Improvements in Pedal Attachments for Velocipedes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pedal Attachments for Velocipedes.
I, WILLIAM WHEELER, residing at Terrell, in the County of Kaufman, and
State of Texas, United States of America, 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 safety-attachment for the pedals of bicycles, tricycles,
and other wheeled vehicles operated by the feet through the medium of pedals; and
the objects in view are to provide an attachment that will form a long bearing for
the foot of the rider, thus avoiding dead-centers in the revolutions of the cranks,
and to provide means for preventing any slipping of the pedals, so objectionably
recognized by all riders of machines.
A further object is to combine with the above advantages a device of cheap and
simple construction to be readily applied to the pedals or detached therefrom.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
claims.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective of a pedal, my attachment being in position thereon.
Fig. 2 is a reverse view.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.
Fig. 4,is a detail in perspective of the attachment.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
In practising my invention I employ a bar 1 of steel, and at the front end of the
same reduce the bar to form a threaded shank 2 upon which is mounted a weight 3,
having a threaded bore 4 and maintained in adjusted position by a set-nut 5. passing
through the same and impinging upon the shank. Near its middle the bar is
upwardly bent at an obtuse angle to the main portion 1 and forming a rearwardly-
disposed curved terminal 6. The central portion of the bar is provided with an elongated
slot 7 and at each side of the same with perforations 8. Near its rear end the bar
is provided with an opening 9, and a flat spring-blade 10 is riveted to the terminal
at the angle of the bar and lies upon the same to a point near the opening 9, and by
reason of the curvature given the terminal at this point extends above the opening
and beyond the same. Directly in rear of the spring-blade 10 there is fixed upon
the terminal at its upper side a circular-headed stud 11.
A curved flat spring 12 is riveted to the underside at the rear end of the terminal,
is passed forwardly under the same, as shown, and provided with an opening 13 in
which is headed the lower end of a shouldered latch 14 the upper beveled end of
which, together with its shoulder, may be forced up through the opening 9 of the
terminal and in contact with the free end of the spring-blade 10 so that, its shoulder
resting upon the rear edge of the opening 9 said blade serves to lock the latch. in
position between the terminal and blade, and thus elevate the blade against its own
tension and that of the spring 12.
Keepers 15 are located near the front and rear ends of the spring 12, and through
the same is passed a wire guide bent at opposite sides to form guide portions 16
loosely embracing the terminal 6.
A bracket 17 of inverted L-shape is riveted as at 18 to the under side of the
terminal directly in front of the latch, and is provided at its rear side and lower end.
with a rearwardly-disposed, supporting stud 19 taking, under, the lower end of the

page_text: latch and serving to limit the downward movement of the spring 12 and confine the
same.
20 designates a shoe, the same being provided with a metal plate 21, secured by
screws 22 to the heel of the shoe, and near the front edge thereof provided with a
transverse slot 23 which communicates with a recess 24 formed directly in the front
edge of the heel.
25 designates a pedal; 26, the crank upon which the spindle 27 of the pedal is
mounted; 28 the opposite rubber rolls, and 29 the connecting yoke-plates.
The spindle of the pedal is embraced by inverted U-shaped clip 30, the lower
terminals of which pass through either one of the perforations 8 and the elongated
central perforation 7 of the bar 1, and in this manner said bar may be adjusted
longitudinally with relation to the pedal, so as to accommodate various sized feet.
The bar 1 rests in a metal washer-plate 31, U-shaped in transverse section and
having perforations 32 for the reception of the terminals of the clip, below which
plate said terminals are provided with nuts 33. The plate, being U-shaped when
bound in position by the nuts, has the edges of its terminals forced into the rubber
roll and serves to aid the clip in lending stability and preventing any displacement
or movement upon the part of the attachment independent of the treadle.
In operation the spring 12 and the terminal of the bar are grasped between the
thumb and forefinger and the spring 12 at its free end compressed toward the
terminal so that the upper end of the latch raises the spring-blade and is caught
thereby with its shoulder resting upon the edge of the perforation 9 of said
terminal. The spring 12 is guided in its movements by the guide portions or
wires 15.
After the attachment of each treadle has been set in the manner described, the
rider mounts the machine and when the pedal assumes a proper position the front
edge of the heel-plate is inserted between the stud 11 and the rear elevated end of
the spring-blade 10, and by a sudden push of the foot the latch is forced to the
front so that its shoulder is no longer engaged by the edge of the opening 9, and
said latch is withdrawn by the spring 12.
This withdrawal of the latch causes the
spring-blade to snap down upon the inner surface of the heel-plate, and said plate
is at this time connected with the stud 11 by reason of the latter having entered the
slot. The connection between the shoe and the attachment is now complete and
the machine may be ridden without any fear whatever of the foot slipping the
pedals.
By reason of the transverse slot being elongated it will be obvious that the rider
can the more readily find the stud 11.
When in position it will be seen that the entire foot from the ball to the heel
constitutes a bridge bearing at the two points mentioned and thus the rider is
provided with a long bearing by which he is enabled to control the pedals better,
exert greater power direct from the muscles of the heel and leg, and prevent the
formation of the dead-center at any time during the revolution of the crank.
In order to disengage the foot from the attachment it is simply necessary to raise
the toe of the shoe, using the rear end of the heel as a fulcrum, which elevates the
spring-blade, and the heel may be readily disengaged from the stud.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The hereindescribed safety-attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of
a bar adapted to be applied to the pedals and having its rear end extended beyond
the same to form a heel support and its front end provided with an adjustable
counterbalancing-weight, substantially as specified.
2. The hereindescribed safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a
bar adapted to be secured to the pedal, said bar having its front end terminating in
a threaded shank and at its rear end bent to form a heel-support, and a bored and

