IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
BICYCLES, a communication to me from abroad by William Clemson, of Middle-
town, in the County of Orange and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to an improvement in bicycles.
Hitherto, the object of inventors has been to obtain pedal mechanism whereby a
larger wheel might be employed than the ordinary crank would admit of. It has
been found however, by experience that while the expert can use the tall wheel
successfully, the mass of people, who use the bicycle as a means of conveyance in
the ordinary routine of travel to and from business, prefer to use a small wheel
both for safety and convenience.
The object of the present invention is to provide pedal mechanism by means of
which a wheel may be conveniently used of less diameter than could be employed
by the use of the ordinary crank without causing the legs of the rider to interfere
with the handle bar; a further object being to provide pedal mechanism adapted
to admit of the use of a smaller wheel than the ordinary crank will admit of
without increasing the area of frictional contact, and with these ends in view the
invention consists in a pendant pedal journalled on the crank pin.
The invention further consists in a pendant pėdal journalled on the crank pin
and adapted to receive the foot pressure in a vertical line with the crank pin.
The invention further consists in pendant pedals journalled on the crank pins
and connected by an elastic tie for steadying the pedals when not in engagement
with the feet.
The invention further consists in certain features of construction and combina-
tions of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig 1 is.a view of a bicycle embodying this
invention, and Fig 2 is a vertical transverse section.
A indicates the large wheel, a the small wheel, B the back bone, b the fork,
C the fork head and c the handle bar of a bicycle constructed in any of the
ordinary forms now known.
Crank arms D are rigidly secured to the axle of the large wheel and curve out-
wardly as they extend laterally therefrom. The outward curve mentioned is for
the purpose of bringing the pendant pedal in a vertical line or plane with the
crank pin d, secured in a horizontal position in the end of the crank arm D.
E represents the pendant pedal arms provided with the foot rest e at its lower
end, and with the sleeve e¹, at its upper end by means of which latter it is

page_text: journalled on the crank pin d. The shank of the pendant pedal E, is curved
inwardly to conform nearly or quite to the curve of the crank arms D, and the
centre of the foot-rest e is thus brought in the same or nearly the same vertical
plane with the centre of the crank pin d.
The sleeves e¹ are provided with upwardly extending inwardly curved prongs F,
which are connected by an elastic tie f passing over a pulley or roller G loosely
mounted and secured to the head C.
The sole object of the tie f is to hold the pedals steady as in coasting or when
the rider is about to mount. It is necessary that the tie f should be slightly
elastic as the distance between the ends of the prongs over the pulley. G is some-
what greater when the cranks D stand horizontally than when they stand
vertically.
The shanks of the pendant pedals may be longer or shorter to suit wheels of
different sizes and are conveniently provided with slots h at their lower ends to
admit of a vertical adjustment of the foot rests therein.
The machine as thus constructed admits of the use of a small wheel without
cramping the legs of the rider, and may be used with or without the elastic tie
connecting the prongs of the pendant pedals. When used without, there is no
frictional contact in the pedal mechanism except that found in the ordinary crank
machine, namely, the rocking motion of the sleeve e¹ on the crank pin d.
The body of the rider is brought nearer the ground, his equilibrium thereby
more readily established and the liability to injury from falls lessened.
It is evident that the shape of the crank and pedal may be changed from that
shown and that the pedal shank may be changed from that shown and that the
pedals may be held steady by other means than the flexible elastic tie shown and
described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, hence
I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth, but,
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. In a bicycle, the combination with a large wheel and axle, the latter provided
on its ends with the outwardly curved crank arms, of the pedal arms journalled to
said crank arms and curved to conform to the shape of said crank arms, substantially
as shown.
2. The combination with cranks secured on the ends of the large wheel axle
and pendant pedals journalled thereon, of an elastic tie connecting the pendant
pedals and adapted to hold the same steady when not engaged by the foot,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a pair of cranks secured on the ends of the large
wheel axle and curved outwardly therefrom, of a pair of pendant pedals journalled
on the crank pins the shanks of said pendant pedals being curved inwardly to
conform or nearly so to the shape of the cranks, and. an elastic tie passing over a
pulley secured to the bead and connecting the upper ends of the pendant pedals,
substantially as set forth.