Improvements in or relating to Starting Cranks or Pedals of Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Starting Cranks or Pedals of Motor
Vehicles.
We, CHARLES MCROBIE TURRELL, General Manager, and THE COVENTRY MOTOR
COMPANY LIMITED, both of Hertford Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to arrange the cranks or pedals used on motor
cycles or other motor vehicles for starting the motor or cycle, so that they may
be both placed in the same forward or other convenient position, (whether fixed
or loose) instead of being set opposite one another at an angle of 180° as normally..
(It is understood that a clutch is used in the back hub, so that when the motor
has been started, the pedals do not revolve.)
This end may be obtained in the following manner.
The crank axle is slotted to receive a key to which is given a longitudinal
motion, by the application of the heel to a projecting and suitably fashioned
stud. The crank boss contains on its inner face two slots; the one double the
depth of the other, to receive the before mentioned key. The key is always kept
in either slot by means of a spring or springs, until disengaged as aforesaid.
When the key rests in the deep slot, it is flush with the boss of the crank, and
the crank and crank axle revolve together, as normally, that is to say with the
cranks set at 180°. When, however, the motor being started, it is desired to bring
the two cranks and pedals together to serve as foot-rests, the key is disengaged,
and the crank revolves freely on its shaft one half revolution until the key arrives
at the shallow slot, which it can only enter half way. The cranks now being
set together can be locked in the desired position by the employment of a slotted
cam on the crank bracket, which has a certain longitudinal but no rotary move-
ment.
The pedals now being revolved together, the projecting half of the key engages
the slot in the cam, (which is kept in a forward position by a spring) and is thus
locked in the desired position.
The reversal of the above processes releases the lock, and brings the pedals
again to their normal angle of 180°.
The above describes only one out of many ways in which this invention can be
carried into effect, and we reserve the right to vary constructional details.
Dated this 13th day of July 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Starting Cranks or Pedals of Motor
Vehicles.
:
We, CHARLES MCROBIE TURRELL, General Manager, and THE COVENTRY MOTOR
COMPANY LIMITED, both of Hertford Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
The object of this invention is to arrange the cranks or pedals used on motor
cycles or other motor vehicles for starting the motor or cycle, so that they may
be both placed in the same forward or other convenient position, (whether fixed
or loose) instead of being set opposite one another at an angle of 180° as normally.
(It is understood that a clutch is used in the back hub, so that when the motor
has been started, the pedals do not revolve.)
This end may be obtained in the following manner.
The crank axle is slotted to receive a key to which is given a longitudinal
motion, by the application of the heel to a projecting and suitably fashioned
stud. The crank boss contains on its inner face two slots; the one deeper than,
preferably about double the depth of, the other, to receive the before mentioned
key. The key is always kept in either slot by means of a spring or springs, until
disengaged as aforesaid. When the key rests in the deep slot, it is flush with the
boss of the crank, and the crank and crank axle revolve together, as normally,
that is to say with the cranks set at 180°. When, however, the motor being
started, it is desired to bring the two cranks and pedals together to serve as foot-
rests, the key is disengaged, and the crank revolves freely on its shaft one half
revolution until the key arrives at the shallow slot, which it can only enter half
way. The cranks now being set together can be locked in the desired position by
the employment of a slotted cam on the crank bracket, which has a certain longi-
tudinal but no rotary movement.
The pedals now being revolved together, the projecting half of the key engages
the slot in the cam, (which is kept in a forward position by a spring) and is thus
locked in the desired position.
The reversal of the above processes releases the lock, and brings the pedals
again to their normal angle of 180°.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying draw-
ings in which
Figure 1 is a view of our improved apparatus, partly in longitudinal vertical
section and partly in elevation, the cranks beng here represented as locked in their
inoperative position.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cranks as locked together in
their operative position.
Figure 3 is an underside view of a part of Figure 1 partly broken away.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the movable crank and
Figure 5 is a section of the cam.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modified construction.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the same.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out our invention as shown in the accompanying drawings we secure
a fixed crank A and chain wheel A¹ on one end of the crank axle B and mount
the crank axle in a bearing C wherein it is free to rotate being prevented from
moving longitudinally all in the usual manner. On the opposite end of the

page_text: -crank axle B we provide a movable crank D which is free to rotate thereon as
hereinafter more particularly described, this crank being retained on the crank
axle B. by a disc B₁'secured conveniently by a screw b to the said crank axle.
The inner face of the boss D¹ of the crank D is formed with two diametrically
opposite recesses dd' of which the former (d) is deeper than preferably about
double the depth of the latter (d).
The crank axle B is provided with a longitudinal slot or groove 132 for receiving
a key EE which is free to slide endwise in this groove. The key-head E¹ is
capable of engaging with the recesses dd' and the width or dimension e (Figs. 1
and 2) of this head corresponds with the depth of the recess d. On the outer end
of the key E E¹ is secured a head or button E against the inner side of which a
spring Facts so as to constantly hold the key-head E¹ in one or other of the
recesses dd or against the inner face of the boss D¹.
