Improvements in and connected with Wheel Brakes.
Year: 1893

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 26th day of March 1895, allowed,
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of this
Specification.
Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Wheel Brakes.
I, JAMES ALBERT FALLOWs of Half Edge Lane Eccles in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to brakes for wheels and other revolving bodies and
consists in improvements in the construction and manner of operating what are
known as band, drum or continuous brakes, part of my invention being applicable
also to other forms of brakes.
The object of this invention is chiefly to make a more effective brake.
The improvements consist firstly in the construction of the band, its manner of
application and in the method of operating the same, and secondly in the means for
operating such band brakes and brakes of other construction.
In carrying out my first improvement. I make an endless band preferably of
channelled form on its inside circumference, of somewhat larger diameter and
circumference than the drum upon which the band acts. I form and fit a hollow
or tubular air-tight lining or face of some suitable flexible material, such as india-
rubber or india-rubber and canvas or other composite material, into the channelled
band in a secure manner, by making the channel and base of the lining or face of
dovetail section and cementing, or otherwise. I lead a pipe or form a passage into
the tubular lining through a hole in the band, preferably. I support and fix the
band concentrically round or over the drum and I connect the tubular lining
through the hole or passage by means of a pipe with an air-pump, compressed-air-
chamber or equivalent thereof which may be charged and the contents displaced to
expand or inflate the tubular lining which thereupon hears upon the face of the
drum. A suitable regulating valve may be interposed between the band and the
air-pump or equivalent, and operated in any convenient way.
In carrying out the second part of my invention which relates to means for
operating such band brake and is specially applicable to velocipedes and other road
carriages, the drum being fixed to or formed with the hub of the wheel, I provide
a pump, accumulator or equivalent thereof of suitable construction and I arrange
this pump or equivalent in such manner that it may be charged by the movement
of the saddle or body or frame of the vehicle upon the springs. In the case of
velocipedes, the saddle may be hinged so that upon moving the weight of the body,
the saddle may tilt and so compress a self-charging flexible chamber or operate a
pump connected with the band. Or the flexible chamber or pump may be placed
D

page_text: so that the weight or a movement of the body or part thereof will operate the same
directly or through the medium of a lever, band or equivalent thereof.
The means by which the compression of the air is effected may be controlled
from the handle bar of the machine by a cord or its equivalent.
When a regulating or controlling valve is used between the pump or accumulator
and the brake band may operate such valve from the handle-bar of the machine
by means of a cord or equivalent.
I may also attach the various parts constituting the brake or apparatus in such
manner that they may be readily attachable and detachable.
For the purpose of applying this invention to velocipedes which are not fitted
with a band brake, I may make and apply a drum upon which the band acts to the
wheel by screws into the hub, or by forming the dram in segments and causing it
to clip the flange of the hub or by clamping the drum to the hub or to the spokes
of the wheel near to the hub flange by means of a plate or plates and screws so that
it may be readily attached by any unskilled person.
Dated this 8th day of December 1893.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in and connected with Wheel Brakes.
I, JAMES ALBERT FALLOWS of 14 Half Edge Lane Eccles in the County of
Lancaster, Manager 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 means for operating the brakes of wheels and
other revolving bodies and consists in improvements in the construction of and
manner of operating what are known as band drum or continuous-brakes, part of my
invention being applicable also to other forms of brakes, such means any invention
being more particularly intended for the brakes of velocipedes but also applicable
to brakes for other machines.
The object of this invention is to make a-more-effective brake than those hitherto
in-use-and to facilitate the putting on and taking off of the brake. I attain these
this object by attaching or forming a hollow or tubular lining or face of some
flexible-aterial to or on the inside of a fixed endless band or shroud-entirely
surrounding a drum or pulley on the shaft to be arrested, and bringing the hollow
flexible lining or face-into contact with said drum or pulley by inflating-the-sume by
means certain improved methods of compressing a flexible air-chamber in tubular
connection therewith or by means of an equivalent-air-compressing apparatus, and
secondly by effecting the compression of the air-chamber or operating an equivalent
air compressor with the brake viz. by means of a movement of the saddle of a
velocipede or of the body of the rider. In pneumatic brakes hitherto proposed for
velocipedes and operated by inflating a hollow flexible pad or block, said pad
or block has been made only of short length and arranged to not on the tyre of the
wheel, in consequence of which the gripping surface is only small and in dump
weather the space between bleek and tyre is liable to become choked with mud,
which impedes the driving and prevents-the-certain nation of the brake, and such for
example a the pneumatic brake for which Letters Patent No. 16581 of 1893 have been
obtained the inflation is effected by compressing an air chamber or its equivalent by
hand, which necessitates taking the hand off the handle bar ut times when a perfect
control of the same-is-most-required. These defects are obviated by my improve-
ments, as by using a band entirely surrounding a drum or pulley on the shaft-u

