Improvements in and connected with Cycles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th June. 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SEBUTTO
Improvements in and connected with Cycles.
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent of
Cobden Buildings Corporation Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick a
communication from Henrik Burgers Deventer Holland Cycle Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the gaining of power during the process of
driving a cycle along a roadway by means of pedal action.
In carrying out my invention I provide a new kind of pedal-spindle-bracket, so
formed as to present to view an excentric as a constituent part of such bracket, or
or within the
in lieu thereof the forming of part of an excentric movement on
said bracket, the remainder of the excentric movement being formed on or in the
pedal-crank; the bracket and the pedal-crank forming what is technically known
as an excentric block and cover or excentric block and strap.
I provide a pedal-crank very similar to an ordinary cycle pedal crank and secure
such pedal crank to the spindle which carries the chain wheel, I also provide a
new and supplementary crank in the hub of which is (by preference) formed the
excentric cover or excentric-strap such excentric-strap would be passed over the
excentric-block provided on the pedal spindle bracket; the ends of the two cranks
are pivotted to a pedal-bar one end of such bar carries the pedal.
The action of the excentric motion is as follows
When the rider of a cycle is mounted in the ordinary manner to operate the
pedals of a cycle fitted with my duplex pedal-cranks and excentric motion, the
foot-pedal would be turned into the position to present to the rider's foot the pedal
ready for the down stroke and when the improved compound pedal-crank is in such
position, the centre of the chain-wheel spindle (which is also the pedal-crank-
spindle) would be behind the centre of pedal spindle bracket excentric block, the
radius to be travelled through during the down stroke would be thereby increased
and consequently the rider would have extra time within which to exert pressure
on the pedal, but when the riders foot had passed down the full extent of vertical
radius and commenced the upward (non pressure) movement, the pedal-crank in its
revolutions would have moved excentrically so that the pedal-crank would have
less distance to travel at the up stroke than at the front down stroke, consequently
the pedal would follow the riders foot with a quick upward stroke and so assist in
keeping the pedal continuously under the riders foot, thereby preventing the
imperceptible (but existing) pause of the riders foot waiting for the slow-rising
pedal of the ordinary single pedal crank.
The advantages to be gained by setting the excentric motion to produce the
extra leverage and slower motion at front in the manner hereinbefore described
will be apparent to cycle riders, nevertheless I claim as part of my invention the
setting of the excentric motion in a reverse manner or within any point of the
circle travelled and so providing means for the front stroke to be shortened and for
the back stroke to be lengthened or for the variation of the stroke at any desired
point of the radius.
The improved pedal-spindle-bracket may be made in one piece as an excentric-
block or as part of an excentric motion or in several pieces connected together,
and the supplementary pedal-crank can also have its connecting excentric part

page_text: made on or in the said pedal-crank, or several separate parts can be connected
together to form and constitute the supplementary crank or the pair of cranks.
I do not confine myself to the specific parts herein described as forming an
excentric motion as I can where desired form an excentric movement between the
pedal-spindle-bracket and the pedal-crank by other suitable equivalent means, for
use in lengthening and shortening the distance from the pedal to the centre of
driving-wheel spindle.
Datel this 17th day of August 1895.
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER,
Cobden Buildings, Corporation Street, Birmingham.
66
COMILIE SI DUITIVATION.
Improvements in and connected with Cycles.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent of
Cobden Buildings, Corporation Street Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
a communication from Henrik Burgers, Holland" 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 has for its object the gaining of additional power during the
process of driving a cycle along a roadway by means of pedal action.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings,
the manner in which my invention is constructed and used.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of cycle-gear.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section of second method of securing excentric
block or cam.
Figure 4 represents a section of Figure 3 on the line A. B.
In carrying out my invention I provide a crank-spindle a equivalent to the
usual type of cycle crank-spindle, the spindle a passes through a bottom
bracket b equivalent to the usual bottom bracket that forms part of a tubular
cycle-frame to the outer ends of the spindle a I connect crank-levers c
which are equivalent to ordinary cycle pedal crank-levers, excepting in relation to
the outer end connections hereunder described.
I provide new and additional parts consisting of two cams or exceutric blocks d
formed in conjunction with securing-strips e; the securing-strips e being
attached to the framing by means of a socket f secured to a tubular part of
cycle-frame, the securing-strap e being fastened to the socket by means of
the ping and being also fastened at the other end to cycle-fraining by means
of the pins h.
I also provide excentric-straps j as new and original parts, the excentric-
straps are formed with shauk-ends k on which are formed or to which are
connected pivot-pins passing through the end of rod m, the shank end of
crank-lever c is also secured to the pedal-rod m by means of the pin n.
The action of my improved cycle-driving pedal-mechanism is as follows:-The
spindle a revolves by means of the riders foot exerted against the pedal
connected to rod m at o, the pin n remains the same distance from centre to centre
of spindle at a during the entire revolution of the said spindle a, the pin lis
continually changing its distance from the centre of the spindle a in consequence
of the action of excentric-strap j; when the excentric-strap j has moved with its
shank k into a horizontal position over the centre of a from the back of the cycle
to the front thereof, the pin will be at its shortest distance from the axis a and
will in its movement carry the end of the metal rod m with it, such pedal-rod m
moving on its fulcrum pivot pin n thereby extending outwards the end o to its

page_text: greatest distance from the axis of crank-spindle a; when the excentric rod k has
moved a further half revolution the position of 1 would be at its greatest distan:e
from the axis of a, thus bringing the end o of pedal-rod to its least distance fro.n
the crank a, the end o would then be travelling upwards at its shortest distance
the radial path where power is not required to be exerted, thus permitting the
rider to lift his foot quicker than he would if using a cycle fitted with ordinary
crank pedal action when the pin has travelled the remaining half revolution
the pedal at o is again moved back to its greatest distance from the axis of a.
The excentric-block or cam is shewn at Figures 1 and 2 with its central line i
the horizontal position, nevertheless I can in some cases where found advantageous
place the centre in any other suitable position as a means of producing the greatest
leverage of crank at the most effectual point.
The action of the levers c in conjunction with the excentric-block d and excentric-
strap as herein before described may be gained irrespective of the method by
which the block is secured within the strap.
Figures 3 and 4 shew additional means of securing the excentric-block.
The excentric-block shewn at Figure 3 has formed on its inside a socket-end p
taking into the bottom-bracket b¹, the providing of this socket-end p is a means of
dispensing with the securing-straps e shewn at Figures 1 and 2; the excentric
block shewn at Figure 3 is supported in position by means of the extra ball-
bearing ; it will be observed that the crank is secured permanently to the
spindle a and that the boss of crank is provided with a groover to receive the
balls s, therefore when the balls & bear in the groover they secure the block d 2
within the strap k; the studs t secured to the block d 2 take into the hole u
provided in the strap v.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1st. The invention as illustrated and described for use in the manner described.
2nd. The making of cycle-driving pedal-mechanism by the combination with the
ordinary pedal-crank-spindle a and the ordinary pedal-crank c, of new and
additional parts consisting of an excentric-block and excentric-strap, for the
purpose of obtaining an alternate quick and slow travel of the pedals during each
revolution of the pedal-spindle, as illustrated and described.
3rd. The securing of excentric-blocks to the bottom-brackets of cycle-framing
as illustrated and described in relation to Figures 3 and 4.
Dated this 11th day of June 1896.
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER,
Cobden Buildings, Corporation Street, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicant.