A Brake for a Bicycle or Tricycle or any Vehicle, either Drawn by Horse, or Driven by Mechanical Power.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 27th May, 1898
A Brake for a Bicycle or Tricycle or any Vehicle, either Drawn by
Horse, or Driven by Mechanical Power..
JAMES HOARE, Cab Proprietor, 317, City Road, St. Luke's, E.C., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A trailing or ground brake to take its drag either before or behind the hind
wheel or wheels of any of the above mentioned vehicle's & to be actuated by a
lever or screw.
A Brake for a Bicycle or Tricycle or any Vehicle, either Drawn by
Horse, or Driven by Mechanical Power.
I, JAMES HOARE, of 317, City Road, St. Luke's, in the County of London, Cab
Proprietor, 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 brakes for velocipedes and other road vehicles and com-
prises the improvements hereinafter set forth.
Such brakes as at present usually constructed are applied to one or more of the
wheels of the vehicle and are adapted to retard or arrest the motion thereof by
forming frictional contact with the tyre, or with the rim or felloe, or with some
other part of one or more of the said wheels. This form of brake is found to be
objectionable for many reasons.
According to my invention I provide an improved form of trailing or drag
brake which can be brought into contact with the ground at the will of the rider
of the velocipede or the occupant of the vehicle, thus affording a powerful positive
and easily-operated brake, which will not cause any injury to the tyre or to the rim
or felloe or other part of the wheel, and the use of which will be perfectly safe no
matter how suddenly it may be applied. The wearing portion, moreover, of my
improved brake is very readily renewable.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown in side elevation an application of
my improved brake to a rear-driven safety bicycle.
a is the frame of the bicycle, b is the usual or ordinary brake lever thereof, and c
is the shoe of the drag or trailing brake, which shoe is fitted with a wooden or other
renewable wearing block or piece. The shoe c is formed on, or firmly attached to,

page_text: a forked rod c¹ pivoted at 2 to the rear axle or other convenient part at each side
of the wheel. is one of two springs each of which springs is secured at one end
to one of the screws of the chain adjustment or other support, and at the other
end to one of the arms of the forked rod c¹, and which springs c³ serve to normally
retain the latter in its highest position and the shoe and brake block c off the
ground and out of action.
t
To enable the rider to lower the brake block c and bring it in frictional contact
with the ground, so as to retard or arrest the motion of the bicycle or vehicle, the
drawings show a bell-crank lever d pivoted to a clamp or other connection on the
lower down tube or member of the frame a at or near the steering-head end thereof,
and another bell-crank lever e pivoted to a clamp or connection similarly con-
nected to the said member at or near the bottom-bracket end thereof, the lower,
longer, or one arm of the latter bell-crank lever being formed forked for the pur-
pose hereinafter mentioned. f is a connecting rod with a telescopic joint and clamp
or other adjustment as indicated at f¹ to admit of the lengthening or shortening
of the said rod, and which rod is jointed or connected at one end to the ordinary
brake lever band at the other end to the short or one arm of the bell-crank
lever d. is a connecting rod (the length of which may be adjustable) jointed at
cne end to the long or other arm of the bell-crank lever d and at the other end to
the short or one arm of the second or lower bell-crank lever e each end of the
forked long arm whereof is coupled or connected by means of a rod h (which may
be similarly adjustable in length) to one of the arms of the forked brake rod c³,
as indicated at h¹.
It will be seen that upon raising the outer end of the brake lever b the other.
end thereof will act, through the connecting rod f, bell-crank d, connecting rod g,
bell-crank e, and connecting rods h, to pull or draw down the brake-block c against
the pull of the springs and cause it to bear against the ground, and so form a
drag or trailing brake, the degree of retardation imparted thereby to the motion
of the bicycle or vehicle depending upon the degree of force with which the said
brake-block c is caused to bear against the ground and the amount of friction thus
engendered. Upon releasing the brake lever b, the brake-block c will instantly
return to its normal position under the action of the springs c³ or their equivalent.
It is obvious that, instead of the bell-cranks d and c and connecting rods f, g
and h, one or more wire or other suitable flexible connections may be provided
between the brake-rod c¹ and the brake lever b, the said wire or wires, or it or their
equivalent, being passed round suitable rollers, or the like, secured to the frame of
the machine or vehicle.
Although I have hereinbefore described my improved drag or trailing brake as
mounted upon, and more especially intended for use in connection with, a bicycle,
it will be readily understood that by obvious modifications it is also advantageously
applicable to a vehicle of any other description.
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 drag or trailing brake comprising a renewable wearing block carried by
a fork or support projecting to the rearward of the wheel and pivotally mounted
on the axle or other suitable part of the velocipede or other vehicle, the said wear-
ing block being adapted to be brought into contact with the ground by a lever
and connections.
2. An improved drag or trailing brake comprising a block or pièce mounted
upon, or connected to, a rod or rods pivoted to the rear axle or other suitable part
of the velocipede or other vehicle, and connected to an operating lever through
one or more bell-crank, or other levers, and connecting rods, or by means of a
flexible connection or connections, and a spring or springs or equivalent device
for normally retaining the said brake out of action, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The improved drag or trailing brake constructed substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as and for the purpose
herein before specified.
DJ of Wahmo 1808
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.