Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN BROWNING of, 63, Strand, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with brakes for veloci-
pedes, the object being to provide mechanism of simple construction which will
allow of the brake being readily applied to the back wheel of the machine,
while it may also be used in combination with a second brake coming to bear upon
the front wheel either simultaneously with the back brake, or coming into opera-
tion slightly after same, in which case it need only be brought into use in cases
of emergency,
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide a suitable brake opera-
ting lever or handle pivoted in the usual manner, while beneath same I provide
a second arm or lever pivoted between two lugs, the ends of the two arms or levers
being secured by a short connecting link in such a manner that when the operating
arm or lever is raised to apply the brake in the usual manner the free end of the
second arm or lever is also raised or forced in an upward direction.
The free end of this second lever is then connected with one arm of a bell-crank
lever or the like, arranged near the lower part of the tubular head of the machine,
by a cord, wire, steel band, or the like, the second arm of said bell-crank being then
connected to one of the arms of a second lever of this type operating from the
bracket of the machine, the free arm of this second lever being furnished with a
suitable rod, the end of which carries a brake sole or pad of suitable construction
and which is brought into contact with the back wheel upon operating the brake
handle lever in the ordinary manner.
In connection with the brake above described I may employ a second brake of
the plunger type designed to bear upon the front wheel of the velocipede and
operated by the brake arm or lever in the usual manner, the said second brake
being preferably adjusted in such a manner that upon ordinary pressure being
applied the operating arm or lever, the back brake only is brought into use, but
upon greater pressure being applied or in the case of the back tyre puncturing or
bursting the second brake is brought into operation.
Dated this 25th dar of March 1807

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Brakes for Velocipedes.
."
I, JOHN BROWNING, of, 63, Strand London, Gentleman, 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 relates to improvements in or connected with brakes for veloci-
pedes, the object being to provide mechanism, of simple construction which will
allow of the brake being readily applied to the back wheel of the machine
and which may be also used in combination with a second brake of the ordinary
or well known type coming to bear upon the front wheel either simultaneously
with the back brake or coming into operation slightly after same in which case
it need only be brought into use in cases of emergency.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will now proceed to des-
cribe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 (Sheet, 1)
is a diagrammatic side elevation of a velocipede showing the application of my
improved brake thereto.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the handle bars and the mechanism
carried thereby drawn to an enlarged scale. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views
showing the bell crank lever and its attachment bracket in side elevation and
plan.
Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of the mechanism carried by the handle bars and,
Fig. 6 is a broken view of the brake shoe and lever.
:
Sheet 2, illustrates a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the brake
operating mechanism is somewhat simplified, and in which Fig. 7 is a diagram-
matic side elevation of a velocipede illustrating the application of the modified
form of my invention thereto.
Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of the handle bars and the mechanism
carried by it, drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating the bell crank lever and its attach-
ment bracket or clamp in side elevation and plan.
Fig. 11 is a plan of a portion of the brake operating lever, and
Figs. 12 and 13 are a front elevation and plan respectively of the clamp or
bracket securing the brake lever in position.
According to my invention and referring to Sheet 1 of the accompanying
drawings, I provide a suitable brake operating lever a pivoted in the usual manner
between lugs b beneath the handle bars h, while below same I arrange a second
arm or lever a¹ pivoted between lugs 61, the ends of the two arms or levers a, a¹;
being suitably pivoted or connected together as at c in such a manner that when
the end of the operating arm or lever a is raised to apply the ordinary brake d
on the front wheel by means of the brake rod d¹, the free end of the arm or lever a¹
is raised or forced in an upward direction.
The said free end of the rod or lever!a is secured to the arm e of the bell
crank lever (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) by means of cord, wire, steel band, or the like f
the second arm e¹ of said bell crank lever being similarly connected by a cord,
wire, steel band, or the like f¹ to the brake lever g fitted or furnished with a brake
shoe or pad g¹ of suitable construction.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate in side elevation and plan a suitable bracket i designed
to be secured near the lower part of the tubular head of the machine and suitable
for carrying the bell crank lever hereinbefore referred to, but I wish it to be
understood that I do not restrict myself to the bracket herein illustrated as any
other suitable form of attachment bracket may be employed with equal advantage
In order to operate the brake and apply same to the back wheel of the veloci

