Improvements in Foot Cycles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Foot Cycles.
We, ARTHUR MCEWAN SHERRIFF of 6 Morningside Park, Edinburgh, Civil
Engineer, and ROBERT ANDERSON, of 67, Princes Street, Edinburgh, Manu-
facturer of Sports Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:—
This invention relates to improvements in foot cycles.
In the carrying out of my invention we employ two wheels the one in front of
the foot, the other behind the heel, the foot plate being between the said wheels
preferably below the level of the axis of the wheels so as to bring the foot near to
the ground. By the said arrangement of the wheels, a maximum of safety, and of
facility in learning to use the cycles, is obtained. In order to support the ankle
and leg we provide the one or both sides of the foot plate with a supporting rod,
the attachment round the ankle being by means of a leather strap or like appliance
carried by the top of the ankle rod. The said rod may or may not be supplemented
by a hinged or jointed extension piece or rod as a support for the leg, a strap
being provided to go around the leg preferably at the calf portion, the said
strap being attached to the said extension portion. The said calf strap may be in
the form of a round steel band which can be closed upon the leg by a strap, the
said steel band preventing undue compression upon the leg whilst it affords good
support.
The steering may be effected by mounting the axle of the rear wheel upon a
pivot; for example the end portions of the side framings, or the end portion of the
heel plate, according to whatever the construction of the framing or the foot plate
may be, may be formed as a separate piece pivoted to the body of the framing or
the foot plate. We may use separate side framings to the ends of which the wheels
are attached, with a separate upper plate for the boot to be attached to by
mechanical clamps or by straps. In this case a pivoting pin would be formed upon
the end portion of each of the side frames; each end of the axle, of the rear wheel
being mounted in a plate portion which is so slotted as to engage with the pin, the
said pin and slot arrangement allowing the rear wheel side play.
Or the rear wheel may be mounted within an upright forked portion, the said
fork being connected to the end of the framing, or of the foot plate, in any
convenient manner such as by a curved rod extending from the top of the fork
portion over the contour of the wheel and pivoted to the end of the framing or foot
plate.
In order to prevent the cycle running back when not required to do so, we may
provide a U shaped rod or portion pivoted at each side of the framing or foot plate
in proximity with the tyre so that as the front wheel travels forward the tyre
simply rubs against the said hanging U portion but on the wheel reversing the
said U portion engages with the tyre so as to prevent the wheel revolving; or we
might employ a ratchet and pawl arrangement.
We may employ a mud guard for the wheels.
In lieu of single wheels we might employ a pair of wheels side by side, at toe
and heel.
Dated this 5th day of October 1893.

page_text: Improvements in Foot Cycles.
We, ARTHUR MCEWAN SHERRIFF, of 6 Morningside Park, Edinburgh, Civil
Engineer, and ROBERT ANDERSON of 67 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Manu-
facturer of Sports Appliances, 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 which relates to improvements in foot cycles consists as
follows:-
We employ two wheels for each cycle. The one wheel is placed in front of
the foot and the other behind, mounted with metal framework, foot plate, steering
gear and shaped rod or brake; and the arrangement is such that the foot
plate lies between the two wheels, preferably at a lower level than the axis of
the wheels so as to bring the foot near to the ground all as hereinafter described
& shown in the accompanying drawings. By the said arrangement of the wheels
a maximum of safety and of facility in learning to use the cycles, is obtained.
But in order that our said invention may be the better understood, we will
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 an under plan of a foot cycle constructed
in accordance with our said invention.
As shown, we employ two wheels, the one A being mounted in front of the foot,
and the other one A¹ behind the heel. The said wheels A, A¹ are mounted within
the forks b, b, of the supporting steel bar or blade B which also carries the foot
plate C; and the bar B is preferably so mounted as to carry the said foot plate C
at about the level of, or below, the axis of the wheels A, A so as to bring the foot
near to the ground.
By the arrangement of a front wheel in advance of the foot plate and a rear
wheel behind the foot plate and also by having the foot plate below, or near to the
level of the axis of the wheels, a maximum of safety in using the cycles is
obtained.
The foot plate C shown is an ordinary wooden foot plate, such as is used for
roller skates, having leather or other fastening straps c, c', though if desired, any
other foot plate and fastening of whatever form or of whatever material made, may
be used. And I do not limit myself to the steel bar or blade B as I may employ
any equivalent of the same.
The wheels A and A' are preferably provided with ball bearings a.
The rear
fork of the supporting bar B is preferably formed or provided with slots b³ in
which the ends of the axle a' of the rear wheel A' work so as to permit of steering
being effected. I may however dispense with this arrangement if desired and
mount the said rear wheel like the front wheel.
In order to prevent the cycle from running back when not required to do so such
as when going up hill, we mount, near the front end of the framework B, a
U shaped hanging bar or looped portion D, pivoted to the framework B, in such a
manner, as to be in close proximity to the tyre of the front wheel A, so that as the
said wheel travels forward the tyre rubs against the hanging portion D, without
interfering with the action of the wheel, the portion D, if desired being covered as
at d with india rubber or other soft material, to prevent injury to the tyre; but on
the said wheel A reversing, the hanging bar portion D automatically operates as a
brake and so jambs and instantly stops the wheel. In lieu of the bar D being
Ushaped, it may be of a J or analogous shape.
The wheels may be of discs or spokes and they may be provided with solid,
cushion or pneumatic rubber or other tyres, though preferably with pneumatic
tyres as shown.

page_text: In some cases if desired, such as when learning to use the foot cycles, we may
provide the cycles with suitable ankle supports, such as by providing one or both
sides of the foot plate with an upright rod, the top end of which may be formed
with an eye so that a leather strap may be passed round the ankle. Also if desired
we may supplement the ankle support by a leg support in which case the top end
of the ankle rod would be suitably connected by a pivot to the lower end of the leg
rod or extension piece which would be secured to the leg, preferably around the
calf, by means of a strap or by means of a steel band to be closed around the leg
by a strap, the said steel band preventing undue compression of the leg whilst
affording good support.
As a modification of the steering arrangement shown, we may mount the rear
wheel within an upright forked portion suitably connected to the end of the
framing or foot plate, in any convenient manner, such as by a curved rod extending
from the top of the forked portion over the contour of the wheel and suitably
pivoted to the framing or foot plate. Also if desired in lieu of the U shaped
brake portion for the front wheel we may employ a ratchet and pawl arrangement
for the same purpose or any mechanical equivalent. And in lieu of employing
single wheels, as shown we may employ a pair of wheels side by side at both
the toe and heel preferably mounted in such a manner that the foot plate will
be below the level of the axles of the wheels, as in the case of the single
wheels.
Suitable mud guards may be employed for one or all of the wheels as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
-:
1. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts
constituting the improvements in foot cycles, substantially as and for the purposes
hereiubefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In foot cycles, the arrangement of a front wheel in advance of the foot plate
and a rear wheel behind the foot plate, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. In foot cycles, the U shaped hanging rod or brake D, or the mechanical
equivalent of the same, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.