Year: 1899

page_text: We, RIDLEY JAMES URQUILART, of 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Director, and THE PNEUMATIC BRAKE COMPANY LIMITED,
of Egerton Street, Salford, also in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pneumatic wheel brakes of the kind described in
the Specification of Letters Patent No. 16581 A.D. 1893 and consists in further
improvements in such brakes the object being to make such brakes applicable
in a practical manner to the rims and felloes of wheels instead of to the tyres.
In carrying out this invention we use two radial arms in a plane at right
angles to that of the wheel. These arms are guided in slides or by means of
links pivotted to the inner ends of the arms and to bearings, which slides or
bearings are fixed or clipped to the wheel fork sides or wheel stays of the
machine. When slides are used they are in some cases made adjustable by
means of screws in the plane at right angles to that of the wheel.
links are used they are adjusted angularly with respect to their stationary
bearings. The inner ends of the arms are furnished with means for holding
and retaining suitable pads of such material as leather, indiarubber or the like,
which when the brake is operated come against the rim or felloe of the wheel.
The outer ends of the arms are provided with means by which an indiarubber
hollow collapsed body capable of being expanded by air pressure acts upon
the arms tending to draw their inner padded or faced ends against the rim or
felloe of the wheel.
When
In order to obtain this effect the said arms may be hinged to the framework
at or near to their outer ends and provided with extensions having flat, cupped
or other suitably shaped ends to bear upon the said indiarubber hollow body.
A resistance plate of somewhat similar form to the extension ends of the arms
is fixed to the frame of the machine in a suitable position. This resistance
plate is generally made adjustable in its fixings so as to adapt it to different
sizes and makes of machines. Or in place of the ends of the arms being hinged
to the framework they may be, hinged to a crosshead plate between which and
the resistance plate the indiarubber hollow body is seated. In a further modi-
fication the arms are hinged to a lever fulcrummed upon the framework and
bearing upon the indiarubber hollow body seated upon the resistance plate.
In a further modification the arms are hinged to a stud fixed to the frame
of the machine, and have extensions between which the indiarubber hollow
body is seated so that the movement due to the expansion of the hollow body
causes the extensions to move apart and in a corresponding manner the inner
faced ends of the arms to come in contact with the wheel rim or felloe.
Suitable springs are employed to keep the brake off. Pressure of air is ob-
tained and applied by means of a hand pump or its equivalent in communication

page_text: with the indiarubber hollow collapsible body by means of a pipe in the manner
described in the before mentioned Specification of Letters Patent.
Dated this 13th day of July 1899.
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester.
4
Improvements in Pneumatic Wheel-brakes.
We, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART, of 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Director, and THE PNEUMATIC BRAKE COMPANY LIMITED,
of Egerton Street, Salford, also in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, 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 statenient :-
-
This invention relates to pneumatic wheel brakes of the kind described in
the Specification of Letters Patent No. 16581 A.D. 1893 and consists in further
improvements in such brakes, the object being to make such brakes applicable
in a practical manner to the rims and felloes of wheels instead of to the tyres.
In carrying out this invention we use two radial arms in a plane at right
angles to that of the wheel. These arms are guided in slides, or by means of
links pivotted to the inner ends of the arms, and to bearings, which slides or
bearings are fixed or clipped to the wheel fork sides or wheel stays of the
machine. When slides are used they are in some cases made adjustable by
means of screws, in the plane at right angles to that of the wheel. When
links are used they are adjusted angularly with respect to their stationary
bearings. The inner ends of the arms are furnished with means for holding
and retaining suitable pads of such material as leather, indiarubber or the like,
which when the brake is operated come against the rim or felloe of the wheel.
The outer ends of the arms are provided with means by which an indiarubber
hollow collapsed body capable of being expanded by air pressure acts upon
the arms tending to draw their inner padded or faced ends against the rim or
felloe of the wheel.
The drawings attached hereunto represent illustrations of several modified
arrangements constructed in accordance with our invention.
Figures 1 and 2 represent two views in elevation of our improved brake
according to one arrangement; Figures 3 and 4 represent also in elevation, a
modified arrangement; Figures 5 and 6 represent similar views of a further
modification and Figure 7 a section of an expansible hollow body or chamber
of modified construction. The several views represent the brake as being
applied to a bicycle above the rear wheel of the machine and fixed to the stays
of the seat post. This position for the application of a brake is generally
found to be the most suitable and convenient, but by slight modifications of
the attachments of the brakes, they can be effectively applied say below the
crank axle bearing or above the steering wheel.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, in this arrangement two arms a, a¹,
suitably shaped to clear the tyre and mudguard of the wheel, and having their
inner ends a³ a³ curved and fitted with friction pads or blocks at, a in order
that the latter can be brought in contact with the inner face or edges of the
felloe q, are hinged at their outer ends a, a, to a lever b fulcrummed at b₁ to a
bridge c secured to the stays s of the machine by the clips cc. In order to

