Monocycle.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1898.)

Sheets—Sheet I.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON.

No. 627,596.

(No Model.)

L. SCHUTTE. MONOCYCLE. (Application filed Jan. 20, 18Θ8.)

Patented June 27, 1899.

Sheets—Sheet 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. 0. C.

No. 627,596.

(No Model.)

L. SCHUTTE. MONOCYCLE. (Application filed Jan. 20, 1Θ98.)

Patented June 27, 1899.

Sheets—Sheet 3.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-UTHO., WASHINGTON, 0.

United States Patent Office.

LOUIS SCHUTTE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MONOCYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,596, elated June 27, 1899.

A-pplloation filed January 20j 1898. Serial No. 667,308. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis Schutte, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Monocycles, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the drawings which form a part thereof.

io My invention relates to the construction of a monocycle, having for its object to provide a new machine of this class and one of simple construction.

Broadly speaking, my invention consists in 15 supporting, through depending arms journaled upon the hub of a single wheel, a frame or frames pivotally depending from the said arms and not otherwise secured thereto, said frames being adapted to support the foot of 20 a rider standing in upright position -while the wheel revolves and in providing in addition to this frame means by which the rider can apply power to rotate the wheel, said means consisting, preferably, of pedals connected 25 with cranks attached to the lower part of the supporting-frame below its connection with the arms and connected also in such manner as to communicate their reciprocating motion into a rotating motion of the wheel.

The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which my invention is illustrated in various modifications.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine 35 in its preferred form of construction; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same machine on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3, a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, except that the parts are shown in a different position and the rider 40 shown in Fig. 1 is omitted. Fig. 4 is a front view of the wheel as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a modified construction, in which provision is made for applying hand as well as foot power to the ro45 tation of the wheel. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another modification, in which the wheel is rotated entirely by hand-power. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively side and front elevations of still another modification, illustrat50 ing a different way of applying foot-power to the rotation of the wheel.

A indicates the wheel, which is provided with a hub B, upon which in all the constructions show^rn a gear-wheel is secured, adapted for either a sprocket-chain or for a direct en- 55 gagement with another gear-wheel, as indicated at b. In my construction a shaft C is carried through the hub, w’hich is made hollow and is provided with depending arms C' C' at each end, the foot-supporting frames D D be- 60 ing pivotally connected with the ends of said arms, as indicated at 0^s.

D' (shown in all the figures except Fig. 5) indicates a foot-rest extending out from the frame D and which, on opposite sides of the 65 wheel, should extend in opposite directions. Sometimes, in order to enable the rider to change the position of his feet, the foot-rests D' extend from each side of the frame D both forward and backward, as is indicated, for 70 instance, in Fig. 6. The framesDD are preferably connected together (forming, in substance, a fork-frame) by means of a fork connection D²,-extending over the top of the wheel, and on the top of which is preferably 75 formed a saddle D³.

F F aTe reciprocating pedal-levers pivoted to the frame below the ends of arms C, as indicated at F', and carrying pedals G G at their outer ends. These extend forward on one 80 side of the wheel and backward on the other, as indicated, and have connected to or with them means for communicating their reciprocating motion to the hub of the wheel as a rotative movement. As shown in Figs. 1 and 85 2, for instance, connecting-rods Η H couple extensions F² F² of the pedal-levers with gearwheels I I, which in turn communicate motion to the gear-wheel b on the hub of the wheel. It will be noticed, and this is a point 90 of considerable practical importance, that the connection and size of the pedal-levers F are such that the pedals do not in their motion extend beyond the periphery of the wheel A.

Other means for communicating motion 95 from the reciprocating pedal-levers to the wheel may be employed. Thus, for instance, in Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown the pedal-levers as provided with angular extensions K K, having slots K' at their upper ends, which em- 100 brace pins I, extending out from the sides of large sprocket-wheels L, the motion of these sprocket-wheels being comma nicated by chain M to the teeth of the wheel b on the hub. In

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Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 and also in Figs. 7 and 8 I have indicated a handle-bar E as extending out from the top of the frame D². I contemplate using the handle as a means or sup5 plemental means for communicating motion to the wheel and have shown in Fig. 5 a construction in which the handle-bar E is continued down, as indicated at E', and pivoted at E² to a rearward extension D⁴ of the frame io D, the arrangement shown being such that the lever E E' can be engaged in a catch d^sin the saddle, in which case it will simply serve as a grip for the rider, or it may be disengaged from the said catch d³and by means 15 of a catch E³ engaged with one of the pedallevers F, in which case it will be seen that it will serve to give a reciprocating motion to the said pedal-lever.

In Fig. 01 have shown anotherconstruction, so in which the reciprocating handle-bar E E', pivoted to an extension D⁵ of the frame, is coupled by connecting-rods II' with a gearwheel I, taking the place of the pedal-levers, and in Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown another 25 modification, in which the supporting-crank arms C' C' are entirely dispensed with, the frame D being supported directly on the axle of the wheel and motion communicated to it through the reciprocating handle-bar by 30 means of connecting-rods II², coupling directly to crank-arms J' on the hub of the wheel.