is carried by its connection with the gear back of it. When the clutch is moved into the “midway” position gear x-1-x does not grip either of its neighbors on the shaft; then the feet can be held still on the pedals, gears 1 and x-1-x being stationary while the other four run along with the bicycle until another movement of the shifting clutch locks either 2 or 2x with gear 1 and the pedal shaft as already described. Of course, this arrangement does not interfere with back pedalling, as usual, unless the clutch is moved so as to throw the gears out of mesh.
FEATHERSTONE
CHAINLESS
CRANK HANGER
—SECTIONAL VIEW.