Dec. 28, 1948. S. ARGYRIS - 2,457,430 ELECTRIC Filed Feb. 20, 1946

Patented Dec. 28, 1948 2,457,430 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,457,430 ELECTRIC Bf YCLE Stefanos Argyris, New York, N. Y. Application February 20, 1946, Serial No. 648,971 2 Clains. (C. 80-34) 2 The object of the invention is to provide means conductive material extending between the rear for easily and quickly attaching electrical pro ends of the rear forks 6 and and the hudguard pulsion means to existing conventional . 28. Many ways finay be resörted to for supporting Attempts have been made in past years to propel the batteries and the inventioh is not limited in bicycles by electric motiors and batteries. How this respect. They may be hung from the top ever, the great weight of the batteries, the rapid frame bar 2 or supported from the rear forks T. ity with which they becaine exhausted and the I preferably use two narrow batteries rather than long time required to re-charge then has hereto. ore large one and motiat them in like positions fore discouraged efforts to provide this form of upon opposite sides of the rear wheel to secure propulsion for light weight bicycles. 10 The time has now come when it is possible goodjoalalee of the vehicle. The two batteries are by means of my improvements to successfully indicated at B in Figure 3. The motor is Cons provide electric propulsion for bicycles. The trolled from the handlebar 22 through a rheostat quick charge apparatus now found at almost 23, the control handle of which is indicated at 24. every automobile garage and filling station, fen The batteries B may be held in place upon the ders it possible to re-charge batteries in a few 5 supporting plates 9 by clamping heads 25 and minutes, while the recent war has resulted in the thumb nuts and bolts 26. Heads 25 are of non aircraft industry developing batteries much conductive material. The lead from one of the lighter than those heretofore available, Aside battery terminals 27 is indicated at 28 in Figure 4. from the foregoing improvements. I now provide A motor 30 extends lengthwise of post 8 and means for relieving the battery of its greatest 20 is clamped to said post by clamp 3. The motor drain, to wit, the heavy load imposed thereon shaft is indicated at 30a and it will be seen that While starting the bicycle from a position of rest this shaft extends in the general direction of the and until it picks up speed. I further provide length of the , rather than cross means by which the rider may manually assist wise thereof, A reduction is provided by the the motor on steep hills, when desired. 25 bevel 32 and 33. The shaft 34 of The invention Will be understood by reference 33 carries one of the elements. 35 of an overrun to the accompanying drawings, wherein: ning clutch the other element of the clutch being Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle incorporating indicated at 36. and having attached thereto by a modified form of the invention; screws 37 a small wheel 38, the teeth Figure 2 is a front elevation of the motor looks 30 of which are engaged by the sprocket chain 39. ing from the position indicated by line 2s2 of This chain passes over the to and 3 Figure 1; which are the conventional ones of the bicycle. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of electrical Thein Figure motor 1. is controlled by the rheostat 23 just as connections, hereinafter described, and Figure 4 is a detail view of a battery support, 35 This described arrangerhent not only provides hereinafter described any desired speed reduction between the motor Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section of an and the sprocket wheel it but it disposes the overrunning clutch, hereinafter described and length of the motor generally fore and aft of Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. the bicycle frame rather than crosswise thereof Like numerals, designate corresponding parts in and thereby avoids any possible interference all of the figures of the drawingS. with the legs of the rider. When the bicycle is Figure 1 illustrates a conventional light weight being propelled manually. The crank hanger of bicycle of the type embodying front forks 5, rear a conventional light-weight bicycle is only a few forks 6 and 7, post 8, pedals and pedal cranks 9, inches in length and consequently the pedal driving sprocket wheel to that is turned by the 45 cranks rotate in planes spaced only a few inches pedals, rear wheel that is driveri fromisprocket from each other. fherefore the legs of the G through chain 39 and rear sprocket 3 with rider will be moving in planes relatively close which latter sprocket is incorporated the con together and it becomes a matter of importance ventional coaster brake of a nature to permit to provide a against which the legs free wheeling of rear wheel fi in a forward di 50 of the rider will not strike when the bicycle is rection and application of the brake upon reverse being manitially propelled. By the arrangement movement of the pedals. All of the foregoing showri the space occupied by the motor is deter are Well known and conventional parts and re mined by the diariéter of the motor and not quire no further description. by its length as would be the case if the motor The battery or batteries for supplying energy to 55 shaft were disposed crosswise of the bicycle. I the motor may be supported in any desired place. further utilizé this arrangement to get a desired They may be supported in front of the head H, gear reduction through the bevel gearing shown. as shown in my co-pending U. S. Patent Number However, the most important advantage of 2,397,115. In the present case f have shown a the described arrangement is that while the 60 motor is always connected to the pédais the Supporting plate 9 of non-corrosive and non rider does not have the drag of the motor upon 2,457,430 3 4. him in propelling the bicycle manually. Fur vided for the connection of a gas engine to the ther the rider may relieve the batteries of the bicycle gearing were used to provide means for great drain upon them imposed by the starting cranking