page_text: steady the arms a, a¹ and prevent their being dragged by the wheel when the
latter is rotating in contact with the brake the said arms are guided by means
of extensions as, a³, which engage in slides d, d', preferably of the form illus-
trated, secured to clips d³, d³ fixed to the stays s of the machine. These slides
are made adjustable in the plane at right angles to that of the wheel by means
of screws and nuts as shewn. Springs w are arranged upon the extensions
so as and in order to keep the brake normally off. The other end of the lever b
is formed with a cup in which is secured an indiarubber hollow collapsed
body e having an inflating tube e¹ through which it is expanded. The body e
is also fixed to a resistance plate f formed as an extension of the bridge c.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, in this arrangement the arms a, a', are
hinged to and suspended from a crosshead 7 and are guided by links h, h¹ pivoted
to their inner ends a², a³, and to clips d², d³, fixed to the before mentioned
stays s. The crosshead g is arranged above the bridge c and both these parts
are formed to receive an indiarubber hollow collapsed body as hereinbefore
referred to which is disposed between them.
The arrangement illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 shews the arms a, a¹, in
the form of bell-crank levers fulcrummed upon studs fixed to the clips d², d.
The inner ends or short members a², a", of the arms or levers a, a', are provided
with shoes, t, which carry the friction blocks or pads a . These shoes are
made adjustable upon the arms a, a¹, and are preferably secured thereto by set
Screws 26. The outer ends or members a, a, of the arms or levers a, a¹, are
made longer than the inner members, and are connected to the indiarubber
hollow collapsed body or bodies e. Preferably two such bodies are used as
shewn, each being carried by a rigid cross head or resistance piece f. This
crosshead preferably has a hollow core communicating with each body e and
with the inflating tube e¹. The crosshead f is fixed to the stays s by means of
the clips, the spring w keeps the brake normally off. As a substitute for
the indiarubber hollow collapsed body e we may use a cylinder fitted with
two pistons in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The
cylinder would take the place of the resistance piece and the pistons would
be connected each to one of the arms a, a. Each piston would have a cup
leather packing and a rolling indiarubber ring in contact with the piston rod
and cylinder wall in order to ensure a tight fit under all conditions.
In every case, in place of a collapsed indiarubber hollow body made in one
piece, we may use a diaphragm of indiarubber or other suitable material
fixed over a flat or hollow plate 3 in which is an orifice e¹ through which the
diaphragm is expanded, the latter being connected to the lever or link arrange-
ment, so as to operate the brake by its expansion and contraction as illustrated
in Figure 7.
Pressure of air is obtained and applied by means of a hand pump preferably
in the form illustrated and described in the before mentioned specification,
which pump communicates with the brake by means of an indiarubber pipe e¹.
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. In a pneumatically operated brake for velocipedes and like machines the
combination with an expansible body in tubular communication with an inflator
fixed to the machine within reach of the hand, of movable arms each provided
with a brake block at one end adapted to act upon the inner face of the felloe
at each side of the spokes, and so mounted that their outer ends are acted upon
by the expansible body and their inner ends brought into contact with the
felloe when the brake is applied, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The improvements in pneumatically operated wheel brakes substantially
as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

page_text: 3. The improvements in pneumatically operated wheel brakes substantially
as herein before described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
4. The improvements in pneumatically operated wheel brakes substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of April 1900.
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, Manchester & Liverpool.
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, Manchester & Liverpool.