Improvements in Cranks, and in the Method of Securing Cranks and the like to Shafts.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cranks, and in the Method of Securing Cranks and
the like to Shafts.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, of Ferndale, Church Road, Moseley, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Managing Director of the Cycle
Components Company, Limited, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-.
One object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby a crank or the
like may be very firmly secured to its shaft and at the same time be very readily
detachable therefrom.
Another object is to provide an improved mode of securing the crank pin in place,
and in the case of pedal cranks for cycles to provide improved means for adjusting
the pedal.
The chief feature of the first part of my invention relates to the provision of a
cross key which is pivoted to the crank and which passes through a slot in the end
of the shaft.
The boss of the crank is slit, thus forming jaws which embrace the shaft.
I provide a screw by means of which the jaws of the crank can be drawn together.
Pivoted between the jaws of the crank on the said clamping screw is a cross key
which passes through a slot in the end of the shaft and whose end is received in a
recess in the side of the crank-boss opposite the slit therein abovementioned. The
cross key when in position prevents the crank rotating on the shaft. The end of
the cross key in which the pivot hole is made is of a suitable shape and is of such a
thickness that when the crank is tightened on the shaft the said end of the key is
not gripped tightly between the jaws of the crank. The portion of said key which
lies against the side of the shaft may be made to project a suitable distance into a
key or featherway cut on the shaft and thus afford a greater protection against
relative motion of the crank and shaft.
The cross
I sometimes arrange that the cross key shall project beyond the end of the shaft in
which case the part in which the pivot hole is made is so formed that the said key can
be rotated on its pivot even though the crank is in position on the shaft. Or the shaft
may be slit or slotted opposite the key so as to allow the same to rotate.
key may then be turned on its pivot by the aid of a suitable nick in the projecting
part and the crank thereby allowed to turn on the shaft which increases the ease
with which crank and shaft may be separated.
I preferably provide a spring or other catch on the crank to receive the free end
of the cross key and prevent any possibility of the said key rotating on its pivot
when the crank and shaft are being used.
In the case of cranks and shafts for velocipedes baving chain driving gear I
sometimes secure a crank on the boss of the gear wheel in a similar manner to that
hereinabove described. I preferably arrange that the gear wheel boss shall surround
the axle the cross key being passed through slots in the axle and gear wheel. I find
this method of securing the crank to the gear wheel and at the same time securing
the gear wheel to the axle by one cross key, very convenient as both the crank and
gear wheel can be readily detached from the axle when desired. I sometimes slit
the gear wheel boss for a considerable distance and then when the jaws of the crank
are drawn together by the clamping screw the said boss is tightened on the axle the
cross key being gripped between the sides of the slit in the said boss.

page_text: The method of securing cranks to shafts may be used in any description of
machinery but is particularly useful for securing cranks to the axles and gear wheels
of velocipedes.
I slit
For securing the crank pin to the crank I provide as follows, that is to say,
the end of the crank and furnish the same with a screw or bolt for opening and
closing the slit for a purpose hereinafter specified. I screw the crank pin into a
split sleeve which sleeve is inserted in the hole in the crank for receiving the same
and is then firmly secured therein by tightening the aforesaid screw or bolt. The
pedal turns on balls which bear at one end on the sleeve aforesaid, and at the other
end on a shoulder of the crank pin. To adjust the pedal as may be required all
that it is necessary to do is to slack back the tightening screw or bolt and then to
screw the crank in or out of the sleeve as required. When adjusted the screw or
bolt is tightened to close the split end of the crank and firmly secure the sleeve and
crank pin. I provide a stop in the crank to engage the sleeve to prevent the latter
from turning when the crank pin is being adjusted.
Dated this 6th day of April 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cranks, and in the Method of Securing Cranks and
the like to Shafts.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, of Ferndale, Church Road, Moseley, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Managing Director of Cycle Com-
ponents Company, Limited, 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 :-
One object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby a crank or the
like may be very firmly secured to its shaft and at the same time be very readily
detachable therefrom.
Another object is to provide an improved mode of securing the crank pin in place,
and in the case of pedal cranks for cycles to provide improved means for adjusting
the pedal.
The chief feature of the first part of my invention relates to the provision of a
cross key which is pivoted to the crank and which passes through a slot in the end
of the shaft.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will now, by way of
example, proceed to describe the same relatively to the accompanying drawings in
which,
Figure 1 is a side view partly sectional, and
Figure 2 is a plan partly sectional shewing a velocipede crank secured on its axle
according to my invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2, shewing a crank secured on
the boss of a gear wheel, both gear wheel and crank being secured to the axle
according to my invention.
Figure 5 is a side view, and
Figure 6 is a plan partly sectional illustrating my improved manner of securing
the pedal or crank pin to the crank.
Figures 7 to 10 are detail views hereinafter explained.
Like letters denote similar parts in all the drawings.
A is the crank, B is the axle, C is the gear wheel and D is the pedal supported
The boss of the
on the crank or pedal pin E. Referring now to Figures 1 and 2.
crank is slit as shewn at A' forming two jaws A", A³ which embrace the axle B.
I provide a screw a by means of which the jaws A, A can be drawn together.