page_text: pede, it is only necessary to raise the end c¹ of the brake operating lever a which
causes the free end of the second rod or lever a¹ to be also raised. This, by means
of a connection f raised the arm e, of the bell crank lever herein before referred to
simultaneously drawing back the second arm e¹ which by means of the connec-
tion f draws back the arm g of the brake lever and applies the brake pad or
shoe g' to the back wheel of the velocipede.
In connection with this brake a second brake d of the ordinary plunger type,
designed to bear upon the front wheel of the velocipede and operated by the
brake operating lever a and brake rod may also be employed, the said
second brake being preferably adjusted in such a manner that upon ordinary
pressure being applied to the operating lever a, the back brake only is brought
into use, but upon greater pressure being brought to bear upon the said brake:
operating lever or in the event of the back tyre puncturing or bursting, the second
brake is brought into operation upon the front wheel of the machine.
Sheet 2 of the drawings illustrates a slightly modified form of my invention
wherein the brake operating mechanism is somewhat simplified, while the effect
and action of the brake or brakes is exactly similar to that already described.
According to this form of my invention, the second brake lever a¹ (Fig. 2) is
dispensed with and the brake operating lever a only retained.
The brake operating lever a is carried between lugs b beneath the handle bar h
in the ordinary manner, the end k of said arm or lever a being bent round at right
angles. To the front portion of the brake operating arm or lever a is secured the
brake rod d¹ designed to apply the brake d to the front wheel of the velocipede as
herein before described, while to the end k of the brake operating arm or lever a
is suitably secured one end of a rod or tube m the other end of which is connected
to the arm n of the bell crank lever, the second arm n¹ being connected by means
of a suitable cord, wire, or other suitable connection m' to the brake lever g.
Figs. 9 and 10 show the bell crank lever with its attachments in combination
with a suitable securing clamp i, and Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate in front elevation
and plan a suitable bracket p designed to be bolted upon one of the side stays of
the velocipede frame for the purpose of carrying the brake lever g.
The rods or other connections m, m¹, may be secured to their respective parts
in any suitable manner so as to allow said parts turning or giving with the steering
of the machine or upon operating the brake.
The operation of the modified form of my improved brake is as follows:-
Upon raising the end c¹ of the brake operating arm or lever a the end k is simul-
taneously depressed, the arm n of the bell crank lever being correspondingly
operated through the rod or connection m, while the arm n of said lever is
simultaneously drawn back which by means of the cord, wire, rod or other connec-
tion m³ draws back the brake lever g and applies the brake pall or shoe g¹ to the
back wheel of the velocipede.
I claim for my improved rear wheel brake that the machine can always be easily
and completely controlled, that the brake is applied under the weight of the rider
upon the back wheel which is the most effective place for checking the speed of
the machine, and where it can be applied with least possible strain to the frame of
the velocipede, and without interfering with either balance or steering, whereas
with the ordinary front wheel brake, it is not nearly as easy to control the machine,
there is always serious danger of the front forks, breaking by the strain brought
to bear upon them when applying the brake which furthermore greatly interferes
with the steering and balance of the machine when, riding.
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. The application of af brake to the rear wheel of a velocipede by mechanism
comprising essentially the brake operating arm or lever a, arm or lever a', in com-
bination with bell crank lever r, connections ƒ, f¹, and brake lever g, the whole

page_text: combined and arranged substantially as herein described and shown with reference
to Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
2. The application of a brake to the rear wheel of, a velocipede by mechanism
comprising essentially, brake operating arm or lever a in combination with bell
crank lever a, connections m, m', and brake lever g, the whole combined and
arranged, substantially as herein described and shown with reference to Sheet 2
of the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
3. The application of two brakes, one to the front wheel and one to the rear
wheel of a velocipede, substantially as herein described and shown and for the
purposes specified.
4. In combination with a brake designed to be brought to bear upon the rear
wheel of a velocipede by mechanism such as above claimed; the use of a second
brake designed to be brought to bear upon the front wheel of the velocipede, sub-
stantially as herein described and shown, and for the purposes specified.
5. The improvements,in or connected with brakes for velocipedes, substantially
as herein described and shown, and for the purposes specified.
ՄԵԱ WILDO day, outy
1001.
F. G. CASSELL,
(Of Cassell & Co.)
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.
Agent for the Applicant.