Improvements in Pedal Attachments for Propelling Bicycles and similar Vehicles, and for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
CUMI ELE
Improvements in Pedal Attachments for Propelling Bicycles and
similar Vehicles, and for other purposes.
I, WALTER PERKINS JENCKS, of Lakewood, in the County of Providence,
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Mechanic, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a pedal-attachment which will apply
the power of the rider to great advantage in propelling vehicles; and it consists in
the employment of a pair of pedal-levers which are connected with oppositely
directed cranks, arranged upon parallel shafts, so that the said levers will be
entirely supported by the cranks, and act conjointly, as hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1, represents the side elevation of a bicycle provided with my improved
pedal-attachment.
Fig. 2, represents a detail top view of the pedal-attachment.
Fig. 3, represents an enlarged section taken through the axis of the driving
wheel.
In the drawings, A represents the rear or driving wheel of a bicycle, and A¹, the
front or a steering-wheel.
The crank shaft B is provided with the opposite cranks c, c', and with the
sprocket wheels d and e, and from the sprocket wheel d, connection is made with
the corresponding, equal, sprocket wheelf upon the shaft C, by means of the
chain g, so that the two shafts B and C will revolve in unison with each other.
The shaft C is provided with the oppositely arranged cranks h, h', which are made
of the same length as that of the cranks c, c', upon the shaft B. The pedal
levers D, D', are pivoted at their rear ends to the cranks h, h', and are also
connected with the cranks c, c', by means of the connecting links i, i, which are
jointed to the pedal levers at the joints i, j, the cranks c and h, and c' and ', being
arranged at the opposite sides of their respective shafts, so that a downward
pressure upon the pedal k of the pedal lever D, will serve to apply turning pressure
to both of the cranks c and h without the employment of a stationary fulcrum as in
the ordinary pedal-lever attachments, the pedal-levers D, D', being arranged to
act upon both of the cranks c and h and c¹ and h¹, respectively, while at the same
time, the shafts B and C are caused to revolve in unison with each other by means
of the equal sprocket wheels d and f, and the chain g.
The hub m of the wheel A. is made hollow, to receive the shaft C and to rotate
thereon, and to one side of the hub m is secured the sprocket wheel n, which is
made of less diameter than that of the sprocket wheel e upon the driving shaft B,
and driving connection is made from the sprocket wheel e upon the driving shaft B
to the sprocket wheel n upon the hub of the wheel A, by means of the chain thus
causing the wheel A to be driven at a greater rate of speed than that of the shaft C,
and in the same direction.
0.
By the employment of my improved pedal-attachment the entire power of the
rider is utilized upon the cranks in propelling the vehicle, the pedal-levers being
completely supported by the oppositely directed cranks; and by my improvement
when one of the pedal-levers has reached its lower limit of movement, the cranks of
the opposite pedal-lever are past their dead-centers ready for the succeeding action
of the said pedal-lever, so that my improved pedal-attachment constitutes a valuable
invention for the economical application of foot power to various purposes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination with the connectedly driven crank-shafts provided with
oppositely arranged cranks, of the levers jointed at their rear ends to the oppositely
directed cranks of one shaft and connected with the oppositely directed cranks of
the other shaft by means of the connecting links, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the connectedly driven crank-shafts, each provided with
oppositely arranged cranks, and the levers jointed at their rear ends to the
oppositely directed cranks of one shaft and connected with the oppositely directed
cranks of the other shaft by means of the connecting links, of the driving-wheel
and means for actuating the driving-wheel from one of the crank-shafts, substantially
as described.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.