page_text: threaded weight mounted upon the shank and provided with a set-screw for
impinging thereon, substantially as specified.
3. The hereindescribed safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a
bar adapted to be connected to the pedal and having its rear end curved to form
a heel-support, and a blade secured to the bent portion of the bar and at its rear
end deflected from the same, whereby it is adapted to enter a recess formed in the
front edge of the heel of a shoe, substantially as specified.
4. The hereindescribed safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a
bar adapted to be secured to the pedal and terminating in rear of the pedal in a
curved heel-support, having a stud adapted to enter an opening formed in the heel-
plate of a shoe, and a rearwardly-disposed blade secured to the bent portion of the
bar, deflected at its rear end from said bent portion, and terminating short of the
stud, whereby it is adapted to engage an opening formed in the front edge of
the heel of a shoe above the heel-plate thereof, substantially as specified.
5. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to
be connected to the pedal and extending rearwardly beyond the same to form a
heel-supporting terminal provided with an opening, a stud mounted in rear of the
same a spring-blade connected to the terminal, overlapping the perforation and
deflected from the terminal, said stud and blade being adapted to engage the
opening and the front edge respectively, of a heel-plate secured to the shoe, a
shouldered latch located below the perforation of the terminal, and a spring for
normally withdrawing the latch, substantially as specified..
6. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of the bar adapted
to be secured to the pedal and bent rearwardly in rear of the same to form a curved
heel-supporting terminal having a perforation, a stud located in rear of the perfora-
tion, a spring-blade secured to the terminal overlapping the perforation and
terminating short of the stud, a curved spring secured to the rear end of the terminal
and bent forwardly under the perforation a stop for limiting the downward move-
ment of the spring, and a shouldered latch mounted upon the free end of the spring.
and adapted to be passed through the perforation and wedged between the edge of
the same and the flat blade, the stud and blade being adapted to enter a transverse
slot formed in a heel-plate and a recess above the heel-plate formed in the heel
respectively, substantially as specified.
7. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of the bar adapted
to be secured to the pedal and extended to form a rear curved terminal having a
perforation, a headed stud mounted on the terminal in rear of the perforation and
adapted to engage with a slot in the heel-plate secured to the shoe, a spring-blade
secured to the terminal and terminating short of the stud and adapted to engage in
a recess formed in a heel above the heel-plate, and devices for wedging between the
rear end of the spring-blade and terminal and elevating said terminal temporarily,
substantially as specified.
8. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of the bar adapted
to be connected with the pedal, rearwardly-curved to form a heel-support, having a
perforation, and in rear of the same provided with a stud, a spring-blade secured to
the terminal terminating above the perforation and short of the stud, a curved
spring secured to the rear end of the terminal and forwardly bent under the perfora-
tion, an inverted L-shaped stop secured to the terminal and terminating under the
end of the spring, a shouldered latch mounted on the end of the spring and adapted
to pass through the perforation in the terminal, and a pair of guides located at the
opposite sides of the spring and loosely embracing the terminals, substantially as
specified.
9. The combination with the pedal of a cycle comprising the opposite rubber
rolls and the intermediate spindle, of the hereindescribed attachment consisting of
the bar having the perforations and extended in rear to form a heel-support, means
for locking the support to the heel of a shoe, an inverted U-shaped clip straddling
the spindle passing through the perforations of the bar, a securing plate U-shaped

page_text: in cross section and receiving the bar, having, its edges resting against the rubber
rolls and perforated to receive the terminals of the clip, and binding nuts mounted
upon said terminals, substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of October 1801
W. P. THOMPSON. &, BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.