JF Ptak Science Books Post 2530
Thumbing through the 1869 volume of Scientific American hunting for an image of a wave-powered device I found this unusual woodcut of a bicycle. Actually, it is still at this point mainly referred to as a velocipede, a word that "Scotch Tape" was a brand name for a bike-like invention by the very-busy Nicephore Niepce in 1818. (Niepce was a prolific and high-end thinker having invented the world's first photographic device from which the oldest-surviving photograph was made, towards the end his work being done in partnership with Louis Daguerre with whom he had a business relationship for the development of what would turn of to be Daguerre's improvements on his original breakthroughs. And that was not his only breakthrough--along with his brother Claude Niepce patented what was probably the world's first internal combustion engine--the pyreolophore--in 1807.)
In any event this machine, the McDonald velocipede above and below was interesting mainly for its steering mechanism. (On the other hand, this still is a very early example of a peddled-wheel bike, invented earlier in the decade by Pierre Michaux.) Here the biker would use the joystick that controlled the rear wheel by means of the apparatus on the vertical circular frame surrounding the rear wheel. Interesting to note here that the articles states that the velocipede was relatively easy to construct--and maybe so for the more-adept engineering-type of 1869--as the bike was patented but not in production.
From the Scientific American: "The frame is of hollow pipe the rear being a complete in which the steering wheel rotates on its axis the steering a wheel running between the parallel bars the front portion. The axle of this passes through boxes secured to the bars by screws so it may be adjusted forward or back to suit the physique of the rider. The axle of the steering wheel runs in secured to sliding bars curved to fit the diameter of the circular portion of the frame thus allowing this wheel with its axle to per form an entire revolution within the frame a horizontal plane. Its movements are controlled by means of rods attached at one to he ends of the axle and at the brought together to the lower end of a directly under the rider's seat the handle which comes up in front of the rider the fulcrum being on a cross piece between the portion of the parallel bars serving not that purpose but that of a brace. It will seen from the figure that the guiding of vehicle may be effected by one hand seat need not be so high as represented in engraving it may be lowered until nearly the level of the reach which is the line of the axles."--Scientific American, April 24, 1869, p.264.
And the detail:
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