An Improved Brake for Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brake for Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES, of Thomas Street, Lindley, Huddersfield,
Yorkshire, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention in brakes for bicycles and like machines consists in the employment
of two indiarubber or other similar flexible rollers carried by the ordinary vertical
rod or lever connected with the brake handle, said rollers being arranged one
behind the other, and the back roller placed a little higher than the front roller.
These rollers are preferably in contact with each other, and when applying them
to brake, the front roller is first placed into contact with the tyre, which rotates
said roller, and by frictional contact, causes the second roller to rotate, the binding
qualities of the flexible rollers being sufficient to retard the motion of the machine;
but when further pressure is applied to the brake, the rear roller is also
brought into contact with the tyre and the two rollers are thus rotated in the
same direction, but in opposite directions at the point of contact, whereby they
bind against each other and bring the machine to a standstill. By preference, the
rear roller is smaller than the front roller, so that when both are rotated, differential
motion is obtained, which increases the retarding power of the brake. The axle of
the rear roller is carried in slotted bearings in order that when both rollers are
brought onto the tyre, the tendency of the said rear roller is to move towards the
front roller and in this manner cause a certain amount of eccentricity of the rollers
at the point of contact, thereby increasing the binding or resisting power thereof
and adding to the efficiency of the brake.
I may employ plain rubber rollers; rubber rollers covered with thin coats of
steel; steel rollers covered with indiarubber; or any other flexible material may
be employed in the making of the rollers, should such material give as satisfactory
a result as indiarubber.
By the means herein described, a powerful brake is provided, whose liability to
heat and damage the tyres of bicycles, tricycles, and like machines, especially
pneumatic and cushion tyres, is considerably reduced.
Dated this 24th day of June 1891.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brake for Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES, of Thomas Street, Lindley, Huddersfield,
Yorkshire, Machinist, 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 :—
My invention in brakes for bicycles and like machines consists in the employment
of two india rubber or similar flexible rollers carried by the ordinary rod or lever
connected with the brake handle, said rollers being arranged one behind the other
and the rear roller placed a little higher than the front roller. These rollers are
preferably in contact with each other, and, when applying the brake, the front
roller is first placed into contact with the tyre of the wheel which rotates said roller
and, by frictional contact, causes the second roller to rotate, the power required to
do this slightly retarding the speed of the machine; but on further pressure being
Price 8d.1

page_text: applied to the brake, the rear roller is also brought into contact with the tyre
and the two rollers are thus rotated in the same direction but in opposite directions
at the point of contact whereby they bind against each other and bring the machine
to a standstill. The rear roller is mounted in slotted bearings in order that when
both rollers are pressed onto the tyre the tendency of the rear roller is to move
towards the front roller and cause the parts in contact to be flattened or compressed,
thereby increasing the binding or resisting power of the brake.
By preference, the rear roller is smaller in diameter than the front roller so that
when both are rotated, differential motion is obtained which assists in retarding or
stopping the machine.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the same and for that purpose make reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings illustrative thereof.
Fig. 1 is elevation of my improved brake in which the rollers are of equal
diameters.
Fig. 2 is plan view of same.
Fig. 3 is elevation of my improved brake in which the rollers are of unequal
diameters.
Fig. 4 is elevation of the brake shewing a modification in the method of supporting
the rear roller, and
Fig. 5 is a section of same taken on line 1-2 of Fig. 4.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a and b represent two rollers of
equal diameters arranged one behind the other and supported loosely in bearings c
and d formed in the sides of a bracket or casting e which is provided at f with a
screw threaded socket into which is screwed the end of the ordinary bicycle brake
rod connected to the brake handle or lever; or the bracket may be otherwise
connected to the brake handle or lever.
The rollers a and are composed of india rubber or other suitable flexible or
yielding material or substance and are arranged to be in contact with each other,
the rear roller being mounted in horizontal slotted bearings d which allow of said
roller being moved or forced bodily against the front roller.
The axis of the front roller is arranged a little below the axis of the back roller
in order that it may be brought into contact with the tyre before the back roller.
When the brake lever is operated for the purpose of applying the brake, the
bracket e is lowered and the front roller a placed into frictional contact with the
tyre of the bicycle wheel which gives rotary motion to said roller, and the latter
in turn drives or rotates the rear roller b, the power required to do this acting as a
preliminary step in diminishing the speed of the machine and which at times may
be all that is required to be done, but in order to effectually brake the machine,
further pressure is applied to the brake lever and the bracket e thereby lowered
still further so as to place the roller also in contact with the tyre, the result being
that both rollers are driven or rotated in the same direction but in opposite
directions at the point of contact consequently causing them to bind against each
other or offer resistance to their rotation thereby retarding and stopping the
machine.
As the rear roller is mounted in horizontal slotted bearings extending in the
direction of the front roller it follows that when pressed against the tyre of the
wheel the said wheel will have a tendency to force the roller b towards the roller a
in doing which the said rollers would be flattened or caused to assume a certain
eccentricity at the point of contact and thereby bind more tightly against each
other or become locked, thus adding to the efficiency of the brake and giving more
complete control over the machine.
In Fig. 3 I shew a modification of my improved brake in which a back roller b
of smaller diameter than the roller a is employed in order that the differential
motion obtained when the rollers are rotated may add to the retarding power of
the brake, for which reason I prefer to employ rollers of unequal instead of equal
diameters.

page_text: By reason of the difference in the diameters of the two rollers, the slotted
bearings d are formed in the same plane as the bearings c.
In Figs. 4 and 5 I shew a modification of the method of mounting the rear roller b
which is equivalent to the method already described.
are links pivotted at to the bracket e and are provided with bosses kon
their inner sides forming bearings d for the roller b. The bosses & engage with the
undersides of the bracket e when the rollers are in their normal positions, but when
the roller is pressed upon the tyre of the wheel, the pivotted links / permit the
said roller to be forced, as before explained, in the direction of the front roller as
indicated by the arrow.
By the means hereinbefore described a powerful brake is provided whose
liability to heat and damage the tyres, especially inflated or pneumatic and cushion
tyres of bicycles and like machines is considerably reduced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. The improved brake for bicycles and like machines consisting of two
india rubber or other suitable flexible rollers a, b, carried, one behind the other,
in a bracket or casting e connected to the ordinary brake rod, the back roller b
being mounted in horizontal slotted bearings in which it is moveable, by pressure,
in the direction of the front roller all arranged in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. In a brake for bicycles and like machines, the combination, with a
flexible roller a mounted in bearings in a bracket or casting e, of a second flexible
roller of the same or of sinaller diameter than the roller a, suitably mounted so
as to be moveable, by pressure, in the direction of the roller a for purposes
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1892.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax and Huddersfield, Agents.