page_text: Pivoted between the jaws of the crank on the clamping screw a is a cross key
shewn separately in Figure 7 which passes through a slot B' in the end of the
axle B, the end F1 of the key being received in a recess A³ in the side of the crank
boss opposite the slit A¹. The part F2 of the cross key which lies between the
jaws of the crank is made of such a thickness that when the clamping screw a is
screwed up and the crank tightened on its axle the cross key is not gripped by the
jaws of the crank. The portion F³ of the key which lies against the side of the
axle is sometimes made to project a short distance into a key or feather-way cut on
the axle as shewn in Figure 2 and thus afford an additional protection against
relative motion of the crank and axle.
is
I sometimes make the key of the form shewn in Figure 8 in which case a part
furnished with nick f projects beyond the end of the axle and the part
rounded so that the key can be turned on the clamping screw a even when the
crank is in place on the axle. Or the axle can be slotted opposite the key so as
to allow of a key of the shape shewn in Figure 7 being rotated on its pivot.
Either of the above descriptions of key can, by means of the nick f, be turned on
its pivot out of engagement with the axle so that the crank can be rotated on the
axle thereby increasing the ease with which crank and axle may be separated. I
preferably provide a spring or other catch on the crank to receive the end of the
cross key to prevent the possibility of the key rotating on its pivot when the crank
and shaft are being used. Such a spring pin is shewn in Figure 1 for example,
where A is a hole drilled in the side of the crank to within a short distance of
the slot A said hole being the same diameter as the largest portion G of the spring
pin. The remaining part G₁ of the pin is of smaller diameter and projects
through a hole A³ of smaller diameter into the slot A³. At the back of the pin
I provide a spring G2 which presses the pin towards the slot A³ and the hole A* is
finally closed by a screw plug A®. When the cross key is in place, the projecting
part G of the pin beds in a shallow hole in the said key. Said projecting part G
is rounded at the end as shewn so that the key can be moved in and out of the
slot automatically pressing back the spring pin.
In velocipedes having chain driving gear I sometimes secure one of the cranks.
on the boss of the gear wheel, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
C is the gear
wheel and C₁ the boss. Said boss is tubular and surrounds the end of the axle B
as shewn.
The boss is also slit or slotted as shewn at C2 for the reception of the
cross key F which is secured to the crank in a manner similar to that hereinabove
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. I sometimes slit the gear wheel boss
for a considerable distance as shewn, so that when the jaws of the crank are
tightened by screwing the clamping screw a the boss of the gear wheel is tightened
on the axle and also the cross key F is gripped between the two portions of the
boss. I may however, only form the slot of sufficient size to receive the cross.
key. The said key may be of the shape shewn in either Figure 7 or Figure 8
and hereinabove described.
In Figures 5 and 6 I shew my improved method of securing the crank pin to
the crank. The end of the crank is slit or slotted as shewn at A' and furnished
with a clamping screw or bolt a' for opening or closing the slit in a fashion
similar to that hereinbefore described with reference to the crank boss. The crauk
pin E is provided with a head E' at its outer end the interior flange E² of which
serves as a ball race. The crank end of the crank pin is screw-threaded to fit a
sleeve H furnished with a flanged part H', which serves as a second ball race.
A side view of said sleeve H is shewn in Figure 9, and an end view in Figure 10.
The cylindrical part H2 of the sleeve is slit or slotted as shewn at H³ and is
received in the hole A8 in the end of the crank. When the screw a' is screwed
up the jaws of the crank are drawn together and the sleeve H2 is tightened on the
screwed end of the crank pin. The pedal D is provided with ball races D¹
and D and turns on the balls I, I contained between races D' and E' and D¹
and H.
To adjust the pedal, all that it is necessary to do is to slack back the screw a

page_text: and then to screw the crank pin E in or out of the sleeve H, as may be required.
The pin E is provided with a saw cut E³ for convenience in turning the same.
When the pedal is adjusted, the screw a¹ is tightened to close the split end of the
crank and firmly secure the sleeve H on the crank pin. I provide a stop a² in
the crank which engages with the slot H³ in the sleeve H and so prevents said
sleeve from rotating in the hole in the crank when the pin E is being adjusted.
1 sometimes screw-thread the outside of the sleeve or cone H, in which case
the hole made for it in the crank must be tapped and the sleeve screwed in, care
being taken that the slit or saw-cut in the sleeve is in line with that in the crank.
By my improved arrangement the adjustment of the pedals is very readily and
quickly effected, it will be seen also, that the bearings are dust-tight and that the
entire device is extremely simple.
My improved method of attaching cranks may be used with any description of
machinery but it is particularly useful for securing cranks to the axles and gear
wheels of velocipedes.
I have herein shewn various methods of carrying my invention into practice
but I do not confine myself to these methods as I may make various alterations
in detail without departing from the nature of my invention. For example, 1
sometimes slit or slot the crank transversely instead of longitudinally, it is also
evident that I may vary the shape of the cross key and the device for maintaining
the said key in place.
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. A crank or the like, having a slit or slotted end forming two jaws with a
clamping screw for drawing the jaws together in combination with a cross key
pivoted on the clamping screw and adapted to engage in a slot formed in the end
of the crank-shaft, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
2. The methods of securing a crank or crank and gear wheel to a shaft,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The method of adjustably securing a crank or pedal pin or the like to a
crank by means of a slotted screwed sleeve which is tightened in the slotted end of
the crank by means of a clamping screw, substantially as described.
4. A crank and crank or pedal pin constructed and combined substantially as
described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, for
the purposes specified.
CHIS
p
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.