New or Improved Facing for the Pedals of Bicycles, the Steps of Carriages, the Steps of Staircases, and the like,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
New or Improved Facing for the Pedals of Bicycles, the Steps of
Carriages, the Steps of Staircases, and the like,
I, ADELPHE LÉON PHILARÈTE CHASLES, of Orléans, in the Department of the
Loire, Republic of France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a novel kind of facing intended to prevent the foot
from slipping, and which is applicable to the pedals of bicycles, the steps of
carriages, the steps of staircases, and the like, and in general to any surface on
which it is required to make the position of the foot secure.
If in a piece of thin sheet-metal holes are made in the same manner as in an
ordinary kitchen rasp or grater, the ragged edges of the said holes form so many
serrations or teeth, which stand more or less perpendicular to the surface of the
metal.
All the said serrations or teeth are substantially in the same plane if the holes
have been made by mechanical means turning out symmetrical work, so that in the
foot is placed on a surface so produced, the sole of the shoe engages the said
serrations or teeth and is prevented from slipping thereon if even a slight pressure
is exercised, without causing any material damage to the shoe, by reason of the
same resting ou a great number of points, and without any perceptible wear of the
said serrations or teeth for the same reason.
I use pieces of sheet-metal prepared in the above described manner, of different
shapes and dimensions, in connection with a great number of objects for the
purpose of preventing the foot from slipping.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings are shown several examples of the
application of the invention to various objects.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively, an elevation, a plan, and a cross-section
of a pedal of a bicycle.
Figures 4 and 5 are, respectively, an elevation and a plan of a foot brush:as used
in France for polishing floors with beeswax.
In the construction of bicycles, the pedals are usually made with saw-edges,
which damage the soles of shoes, and the teeth of the said saw-edges, not being
numerous, soon becoming blunt, thus allowing the feet to slip; rubber or felt
facing have been for the most part abandoned on account of their losing their
adhesive property in a very short time. In order to prevent this slipping, pedals
have been provided with foot-stops of various kinds, but most of these are
dangerous in use even for the cleverest riders, as has been shown by experience.
By the use of pieces of sheet-metal having holes made according to this inven-
tion, the said dangerous foot-stops can be dispensed with entirely; and the sole
of the thinnest or finest shoe runs no risk of being damaged through contact
with them however great the pressure may be, the supporting points being so

page_text: Such a facing is very easily and readily made; it consists of a piece of thin
sheet-metal pierced with round, square, or other shaped holes at the distance of
about a centimetre from each other.
For existing pedals, there is applied on each face or on only one of the two
faces, (see Figures 1 to 3) in case it is desired to retain the saw a on one side,
the piece of perforated sheet metal b, which is placed on the middle of the pedal,
the part e being then bent down at right angles so as to overlap at each side, and
cover the saws. The pieces are fixed in place by small bolts d, such as are used
for fixing the foot-stops when these are employed.
In the case of new pedals, a smooth frame, similar to that used for a saw-
pedal, may serve as a base to which the piece of perforated sheet-metal can be
fixed in the manner above described.
The said piece of sheet-metal fitted on in this manner will give a little in the
middle under the pressure of the foot and will take exactly the slightly curved
form of the sole of the shoe. It may be nickeled without losing its slip-preventing
properties.
The greater number of carriages or cars are provided with steps, the iron
treads of which are provided with superficial roughenings which, when new;
prevent the foot from slipping, but soon become worn and blunt, and eventually
disappear altogether. The tread then offers to the foot a smooth surface which
becomes dangerous when the slightest inclination is given to it.
There are in existence carriage steps the treads of which are faced with
corrugated rubber, but such steps are too costly to be used with any but carriages
of the highest class.
The application of pieces of sheet-metal, perforated with rasp or grater holes
in accordance with my invention, to the steps of carriages, while entailing but
very small cost, quite prevents the foot from slipping however quickly it may
be placed on the step and whatever may be the inclination of the carriage or the
step.
The invention can be applied to any existing step without either modifying
or damaging it in any way. The part pierced with holes may be shaped to
correspond generally to the dimensions and shape of the tread of the step; but
when cutting the piece of sheet-metal, a suitable number of lugs should be
provided in convenient positions opposite to one another, and bent down under
the tread so as to permit of their being bolted together, two by two, this
operation bringing the surfaces of the pieces of sheet-metal and of the step
together. Or the sheet-metal facing may be fixed by means of screws to
plates or other parts covered or not with wood.
The said sheet-metal facings, may be painted like the other metal parts of the
carriage without losing any of their properties or efficacy. My system of rasp
or grater-like sheet-metal facing is also applicable to staircases and more par-
ticularly to those used for business or other like purposes. In this case, the
advantages are very much the same as those described with reference to carriage
steps, the foot being prevented from slipping however quickly the person may go
up or down the staircase.
In this application, there is arranged on the edge of each step a strip of the
perforated sheet-metal from one and a half to two inches wide, fixed in place
by screws or nails..
A great many devices have been invented for securing the foot to brushes used
for polishing floors; but such devices are often costly and always tiresome to
use, and are, therefore, generally discarded by those whose business is to use the
said brushes.
If, however, there be fixed on the back of the brush a piece of my perforated
sheet-metal, all that is necessary is to place the foot on the brush in order to make
it adhere thereto despite the vigorous forward and backward movements of the
foot and leg when operating the brush to obtain the required polish. The whole
of the effort is utilized because the foot is prevented from sliding. The foot can

page_text: be instantaneously freed from the brush when the work is done and the pressure
on the brush is relaxed. The work therefore becomes as easy as when the brush
has no covering at all.
In this case, the facing (Figures 4 and 5) is fixed on the brush 6 by means
of nails or screws c. The price of the brush is very slightly increased by the
addition of the facing.
The various applications above described will enable those skilled in the art to
apply my invention in any case whatever. To the examples already given there
may be added the steps of ladders of all kinds, the pedals or foot-levers of lathes
and other machines operated by the foot, and so forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-:
The facing for the pedals of bicycles, steps of carriages or cars, steps of stair-
cases, foot-brushes for polishing floors, foot-levers of lathes and the like, steps of
ladders, and so forth, which consists of a plate of slieet-metal perforated in the
same manner as an ordinary kitchen rasp or grater, and means for fastening the
same to the article to which it is to be applied substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1899.
A. L, P. CHASLES,
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.