page_text: large gripping surface protected against mud is obtained, and by operating the
brake According to my invention 1 effect this application of air pressure to the brake
by a movement of the body or saddle, both hands enn remaining on the handle bar.
On the drawing appended hereunto
Figs. 1 and 2 show a saddle with air chamber or bellows attached and lever
arrangement for compressing the same, in side and end views;
Figs. 3 and 4 the improved brake in side-view and end view show a circumferential
pneumatic brake to which the improvements constituting my invention are shown applied.
This form of brake however is no part of my present invention but is merely introduced
to render the application of my improved air compressing arrangements more clear.
Figs. 5 and 6 show a saddle with air chamber or flask attached to be compressed
by the rider leaning or moving backwards, in side and end views.
Figs. 7 and 8 show a saddle hinged to the frame for operating the air chamber
or compressor, in side and end views.
In carrying out-my-first-improvements, I fix upon the shaft to-be-braked
Refering to Figs. 3 and 4 a pulley or drum a in any convenient way, is fixed upon
the shaft in any convenient manner.
In the case of velocipedes this drum will preferably be attached to the hub a' or
formed as part thereof. I surround this pulley or drun with an endless band or
shroud preferably of channelled form on its outside eircumference as shown, of
somewhat larger inside diameter than the drum, and fix the same to the frame of
the machine by means of a bracket c or in any other convenient way concentrically
with the drum or pulley.
I form and fit a hollow or tubular airtight lining d or face of some suitable
Hexible material, such as indiarubber or indiarubber and canvas or other composite
material into the channelled band in a secure manner, by making the channel and
base of the lining of dovetail section and cementing, or otherwise. I lead a pipe
or form a passage into the tubular lining through a hole in the band preferably on
the outer periphery of the same, and connect the inside of the lining d through
this hole or passage by means of a tube e with an air pump, compressed-air-chamber,
indiarubber-flask-or--equivalent thereof, which can be charged and its contents
displaced to one of the particular arrangements of air compressor forming the subject
matter of my present intention so as to expand or inflate the tubular lining which
thereupon will press upon the face of the drum or pulley a all round the same.
A-suitable-regulating valve may be interposed between the band and the air
compressor or equivalent and operated in any convenient way. This brako may be
used for velocipedes, onrriages, sewing machines, or any other machine for which it
may be found suitable.
The second part of my invention relates to means for operating pneumatic-brakes
of the kind hereinbefore-described and is specially applicable to velocipedes-and
other road carriages. The drum being fixed to or formed with the hub of the
wheel, I provide a pump, air flask or equivalent thereof of suitable construction
and arrange-this pump or equivalent in such a manner that it may be operated-for
inflating the flexible liner of the brake or its equivalent by the-movement of the
saddle or-of the-body of the rider or driver.
On the drawing several arrangements are shown representing the manner in.
which this part of my invention may be applied to velocipedes.
On the drawing several arrangements are shown representing my improved modes of
operating the aforesaid air compressors as applied to velocipede.
In the arrangement represented by Figs 1 and 2, a lever is hinged to a plate k
fixed upon the springs g which support the saddle /. The part of the lever near
to its fulcrum is made broad and between it and the plate k a wedge shaped india-
rubber air chamber or flask or equivalent pair of bellows is placed the interior of
which communicates with pipe e. By leaning or moving backwards on the saddle
the rider turns the lever backwards into the position indicated in dotted lines and
compresses the air chamber, thereby displacing the air from the same and inflating
the flexible, hollow liner or face of the brake band. The upper part f' of the lever

