The Bradford Brothers of New York City obtained a patent, and entered largely into the business, at considerable expense. They, however, soon stopped the manufacture, and gave exclusive attention to their four-wheeled machines. The three-wheeled velocipedes of Messrs. Kimball Brothers, Boston, seem to be as popular as any in the market; but the sale is mostly local, and but few of them are manufactured.
Various inventors have endeavored to obtain power, by additions to the gearings, in the shape of spring wheels and levers, but with little success. Others have applied the principle of the crank to be turned by the hand, using the hand for steering purposes.
Mr. Wm. H. Hall, of Boston, Mass., has invented a tricycle, which is impelled by a crank, acting upon a small wheel, connected to another by an endless pulley. Every revolution of the crank turns the wheels of the machine once. This machine has not yet been fairly tested.
A mechanic in Indiana also claims to have invented a machine very similar in construction to this of Mr. Hall’s.
Messrs. Forbes & Sears of New Bedford, Mass., have invented a machine with two hind wheels running only about five inches apart. It is claimed that the hind wheels are so near together as to run practically as one wheel; and yet the rider can stop the vehicle and maintain his equilibrium.
Messrs. Topliff & Ely of Eleria, Ohio, patented February 23d, 1869, a tricycle, in which, by a simple movement of a lever, the rear wheels can be run into one, and the vehicle instantaneously changed into a bicycle.
A gentleman of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., has invented a machine, in which both the hind wheels are drivers instead of the forward one. They are fastened on independent axles meeting in the centre, connected by a novel arrangement of gearing, so that either wheel can stand as a pivotal point, and the other be driven round it very swiftly. The inventor states that it will turn in less space than any other velocipede.
Mr. John Tremper, of Wilmington, Del., has designed and patented a tricycle in which the front wheel is the driver as usual; but placed so closely to the axle of the hind wheels, as to give almost as complete command over the motions of the machine, in turning corners, as the two-wheeled velocipede.
“The Bennet Velocipede” is characterized by a driving wheel four feet in diameter, and two guiding wheels behind, each about a foot in diameter.
“Samuels’ Velocipede” has also a large driving wheel, with small guiding wheels behind. This machine is propelled by hand cranks, connected with corresponding cranks in the driving wheel shaft. The feet are used for steering. The inventor claims that this machine will run twenty-five miles an hour on a level road.