Improvements in Pedals and in the Toe Clips of Pedals for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and in the Manufacture of the said Pedals.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th N v., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pedals and in the Toe Clips of Pedals for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and in the Manufacture of the
said Pedals.
We, FREDERICK JOHN OSMOND, of Chantry Road, Moseley, in the County
of Worcester, Mechanical Engineer, and ROBERT HOLDEN HOUSMAN, of No. 7
Brighton Place, Moseley, aforesaid, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference principally to the pedals of bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes, but has also reference to the toe clips sometimes used with
pedals for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes.
Our improvements in pedals for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes are
as follows. We make the barrel and end plates of the pedal, from a blank of
steel or iron the said blank being made either by the process of stamping or
by the process of casting. In making the said blank of iron by the casting
process we employ for that purpose the cast iron capable of being annealed
which iron is known in commerce as malleable iron.
The blank we make consists of a cylinder of steel or iron having at each end
a roughly formed end plate and enlargements from which the bearing cups at
the ends of the barrel are to be formed. We drill or bore in the cylinder
of the said blank an axial hole and thereby convert the said cylinder into
the barrel of the pedal. By the turning process we finish the exterior of the
said barrel and also form from the enlargements de-cribed, the cups by which
the barrel is terminated. We also reduce the thickness of and finish by the
turning process the end plates formed in one piece with the barrel.
The bearing cups are made of such a depth as to permit a felt washer to be
introduced into the open end so as to preserve the bearing dust proof. An
india rubber ring on the spindle is employed to keep the felt washers in place.
Instead of fixing the side plates of the pedal to the end plates by the process
of riveting as usual, we make the said side plates detachable from the end plates
in the following manner. We pass the extremities of the end plates through
holes in the side plates and temporarily fix the side plates on the end plates by
passing small cottars through holes in those parts of the end plates which project
through the holes in the side plates. By driving home the said cottars the side
plates are fixed in position but may be removed by withdrawing the cottars
described and replaced by others of the same kind but of a different size.
We make wings or projections at each end of the side plates the said wings
being made by bending inwards the ends of the side plates. The ends or wings of
the side plates are curv! upwards and when bent in the manner described, the
said bent in ends are situ .ted in parallel or nearly parallel planes and terminate at
a higher level than the tread of the pedal. The said wings prevent or limit the
side motion of the foot on the pedal. By means of pliers the said wings can be
bent more or less inwards to suit the foot of the rider. The wings of the side
plate on which the front part of the riders foot bears are turned upwards and the
wings of the rear side plate are turned downwards. It will be understood than on
the semi-rotation of the pedal the pair of wings which were at the back and
underside of the pedal are brought to the front and upperside of the pedal.

page_text: When it is desired to provide the-pedals with rubber-breads we modify the
construction of the side plates in the following manner. We form each side plate
from two blanks made by stamping the said blanks being so shaped that when put
together they have a channel or groove around the edge. In the said channel or
groove a thick india rubber ring-is sprung which india rubber ring when the side
plates are fixed constitutes the tread of the pedal.
We construct the toe clips for the pedals in the following manner. Instead of
attaching the toe clip rigidly to the pedal we make the said toe clip slide in
perforations in the side plates so that they can be lengthened or shortened to suit
the foot of the rider, and in order to adjust and fix the acting length of the toe clip
and to permit it to have a limited angular motion in front we arrange a downwardly
projecting pin on the upper side of the perforation in the rear side plate and we
provide the flat rear part of the toe clip with a series of holes of a size suitable to
engage with the pin referred to. The said flat plate of the toe clip passes through
the perforation in the front side plate and bears on the barrel of the pedal one or
other of the holes in the rear part of the flat plate engaging with the pin
hereinbefore referred to.
Dated this Seventh day of November 1895.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Pedals and in the Toe Clips of Pedals for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and in the Manufacture of the
said Pedals.
We FREDERICK JOHN OSMOND, of Chantry Road, Moseley in the County of
Worcester, Mechanical Engineer, and ROBERT HOLDEN HOUSMAN, of No. 7
Brighton Place, Moseley, aforesaid, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention has reference principally to the pedals of bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes but has also reference to the toe clips sometimes used with pedals
for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes.