page_text: is preferably connected to the other part by a hinged joint, so that it can be
turned down for convenience in mounting the velocipede.
In the arrangement represented by Figs. 5 and 6, a hollow indiarubber pad or
flask m is attached to a bracket n fixed to the back of the saddle frame and
connected by tube e to the brake liner and is compressed by the rider by leaning
backwards for putting on the brake.
In the arrangement represented by Figs. 7 and 8, the entire saddle h and
supporting spring frame g is fixed to a carrier o which is hinged to the frame p.
The latter is formed with a plate p' extending backwards, and the carrier o is
formed with a similar plate o. Between the plates p' and o' an indiarubber or
equivalent air cushion or pad is placed, the interior of which is connected to the
brake liner by tube e. By leaning or moving back on the saddle the pad is com-
pressed and the brake put on. With this arrangement I preferably use a valve
inserted at any convenient part of the tube e into the same and so arranged that it
is kept closed by the air pressure in the pad but opens freely to allow the air to
return from the brake liner to the same, and I open this valve by means of a cord
or wire pull operated by a finger of the hand on the handle bar when the brake is
to be put on. This valve is used for the purpose of preventing the brake being
put on by an accidental movement of the rider, when not required, and to keep the
air confined in the pad r and make it serve as an additional elastic cushion for the
saddle.
In all the arrangements described the elasticity of the air pad, flask or chamber
causes the same to resume its original form and withdraw the air from the brake
block or liner when the pressure is removed. I may however use springs for
effecting this purpose and use airtight flexible chambers enclosed between plates or
otherwise or equivalent air pumps or compressors. The brake pulley or its
equivalent may be made in halves and the other parts likewise arranged so that
they are readily attachable and detachable.
I do not confine myself to the arrangements represented on the drawings and
herein before described for compressing the flexible air chamber or equivalent by
the moven.ent of the rider or saddle, but these may be varied suitably to the
construction of the saddle or velocipede. Similar arrangements may be used in
connection with the drivers scat where the pneumatic brake is applied to carriages
or other road vehicles.
The arrangements for operating pneumatic brakes herein before described may
also be applied to such brakes in which the hollow liner or block does not entirely
encircle a drum or equivalent and acts upon the tyre or felloe of the wheel directly
or through the intervention of a hinged or sliding brake shoe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a pneumatic brake the arrangement of a fixed band or shrond-containing a
hollow airtight clustic liner or face entirely encircling a dram or equivalent
attached to or formed on the shaft or wheelhub and pressed upon said drum-or
equivalent by inflation, substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
2. 1. Actuating the air compressor or equivalent of a pneumatic brake for a
velocipede or other road vehicle by means of a movement of the body of the rider
or driver on the saddle or seat substantially as herein before described.
3.2. The arrangement of a lever at the back of the saddle or seat for actuating
the air compressor or equivalent of a pneumatic brake for a velocipede or other
road vehicle by means of a backward movement of the body of the rider or driver
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the
drawings.
43. The arrangement of an air pad or equivalent fixed at the back of and above
the saddle or seat of a velocinede or other road vehicle for actuating a pneumatic

page_text: brake by the rider or driver leaning back substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.
5. 4. In velocipedes and other road vehicles the arrangement of a hinged saddle
or seat supported by an air cushion or its equivalent for the purpose of actuating a
pneumatic brake by compressing said air cushion or equivalent by the rider or
driver shifting his weight substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Dated thio 8th day of September 1894
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.