Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Carriages, applicable also to Wheels Generally.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Carriages, applicable
also to Wheels Generally.
We, JAMES SIDNEY LENTON, 9, Victoria Street, Chilvers Coton, Nuneaton,
Designer, and JOHN NORTH BIRCH, Arbury Road, Nuneaton, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
-
This invention relates to brakes as applied to bicycles and other carriages and
wheels generally, and has for its object the production of a brake similar in opera-
tion to a claw which shall grip the tire or rim of the wheel, or it may be applied
to a drum or flange fixed to the hub or axle.
In carrying out our invention as applied to a brake adapted to act on the
tire or the tire and rim of the front wheel of a direct steering safety bicycle, we
preferably employ the usual plunger rod and to the foot thereof we secure a trans-
verse frame of I or other suitable form in plan. The ends of the frame are prefer-
ably bent downward to carry two cross pins set parallel to the plane of the wheel.
On each of these cross pins is pivoted a two-armed cranked lever. The upper arms
of these levers are directed towards each other across and above the tire, while the
lower arms thereof are directed downwards on each side of the tire respectively.
Friction blocks of india-rubber or other suitable material may be secured to the
inner faces of the said arms; or friction rollers may be mounted on the said arms.
Or the friction blocks may be made more or less in the form of the said levers
and be pivotally mounted direct on the said cross pins, the separate levers being
dispensed with. In this case, the inner or bearing surfaces of the blocks conform
to the cross sectional form of the tire or of the circumference of the wheel to which
they are applied.
The brake is operated in the usual way, and on the plunger rod being depressed
the upper arms of the levers or the equivalent parts come first in contact with
the periphery of the wheel; further depression of the plunger rod carries down
the cross pins and causes the levers or their equivalents to rock on their pivots
so that the lower arms thereof incline inwards and firmly grip the tire or wheel
laterally.
The levers or the like may be so proportioned and arranged that the braking
surfaces do not come in alirect contact with the "tread" or central strip of the
tire.
The application of the brake to other wheels does not differ essentially from
that herein before described, but modifications may of course be made to suit
special circumstances, and any suitable means for operating our improved brake
may be employed.
In applying our invention to drum brakes we employ two pivoted levers or
the like and adapt them to grip such drum in a manner similar to that herein-

page_text: Lenton and Birch's Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Curriages,
before described with respect to the tire or tire and rim brake, the arms of the
levers reacting on each other in each case.
We employ a suitable spring arrangement to prevent the brake levers or the
like from rocking when not in use. For example, a transverse blade spring
may be secured to the cross bar of a I frame and bear by its downwardly curved 5
ends on the upper arms of the levers, while the lower arms of the said levers
are limited in their outward movements by stops constituted by inwardly bent
extensions of the ends of the said frame.
Dated this 15th day of Vazah 1000
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
and 9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Carriages, applicable
also to Wheels Generally.
We, JAMES SIDNEY LENTON, 9, Victoria Street, Chilvers Coton, Nuneaton,
Designer, and JOIN NORTHI BIRCH, Arbury Road, Nuneaton, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to brakes as applied to bicycles and other carriages and
wheels generally, and has for its object the production of a brake similar in opera-
tion to a claw which shall grip the tyre or rim of the wheel, or it may be applied
to a drum or flange fixed to the hub or axle.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure I is a plan of a frame suitable for use in brakes constructed according
to our invention.
Figure II is a vertical section through one form of our brake.
Figure III is a side elevation of another form of our brake.
Figure IV is a perspective view aud Figure V is a front elevation of a third
form of our brake showing the same in two stages of operation.
Figure VI is a view similar to Figure V of another form of our brake, and
Figure VII shows the application of our invention to a drum brake.
Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out our invention as applied to a brake adapted to act on the
tyre or tyre and rim of the front wheel of a direct steering safety bicycle, we
preferably employ the usual plunger rod 2 and to the foot thereof we secure
a transverse frame 3 of any suitable form such as that shown in plan in Figure I.
The ends 4 of the frame are preferably bent downward to carry two cross pins 5
set parallel to the plane of the wheel. On each of these cross pins is pivotted
a two-armed cranked lever. The upper arms 6 of these levers are directed
towards each other across and above the tyre 7, while the lower arms 8 thereof
are directed downwards on each side of the tyre respectively. Friction blocks 9
of india-rubber or other suitable material may be secured to the inner faces of
the said arms as shown in Figure II. Or friction rollers 10 may be mounted
on the said arms as shown in Figure III; or rollers may be fitted to the upper
arms and friction blocks to the lower arms and so on. Or again the friction
blocks 9 may be made more or less in the form of the said levers and be pivot-

