US553685A - Frederick d - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

vF. D. OWEN. PEDAL FOR BIGYGLES.

; N0.'553,685. Patented JanJza, 1896.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. OIYEN, OF lVASl-IINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PEDAL FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,685,'dated January 28, 1896.

Application filed July 22, 1895. Serial No. 556,797. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK I). OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Im-A provements in Pedals for Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pedals for bicycles, and has for its object a construction which will rigidly bind the foot to the pedal-base during the pedling operation, but which will instantly release the foot at the will of the rider or in the event of his being thrown from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of my invention, Figure l represents a plan view of one form of bicycle-pedal embodying my invention, certain of the parts being shown in section and the position of certain others indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents a section and partial elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view thereof partly in section with the pedal-plate and binding accessories removed. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line I L of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 represents certain details of construc-v tion. Fig. G represents a top plan view of a modified form of pedaling-plate, and Fig. 7 represents a top plan View of another modiiication.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring tothe drawings, A indicates the crank-arm of a bicycle-pedal provided with a pedal-supporting arm a., having at its outer end the usual cone b, nut c, and intermediate washer d, said cone b and the extended end af of the arm a being cut away at their proximate edges so as to form a track for the bear ing-balls e. The ball-bearing is completed by a steel forging f milled out to accommodate the balls e, and the ball-,bearing thus made is ren dered dust-proof by the interposition on opposite sides of the series of balls of two annular disks g of felt or the like. The forging 5o f is provided with a forward extension f and a lug f2. A pivot-pin h, at right angies to the horizontal axis of vertical oscillation of the pedal, is provided at its upper end with an expanded head 7L and at its lower end with a screw-thread h2. The pivot-pin 7L serves as the means of connection between the forging f and the pedal-plate m, and is secured in place by the conical nut 71,3 and set-nut 7L* with the intermediate washer 71,5, these nuts being adjustable so as to take up wear. Through the instrumentality of the pivot-pin the plate m is permitted to have a slight oscillating motion either upon the pivot-pin or with it and in a plane at right angles to its plane of vertical oscillation.

The pedal-plate m is preferably made of sheet-steel struck up in a suitable die so as to provide a track for the bearing-balls @C In some instances the plate m is provided with an additional trackway at its rear end for the reception of bearing-balls e2, thereby still further diminishing friction. The forging f is provided on its upper surface with corresponding tracks for the reception of the bearing-balls, as indicated.

The pedal-plate m may extend rearwardly, as indicated in dotted lines, to form a support for the heel of the rider; but preferably it terminates at a point in advance of the heel and is provided thereat with an upwardlyprojecting curved ridge fn, serrated upon its upper edge. The pivot-pin 7i in practice will be found to be located, in the position shown, about midway beneath the ball of the foot, and will furnish a center or sidewise oscillation so as to accommodate itself to the slight sidewise oscillation of the foot during the pedaling action.

At its forward end the plate m is provided with a proj ectionm, through which passes a pivot-pin r. This pivot-pin is screw-threaded at its lower end for the reception of a retaining-nut r' and serves as a center of oscillation for two pivoted members s s', which eX- tend outwardly in bow form with a returnbend, as shown more fully in Fig. 2. These arms constitute means for automatically binding or gripping the foot to the pedalplate. Thus, for instance, the arm s extends with an upward bend s2 through a slot m2 of the pedal-plate, and the arm s is provided with an upturned portion s3 engaging with a plate S4 which is connected ,to the pedal-plate m by means of a sliding pin s3.

During the ICO pedaling action the toe portion oi' the riders shoe naturally presses forward between the arms s s and forces said arms apart. Consequent] y the inner ends of said arms move toward each other and clamp the riders shoe between the projections .S2 and s4. Then the rider wishes to release his foot he moves it backwardly, thereby taking the pressure from the forward ends of the arms s s', and consequently relieving the binding action oi the clamping ends upon the shoe.

The advantage of using simply an u pt u rned end s2 as a clamping member for the shoe is one of economy of construction, and it is of course obvious that the same upturncd arm could be used as the clamping member of the arm s. rlhe advantage of using the plate st is that it may be made adjustable so that the pedal may be set for any particular width of shoe, and it is equally evident that this adjustable plate may be used as the clamping member of the arm s, so as to give a wider range of adjustment.

