Patent ID: 7523684

Claim:
A bicycle sprocket crank assembly, comprising: a. a first crank arm comprising an axially oriented socket at a first end, said first socket having a hollow cavity defined therein; b. a second crank arm comprising an axially oriented spindle at a first end, wherein and said spindle comprises a coupling end with an internally tapped axial bore defined therein and wherein said coupling end of said spindle is tapered such that said coupling end narrows in a cross-sectional area in an axial direction with increased distance from said second crank arm, wherein said coupling end of said spindle fits into said hollow cavity of said socket, and said coupling end and said hollow cavity are mating elements; c. a wedging sleeve disposed about said coupling end of said spindle and said wedging sleeve comprises an inner surface that conforms to the shape of said coupling end and an outer surface that conforms to the shape of said hollow cavity, wherein said outer surface of said wedging sleeve is cylindrical in shape and said inner surface of said wedging sleeve is a frustoconical shape, and said hollow cavity of said first socket has a cylindrical, annular inner wall that completely radially surrounds said coupling end and said wedging sleeve, and said wedging sleeve is split longitudinally in an axial direction along the entire length of said wedging sleeve and thereby allowing for radial expansion of said wedging sleeve as said first coupling end of said spindle is advanced into said wedging sleeve and said hollow cavity of said first socket; and d. a first threaded fastener comprising a shank engageable in said internally tapped axial bore of said coupling end, and a head that immobilizes said spindle and said first crank arm relative to each other to create a torsional connection between the first crank arm and the spindle and simultaneously eliminate axial movement in the wedging sleeve.