GB1586136A

GB1586136A - Device for maintaining a cyclists foot on a bicycle pedal

Info

Publication number: GB1586136A
Application number: GB2445478A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-30
Filing date: 1978-05-30
Publication date: 1981-03-18

Description

(54) A DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING A CYCLIST'S FOOT ON A BICYCLE PEDAL (71) I DAVID WILLIAM MAURICE HAMER, a British subject of 20 Lacey Green, Wilmslow, Cheshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: THIS INVENTION concerns a device for maintaining positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot upon a pedal of a bicycle, and particularly, though not exclusively, for use in high speed and competition cycling.

Conventional devices for this purpose are known including a toe clip which extends from the front edge of the bicycle pedal over the front of the cyclist's foot, with a strap passing through the free end of the toe clip and attached to the pedal. The strap usually includes a buckle enabling the strap to be tightened and released by manipulation.

In addition to the toe clip and strap arrangement, it is known to provide a pair of members on the sole of the cyclist's shoe which positively engage the side members of the pedal, so that when the strap is tightened, forwards and rearwards movement of the foot relative to the pedal is prevented, the strap serving to prevent upwards movement of the foot away from the pedal.

A particular disadvantage in this arrangement is the necessity for the device to be tightened up manually after the foot is located on the pedal and thus after the bicycle is in motion. Rapid removal of the foot in the event of an accident may be hindered by the necessity to release the buckle by hand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which maintains positive driving engagement of the cyclist's foot upon the pedal but which enables the foot to be engaged with and disengaged from the pedal rapidly and without manipulation.

Thus according to the present invention there is provided a device for maintaining positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot upon a pedal of a bicycle, comprising a pedal which forms one part of a two-part locking arrangement, the other part being adapted for attachment to the sole of the cyclist's shoe, characterised in that said locking arrangement has interlocking members on the pedal and for attachment to the shoe respectively, said members being so constructed and arranged as to become interlocked and separated by way of a rotational movement of the cyclist's foot about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the pedal, and in that when said members are interlocked, any relative movement of the said two parts other than by said rotational movement, is prevented.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig. 1 is an end view of a bicycle pedal embodying the invention with a cyclist's foot shown in driving engagement therewith; Fig. 2 is an underside view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pedal.

Referring now to the drawings, the device comprises a pedal which will replace the existing pedal of a bicycle and which includes a barrel 10 rotatably mounted in bearings on a spindle (not shown) disposed within the barrel and being integral with or attached to a stub axle 11 which is threaded at 12 for attachment to the pedal crank of the bicycle. Extending outwardly in generally radial directions from the barrel 10 are three lugs 13 which also extend along substantially the entire length of the barrel 10. The barrel 10 and lugs 13 can be made from a light alloy or alternatively from a plastics or similar material.

A pair of lugs 13 form one part of a two-part locking arrangement, of which the other part is comprised by a pair of plates 14 and 15 preferably of a plastics material which, as can be seen from Fig. 1, are adapted to be attached to the sole of the cyclist's shoe by a plurality of studs 16 extending outwardly through the sole from a locating plate 17 within the shoe. The plates 14 and 15 are fixed by means of nuts 18. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the plates 14 and 15 are spaced apart longitudinally and laterally with respect to the shoe.

The plates 14 and 15 are undercut on their mutually adjacent sides as indicated at 19. The undercut portion of plate 14 extends throughout the length thereof whereas that portion of plate 15 terminates prior to the end of the plate remote from the plate 14 to provide an abutment 20.

A washer 21 whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of a circle defined collectively by the outer edges of the lugs 13, is mounted on the axle 11 adjacent the inner end of the barrel 10. As can be seen from inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, the shoe is firmly engaged upon the pedal by the interlocking action of two of the lugs 13 with the undercut portions of plates 14 and 15. Rectilinear movement of the shoe away from the pedal in a direction at right-angles to the axis of rotation thereof is prevented by this interlocking action, whilst movement inwardly is prevented by abutment of the shoe against the washer 21, and outwardly by engagement of abutment 20 with the inner end of the adjacent lug 13.

To enable disengagement of the shoe from the pedal, the foot must be rotated about an axis perpendicular to that of the pedal ini a manner indicated by arrows B so that the plates 14 and 15 become separated from the lugs 13 thus enabling the shoe to be lifted or withdrawn from the pedal.

Application and interlocking of the shoe on the pedal is carried out by a movement in the reverse direction to that indicated by arrows B.

It will be seen therefore that positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot with the pedal can be achieved rapidly with ease of movement, the pedal readily being rotated into an attitude such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, and the shoes may be rapidly removed from the pedals, for example, in the event of an accident by a simple outwards movement of the heels.

It is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, more than three lugs may be provided at equi-distant angular positions around the barrel 10, or indeed two lugs alone may be sufficient, provided the barrel is so designed that the lugs remain uppermost.

Furthermore, the lugs 13, can be replaced by a T-shaped member thus presenting a substantially flat plate extending generally longitudinally with respect to the barrel 10 to be engaged by the plate 14 and 15. In this case the engaging surfaces of the undercut portions of the plates would preferably be parallel to the sole of the shoe rather than inclined as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the plates are L-shaped.

Yet again, the two parts of the locking arrangement could be reversed in role, that is to say, for example, a single T-shaped member could be attached to the sole of the shoe, there being a pair of members equivalent to plates 14 and 15 provided on the barrel 10, the members being spaced apart along the barrel and angularly around the circumference thereof.

