“My invention relates to improvements in that class of velocipedes called ‘monocycles,’ in which but one wheel is employed, that serves both as a propelling and steering wheel.
“The velocipedes which have heretofore been chiefly used are the bicycle and the tricycle, and to a limited extent the quadricycle, or four-wheeled velocipede, in all of which the support for the driver is so arranged as to practically throw his weight upon the front and rear wheel axles. The power required to propel these various species of conveyances increases proportionally with the number of wheels employed, and the relative diameters of the latter, as well as the mechanism employed for propelling and steering the same, together with the weight of the apparatus. It is obvious therefore that the power required to propel these conveyances diminishes proportionally with the number of the elements referred to. Consequently, to reduce this power to a minimum, it will only be necessary to correspondingly reduce the number of propelling-wheels, the propelling and steering mechanism, and the weight of the apparatus.
“To obtain these results I employ but one wheel.
“In a monocycle that is constructed to support the entire weight of its driver, it is absolutely necessary that said weight, as well as that of the supports for the same and all other mechanism, either for propelling or steering, should be thrown upon the one wheel-axle and be adapted to be equally balanced thereon.
“By means of this construction and arrangement I obtain a velocipede that can be propelled with comparatively little fatigue, and the cost of construction of which is reduced nearly one-half of that of the ordinary velocipede.”
Judging from this invention they must be expert riders in every way in Italy; it must be supposed that the inventor at least could manage it. If reducing the mechanism increases the power in such a proportion, why not do away with all mechanism and have infinite power?
B. Smith, of San Francisco. Velocipede. No. 249,207. Patented November 8, 1881.
SMITH SPECIFICATION.
“The rider is supported upon a seat or saddle, Q, directly above the stirrups, in a nearly standing position, his feet resting upon the stirrups, and he operates the clutches alternately by a walking movement, or he can operate the mechanism in a standing position without the seat or saddle. The clutch-levers alternately engage with the rims or pulleys on the axle, as their outer ends are pressed downward by the backward walking movement of the foot of the rider, and releasing them as the foot rises in stepping forward, the rope reeving through the pulleys in each direction alternately as the levers are alternately raised and depressed.