Our improvements in pedals for bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes are as
follows. We make the barrel and end plates of the pedal in one piece from a
blank of steel or iron the said blank being made either by the process of stamping
or by the process of casting. In making the said blank of iron by the casting
process we
employ for that purpose the cast iron capable of being annealed which
iron is known in commerce as malleable iron. The blank we use whether made by
the process of casting or by the process of stamping consists of a cylinder of steel
or iron having at each end a roughly formed end plate and enlargements from
which the bearing cups at the ends of the barrel are to be formed. We drill or
bore in the cylinder of the said blank an axial hole and thereby convert the said
cylinder into the barrel of the pedal. By the turning process we finish the exterior
of the said barrel and also form from the enlargements described the cups by which
the barrel is terminated. We also reduce the thickness of and finish by the turning
process, the end plates formed in one piece with the barrel. The bearing cups are
made of such a depth as to permit a felt-washer to be introduced into the open end
so as to preserve the bearing dust proof.
We may where desired make the side plates of the pedal detachable from the
end plates instead of fixing them thereto by the process of riveting as usual. We
make the side plates detachable from the end plates by passing the extremities of
the end plates through holes in the side plates and temporarily fix the side plates

page_text: on the end plates by passing small cottars through holes in those parts of the end.
plates which project through the holes in the side plates. By driving home the
said cottars the side plates are fixed in position but may be removed by
withdrawing the cottars described and replaced by others of the same kind but of
a different size.
We make wings or projections at each end of the side plates the said wings
being made by bending inwards the ends of the side plates. The ends or wings of
the side plates are curved upwards and when bent in the manner described, the said
bent in ends are situated in parallel or nearly parallel planes and terminate at a
higher level than the tread of the pedal. The said wings prevent or limit the side
motion of the foot on the pedal. By means of pliers the said wings can be bent
more or less inwards to suit the foot of the rider. The wings of the side plate on
which the front part of the rider's foot bears are turned upwards and the wings of
the rear side plate are turned downwards. It will be understood that on the semi
rotation of the pedal the pair of wings which were at the back and underside of the
pedal are brought to the front and upperside of the pedal.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing represent respectively in
longitudinal section and end elevation, a finished blank constituting the barrel, end
plates and bearing cups of a pedal made according to our invention.
Figures 3 and 4 represent respectively in plan and side elevation, a rat trap
pedal constructed according to our invention having detachable side plates.
Figures 5 and 6 represent respectively in plan (partly in horizontal section) and
side elevation a rat trap pedal constructed according to our invention having fixed
side plates.
Figures 7 and 8 represent respectively in plan and side elevation a pedal
constructed according to our invention provided with a rubber tread; Figure 9 is
a section on the line, a Figure 8 through one of the side plates of the pedal;
Figure 10 represents in side elevation and edge view one of the parts of the pedal
Figures 7 and 8 detached.
Figures 11 and 12 represent respectively in plan and cross section a pedal
constructed according to our invention provided with a toe clip also constructed
according to our invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
In manufacturing pedals according to our invention we make the barrel, end
plates and bearing cups of each pedal in one piece by the process of stamping or by
the process of casting as hereinbefore described. Figures and 2 represent a
combined barrel, end plates and bearing cups made of malleable cast iron the barrel
being marked a the end plates a², a2 and the bearing cups a², a³. The pedal
spindle b is passed into the barrel a and is secured therein in the ordinary way.
The pedal is completed by the addition of side plates c, c of the kinds hereinafter
described. Each side plate has a length somewhat greater than the distance
between the two end plates, the parts on either side the end plates constituting
wings. The ends of the wings (3,8 are curved upwards and the said upcurved
ends are bent inwards into planes parallel or nearly parallel with each other.
When the side plates are to be connected to the end plates so as to be capable of
detachment therefrom, we form at each end of the end plates a³, a* a projection a¹
and we make perforations in the side plates c, c of a size and shape suitable to
receive the said projections a¹, a¹. Cross boles are made in the projections a¹, a¹
through which taper pins or cottars d, d are passed, after the application of the side
plates to the end plates, so as to firmly secure the side plates to the said end
plates.
