Improvements in Treadling and Pedalling Mechanism.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Treadling and Pedalling Mechanism.
We, WILLIAM JAMES FREEMAN, and EDWIN FREEMAN, both of 99 York
Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Sanitary Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the construction of a pedal or treadle crank, in
which the leverage may be automatically altered to suit the action and force of the
human foot and leg, during each revolution, so as to utilise the maximum power
thereof, thereby increasing the efficiency of the machine or other device that has to
be driven.
In carrying our invention into practice, we employ a slotted crank or cranks,
operating in a parallel plane, to the face of a cam race, preferably of circular shape,
the crank pin or pedal pin being guided by said race, which is placed eccentrically,
relatively to the centre of the pedal spindle, thus causing the pin aforesaid to
travel towards and from said centre, and the end of the crank within the slot.
This effectively increases the leverage by increasing the length of the crank lever,
over the range of the application of force, so as to be greatest when said force is
at its maximum, and correspondently reduces it when at the minimum effect, and
thus prevents any retarding influence. Any device such as friction rollers, balls,
wheels, or the like, may be interposed between the surfaces to reduce friction, and
the cam race may be sunk, raised, or curved upon or relatively to the surface, and
suitable wheel or other contacts arranged in juxtaposition as before described.
The cam race may be so made that the stroke of the crank may be varied to
suit different users by altering the position of the crank spindle or that of the cam
race relatively to it. As an alternative device, we may employ an auxiliary crank
of less radius than the extreme radius of that, carrying the treadle or pedal, and
connected to the pedal pin or its equivalent, by a coupling rod, so that said pin is
caused to travel in the slot arranged in the pedal crank aforesaid, and thus vary
the length of leverage as in the manner before described. We may connect the
two cranks by means of a flexible or semi-flexible band or belt, passing over. two
suitable wheels upon the respective .axes, or we may employ a cam race upon
either. or both of the cranks, to effect the same object.
In any case, we may employ a spiral or other spring, within the crank, and
cause it to impinge upon the pedal pin, in such a manner, as to materially assist
the action of the cam race.
Our invention is applicable to any kind of velocipede, or also to any mechanism
driven by the feet, such as grindstones, coffee, and other mills, printing machines,
and various other apparatuses thus driven.
We may add to the aforesaid device in either alternative any suitable lubricating
appliance, or friction reducing bearings or contacts.
Dated this 19th dov af October 1801
E. FREEMAN.
W. J. FREEMAN.

page_text: Improvements in Treadling and Pedalling Mechanism.
We, WILLIAM JAMES FREEMAN and EDWIN FREEMAN, both of 99 York
Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Sanitary. Engineers 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 :-
Our invention bas for its object the construction of a pedal or treadle crank in
which the leverage may be automatically altered to suit the action and force of
the human foot and leg during each revolution; so as to utilise the maximum power
thereof, thereby increasing the efficiency of the machine or other device that has
to be driven.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we have appended the
accompanying two sheets of drawings in which
'
Figure 1 Sheet 1 is an elevation; and Figure 2 a transverse section of one form
of the device, and Figure 3 is an elevation, and Figure 4 a section of a modification
thereof; Figure 5 is an enlarged section of a detail appertaining to Figures 1 and 2
on the same sheet.
Figure 6 Sheet 2 is an elevation of another modification of the said treadling
and pedalling mechanism, and Figures 7 and 8 are elevational and sectional views
respectively of another modification thereof. Another method of, and means for
producing the same result are shown by the side elevation Figure 9, and front
elevation Figure. 10 on the same sheet..
Wherever practicable, similar. letters of reference are used to indicate corre-
sponding parts throughout the several views.
In carrying our invention into effect, we use a cam race, which in Figures 1
and 2 Sheet 1 is represented by radial arms, carrying antifriction rollers a a¹ all all
upon which a sheave or strap A may freely rotate. Two slotted driving arms B.B¹
are attached to said sheave, the periphery of which is toothed, sprocketted. or
otherwise adapted to the transmission of the power imparted to it by the
drivers B B. The cam race formed by the arms and rollers a a¹ all all is set
eccentrically relatively to a crank spindle S revolving in suitable bearing on the
rigid frame E, and a fixed crank Fis keyed thereon, carrying a pin and guide
roller or the like which works freely in the slot s¹ in the driver. B. A. loose
crank. D carrying a. pedal pin C revolves freely upon the spindle S clear of the
fixed crank F, and a continuation of the pedal pin C carries a guide roller or the
like b, working in the slot s.. A fixed crank Frigidly attached to the spindle S¹
as F is also fixed at the other end, enables the power of one foot and leg to be:
transmitted to the sheave A by the driver. B', and the power of the other foot and
leg is similarly transmitted by the driver. B. Now, the cam race being.eccentrically
fixed relatively to the spindle S, the centre line of which may be defined as: the
66 power centre
while that of the cam race is the "working centre"; the initial
power exerted by the forward and downward movement of the foot while
treadling, is, in the position shown by the drawings Figures 1 and. 2, vested in
that applied to the crank F¹ which, through F is transmitting the power to A
through B at its point of greatest leverage, since: the guide roller b. is. at
the farthermost end of the slot 8. The loose crank D, which is operated
by the other foot and leg is correspondingly in the position of least leverage
with respect to the driver B, the roller b¹ being at the end of the slots nearest
to the working centre, so that the retarding action is minimised during the
return stroke. Thus, while the operative cranks F1 and D are of constant
length, the leverage exerted by them is automatically changed during each
revolution. In Figure 5 we show means for adjusting the cam
taking up slackness occasioned by wear, and for purposes of clearness this sectional
race and