G is a can mounted loosely on the bearing C conveniently by means of a
sleeve G¹ on the cam, and a screw C¹ secured in the bearing and passing through
a slot G in the sleeve G¹, which arrangement admits of the cam moving axially
while preventing it from rotating. The face of the cam G at its summit or most
outwardly projecting part is provided with a slot or recess G³ adapted to accommo-
date the inner end of the key EE¹. We prefer to provide the cam G with an
outwardly projecting sleeve G to prevent or minimize the access of dirt or the
like to the cam G and key E E¹. His a spring which constantly presses the cam G
outwards.
Assuming, as a convenient point from which to describe the operation of the
apparatus, that the motor is not working and that the two cranks A and D are
directly opposite each other at the same side of the crank axle B as shown in
Fig. 1, the motor may be started as follows:-
The operator with his heel presses upon the button E3 so as to move the
key EE inwards and disengage the key head E¹ from the recess d¹, the cam G at
the same time being moved backwards against the pressure of the spring H, with
the key-head E¹ located in the cam-recess G³; after this or simultaneously there-
with-the-operator, while preventing-the-crank A from rotating, turns the crank D
through 180° which brings the recess d opposite to the key-head E¹ which is
then immediately forced by the spring F into the recess d and out of the cam
recess G³, the inner end of the key EE¹ then being flush with, or not projecting
beyond the inner face of the crank-boss D'. The two cranks A and D as shown
in Fig. 2 are thus brought diametrically opposite to each other, both being then
locked to the crank-axle B, and may be rotated in the same manner as in a cycle
of the usual construction, so as, through the chain wheel A¹ and driving chain
(not shown in the drawings) to start the motor which latter, or other part connect-
ing the crank axle B with the motor, is provided with a clutch for allowing the
motor to over-run the crank-axle.
As soon as the motor has been started in the above described manner the operator
first presses the key E E' inwards, by means of the button E, so as to release the
key-head E from the recess d, and then turns the crank D through 180° in-
dependently of the crank A at which juncture the outer part of the key-head E
again engages with the recess d¹ and the inner part projects beyond the said
recess, the two cranks being thereby locked together in line with each other at
the same side of the crank axle B. The cranks are then rotated until the key-
head E is brought opposite to the cam recess G³ when the cam G is pressed out-
ward by its spring H and the key-head is locked in this recess as shown in Figs. 1
and 3; the cranks are thereby prevented from rotating further and will be
etained in the same position until the key E E is next released from the
recess d
The particular position in which the cranks are locked depends upon the position
of the cam recess G³ which may be provided at any desired angle in relation to
the bearing C; if desired the cam G may be arranged so that its angular position
in relation to the bearing C may be varied, for example, the sleeve G¹ may be

page_text: provided with
number of slots G2 with either of which the screw C¹ may be
engaged, or a number of threaded holes may be provided in the bearing C into
either of which the screw C¹ may be inserted, or more than one screw may be
employed.
The above describes only one out of many ways in which this inven-
tion can be carried into effect, and we reserve the right to vary constructional
details.
66
disc" herein-
Although we have herein before referred to the part G, and represented it in
the drawings as a "cam," we wish it to be understood that we may make the
said part of generally flat form with the recess G³ at any desired position in
which construction it may be regarded as a recessed disc the word
after employed in the claims being intended to cover all of these modifications.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a modification on these lines. Here the disc G has a
flat face in which is a recess G³ for the reception of the end E of the key E. The
sleeve G¹ of the previous construction is modified and becomes merely a strip with
the slot G in which lie the guide pins C1 C. The latter is connected by a coiled
spring H to a pin G5 carried by the strip G¹. The operation of the parts is the
same as in the construction previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
:-
1. In a motor vehicle locking the pedal cranks together in either an operative
position at an angular distance apart or in an inoperative position on the same
sides of the axle substantially as described.
2. In starting gear for a motor vehicle a crank which can be locked so as to lie
in the same direction as or in the opposition direction to the other crank in con-
junction with which it operates and rotates.
3. In starting gear for a motor vehicle adapting starting cranks and pedals to
serve as foot rests by so arranging them that they can at pleasure be caused to be
parallel to each other and on the same side of the axle.
4. In a motor vehicle, the employment of mechanism by which the pedal cranks
may either be locked together in their operative position at an angular distance
apart or locked together and to the vehicle framing in an inoperative position on
the same side of the axle.
5. In crank mechanism the combination with a crank having a boss with
recesses such as d d of a spring-actuated key and a spring-actuated recessed-disc
such as E E and GG³ respectively substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete crank
mechanism substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 12 and 3 or
Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated thio 12th dow of 1000
CHARLES MCROBIE TURRELL.
THE COVENTRY MOTOR Co., LIMITED,
H. J. LAWSON,
Director.
CHAS. JARROTT,
Secretary.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.