Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
1, CHARLES HENRY RICHARDSON, of 10, Berkeley Square, Clifton; Bristol,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to means for braking bicycles.
According to this invention, braking is effected by means of a brake block
connected by a suitable rod to the usual brake handle; the block being hinged to
the frame and so placed as to bear, when applied, against a circular flat ring of
steel, or other suitable metal, carried on the inner face of the rim of the rear
wheel with which the ring is concentric. The said circular flat ring is kept in
place on the wheel by the spokes, which pass through holes made therefor in the
ring, and also by a plate or plates soldered to the wheel rim and to the ring.
The brake block, which may consist of a backing plate of steel faced with
leather, or may be of any other suitable construction, is applied to the ring through
the brake handle and the rod connecting the block and the handle.
Release is effected through the usual spring at the brake handle.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent..
I, CHARLES HENRY RICHARDSON, of 10 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 improved means for braking bicycles.
According to my invention a brake block or shoe is fitted to bear, when applied,
against a band of steel or other suitable metal or material carried on the inner face
or perimeter of one of the wheel rims-preferably that of the rear wheel. The.
brake block or shoe is hinged to the cycle frame and is applied through a lever
pivotted to the handle-bar which said lever is connected to the brake block or
shoe by a rod, or rods, or by a system of levers, or by any other suitable means.
A spring is fitted to act on the brake so as to normally withdraw it from contact
with the band aforesaid, and the resistance of this spring is overcome by actuation
of the brake handle in applying the brake. By the rebound of the spring, when
the brake handle is released, the brake is brought out of contact with the band.
The spring may be situated in proximity to the handle-bar or it may be placed
elsewhere in the system of connections by which the brake block or shoe is linked.

page_text: plate which
to the lever by which it is put into action. It is preferably situated near the
brake block or shoe. The band, which is concentric with the wheel, may be
soldered or otherwise securely attached to the wheel rim and to a
extends around the wheel. The nipples for the spokes of the wheel are passed
through apertures made therefor in the band.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 illustrates, in side view, my improved method of braking cycle wheels as
applied according to one arrangement thereof.
Fig. 2 represents a plan of the brake block or shoe drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line a a, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shows part of the steering handle bar and a lever for applying the
brake.
The brake block a, which, in the example illustrated, is a shoe of steel or other
suitable metal carrying a pad of leather, is pivotted on a suitable pivot pin 6 fixed
in the back stay c of the bicycle frame. The brake block or shoe may be otherwise
suitably hinged to the frame. Towards the other end of the brake block or shoe
is connected one end of a rod d which extends to the steering handle-bar e, Fig. 4,
and is thereat linked to the brake handle e' pivotted at e² to the steering handle-
bar. A spring is coiled upon the pin b. One end of the spring bears on the
shoe a and the other end is run into and is firmly held in a recess in the stay c.
The spring tends constantly to keep the brake off. Soldered, or otherwise
firmly secured, to the wheel rim g, Fig. 3, is a band of steel or other suitable
metal or material. This band extends in the form of a hoop round the perimeter
of the wheel rim and is concentric therewith. The nipples for the spokes pass
through apertures inade therefor in the band. The band constitutes the friction
surface to which the brake block a is applied when the outer end of the hand
lever el, Fig. 4, is drawn inwards towards the handle-bar to put on the brake.
The band is also soldered or otherwise securely attached to a plate i which is
extended round the side face of the wheel rim g and is soldered thereto.
Instead of being situated in the position shown in the drawings, the spring by
which the brake is pulled off may be situated near the handle-bar, or at any other
point suitable for its action. It need not be a coiled spring, but may be flat,
serpentine, or of other conformation.
Instead of being placed on one side of the inner surface of the wheel rim, as
shown in Fig. 3, the band may be placed on the inner side of the wheel rim in the
middle position, as shown in Fig. 5, in which case the brake block will be divided
into two separate parts, or duplicated, as indicated in Fig. 5, both parts being
actuated by the same hand-lever.
At Fig. 6 is shown in side elevation a modification in the method by which the
brake block a is connected to the hand lever by which it is applied to the band h.
In this arrangement the brake shoe is extended to form a bell-crank lever and the
connection thereof with the hand lever by which the brake is applied is made by a
system of rods d connected to cranks such as j pivotted at suitable points in the
frame of the machine.
Fig. 7 represents a back view of the brake bell-crauk, the spring and the
stay c. The connecting rods and levers may suitably follow the general outline
of the frame of the machine. The spring coiled around the pivot pin b acts
upon the tail a' of the bell-crank lever. By a forward pull on the tail a' exerted
through the rod d the spring f' is tightened and the brake block is forced into
contact with the hoop h. When the pull is relaxed the spring f¹ rebounds and
draws the brake out of contact with the hoop h.
In the examples above described and shown in the accompanying drawings the
brake is applied to the rear wheel of the cycle, but as is obvious, it may be
readily adapted to a front wheel. It is also obvious that the band for the brake
may be made integral with the rim, without departing from the principle of my
invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved means for braking bicycles, consisting of a circular band
attached to the inner side of the wheel rim, and a brake block arranged for
operating in conjunction therewith, substantially as described.
2. A brake for bicycles consisting of a brake block pivotted to the frame of
the machine and acted upon by spring pressure, or the equivalent thereof, so as
to be kept normally out of contact with a hoop or band, carried on the inner
face of the rim, the said brake block being connected by a rod or rods, or
equivalent device, to a hand lever for actuating the same, substantially as.
hereinbefore described.
Deted this 15th day of January 1897.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent..