IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLE MOVEMENTS FOR PEDOMOTIVE VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 6 Bream's
Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLE MOVEMENTS
FOR PEDOMOTIVE VEHICLES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of pedomotive vehicles having their pedals
carried by or attached to the ends of levers the other ends of which work on
fulcrums in swinging rods, links or supports and which are connected between
their ends with the crank pins. In vehicles of this class as heretofore constructed
the pedal levers or treadles have been connected at their front ends to their
swinging supports and have had the pedals at their rear ends, and the path
described by the treadle in its movement has been entirely or almost entirely in
rear of the line of the axes of the crank axle and driving wheel but the present
invention consists in the combination of the cranks, levers, pedals and swinging
supports with each other and with the same seat and driving axle of the vehicle
whereby the swinging supports are brought at the rear ends of the levers and the
pedals at the front ends thereof and the pedals are kept in front of the axis of
the driving wheel the object being obtain a long leverage and great power
in the downward stroke of the lever for the propulsion of the vehicle and a
shortening of the motion of the pedal on the return stroke while there is no
propelling action.
The invention further consists in the construction of the pedal levers in pedo-
motive vehicles of the class hereinabove mentioned with the crank pin connections
of the said levers in the form of tubes which may be used as pedals to work with
a shorter down stroke of the foot than is required for working with the pedal
levers.
The invention also relates to means for adjusting the height of the pedal and
to a short stroke pedal which may be thrown forward over the crank pin to serve
as a pedal or thrown back to serve as a foot rest without requiring the rider to
dismount.

page_text: The invention is applicable to bicycles, tricycles and other pedo motive vehicles
but it will be sufficient to describe its application to a bicycle.
The main driving wheel steering wheel frame, backbone and seat may be of
any ordinary or suitable construction,
tion in no way relating to the
construction of these parts.
The main driving shaft or crank shaft of the machine has cranks secured upon
its opposite ends as usual. Each crank has a crank pin with which is connected
a pedal lever which extends rearward some little distance from the driving shaft
and each of which has a swinging fulcrum support consisting of a rod or link
pivotted at its upper end to a portion of the fixed frame of the machine and
having its lower end pivotally connected with the rear end of the pedal lever
The pedal lever is entirely supported by the swinging link or suspension rod and
crank pin and is free to move up and down or back and forth as the crank pin
changes its position during the revolution of the shaft. The pedal lever projects
considerably in advance of the crank pin and at the forward end is provided with
a pedal upon which the foot of the rider will usually operate instead of upon a
pedal fitted directly on the crank pin as in ordinary bicycles.
In certain positions the lever forms in effect an extension or prolongation of the
crank and when the pressure of the foot of the rider is applied to it in the downward
or working movement of the crank it has about twice the leverage that it would
have were the pedal arranged upon the crank pin in the usual way. The whole leg
movement of the rider is not however proportionately increased.
The free connection between the crank pin and the pedal lever permits this
lever to move upward or downward as the crank rotates and the swinging support
which is afforded by the suspension rod permits of the lever moving backward and
forward during such rotation of the crank. The path which the pedal traces
during a complete revolution of the crank is entirely in front of the axis of the
driving wheel.
In order to prevent the canting of the crank pin and lateral strain of the pedal
lever, when the lever pedals are used and to obtain also an additional pedal to be
used like the pedal of an ordinary bicycle having a simple crank pedal movement
there is provided on each lever where the crank pin passes through it, a tube or
box which forms a long bearing for the connection of the crank pin and also
serves as a treadle to be used like the treadle of an ordinary bicycle whenever
desired.
Instead however of prolonging the hub or tube to form a pedal there may be a
short stroke pedal pivotted to the pedal lever, which short stroke pedal may be
thrown forward over the crank pin bearing or hub to serve as a pedal or thrown
back to serve as a foot rest This short stroke pedal may be brought to either of
these positions by the foot of the rider without dismounting.
The suspension rod may be attached to the fork of the frame by means of
clamps in such manner that it can be raised or lowered to adjust the height
of the pedal.
This invention is very simple and adds but little to the cost of the machine.
I may, if desired be applied with little trouble and expense to existing machines
which now have the pedals situated upon the crank pin. By it a long leverage is
obtained for the foot in the downward or working stroke of the crank without
a leg movement proportionately great.

