In Henry Sturmey's (yes, THAT Sturmey) 1887 Indispensable Bicyclist's Handbook, there is no mention of the attachment of the pedal to the crank. There are no competing standards or proprietary methods delineated. All the pedals pictured feature a flat-sided axle that fits through a rectangular slot in the crank and are held on with a nut on the backside. This seems to apply to pedals for ordinaries (penny-farthings) and safeties (chain-drive bikes).
There are some cranks that allow for various length adjustment.
