Improvements in and connected with the Pedals and Cranks of Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in and connected with the Pedals and Cranks of
Velocipedes.
I, PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF, of 19 and 20, Holborn Viaduct, in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My improvements relate to the method of attaching pedals to the ends of the
cranks of velocipedes. For this purpose the back of the crank end is sometimes
recessed conically, the pedal pin passed through the crank end and a conical
lock nut, either with a solid or a split body, employed. But this method is not
always satisfactory as the friction created in winding the conical nut against
the conical recess is too great. I therefore reverse the action; instead of drawing
or attempting to draw up the pin by the nut, I lay the nut either a solid one
or a split one, into the conical recess and draw it in deeper from the pedal side,
either by winding the pedal pin only, or by locking it by a nut on the pedal
side. Sometimes this nut forms the adjusting cone at the same time; the
friction on the sides of the conical nut sometimes is sufficient to prevent it from
turning, but where it is not a feather or a key may be added.
Where adjustment of crank throw is required, the crank end is bored out
larger than usual and fitted up with a disc, preferably screwed into the crank
end. This disc is pierced eccentrically to receive the pedal pin and recessed to
receive a conical nut, to be drawn up as described above. The hole in the
eccentric communicates with the circumference of the same by a slot, so that
when pressure is applied on the side of the pedal pin, the cone expands the
eccentric and locks it into the crank. By turning the eccentric in its seat in the
crank end, the throw of the crank will be varied. Sometimes the eccentric is
split transversely into the hole for the pedal pin, one side of which is drilled for
clearance; by tightening up a pedal pin, or a nut pressing on the side of the
eccentric, the sides of the latter are made to grip the threads in the crank end
and thus lock. Sometimes the end of the crank is parallel and surrounded by a
clip capable of longitudinal slide with a feather or other device to prevent it
from turning round; the pedal spindle passes through the clip and the same
fastening secures the pedal and the clip in the desired position on the crank.
Sometimes the back of the crank is slotted longitudinally and fitted with a sliding
nut; into this the crank is screwed, a nut on the pedal side forming the lock.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1897.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with the Pedals and Cranks of
Velocipedes.
I, PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF, of 19 and 20, Holborn Viaduct, in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer, 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 ; -
My improvements relate to the method of attaching pedals to the ends of the
cranks of velocipedes and varying the adjustment of crank throw. For this
purpose the pedal ends of the cranks are sometimes bored conically, or otherwise,
with pedal fixtures inside of this boring: sometimes they are shaped parallel
and surrounded with the fixture, and sometimes they are slotted and contain a
sliding block on the pedal end.
Referring to the drawings;-
Figs. 1 & 2 shew the end of crank A bored and screwed, and filled with a
screwed block or disc B; B itself is bored eccentrically and conically to receive the
cone C; this cone is tapped to receive the screwed shank of pedal pin D and is
prevented from turning round by the snug c. The block or disc B is split across
the recess for C: E, a shoulder on pedal pin D is provided with flats so that a
spanner can be applied and it can be screwed up tightly and force cone C to
spread or expand block B till the parts D, C, B, and A, are all solidly locked
together. It is evident that by turning the block B in its seating the throw
of the pedal pin will gradually be shortened, until the hole in B reaches its
lowest position.
Figs. 3 & 4 shew modifications of the same device: in Fig. 3 crank A is
bored out conically; the filling cone B is tapped eccentrically to receive pedal
pin D, the shoulder of which impinges on a washer or plate F which covers the
face of the crank end and is preferably provided with one or more snugs, f,
fitting into recesses on the face of crank A.
In Fig. 4 the filling block B is screwed into the end of crank A, but split as
shewn it is pierced eccentrically to receive the pedal pin D, but only the back
part is tapped, so that when pressure is applied by screwing up the shoulder
on 1, the parts of block B are pulled together, and the circumferential threads
or surfaces thereby bind inside their seatings in A: hereby all the parts are
firmly locked together. Instead of the shoulder on the pedal pin being solid with
the latter as in the preceding drawings, it may be replaced by a separate nut, and
this nut may also at the same time form the adjusting cone for the pedal bear-
ings as shewn at G, Fig. 4. Sometimes, as in Fig. 5, the end of the crank A
may be straight or parallel and surrounded with an adjusting clamp B, Figs. 5
& 6. The action of screwing up shoulder E on pedal pin D will lock the pedal
pin in the clamp B and the latter in whatever position it has been placed over
the parallel end of the crank.
Fig. 7 shews in section a modification in which the block B is not split, but
provided with a wedge piece H, which is drawn towards shoulder E and thereby
locks all the various parts together.
一条
Sometimes the crank is slotted longitudinally, and the slot partially filled
with a corresponding filling piece provided on the end of the pedal pin: locking
pressure is then obtained between the face of the crank and a nut on the pedal
side. Thus in Figs. 8 & 9, crank end A is provided with a slot with stepped
or sloping sides and containing a sliding block B: I is a washer preferably
furnished with snugs i, i, which fit in recesses in the crank face and resist lateral

page_text: expansion of the slot: a nut G is mounted on the pedal pin, and when forced
up towards block B will lock all the parts in any required position in the
slotted crank end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
(1) Providing an adjustable throw of crank on velohipedes by the combination
of a circular block B (Figs. 1 to 4) traversed excentrically by a pedal pin D
and caused to exert expansive action towards its seating by a shoulder E or a
nut G on the pedal side, in the manner described.
(2) The combination of a coned or threaded eccentric block B, Figs. 3 & 4,
with a pedal pin and a locking shoulder E or a nut G for the purpose described.
(3) The combination of a pedal pin, a parallel crank end and an adjustable
sliding block surrounding this crank end, for the purpose and in the manner
substantially as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, & 7.
(4) The combination of a nut G, Fig. 8, mounted on a pedal pin with a block B
on the end of the pedal pin and sliding in a longitudinal slot in the end of a
crank A.
(5) The combination of a pedal pin D with an adjustable block B, and a
combined lock nut and adjusting bearing cone G, substantially as described.
Dated the 21st day of September 1898.
PHILIP LOUIS RENOUF.