page_text: Improvements in Treadle Movements for Pedomotive Vehicles.
I ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's
Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 that class of pedomotive vehicles having their pedals
attached to the ends of levers, the other ends of which work on fulcrums in
swinging rods, links, or supports, and which are connected between their ends
with the crank pins. In vehicles of this class as heretofore constructed, the pedal
levers or treadles have been connected at their front ends to their swinging
supports, and have had the pedals at their rear ends, and the path described by
the treadle in its movement has been entirely or almost entirely in rear of the
line of the axis of the crank axle and driving wheel; but this invention consists in
the combination of the cranks, levers, pedals, and swinging supports with each
other and with the frame, seat, and driving axle of the vehicle, whereby the
swinging supports are brought at the rear ends of the levers, and the pedals at
the front ends thereof, and the pedals are kept in front of the axis of the driving
wheel, the object being to obtain a long leverage and great power in the downward
stroke of the lever for the propulsion of the vehicle, and a shortening of the
motion of the pedal on the return stroke while there is no propelling action.
This invention further consists in the construction of the pedal levers in pedo-
motive vehicles of the class hereinabove mentioned, with the crank pin connections
of the said levers in the form of tubes, which may be used as pedals to work
with a shorter down stroke of the foot than is required for working with the
pedal levers.
The invention is applicable to bicycles, tricycles, and other pedomotive vehicles,
but will be sufficiently illustrated by describing its application to a bicycle, as
represented in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the
machine showing the crank upon its down stroke. Fig. 2 represents the crank
and pedal lever in the position which the occupy when the crank is upon its up or
return stroke; and Fig. 3 represents a plan of the crank with the pedal and pedal
lever. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of the improvement which will
be hereinafter explained.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A designates the main or driving wheel, and B the hind-wheel.-C C₁ designate
the frame consisting of the steering fork C and the backbone C¹, the said fork
containing the bearings for the driving axle E, and the back bone having the
seat D supported upon it. The driving axle has on each end a crank E. All these
parts are or may be of ordinary construction.
The crank pin e of each crank is connected with one of the two pedal levers F,
which extend rearward some little distance from the driving shaft, and each of
which has a swinging fulcrum support consisting of a rod or link G pivotted at its

page_text: .
upper end at g to the fork C of the machine, and having its lower end g¹ pivotted
to the rear end of the lever F.
The lever F is entirely supported by the swinging link or suspension rod G and
crank pin e, and is free to move up and down, or back and forth, as the crank pin
changes its position during the revolution of the shaft. The lever F projects con-
siderably forward of the crank-pin e, and at the forward end is provided with
a pedal f, upon which the foot of the rider will usually operate instead of upon a
pedal fitted directly on the crank pin, as in ordinary bicycles.
When in the position shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the lever F, forms, in
effect, an extension or prolongation of the crank, and when the pressure of the
foot of the rider is applied to it in the downward or working movement of
the crank, it has about twice the leverage that it would have were the pedal
arranged upon the crank pin e, as is usual. The whole leg movement of the rider
is not, however, proportionately increased.
The free connection between the crank pin e and the lever F permits the lever to
move upward or downward as the crank rotates, and the swinging support which
is afforded by the suspension rod G permits of the lever F moving backward and
forward during such rotation of the crank. The dotted line in Figures 1 and 2
represents the path which the pedal will have during the complete revolution
of the crank. This path, it will be seen, is entirely in front of the axis of the
driving wheel.
Figure 1 represents the parts in the position which they occupy when the crank
is upon its down, or working stroke, and Figure 2 represents the same parts
in the position which they occupy when the crank is upon its upward or return
stroke.
In order to prevent the canting of the crank pin e, and lateral strain of the
lever F, when the lever pedals F are used, and to obtain also an additional pedal
to be used like the pedal of an ordinary bicycle, having a simple crank-pedal
movement, there is provided on each lever F, where the crank pin passes through
it, a tube or box f¹, which forms a long bearing for the connection of the crank
pin, and also serves as a treadle, to be used like the treadle of an ordinary bicycle
whenever desired. The suspension rods G, instead of being pivotted directly to
the fork C of the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, may be pivotted to clamps which
are secured upon the fork C in such manner represented in the side view Figure 4
and plan Figure 5, that they can be raised or lowered to adjust the height of
the pedal.
Instead of the hub or tube f¹ being prolonged to form a pedal as hereinbefore
described and represented in Fig. 3, there may be a short-stroke pedal g² pivotted
at g to the pedal lever F, as shown in the two side views, Figs. 6 and 7.
This pedal g may be thrown forward as shown in Fig. 6 over the crank pin
bearing or hub f' to serve as a pedal, or thrown back as. shown in Fig. 7 to serve
as a foot rest. In that case the hub, f¹, needs not to be so long as shoun in Fig. 3,
but needs only to be long enough to support the pedal g³. This pedal g* may be
brought to either of the positions described by the foot of the rider without
dismounting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the frame, seat, and driving axle of a pedomotive
vehicle, of a pedal-lever having the pedal at its front end, a swinging link or
fulcrum support for the rear end of said lever, and a crank on the driving axle
connected with said lever between the said link or support and the pedal substan-
tially as herein described.
2. The combination with the crank shaft E, crank E¹, crank pin e, and swinging
fulcrum support G, of the pedal-lever F, having the pedal at its extremity, and

page_text: provided also with a tube or hub f¹ to serve both as a connection between the
said lever and crank-pin, and as an additional pedal, substantially as herein
described.
3. The combination with the crank shaft, crank, and pedal lever, of the short
stroke pedal, g2, pivotted to the pedal lever, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.