Improvements in
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in QA ACARAND
I, GEORGE LYONS, of 56, East Street, Baker Street, London, W., Cycle Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to brakes for direct steering velocipedes, such as the
safety bicycles and tricycles at present most popular, and it has for its object to
provide a rim brake of simple construction and which may be easily applied to
existing machines.
To attain my object, I joint to the foot of a plunger rod a lever the fulcrum
of which is preferably located between the plates of a forkcrown, though it might
be located either above or below the said fork crown. The lever is preferably
duplex or forked and may be conveniently fulcrummed on a clip embracing the
steering stem between the plates of the fork-crown, such clip being also employed
to carry the upper end of the front mudguard. To the rear end or ends of
the lever I joint two arms which pass down one on each side of the tyre. The
free ends of the arms are turned inwards and are provided with suitable shoes
adapted to bear on the rim of the wheel. The two arms may be connected
together or may be made in one piece to prevent their spreading apart when the
brake is in action.
To apply the brake, the plunger is depressed either by operating the usual
hand lever or by other suitable means.
This action raises the rear end or ends
of the lever and with them the arms, so that the shoes press upwards against the
rim and retard the revolution of the wheel. The rotary movement of the wheel
tends to carry the brake shoes forward but they are prevented from going too far
by the arms coming into contact with the blades of the wheel fork. A spring
may be employed to hold the arme normally in contact with the fork and so
prevent rattle. Instead of the usual hand lever, a bent lever may be pivotted
to the handlebar stem or to the handlebar itself. The forward end of the lever is
jointed to the top of the plunger rod, and the rear end is bent up. When this
bent part is pressed forward, the front end of the lever is depressed carrying
The brake is returned to its
with it the plunger rod and applying the brake.
"off" position, and is normally held out of action, by a suitable spring or
springs.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Velocipede Brakes.
I, GEORGE LYONS, of 56, East Street, Baker Street, London, W., Cycle Manu-
facturer, 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 for direct steering velocipedes such as the
safety bicycles and tricycles at present most popular, and it has for its object to
provide a rim brake of simple construction and which may be easily applied to
existing machinos.
In order that my invention may be properly understood, I will, in describing
the same, refer to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure I is a side elevation of a rim brake constructed according to my inven-
tion and of the adjacent parts of a direct steering velocipede.
Figure II is a rear elevation of the same, the tyre and rim being in section.
Figures III and IV are rear and side elevations respectively of a central lever
for depressing the plunger rod of velocipede brakes.
Like numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The
To the foot of the plunger rod 21 joint a lever 3 the fulcrum of which is
preferably located between the plates 4,4 of the fork crown, though it might be
located either above or below the said forkcrown. The lever is preferably made
duplex and the foot of the plunger rod forked, to correspond, as shown.
lever may be conveniently fulcrumined on a clip 5 embracing the steering stem
between the plates of the said forkcrown, such clip being also provided with a
plate 6 adapted to carry the upper end of the front mudguard. To the rear
ends of the lever 3 I joint two arms 7,7 which pass down one on each side of the
tyre 8. The free ends of the arms are turned inwards and are provided with
suitable shoes 9,9 adapted to bear on the rim 10 of the wheel.
The two arms
may be connected together, or they may be made in one piece as shown, to
prevent their spreading apart when the brake is applied.
To apply the brake, the plunger 2 is depressed either by operating the usual
hand lever or by other suitable means. This action raises the rear end or ends
of the lever 3 and with them the arms 7, 7, so that the shoes 9,9 press upwards
against the rim 10 and retard the revolution of the wheel. The rotary move-
ment of the wheel tends to carry the brake shoes forward but they are prevented
from going too far by the arms 7, 7 bearing against the blades 11, 11 of the wheel
fork. A spring or springs 12 may be stretched between the shoes 9,9 and
clips 18 adjustably mounted on the blades 11, 11 of the fork to hold the arms
normally in contact with the fork, thus preventing rattle; and these same
springs may also serve to hold the shoes 9,9 normally out of contact with the
rim 10 and to return the brake to its off position after it has been applied.
In some cases it may be desirable to make the arms 7, 7 adjustable in length.
This may be accomplished in various ways, as by jointing the rear ends of the
lever 3 to screws 19 which are adapted to be raised or lowered in suitably tapped
bosses 20 formed on the upper parts of the said armis 7, 7, as shown in part at the
left hand side of Figure II.
Instead of the usual hand lever; a bent hand lever 13 may be pivotted to the
handlebar itself, or preferably to the handle-bar stem 14 by a fulcrum bearing
clip 19, as shown in Figures III and IV. The forward end 16 of the lever is
jointed to the top of the plunger rod, and the rear end 17 thereof is bent up.
When this bent part 17 is pressed forward by the rider's hand or thumb, the

page_text: front end 16 of the lever is depressed, carrying with it the plunger rod 2 and
applying the brake as above described.
It will be obvious that this form of lever may be employed for the operation of
other kinds of plunger actuated brakes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. A velocipede brake, constructed, arranged and adapted to operate sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated.
2. A velocipede brake comprising a lever pivotted above, below, or within the
forkcrown, the front end of such lever being connected to the plunger, and the
rear end of such lever carrying arms or the like, the said arms passing down
either side of the wheel tyre behind the fork and carrying brake shoes, such brake
shoes being adapted to be raised into contact with the rim of the said wheel by
depressing the said plunger, substantially as set forth.
3. In plunger actuated velocipede brakes, the employment of a bent lever
pirotted to the handlebar or the handlebar stem, such bent lever having its
forward end jointed to the plunger rod and its rear end bent up and adapted to be
pressed forward by the rider, substantially as set forth.
4. A velocipede brake lever constructed, arranged, and adapted to operate sub-
tantially as herein described with reference to Figures III and IV of the accom-
panying drawings.