In the construction shown in Fig. G I have substituted for the plate m two homologous plates m5m,l1aving arms s bowed or curved in a manner similar to the curvature of the .forward ends of the arms s s. These plates are provided with a series of apertures t t t2. According as the pivotpin h is passed through the one or the other of this series of apertures the clamping leverage of the arms si sG is correspondingly adjusted. rllhe plates m5 m are provided withupturned clamping portions 37 SS, which may be adjusted by means of the pin-and-slot connection 39; The operation of this modification of the invention is apparent. The pedal-plate, consisting ofthe two sections M5772, is connected to the forging f by means of the pivot-pin 7L and constitutes its own clamping device for the shoe of the rider- 'z'. e., the forward pressure of the toe of the riders shoe between the bowed arms s6 causes the plate-sections m5 m6 to come together, thereby clamping the edge of the shoe between the projections s7 sg.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the plate m, secured to the forging f in the same manner as is represented in Figs. l and 2, is provided upon its upper surface with slide-plates c c', pivoted to each other at t? and connected to the plate m by slots U3 and pins t". At their forward ends the plates c 'v' are adapted to have secured to them the curved arms sw s, bowed or arched in like manner to that shown in Fig. 2. rlhese arms are adjustable by means of bolt-nuts entering in one of a series of corresponding perforations in the plates u c. At their rear ends the plates t* `t' are provided with clamping projections s12 sm. In this modification oi' the invention the foot of the rider during the pedaling operation causes the plates vv c to move bodily forward, and this movement being guided by the pin-and-slot connection with the plate m causes the clamping projections S12 S13 to bind upon the edge of the riders shoe. A backward movement of; the foot releases this clamping action.

So far I am aware it is broadly new to provide a bicycle-pedal with shoe-clamps which are caused to move inwardly and automatically bind the shoe to the pedal by reason of the forward thrust of the shoe during the pedaling action, and which are adapted to be disengaged at the will of the operator by the withdrawal of the shoe. This is the main characteristic feature of my invention illustrated in the several modifications, and is of a generic character common to them all. I desire to be understood therefore as claiming this feature broadly wherever found in bicycle-pedals.

It will be of course understood that the automatic clamping devices, as hereinbe'fore described, are applicable to the ordinary form of rectangular pedal having two bearin in use at present. In fact, the claims are intended to cover the devices therein set forth wherever they may appear in bicycle-pedal constructiom. I may also in some instances dispense with the automatic clamping devices shown in Figs. l and l and use the pedal construction therein illustrated without said clamping devices, in which event I would still derive the useful function due to the footplate pivoted in advance or to one side of the axis of the pedal-shaft.

Ot course it .is evident that rubber can be applied to this form of pedal, as may be found expedient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A bicycle pedal provided with foot clamps, having operating members pivoted together and adapted to be spread by the riders shoe during pedaling and to thereby cause the foot-clamps to bind upon the shoe; substantially as described.

2. A bicycle pedal provided with foot clamps, and means in the path oi' forward pressure of the riders shoe for causing said clamps to move inwardly and bind upon the shoe, said clamps being mounted upon the pedal base to oscillate sidewise, substantially as described.

3. A bicycle pedal mounted to swing in a vertical plane upon an axial support, and provided with foot clamps mounted to swing side wise upon pivotal bearings located in advance of the axial support and provided with forward projections beyond the pivotal mounting, for engagement with the toe portion ot the riders shoe; substantially as described.

4f. A bicycle pedal mounted to swing in a vertical plane upon an axial support, and pro vided with a base piece, a foot plate pivoted to swing side-wise upon the base piece and having shoe clamping projections and arms pivoted in advance of the axial support and having projections beyond the pivotal. mounting for engagement with the toe portion of the riders slice; substantially as described.

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ter in advance of the axis upon which the pedal is mounted; substantially as described. 7. A bicycle pedal, provided with a foot plate mounted to swing laterally upon a center in advance of the axis upon which the pedal is mounted, and ball bearings for said foot plate; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK D. OWEN. lVitnesses v HENRY E. COOPER, MARGARET V. COOPER.

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