Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1896
Complete Speciñcation Left, 5th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
We WILLIAM JOHN NESBITT of 237 High Street, Pendleton, Machinist, and
JAMES FAZACKERLEY of 41 Earl Street, Lower Broughton, Commercial Clerk, both
near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple and powerful brake applicable
to the front wheel of bicycles and other front steering cycles, and is worked direct
by the foot of the rider.
The improved brake is attached to the front fork just below the crown and it can
readily be adapted to ordinary "safeties" and other machines now in use. It consists
mainly of two parts vizt.: a bracket which is firmly attached to one side of the fork
by bolts, screws, or otherwise, and secondly a lever pivotted thereto which passes
transversely across the fork above the tyre of the wheel and is either itself made in
the form of a brake or has a brake attached to it. The bracket is provided with
a spring which in its normal position keeps the brake up out of contact with the tyre
of the wheel.
The free end of the brake lever is bent or looped round the opposite side of the
fork and projects (say) about two inches beyond the same, and the upper edge
of such projecting part is or may be serrated or roughened so as to give a firm
foot hold.
The spring is preferably made of such a strength that the foot can rest lightly on
the brake lever without applying the brake and it will thus serve as a foot rest, and
a similar fixed projection may also if desired be affixed to, or made of one piece with
the bracket to act as a rest for the other foot.
The brake is applied by downward pressure of the foot which rests on the
brake lever.
Dated this 10th day of Tul. 190
We WILLIAM JOHN NESBITT, formerly of 237 High Street, now of 55 Seedley
Park Road, Pendleton, Machinist, and JAMES FAZACKERLEY, 41 Earl Street, Lower
Broughton, Commercial Clerk, both near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
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:-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple and powerful brake which is

page_text: applicable to the front wheel of bicycles and other front steering cycles and is worked
direct by the foot of the rider.
The nature of our said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
The improved brake is preferably attached to the front fork of the machine just
below the crown, but it may also in some cases be attached to the pillar between the
"two crown plates as hereinafter described, and it can readily be adapted to ordinary
"safeties" and other machines now in use.
Fig. 1 on the drawing is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of one form of
our improved brake as attached to one limb of the fork a just below the crown b. It
consists mainly of two parts vizt.: a bracket c which is firmlyattached to one side
of the fork by bolts d (or by screws or otherwise) and secondly a lever e pivoted
thereto at, which passes transversely across the fork above the tyre g of the wheel
and is either itself made in the form of a brake as shown at h or has a brake
block attached to it. The bracket c is provided with a spring i which in its normal
position keeps the brake h up out of contact with the tyre g of the wheel as shown
at Fig. 1.
The free end of the brake lever e is bent or looped round the opposite side of the
fork a (as seen at Fig. 2) and projects (say) about two inches beyond the same, and
the upper face of its extremity may be serrated or roughened (as shown at ex) so as
to give a firm foot hold. The brake is applied by downward pressure of the foot on
the free end of the lever e.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the method of attaching the brake to both limbs of
the fork.
In this case the bracket is made with two loops ex hinged or otherwise made so as
to open for convenience of attachment to the fork. The hinge pin at f is at right
angles to the wheel instead of being parallel to it.
Figs. 5 and 6 show a similar arrangement of the brake adapted to be fixed to the
pillar between the two crown plates. For a ladies' cycle the lever e would be cranked
downwards also to bring the part ex lower on the machine.
The same letters refer to the like parts in all the figs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The improved foot brake for cycles constructed and applied substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed."
Dated this 24th day of March 1897.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.