JF Ptak Science Books Futre Punk series & Daily Dose from Dr. Odd series
Somewhere between walking and bicycles Mr. Richard Gornall found a mechanical need to fill what may or may not be an imaginary gap. He invented or suggested the Gornall Pedo Motor, which appeared in the pages of The Scientific American on February 14, 1880 (page 107), along with a great wood engraving. Gornall said that his invention, which "accelerates the motion of walking", would "occupy the immediate position between the roller skate and the veliocepede". The walking heel-toe motion was supposed to transfer power via a rotary drive to the rear wheel, thus creating in a way a mechanically powered roller skate. The invention sounds not-so-great, but the image is certainly pretty.
"NOVEL PEDO M0T0R The annexed engraving represents a new device lerating the motion of walking It seems to occupy an intermediate position between the roller skate and the velocipede The invention consists of a frame supported on three wheels two of which are small and employed only in supporting the main frame of the device while the third and larger one is used both as a supporter of the frame and a driver of the machine All of the wheels are furnished with rub ber tires and the larger one is fixed to a shaft extending across the frame and carrying a ratchet also a loose pinion provided with a pawl capable of engaging the ratchet A foot pedal is pivoted to the upper part of the pedo motor frame and carries a segment rack which engages the loose pinion on the drive wheel shaft When the toe of the foot pedal is depressed the segment rack by its engagement with the pinion turns the drive wheel and propels the machine forward The motion of the foot necessary to impart a rotary motion to the drive wheel is exactly the same as that of the ordinary act of walking For checking the motion of the pedo motor a brake is provided which is made to press upon one of the smaller wheels by pulling a wire or cord which extends upward and is provided with a hook or loop for attachment to some part of the clothing of the user The pedo motor is the invention of Mr Richard Gornall of Baltimore..."
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