page_text: levation is drawn to an enlarged scale.
The antifrictio
pin.p either working in bearings in a fork q or rigidly attached thereto, (in which
ase the roller a will freely revolve on the pin p). A slot u u' is formed in each
member of the bifurcated arm of the cam racer and the ends of the pin project
hrough said slots. Thus, the roller a may be pressed against the sheave A,
upwards.
Figures 1 and 2 by the adjustment of a set screw t forcing the fork
We may,
however, use a continuous cam race, employing anti-friction balls, rollers,
In order to dispense with the projecting
or like appliances for reducing friction.
Irivers B B which in some cases are objectionable, we modify the device as shown
by Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 1, in which the cam race a Figure 4 is rigidly attached
o, or formed upon the frame of the machine E, arranged, however, eccentrically-
relatively to the spindle S. The sheave A revolving freely upon said race a is
adapted for the transmission of power by cogs, sprockets, or any suitable means,
and is provided with a projecting face in which are radial slots y y¹ oppositely
placed. The crank F freely revolving on the spindle S carries a guide roller
which noves within the slot y¹ and transmits the power of one foot to the sheave A.
That of the opposite foot is transmitted by the crank F¹, rigidly attached to the
spindle S, a short lever or crank K being similarly attached to the other end of S,
In the position indicated by
and carrying a guide roller working in the slot y.
the drawings, the loose crank F is on the point of maximum leverage, and F
through K, on that of minimum leverage, and these positions are gradually reversed
during each revolution. This automatic action is due to the difference between
We may, instead of balls or
the centres WC and PC as hereinbefore described.
rollers between the sheave A and a continuous cam race a as shown, adopt the
device shown by Figures 12 and 5 Sheet 1, in which the race aforesaid need not
be continuous. We may adopt to suit certain cases of adaptation, a modification
shown by the elevation Figure 6, Sheet 2; the wheel A is mounted upon a shaft P,
and slotted drivers B B are also attached to each end of said shaft P, upon each
side of A, a frame or the like E carrying all the mechanism. The pedal cranks F F
are attached to a spindle S, working in a bearing in the frame E, and the centre of
said spindle S is placed lower or higher than that of P, so that the desired degree
of eccentricity of movement may be attained. Two guide cranks L L' are also
mounted upon a suitable spindle in the frame E and the pedal cranks F F are
connected thereto by means of side or coupling rods M M' which are extended_so
as to carry antifriction rollers b 6' which work in the slots s s' in the drivers B B¹.
In the drawing the crank E is shown exerting the maximum leverage, and F¹ is at
the point of minimum leverage, presenting an equivalent effect to that produced by
the action of the mechanism herein before described.
A
Thus,
Another modificatiou shown by Figures 7 and 8 consists in a wheel A working
A driver B
freely upon a spindle P rigidly attached to the frame of the machine.
with a slot s is fixed upon the wheel A and projects therefrom sufficiently to clear
the face thereof. Upon the spindle P is rigidly fixed a short crank L carrying a
spindle S, upon which the crank F, carrying the pedal pin C, freely rotates.
continuation of said pedal pin carrics a guide roller b working in the slot s.
in this case as in the foregoing, the difference between the centres of P and S
causes the leverage exerted upon A by the crank F to be automatically altered
during each revolution. In applying this modification to velocipedes or like
machines, it is necessary to duplicate the mechanism since one crank only can be
applied to drive a single wheel, owing to the rigidity of the spindles P and S.
Another modification also necessitating the duplication of the mechanism is shown
by Figures 9 and 10 in which a spindle P carries the two cranks which are
rigidly attached to it, one only being shown. A cam race A is firmly attached to
the frame, and the external periphery is shaped to produce the desired effect.
round, square, or polygonal crank F is provided with a sliding socket w which
freely slides up and down the arm of the crank F, said socket carries a pedal pin C
upon one side, and upon the other a guide roller 6 which travels upon the periphery
of the cam race A. The arm of the crauk F may be hollow, and contain a spiral
A

page_text: spring, the tension of which may be transferred to the socket w through a slots, or
we may place said spring outside, so as to surround the arm of F, and in both cases
pressing the roller b. upon the race A. Or a spring may be dispensed with, and the
pressure and, action of the foot alone employed to cause 6 to follow the eccentric
path of the race aforesaid. The wheel or like device for transmitting the power is
attached to the spindle P and when this is rotated by the cranks, it is evident, since
the pedal pin is forced to follow the path of the cam race, the desired automatic
alteration of the degree of leverage at different points in each revolution will be
effected.
Our invention is applicable to any kind of velocipede, or also to any mechanism
driven by the feet, such as grindstones, coffee and other mills, printing machines,
and various other apparatuses thus driven.
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 ;
First. In treadling and pedalling mechanism the combination of a revolving
sheave with slotted driving arms with a fixed cam race and two fixed and one loose
crauks, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the appended drawings.
Second. In treadling and pedalling mechanism the construction and use of a
revolving sheave with a radially slotted face, in combination with a fixed cam race,
two fixed and one loose crank, and guide rollers, substantially as herein described
with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the appended drawings.
Third. In treadling and pedalling mechanism, the combination of a wheel A
having slotted drivers B B with pedal or driving cranks F F side rods M M' and
guide cranks L L' substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 6,
Sheet 2, of the appended drawings.
Fourth. In treadling and pedalling mechanism, the combination of a wheel A
having a slotted driver B with a pedal crank F, guide roller b, and fixed
spindles SP, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with reference
to Figures 7 and 8 of the appended drawings.
Fifth. In treadling and pedalling mechanism the combination of a fixed cam
race A with a crank F carrying a sliding guide roller 6 substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth, with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the appended
drawings.
Dated this 20th day June 1895.
FREDK. WALKER,
73 St. Stephen's Road, Upton Park, E.,
Agent for the Applicants.