Now there's something you don't see every day

[hawkster19]

I found a 1901 medical instruments catalog in an old barn a few weeks ago. I thought some of you may enjoy the mechanical design behind this "rapid transit tricycle", as well as the description write-up.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

Thanks.
That's amazing on so many levels.
A 118 year old scooter! 300 pound limit, so many people today you see are over 300#.
You wonder if any are left?

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

 

[juvela]

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Fascinating item; thanks so much for posting!

All of those specifications yet no mention made of weight.

Appears to be direct drive (fixed) with no provision for freewheeling and perhaps more importantly no brake.

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[GTs58]

Looks like one would be in a really awkward position with their feet up on the pedals and that rod sticking in your................!

 

[Rivnut]

I'm betting it was pedaled by hand. 300 lb weight limit could be for two people each with a pedal and one person used the rudder for steering. Brakes? No need, just pedal backwards. Or the gears on the wheels are ratchet driven. If that were the case and only one person was pedaling, pedaling faster with one hand would turn you or you used a combination of pedaling with one hand and operating the tiller with the other depending on which way you wanted to go. Any way a coaster brake could be built into each wheel?

 

[Goldenrod]

What do you tie the rudder to?

 

[Sven]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Looks to me like a wheel chair with a bicycle drive train at each rear wheel.

 

[bikemonkey]

Brakes were optional...JK..the brake handle is on the left side. Steering is similar to a track vehicle...rudder is only used when you need a tight radius turn at slow speed or stopped. I am sure there were wheelies involved at some point...

 

[Duchess]

Reminds me very much of invalid carriages from a little bit later (like this, but with added foot pedals). I designed a modern rehab/paralyzed limb workout trike that can be motivated by hands and/or legs that was inspired by it. Someone had already patented the steering system I designed to work with low mobility/strength hands, so I had to redesign it, but I didn't like the idea as much and I didn't see a way to make money on them (I'm not a salesman nor do I want to be).

 

[dnc1]

I think that may be a brake on the underside of that curved mudguard to the rear of the front wheel.
that long black shadow I believe, is a brake pad operated by those 'footrests'.
The flat pad is for resting one's feet in transit.
I've seen this before on WW1 era 'invalid carriages '.