Improvements in Cranks and Pedals for Velocipedes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Cranks and Pedals for Velocipedes.
I, CHARLES IRVINE FAULKNER, of Escrick, in the City and County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in cranks and pedals for velocipedes,
and it has for its object automatically increasing the effective leverage of the
cranks during the operative portions of their strokes.
According to this invention the pedal is pivotted nearer to one edge i.e., the
back edge, than to the other so that the distance between the front bar or edge
and the centre of the pedal pin is greater than that between the rear bar or edge
and the centre of the pedal pin. The forward part of the pedal is provided with
a stop adapted to come in contact with an extension of the crank so as to lock
the crank to the pedal thereby increasing the effective leverage of the crank
by the distance between its front bar or edge and the centre of the pedal pin.
The said catch is a spring controlled one so that it gives way when the pedal
passes the crank on the return stroke.
In order that the pedal may lie horizontal or approximately horizontal during
the effective part of the stroke of the crank the pin on which it is mounted,
instead of being fixed to the crank is so mounted that it is free to move trans-
versely with respect to the crank, its movement being controlled by a suitable
spring. This allows the rear bar or edge of the pedal to give way under slight
pressure and thus permit the pedal to remain in an horizontal or approximately
horizontal position during the time it is locked to the crank.
The 10th
Tonuo 1000
sup
I, CHARLES IRVINE FAULKNER, of Escrick, in the City and County of York,
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 an improved pedal driving gear for velocipedes, and
it consists in extending the crank beyond the point at which the crank pin is
attached and in causing the forward part of the pedal to engage the said extension
during the whole or part of the operative part of the stroke of the crank, the
object being to automatically increase the leverage of the crank during the said
part of its stroke.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing which shows some methods of carrying this
invention into practice: ---
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, and Figure 2 is a view in front elevation
of one form the invention may assume. Figure 3 is a view in side elevation,
and Figure 4 is a view in plan showing another form the invention may assume.
Figure 5 is a diagramatic view showing the position of the pedal at four points
in one complete revolution of the crank.
According to my invention, the cranks A are extended beyond the points at
which the crank pins B are attached, and the pedals C mounted on the said
pins carry at their front ends stops or projections D which are adapted to engage
the extensions A¹ of the cranks during the down or operative parts of their
strokes.
In order to obtain the greatest amount of increased leverage without unduly
increasing the length of the pedal, I prefer to mount the pedal on its pin B
in such a manner that the said pin is nearer its rear bar or edge c than its front
bar or edge c¹, but this is not obligatory.
It will be seen that when the stop or projection D comes into contact with
the extension A' of the crank the leverage of the crank is increased by the
distance between the front bar or edge c¹ of the pedal and the centre of the pedal
pin B. In order that the stop or projection D shall remain in contact with
the extension A' of the pedal during the effective part of the stroke of the crank
it is necessary to provide that the rear part of the pedal shall drop with respect
to the front part during the first half of the down or operative part of the stroke
of the crank and rise again during the remainder of the said part of the stroke,
which is attained by mounting the pedal pin on a spring or spring arm carried
by the crank.
In the construction shown by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing
the crank pin B is mounted to slide in a slot a formed in transverse enlarge-
ments A of the crank and rests upon a spiral or other suitable spring E mounted
in the said slot, the position shown in Figure 1 being approximately that the
pedal will occupy when the crank is half way through the down or operative part
of its stroke.
In the construction shown by Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing the
crank pin B is mounted on an arm or secondary crank 13 pivotted to the
crank A as near as possible to the point of its attachment to its axle or pre-
ferably at such point of attachment, as shown, the movement of the arm with
respect to the crank being limited by interstepping the abutting faces of
their bosses and controlled by any suitable spring such as E. A stop such as a¹
is provided on the crank A to engage the arm A3 should the spring E break on
the pressure exerted on the rear bar be greater than the spring E can sustain.
In order to allow the stop or projection D to pass the extension A¹ of the
crank during the upward or non-effective part of the stroke, the said stop or
projection is so mounted on the pedal that it is free to slide transversely with
respect thereto and is kept in its extreme outward position by a spring such
as d. so that while it engages the extension of the crank during the down or
operative part of the throw it is pushed aside by the extension of the crank
when it meets it during the up or non-operative part of the stroke, the underside
of the said extension being chamfered or bevelled for the purpose.
As an alternative construction the stop or projection D on the forward end of
the pedal C may be a fixed one and the extension A¹ of the crank be set off and
shaped so that it clears the stop or projection on the up or non-effective part of
the stroke of the crank as shown by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:--
(1) A pedal-driving gear for velocipedes consisting of a crank having an

page_text: extension beyond the point of attachment of the pin carrying the pedal, of a
crank pin so attached to the crank that it has a transverse movement with
respect thereto which movement is controlled by a suitable spring, of a pedal
mounted on the crank pin and of a stop or projection mounted on the forward
end of the pedal and adapted to engage the extension of the crank during the
down or operative part of its stroke as and for the purpose set forth.
(2) A pedal driving gear for velocipedes consisting of a crank having a set
off extension beyond the point of attachment of the crank pin, of a crank pin
so attached to the crank that it has a spring controlled transverse movement
with respect thereto, of a pedal mounted on the crank pin, and of a stop or
projection mounted on the forward end of the pedal and adapted to engage the
extension of the crank during the down or operative part of its stroke, as and
for the purpose set forth.
(3) A pedal driving gear for velocipedes consisting of a crank having a radially
arranged slot across it and an extension beyond the said slot, of a crank pin
adapted to slide in the said slot, of a spring acting on the crank pin so as to
keep against the upper end of the said slot, of a pedal mounted on the said
crank pin, of a stop or projection carried by the forward end of the pedal and
adapted to engage the extension of the crank during the operative part of its
stroke, as and for the purpose set forth.
(4) A pedal driving gear for velocipedes consisting of a crank having a radially
arranged slot across it, and an extension beyond the said slot, of a crank pin
adapted to slide in the said slot, of a crank pin adapted to slide in the said slot,
of a spring acting on the crank pin to keep it against the upper end of the
said slot, of a pedal mounted on the said crank pin, of a spring controlled stop
or projection carried by the forward end of the pedal and adapted to engage
the extension of the crank during the down or operative part and to pass by the
said extension during the up or non-operative part of its stroke, as and for
the purpose set forth.
(5) In combination, a crank adapted to be fixed to the axle and having a
set-off at its free end, of a secondary crank or arm shorter than the said crank
and pivotted at or about the boss thereof, of a crank pin carried by the said
secondary crank, and of a pedal mounted on the crank pin, of a stop or pro-
jection carried by the forward end of the pedal and adapted to engage the set-
off extension of the crank during the operative part of its stroke, and of a spring
acting between the two cranks as and for the purpose set forth.
(6) In combination, a crank adapted to be fixed to the axle and having a set-
off at its free end, of a secondary crank or arm shorter than the said crank and
pivotted at or about the boss thereof, of a crank pin carried by the said secondary
crank of a pedal mounted on the crank pin, of a stop or projection carried by
the forward end of the pedal and adapted to engage the set-off extension of the
crank during the operative part of its stroke and to pass the said extension during
the non-operative part thereof, of a spring acting between the two cranks to
keep them apart and of means for limiting the movement of the secondary
crank with respect to the other crank, as and for the purpose set forth.
Datad this 10th day of Antahan 1800
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.