Improved Means for use in Attaching Dust Caps to Cycle Pedals.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improved Means for use in Attaching Dust Caps to Cycle Pedals.
We, JOHN MARSTON, LIMITED, of Sunbeam Cycle Works, Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Cycle Manufacturers, and WILLIAM HOUGH, of 47, Park
Street South, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, a Works Manager to the
said Company, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Dust caps have heretofore, or usuaily, been attached to pedals either by
screwing them upon bosses projecting from the outer plates of the pedals or by
means of small screws which are passed through ears of the caps and screwed
into the pedal plates. In the former case, the formation of the screw threads
is a comparatively expensive process and there is some difficulty in starting to
Screw a cap upon a boss owing to the fineness of the threads and in the latter
case, the screws are inconvenient to manipulate, and when unscrewed are liable
to drop upon the ground and become lost.
Now, this invention has for its object means, of a very simple character, for
use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, which avoid the removal of any part-
except a dust cap itself, when such is to be detached, and avoid, also, the need
for screwing a cap in place, or the need for the use of any screws.
According to this invention, each cap is formed to be a turning fit around the
boss on the pedil end plate to which it is to be attached, and has ears which lie
against the face of the end plate when the cap is in place. Clips, which are
formed, as springs, and are each fixed at its outer and free at its inner end, are
carried by the end plate in such positions that, when a cap has been passed over
the boss, a partial revolution of the cap will bring the ears thereof behind the
clips, whereby the cap will become secured in place. To detach a cap, it is first
turned to clear its ears from the clips, and is then pulled off the boss of the pedal.
The clips are fixed by pins, such as the pins which carry the pedal blocks.
The free ends of the clips, of course, stand outwards somewhat from the face of the
end plate in order to give the necessary lead to the ears to enable them to pass
beneath the clips as the cap is turned. In order to prevent the clips from turning
as the ears of the cap are brought behind them, recesses are formed in the end
plate with which inwardly bent portions of the inner ends of the clips engage: and
in order to prevent any liability of the cap becoming accidentally turned, and the
ears thus brought from behind the clips, the ears are formed with holes or
recesses into which projections which are formed at the inner faces of the clips
enter when the holes or recesses of the cap are brought into coincidence there.
with. The clips are, of course, sprung outwards somewhat by the ears of the cap
as they are passed thereunder, and the clips spring inwards to engage their
projections with the recesses of the ears; and to turn the cap to disengage it from
the clips, such force is required as will ensure that the cap cannot be turned

page_text: In order to facilitate the turning of a cap, a portion thereof is formed of such
shape that a spanner or other instrument may be engaged therewith.
Dated this 4th day of October 1899.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Means for use in Attaching Dust Caps to Cycle Pedals.
We, JOHN MARSTON, LIMITED, of Sunbeam Cycle Works, Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Cycle Manufacturers, and WILLIAM HOUGH, of 47, Park
Street South, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, a Works Manager to the
said Company, 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:-
Dust caps have heretofore, or usually, been attached to pedals either by
screwing them upon bosses projecting from the outer plates of the pedals or by
means of small screws which are passed through ears of the caps and screwed
into the pedal plates. In the former case, the formation of the screw threads
is a comparatively expensive process, and there is some difficulty in starting to
screw a cap upon a boss, owing to the fineness of the threads and, in the latter
case, the screws are inconvenient to manipulate, and when unscrewed are liable
to drop upon the ground and become lost.
Now, this invention has for its object means, of a very simple character, for
use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, which avoid the removal of any part
except a dust cap itself, when such is to be detached, and avoid, also the need
for screwing a cap in place, or the need for the use of any screws.
According to this invention, each cap is formed to be a turning fit around the
boss or cup which projects at the middle of the pedal end plate, and has ears which
lie against the face of the end plate when the cap is in place. Clips, which are
formed as springs, and are each fixed at its outer and free at its inner end, are
carried by the end plate in such positions that, when a cap has been passed over
the boss, a partial revolution of the cap will bring the ears thereof behind the
clips, whereby the cap will become secured in place. To detach a cap, it is first
turned to clear its ears from the clips, and is then pulled off the boss of the
pedal.
A practical application of the invention, shewing the same in further detail
than is given in the above general description, is illustrated by the drawings
herewith, of which Figure 1 shews an outer end view of a pedal with the dust cap
secured in place by the clips; Figure 2 is a section, in the plane indicated by
the line of Figure 1, of the outer end of the pedal, and shews also the dust
cap to be secured in position by the clips; Figure 3 is a corresponding view to
Figure 1, but shews the dust cap to have been turned to bring its ears from behind
the clips; Figure 4 is a corresponding view to Figure 3, but with the clips
removed; Figure 5 is a detached outer face view of one of the clips; and Figure 6
a longitudinal section through the centre of the clip.
The dust cap A is conveniently formed in sheet metal, and is just a turning
fit around the boss B, which forms, in the instance shewn, the cup for the balls
of the outer end of the pedal bearing; and the cap is formed with ears a each
of which has a hole 6 therethrough. The clips Care formed of sheet steel and
are securely fixed to the end plate D of the pedal by the pins which secure the
end plates in place. Each clip has a tit or projection d at its hinder face, formed

page_text: conveniently by embossing the metal; and corresponding recesses e are formed in
the outer face of the end plate D, and the clips are prevented from turning, when
the nuts on the ends of the pins c have been tightened up thereagainst, by the
engagement of the tits or projections d of the clips with the recesses e of the end
plate. The inner or free end f of each clip is cranked or set outwards, as shewn,
so as to be in a plane parallel with, but outwards from, the plane of the inner
end of the clip, and thus leave a space between itself and the outer face of the
end plate D, when the clip is fixed in place. A projection g, of dome-shape or
analogous form, is embossed at the middle of the rear face of the inner portion f
of each clip. The clips are permanently fixed in place, and only the dust cap
has to be moved for engaging it therewith and disengaging it therefrom; anil
the dust cap is formed with a portion h which is hexagonal or of other shape
which will enable it to be readily turned by means of a spanner or other instru-
ment. To engage the cap with the pedal, it is first passed over the boss B and
against the end plate 1), and then it is turned to bring its ears behind the inner
ends of the clips C, with the result that the edges of the ears. coming against
the projections 9 spring outwards the inner ends of the clips, and, when the cap
has been turned sufficiently to bring the holes 6 of the ears behind the projec-
tions of the clips, the inner ends of the clips spring backwards again and engage
the projections with the holes b, thus securely preventing the cap from turning
again accidentally and becoming released from the clips. When it is desired to
remove the cap, it is simply turned sufficiently to spring out the inner ends of
the clips and allow the ears to be turned clear from the projections and from
behind the inner ends of the clips, and may then be readily drawn from off the
boss B.
g
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
1. Means for use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, according to which
the caps are engaged with spring clips carried by the outer end plates, sub-
stantially as described.
2. Means for use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, according to which
ears of the caps may be engaged, by a turning movement, with spring clips carried
by the outer end plates, substantially as described.
3. Means for use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, which comprise ears
carried by the caps, spring clips carried by the outer end plates, projections at
the rear faces of free ends of the clips, and holes in the ears which, when the
caps are turned, and the ears thereby brought behind the free ends of the clips,
interlock with the projections, substantially as described.
4. Means for use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, which comprise spring
clips carried by the outer end plates and prevented from turning in relation
thereto by projections of the clips which engage with recesses in the end plates,
substantially as described.
5. Means for use in attaching dust caps to cycle pedals, substantially as
described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 30th day of June 1900.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.