The side plates c are so arranged with respect to the end plates a², a² that the
up-curved ends of the wings c, c (which wings, c³ terminate in a higher plane
than the tread of the pedal) of that side plate c on which the front of the rider's
foot bears are uppermost, while the up-curved ends of the wings c, c of the other
or rear side plate c are lowermost as is best seen by reference to Figure 12. By

page_text: •
the detachable connection of the side plates of pedals side plates of varying width
may be used at different times to suit the convenience of the rider.
When the side plates c, c are to be permanently fixed to the end plates a³, as we
prefer to form two projections a, a at each end of the end plates a², a³ (see
Figures 5 and 6) and. to make two holes near cach end of the side plates c, c
through and over which the said projections aª, a³ are passed and rivetted.
When it is wished to increase or diminish the width of the tread of pedals
having fixed side plates, the outer wings c³, c³ are turned outwards or inwards as
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5.
In order to provide pedals constructed according to our invention with india
rubber treads we form each side plate of two blanks or plates marked respectively c, cl
in Figures 7, 8 and 9. The outer plate c resembles generally the side plate c in.
the pedal Figures 5 and 6 the said outer plate e being connected to the end
plates a, a by rivetting. The other or inner blank or plate c¹ which is shown
separately in Figure 10 is of a length 'equal to or somewhat less than the distance
between the two end plates a³, a². The india rubber pieces e, e constituting the
tread are preferably of I section (see Figure 9) and the middle webs of the said
treads when in position are situated between and are gripped by the pairs of
blanks or plates c, c¹ which are connected together by the screws f,fpassing
through holes in the outer plates c, c and taking into screwed holes in the inner
plates c¹, c¹.
We prefer to round or bend back the up-curved ends of the outer wings c³, c³ of
the side plates when the pedals are to be applied to ladies' cycles so as to prevent
the up-curved ends of the outer wings catching the lady's dress as
Figure 8.
seen in
9
It will be seen by reference to Figure 5 that the bearings of pedals constructed
according to our invention are preserved dust proof by the use of a felt washer in
the mouth of the cup at the inner end of the pedal and by the employment of a
metallic screw cap h on the cup at the outer end of the pedal.
Our improvements in toe clips for pedals consist in the construction and
arrangement of parts hereinafter described and represented in Figures 11 and 12.
We make the flat part i of the toe clip slide in the perforations in the side
plates, c so that the said toe clip can be lengthened or shortened to suit the foot
of the rider, the acting length of the toe clip being fixed by a downwardly
"projecting pin c on the upper side of the perforation in the rear side plate engaging
in one or other of a series of holes in the rear end of the flat part i of the said toe
clip. The rear end of the flat part i of the toe clip is kept in engagement with the
pin by the flat part of the toe clip situated mid-way between the two side plates
bearing on the barrel a of the pedal. The pin c¹ in addition to fixing the acting
length of the toe clip permits of an angular motion of the same in a horizontal
plane.
When toe clips constructed according to our invention are to be used with pedals
of the kind represented in Figures 7 and 8 we make slots in the vertical webs of
the india rubber treads for the flat part i of the tue clip 'to pass through.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed. we declare that we
claim as our' invention of "Improvements in pedals and in the toe clips of pedals
for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes and in the manufacture of the said
'pedals " ;-
First. Making the barrels, end plates and bearing cups of pedals in one piece
either by the process of casting or by the process of stamping substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawing.
Secondly. Detachably connecting the side plates of pedals to the end plates by
the use of taper pins or cottars substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.

page_text: Thirdly. Making the side plates of pedals with projecting parts or wings
extending beyond the end plates, the ends of the said wings being curved upwards
and bent into parallel or nearly parallel planes and connecting the said side plates
to the end plates substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Fourthly. Providing pedals of the kinds claimed in the prior claims with india
rubber treads by the use in combination with the side plates of additional or inner
plates between which side plates and additional or inner plates the india rubber
treads are gripped and held substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawing.
Fifthly. The improvements in pedals and toe clips herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawing the said improvements
consisting in making the flat part of the toe clip slide in the perforations in the
side plates and over the barrel of the pedal so as to be capable of adjustment the
said toe clip being fixed by a downwardly projecting pin in the rear perforation
engaging with one of a series of holes made in the rear end of the flat part of the
toe clip substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the Eighteenth day of July 1896.
FREDERICK JOHN OSMOND.
ROBERT HOLDEN HOUSMAN.