Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Cranks and pedals
Patent
1993-10-05
1995-08-15
Marmor, Charles A.
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Cranks and pedals
745941, G05G 114
Patent
active
054409500
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a shaft, such as a pedal shaft, which can be quickly mounted on or removed from a lever or a crank arm, of a bicycle for example.
Pedal shafts are currently manufactured with a left-hand thread for the left pedal and a right hand thread for the right pedal, so that a tool is required to clamp the pedals on their cranks: this is a lengthy and tedious operation; moreover, the pedals are an extra encumbrance in the transport, storage and stacking particularly of bicycles or other moving objects equipped with pedals; hence the advantage of being able to remove said pedals quickly without a special tool and with minimum effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first feature, the invention provides a device for mounting a shaft, such as a pedal shaft, on a lever or crank arm, the invention being characterized in that it comprises: a shaft provided with a journal bearing intended to be received by sliding longitudinally in a recess of corresponding shape arranged at the end of the crank arm or lever, so as to allow quick fitting and easy removal of said shaft, there being provided between said part and the part comprising the corresponding recess in the crank arm or lever releasable means for retaining in the fitted position.
According to other features, the recess of corresponding shape provided at the end of the crank arm is formed by a ring with an external right- or left-hand thread, intended to be received in the right- or left-hand threaded hole of an existing crank arm.
The clamping or locking means comprises on the pedal shaft a retaining element such as a ball or stop mounted on a spring or an elastomer block which is itself positioned on the bearing of the shaft in a bore perpendicular to said shaft, the retaining element such as a ball or stop either fitting in a cavity, a hole or a cut-out provided for that purpose in the female part of the crank arm, or laterally and external to said crank or said ring; so that in order to release the shaft, it is sufficient to manually push away the ball or stop so that the shaft may be disengaged from the ring provided on the crank.
According to another embodiment, the clamping means is constituted by a spiral spring which is positioned over the external threads of the ring whose breadth is greater than that of the bore in the arm, the spiral of said spring being prolonged by a curved loop intended to be inserted in a groove provided on the shaft beyond the end of the ring. To ensure the shaft is held without any play, the shoulder of the shaft is pressed against an 0-ring situated between said shoulder and the shoulder of the ring.
According to another embodiment, two diametrically-opposed windows are provided on the ring to receive a fastener for holding the shaft which is provided with an opposed groove on its bearing. In this case, and according to another particular feature, the shaft may be held without play by, for example, a spring or an O-ring bearing against a washer, the latter itself bearing against the retaining fastener, said elements possibly being integral with the ring to avoid their loss; alternatively, said resilient elements may equally well be situated between the shoulder of the shaft and the shoulder of the ring.
According to another embodiment, the releasable means for retaining the shaft in the fitted position which are interposed between the shaft and the part of the recess in the crank arm on the side away from the pedal, are constituted by: firstly, at the end of said portion of the pedal shaft at a distance at least equal to the length of the recess or the ring of the crank arm, a bearing of reduced diameter comprising firstly, a channel pierced by two diametrically opposed holes or one through hole, the bearing being prolonged in a shoulder of diameter slightly greater than that of the bottom of the channel and less than the diameter of the bearing of said shaft, and secondly, with a fastener mounted so as to pivot between a retaining position perpe
REFERENCES:
patent: 3908943 (1975-09-01), Bannister
patent: 4778487 (1988-10-01), Chenel
patent: 4873890 (1989-10-01), Nagano
patent: 5315896 (1994-05-01), Stringer
Kwon Peter
Marmor Charles A.
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