the engine by pedaling the bicycle. of the bicycle by pedaling upon the start off. After the engine started, the engine took over At this time, see Figures 3 and 6, the outer part the load, thru a manually operated clutch. of the clutch 36 turns in the direction of the A further difference between gas engine drive arrow a and the balls 39 move over into the , and electric motor drive is that the Source of deepest parts of the pockets 40 of the clutch, power of the electric motor (the batteries) be thus releasing part 35 from engagement with gins to diminish from the first moment of use part 36. However, when the rider is ready for 10 while the gas engine develops as much power the motor to take over the task of propelling with the last spoonful of gasoline as when the the bicycle he manipulates the rheostat to send fuel tank is full. Thus there is no such great current to the motor. The part 35 then starts reason for care in relieving the gas engine of to turn faster than 36, the balls bind between load when the inertia of starting is being over 35 and 36 and the motor. propels the bicycle. 15 come as exists in the case of the battery driven At this time the rider may rest his feet upon electric motor. . . foot rests one of which is indicated at 41. When I wish it to be understood that the invention running down hill, when no power is required, is not limited to the precise construction set the current is cut off by the rheostat, the motor forth but that it includes within its purview ceases to move the sprocket wheel and pedals 20 whatever changes fairly come within either the and the rider places his feet upon the pedals terms or the spirit of the appended claims. ready to actuate the brake of the coaster brake Having described my invention, what I claim if necessity requires. At this time the rear wheel i. The combination with a bicycle of the con turns freely through the conventional coaster 25 ventional type which includes a frame, front and break mechanism. Not only does the provision rear wheels, a coaster brake assembly in the of the overrunning clutch permit the starting rear wheel, front and rear Sprockets, the front of the bicycle, manually, to save drain upon the Sprocket having attached pedals and the rear batteries but it also relieves the rider of the drag sprocket being carried by the rear wheel, of an of the motor if the batteries become exhausted . electric motor secured to the bicycle frame in and he has to pedal the bicycle to a place where a position to have its shaft lie fore and aft of he can have them charged. By the term fore and aft as used in the specification and claims, the bicycle, reducing gearing connected to the I mean that the length of the motor extends in motor shaft and including a shaft which lies general lengthwise of the bicycle frame in con transversely of the bicycle frane, a clutch ele tradistinction to having the length of the motor ment upon the last named shaft, a second clutch disposed crosswise of the motor frame as is the element coacting With the first clutch element case with all other motors used for bicycle to constitute an overrunning clutch, a sprocket propulsion, of which I have knowledge. chain, a sprocket carried by the second clutch While it would be possible to completely dis-, element over which said sprocket chain passes, connect the motor of Figure 1 from sprocket to 4. said chain likewise engaging the front sprocket when manually pedaling by merely slipping the Wheel and the rear sprocket wheel. 5 off of the pulleys f6 and 8, I contem 2. Power means for driving the front pedal plate the provision of an overrunning clutch like carrying Sprocket wheel of a bicycle comprising that of Figures 3 and 4 between the motor shaft 45 an electric motor, means for securing said motor fi and sprocket 6 for the purposes above de to the bicycle frame in such position that its scribed, when desired. In such case the motor shaft lies in the fore and aft plane of the bicycle shaft would correspond to shaft 34 of Figures frame, a short transverse shaft, bevel gearing 3 and 4 and the pully 6 would correspond to between said transverse shaft and the lower end the small sprocket wheel 38 of Figure 4. 50 of the motor shaft proportioned to reduce the While I have described the connection between Speed of the transverse shaft with respect to sprocket wheel 0 and rear sprocket wheel 2 the speed of the motor shaft, a small sprocket as being a conventional chain it is to be under wheel upon the outer end of the said short shaft stood that this term is generically employed which aligns with and lies in the plane of the and that a belt may be used if desired. 55 pedal carrying sprocket wheel and a driving chain As far as I am aware, I am the first to provide, which passes over both of said sprocket wheels. as an attachment for a conventional light weight STEFANOS ARGYRIS. bicycle an electric motor having an overrunning clutch between its shaft and the conventional REFERENCES (CTED large Sprocket wheel of the bicycle said clutch 60 The following references are of record in the acting in a direction to permit the rotor of the file of this patent: motor to remain motionless when the rider is UNITED STATES PATENTs pedaling. I am aware of the fact that small gasoline engines have been employed as driving Number Name Date. . . attachments upon bicycles with overrunning 65 593,678 Neider ------Nov. 16, 1897 clutches between the engine shaft and the con 627,066 Schnepf ------June 13, 1899 ventional gearing of the bicycle. However, the 670,010 White ------Mar. 19, 1901 conditions surrounding the use of gasoline en 713,467 MacDonald ------Nov. 11, 1902 gines are wholly different from those which apply 1,210,639 Geisslinger ------Jan. 2, 1917 in the case of electric motor drive and the prob 70 2,331,976 . Hare ------Oct. 19, 1943 lems to be overcome are therefore wholly dif FOREIGN PATENTS ferent. Among these differences the following may be mentioned: A gasoline engine has to Number Country Date be cranked while an electric motor does not and 535,184 France ------Jan. 20, 1922 most of the prior art overrunning clutches pro 75 :