Improvements in Foot Driving Gear.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
J- 1341
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Foot Driving Gear.
15
1. 17
...
1.
I, WILHELM STREITZ, Merchant, of Berlin, Garten-strasse, 152, in the Kingdom
of Prussia, part of the German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement: *
This invention consists in improvements in foot driving gear, the object of
which improvements is to permit the foot levers or pedals to remain motionless
without interfering with the continued motion of the driven wheels or shafts etc.,
which object is attained by connecting the pedals and the driven wheels or shafts
by means of toothed or friction clutches driving in one direction only.
"In the accompanying drawings various forms of execution of this invention are
illustrated:-
- Fig. 1 shows a construction in which the crauks or pedals are not connected
direct to the shaft in longitudinal section,
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line -,
Fig. 3 represents another form of this invention partly in elevation and partly
in section,
1
Fig. 4 is a view of the same construction as that shown in Fig. 3 on a reduced
scale,
"
Fig. 5 is an end view of the same;
Fig. 6, represents a construction in which the speed of the gear which' in this
case is not secured to the shaft but to the coupling discs, is dependent upon the
force applied by the person driving.
Fig. 7, is a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 6 in which the
coupling is effected by means of a friction coupling instead of a toothed coupling.
The constructions shown in Figs. 1-5 are particularly suitable for those cases
in which the cranks or pedals are loosely mounted on the shaft to be driven and
only communicate motion to the shaft or gearing fixed thereon by means of the
coupling, as for instance in bicycles. The constructions shown in Figs. 6 and 7
are on the contrary suitable for those cases in which the driving force acts direct
upon the shaft and is transferred to wheels or pulleys secured to loose coupling
discs by means of the couplings. From the drawings it will be seen that the
invention can easily be applied to sewing machines, printing machines, eto.; in
which the speed of revolution is not alone dependent upon the quickness of the
motion of the foot but upon the weight of the body; in which cases the driving
pedals are secured direct to the shaft, whereas in bicycles they would sit loosely
thereon.
:
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:
In Figs. 1 and 2, as also in Fig. 7, the disc B and the crank C are arranged
upon the axis A, these pieces being constructed differently according to the
purpose for which the coupling is designed. In Figs. 1 and 2 a disc or equivalent
piece C is made in one with the crank C mounted loosely on the shaft, whereas
the disc B is 'securely fastened to the shaft A and forms the chain wheel or some
similar part. The crank Cis furnished with ball bearings N in the arrangement

page_text: shown by Figs. 1 and 2 whereas in Fig. 7 where the crank is secured to the shaft
and the disc B is loose the latter is provided with ball bearings N. Upon the
disc C' coupling pieces D are arranged which by means of the circular Spring E
are pressed against the inner surface of the disc B. The coupling pieces D are
furnished on their outer surfaces with serrations For bevelled grooves which
serve for the friction coupling. As seen from the side the coupling pieces D
have a trapezoidal form and the end containing the grooves F is made in the
form of a curve, the other ends which rest against the spring E are made straight
as shown in the drawing, so that when the pedals rotate in the direction of the
arrow Fig. 2, the coupling pieces D engage the disc B and thereby in the construc-
tion shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 the chain wheel fixed upon the shaft and the shaft A
are rotated, while in the construction shewn in Fig. 7 the disc B becomes locked
to the pedal axle and transmits the motion. If now the crank be stopped or
rotated in the opposite direction, then the surfaces G slip over the spring E and
the disc B persisting in its former motion slips past the disc C' so that the motion
continues interrupted. The construction shewn in Fig. 7, permits the alternative
use of both feet without stopping the driving when the foot is momentarily
allowed to rest. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 the release of
the crank mechanism is not effected by means of the spring E, and trapezoidal
coupling pieces F but by means of a toothed coupling. In the construction shewn
by Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the sleeve H formed with clutch teeth F is secured to tho
axle while the sleeve I is loose on the shaft and forms part of the crank C. When
the teeth are engaged the two parts are forced to rotate together. In the form
shewn in Fig. 6 which shews the application to a motor in which both feet are
alternately used, the disc I is connected to the shaft A by means of a feather L
so as to be movable in a horizontal direction and by reason of the toothed coupling
causes the diso H to rotate, this latter disc being loose upon the shaft and forming
for example the pulley or other wheel on which a belt works. When the foot
which drives the treadles P, rests upon one of the treadles without pressing the
same down then the inclined surfaces of the coupling glide past one another and
the disc H with its belt rotates further although the disc I remains motionless.
Also in the construction shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5 upon turning the crank
in the wrong direction or upon stopping the same the toothed coupling is released
and the spring K compressed, whereas the part H continues to rotate in its
original direction so that when the arrangement is for example applied to a
velocipede the same continues to advance even when the pedals are held motionless.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:―
1. The arrangement of foot driving gear in which the driving pedals cranks or
treadles are connected with the shaft by means of couplings, which upon rotating
the pedals cranks or treadles backwards or maintaining the same motionless are
automatically released so that the person driving can retain his feet upon tho
pedals cranks or treadles without preventing the motion of the machine substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. A modification of the foot driving gear set forth in Claim 1, in which the
coupling and release is effected by means of oscillating coupling pieces D,. con-
nected to the crank and bearing upon a spring at their inner ends and by means
of the friction surfaces at their outer ends driving the belt pulley or similar part
in one direction only substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by 1,
2, and 7 of the drawings.
3. A modification of the driving gear set forth in Claim 1 in which the coupling
and release is effected by means of a toothed ratchet coupling (H, I) one half of
which is secured to the crank axle whereas the other half is loose upon the same
and is secured to the crank and held in engagement with the first half by means
of a spring substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 3
to 5 of the drawings.

page_text: 4. A modification of the driving gear set forth in Claim 1 in which the coupling
and release is effected by means of a toothedl ratchet coupling one part of which
is connected to the crank axle by a feather while the other is loose on the axle,
the parts being held engaged by a spring substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by Figure 6 of the drawings.
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