If required, each plate 14, 15 can be replaced by one or more individual hooks which are threaded at one end to enable them to be screwed directly into the sole of the shoe.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A device for maintaining positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot upon a pedal of a bicycle, comprising a pedal which forms one part of a two-part locking arrangement, the other part being adapted for attachment to the sole of the cyclist's shoe, characterised in that said locking arrangement has interlocking members on the pedal and for attachment to the shoe respectively, said members being so constructed and arranged as to become interlocked and separated by way of a rotational movement of the cyclist's foot about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the pedal, and in that when said members are interlocked, any relative movement of the said two parts other than by said rotational movement, is prevented.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said interlocking members on the pedal are comprised by a plurality of lugs extending substantially radially outwardly from the rotational axis of the pedal and along substantially the entire length thereof, the interlocking members for attachment to the shoe comprising a pair of plates having undercut portions adapted to become engaged with the lugs on said pedal by virtue of said rotational movement of the cyclist's foot.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said interlocking members includes an abutment adapted to engage another of said interlocking members in the interlocked condition so as to prevent movement of the cyclist's foot in a direction outwardly towards the free end of said pedal, movement inwardly in the opposite direction being prevented by means fixedly attached to the pedal, against which the cyclist's shoe can abut.

4. A device according to claim 2,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. extending outwardly through the sole from a locating plate 17 within the shoe. The plates 14 and 15 are fixed by means of nuts 18. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the plates 14 and 15 are spaced apart longitudinally and laterally with respect to the shoe. The plates 14 and 15 are undercut on their mutually adjacent sides as indicated at 19. The undercut portion of plate 14 extends throughout the length thereof whereas that portion of plate 15 terminates prior to the end of the plate remote from the plate 14 to provide an abutment 20. A washer 21 whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of a circle defined collectively by the outer edges of the lugs 13, is mounted on the axle 11 adjacent the inner end of the barrel 10. As can be seen from inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, the shoe is firmly engaged upon the pedal by the interlocking action of two of the lugs 13 with the undercut portions of plates 14 and 15. Rectilinear movement of the shoe away from the pedal in a direction at right-angles to the axis of rotation thereof is prevented by this interlocking action, whilst movement inwardly is prevented by abutment of the shoe against the washer 21, and outwardly by engagement of abutment 20 with the inner end of the adjacent lug 13. To enable disengagement of the shoe from the pedal, the foot must be rotated about an axis perpendicular to that of the pedal ini a manner indicated by arrows B so that the plates 14 and 15 become separated from the lugs 13 thus enabling the shoe to be lifted or withdrawn from the pedal. Application and interlocking of the shoe on the pedal is carried out by a movement in the reverse direction to that indicated by arrows B. It will be seen therefore that positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot with the pedal can be achieved rapidly with ease of movement, the pedal readily being rotated into an attitude such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, and the shoes may be rapidly removed from the pedals, for example, in the event of an accident by a simple outwards movement of the heels. It is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, more than three lugs may be provided at equi-distant angular positions around the barrel 10, or indeed two lugs alone may be sufficient, provided the barrel is so designed that the lugs remain uppermost. Furthermore, the lugs 13, can be replaced by a T-shaped member thus presenting a substantially flat plate extending generally longitudinally with respect to the barrel 10 to be engaged by the plate 14 and 15. In this case the engaging surfaces of the undercut portions of the plates would preferably be parallel to the sole of the shoe rather than inclined as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the plates are L-shaped. Yet again, the two parts of the locking arrangement could be reversed in role, that is to say, for example, a single T-shaped member could be attached to the sole of the shoe, there being a pair of members equivalent to plates 14 and 15 provided on the barrel 10, the members being spaced apart along the barrel and angularly around the circumference thereof. If required, each plate 14, 15 can be replaced by one or more individual hooks which are threaded at one end to enable them to be screwed directly into the sole of the shoe. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A device for maintaining positive driving engagement of a cyclist's foot upon a pedal of a bicycle, comprising a pedal which forms one part of a two-part locking arrangement, the other part being adapted for attachment to the sole of the cyclist's shoe, characterised in that said locking arrangement has interlocking members on the pedal and for attachment to the shoe respectively, said members being so constructed and arranged as to become interlocked and separated by way of a rotational movement of the cyclist's foot about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the pedal, and in that when said members are interlocked, any relative movement of the said two parts other than by said rotational movement, is prevented.

4. A device according to claim 2,

wherein said plates in use are arranged to be spaced apart longitudinally and laterally with respect to the shoe so as to lie on opposite sides of the rotational axis of the pedal when the device is in use and on opposite sides respectively of the centre line of said pedal transverse to the rotational axis thereof.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein three lugs are provided equally spaced about the axis of rotation of the pedal.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the said one part of the two-part locking arrangement comprises a T-shaped member attached by its central limb to the pedal and extending generally longitudinally with respect thereto the outer limbs of the T forming a pair of interlocking members for engagement with the said other part of the two-part locking arrangement, being a pair of L-shaped plates for attachment to the cyclist's shoe.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the said one part of the two-part locking arrangement comprises a pair of Lshaped plates attached to the pedal and spaced apart respectively on opposite sides of the axis of rotation and of a centre line transverse thereto, the said other part of the two-part locking arrangement comprising a T-shaped member whose central limb is to be attached to the sole of the shoe such that the outer limbs of the T become engaged with said plates.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said interlocking members is of a plastics material.