page_text: ally mounted direct on the said cross pins, the separate levers being dispensed
with, as shown in Figs. IV and V. In this last case the inner or bearing surfaces 11
of the blocks conform to the cross sectional form of the tyre or to the tyre and
rim of the wheel to which they are applied and in all cases the bearing surfaces
are preferably eased off at the back to prevent injury to the tyre. The blocks 9
may be mounted in shells or seatings 21 of metal or other suitable strengthening
material.
The brake may be operated in the usual way by the depression of the plunger
rod 2 which causes the upper arms 6 of the levers or the equivalent parts to come
first in contact with the periphery of the wheel (Figure IV); further depression
of the plunger rod carries down the cross pins 5 and causes the levers or their
equivalents to rock on their pivots so that the lower arms 8 thereof incline
inwards and firmly grip the tyre or wheel laterally, as shown in Figure V.
The levers or the like may be proportioned and arranged as illustrated so that
the braking surfaces do not come in direct contact with the "tread" or central
strip 12 of the tyre. Similarly the lower arms of the levers may be extended so
as to adapt the lower blocks to bear on the rim of the wheel as shown in
Figure VI.
In applying our invention to drum brakes we employ two pivotted levers or
the like and adapt them to grip the drum in a manner similar to that herein-
before described with respect to the tyre or tyre and rim brake, except that in the
latter the brake acts transversely, while in the drum brake the action is in
the same plane as the drum; the arms 6, 8 of the levers react on each other in
all cases. In Figure VII, 14 is a drum fixed on a rotating hub or the like 15
and adapted to be gripped by the blocks 9 the bearing surfaces 11 of which are
shaped to the circumference of the drum. The blocks 9 are mounted in the
frame 3 which is adapted to be moved towards and away from the drum 14
by means of the rod 2 passing through the guide 16, or by other suitable means.
The blocks 9 are preferably so constructed and arranged as to act on the drum
both above and below its centre, as shown.
We employ a suitable spring arrangement to prevent the brake levers or the
like from rocking when not in use. For example in Figures II, IV, V, VI
and VII a transverse blade spring 17 is secured to the cross bar 18 of the frame
and bears by its downwardly curved ends on the upper arms 6 of the levers or
the like, while the lower arms 8 of the said levers or the like are limited in
their outward movements by stops 19 constituted by inwardly bent extensions
of the ends of the said frame. In Figure III double spiral springs 20 are
wound on the cross pins 5 with their outer ends resting on the frame 3 and
the inner or centre portions bearing against and holding out the lower arms 8
of the levers. Each spring 20 may be made in one or two parts.
The application of the brake to other wheels does not differ essentially from
that herein before described but modifications may, of course, be made to suit
special circumstances; and any suitable means for operating our improved brake
and for holding the same out of action may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. A wheel brake comprising two two-arm levers or the like pivoted at their
angles to a moveable frame and adapted in operation to bear first by their upper
arins upon the periphery of the wheel and subsequently by their lower arms
against the sides of the said wheel, substantially as set forth.
2. A wheel brake comprising two two-arm levers or the like pivotted at their
angles to a moveable frame and adapted in operation to bear first by their upper
arms upon upper parts of the periphery of a drum adapted to rotate with the
said wheel and subsequently by their lower arms against lower parts of the
periphery of the said drum substantially as set forth.

page_text: 3. A brake for a bicycle, carriage or other wheel, constructed substantially
as herein described with reference to one or other of the figures in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of September 1898.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
and 9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.