AN IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY, Engineer, and JOHN BIGGS, Engineer, both of
Melior Street in the Borough of Southwark, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for AN IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the driving of Velocipedes up inclines
or over heavy roads by temporarily lengthening the leverage of the pedals ani
maintaining the crank pins while in action in their set positions.
To this end the crank shaft is formed with longitudinally slotted crank arms.
This shaft passes through a sleeve shaft which is mounted in bearings carried by
the forked end of the frame. Keyed to the sleeve shaft is a pair of excentrics, on
the periphery of which ratchet teeth are cut. Into these teeth enter pawls carried
by metal straps that surround the excentrics; these straps, which are intended to
drive (through their pawls) the sleeve shaft, and consequently a chain wheel keyed
thereon, have each an arm extension. To the arms of the straps are fitted
respectively the crank pins which carry the pedals. These crank pins pass through
the slots of the crank arms, and, through their connection with the excentric straps,
drive the sleeve shaft and the chain wheel thereon.
For the purpose of shifting the position of the straps upon their excentrics, and
thereby lengthening or contracting the leverage, a bolt is provided for locking into
the chain wheel, and thereby fixing the excentrics while their straps are shifted
round, so as to move the crank pins further from or nearer to, the axis of the
crank shaft, according to the work desired to be performed.
When it is required to restore the crank pins to their former position, it is only
necessary to temporarily lock the chain wheel, and to continue the rotation of the
excentric straps around their excentrics until the crank pins are returned to their
former position in the crank arms.
When the chain wheel is unlocked and the pedals are put in action, the crank
pins will remain in their set position.
15 L
1
1004

page_text: We CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY Engineer, and JOHN BIGGS, Engineer both of
Melior Street, in the Borough of Southwark do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "AN IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR VELOCIPEDES," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the driving of velocipedes up inclines,
or over heavy roads, by temporarily lengthening the leverage of the pedals, and
maintaining the crank pins while in action, in their set positions.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown so much of a Velocipede with
our improvement applied thereto as will serve to explain the nature of our
invention.
Fig: 1 shews in front view our improved construction of pedal crank shaft
with the means for lengthening and shortening at pleasure the leverage of the
pedals.
Fig: 2 is a right hand elevation and
Fig 3 is a left hand elevation of the mechanism.
AA is a portion of the central hollow bar of the framing and B is a forked
bracket piece connected with the hollow bar A and fitted with ball bearings. C is
the crank axle formed with longitudinally slotted crank arms C₁. This axle C
passes through a sleeve shaft D which is mounted in the bearings of the forked
bracket B and keyed to this shaft is the chain wheel E for transmitting motion to
the travelling wheels. F F is a pair of excentrics keyed on the opposite ends of
the sleeve shaft D. These excentrics are surrounded by metal straps GG¹ which
have an arm extension for carrying the pedal or crank pins G'. These pins project
from the arms of their respective excentric straps and through the slotted crank
arms C¹ to receive and carry the pedals H. The excentric F has notches cut in its
periphery to receive a pawl I carried by the excentric strap G' which pawl is held
to the excentric by a coiled spring I¹ which connects it with the arm of the excentric
strap. The notches in the excentric F¹ are three in number corresponding
respectively to the two extreme positions of the pedal crank pin in its slotted
arm and an intermediate position and they are so shaped as to allow of the pawl
rising out of the notches when the pedals are backed or when the pedals are held
quiescent and the Velocipede is travelling forward by its own impetus. Fitted to
the sleeve shaft and secured thereto by a feather is a sliding clutch K having
projections which enter corresponding recesses cut in the strap G of the excentric F.
When these parts interlock the sleeve shaft and its excentrics cannot move
independently of the crank axle G and consequently the crank pins will be locked
in their adjusted position in the slotted arms C¹. An annular grooved turned in
the boss of the clutch receives the fork K' of a lever which on being rocked on its
fulcrum will shift the clutch in or out of action. In the drawing the position of
the crank pin is shewn as set at its furthest distance from the centre of motion
thus the greatest leverage is provided for the foot of the rider. This position is
intended to facilitate the ascent of a steep hill. When a level piece of road is
reached and it is desired to increase the speed of travel it is only necessary to
unlock the clutch K and arrest for a moment the revolution of the pedals when
the excentric F¹ will by its continued rotation trip the pawl I and present to it say
the intermediate notch or the other extreme notch. As the pawl clicks into onc
or other of these notches the resistance of the foot to the rise of the pedals must be
taken off and the pawl will then act as a driver propelling the vehicle under the

page_text: action of a shorter leverage. To ensure the permanence of the leverage it is only
necessary to throw the clutch K into action when the parts will be so locked
together that back pedaling may be employed should the occasion for its use
arise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
The arrangement of mechanism described with reference to the drawing for
lengthening or shortening as desired the throw of the pedal crank pins and
maintaining them in their set position for the purpose above set forth.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.