Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1896 — THE LEVER CHAIN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE LEVER CHAIN.

With It the Linton* Have Brokeu Some Remarkable Records. For some years past there probably have been more people trying to make Improvements in the bicycle than were concerned In working at any other industry. Almost every part of the machine Is subject of a dozen, a hundred,

or even a thousand patents. Yet, since the days when the safety first appeared and forced the older form of “bike” —the ordinary—from the field, the chain, the main factor in the safety, bas remained almost outside the ideas of the Inventor and the patentee. Nor was it till last October that any chain was produced which attracted attention. The new chain was the Simpson lever chain, which a short time ago, :u a series of formidable matches in England, proved its superiority to other chains.

For a long time Inventors were content to use the simple ordinary chain, and it was left to Mr. W. S. Simpson to grasp the idea that if the actuating grip of the chain were not, as in the ordinary case, on the inner side of the chain, but on the outer, and If the chain were made of a series of triangles, the free end or upper part of which had the engaging rollers, the result would be enormously to increase the leverage without increasing the effort; in other words, to transmit and utilize a far larger proportion of the force caused

l.v the rider In the case of an ordinary chain. A glance at the drawings will show even to the unscientific why the special form of chain has Its advantage. It must be borne in mind that you canDot increase at will the diameter of the hub sprocket, the kind of axle on the hind or driving wheel. In size it has to be proportionate to the actual wheel, and its relation in diameter with the crank wheel directly actuated by the pedals is of great Importance— that relation, involving tire interesting quest'on of high and low gearing. The hob sprocket proper, which ls pressed by the inner flat and connected part of the chain, cannot be increased indefinitely. though increase Is gain. By Mr. Simpson’s Ingenious device, one

gets the effect of an increase in size without enlarging the part whose pro-I-ortions are important. In fact, by a chain whose outer and not inner side does the work, you have a higher pitch und greater leverage than can come from an ordinary chain. Tom Linton, with it achieved a world's record by racing thirty miles and 214 yards in 60 minutes. Moreover, .the great, test of endurance—the Paris to Bordeaux race—had been won by Mr. Arthur Linton, aided by the lever chain. Despite ill health, a severe fall, and several accidents, he rode BC7 miles of hilly road in 21 hours and 17 minutes, beating previous records by almost three hours—showing, in tact, a difference of a seventh compared with the former efforts.

WORKING PARTS OF TEE LEVER CHAIN.

CYCLE FITTED WITH CHAIN.