Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1897-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Velocipedes.
1 PIERRE MERCIER of 23 Rue des Moines Paris, France Pharmaceutical
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
eame, is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in brake apparatus for velocipedes and
has for its object to provide a light brake of simple construction which can be
rapidly adapted to a bicycle, tricycle or the like.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sufficient portion of a bicycle to illustrate the
application of my invention thereto,
Fig. 2 showing a modification of the latter.
My invention consists in fitting the brake a b, which according to my improve-
ments, is terminated by a lever cd fulcrumed upon a horizontal rod o p which shall
be hereinafter referred to as the brake rod. This rod o p is fixed by the means
hereinafter described either upon one of the arms f of the front wheel fork or upon
both these arms provided that the said rod is arranged under the horizontal part kh
forming the head of the fork which connects these two arms, and slightly above
the outer periphery of the tyrej and is fitted near the central part of the said arms,
and either in front or behind the same.
In order to be able to readily fit the brake rod to the fork I may use two
different means which are equally simple and practicable and are hereunder set
forth under the headings A and B. The use of such means is the characteristic
feature of my invention as I am thereby enabled to apply the brake to most
bicycles without interfering therewith.
A. I may fix the brake rod to any suitable part of a hinged clip 7 (Fig. 1).
capable of being fitted to one of the arms of the fork, this clip being held in
position by the aid of a butterfly nut turning upon a screw, hinged at the free end
of one side of the clip and taking into a notch found at the corresponding end of
the other side or in any other suitable manner. Fig. 1 shows this arrangement;
d is an eyelet to which is fixed the cord, chain or beit, hereinafter more fully
referred to; a suitable spring such as normally holds the brake away from the
tyre, the rear motion of this brake being stopped by the pin gl which engages in
the notch e formed in the brake. I may however fix the brake rod by its two ends
to two such clips, each of which would clasp one of the arms of the fork. In this
case the rod would consist of two parts telescoping one within the other or arranged
by the side of one another, so that the interval between the clips may correspond
to that between the arms of the fork.
B. In lieu of the above mentioned clips 1 may fix the brake directly to the fork
where above indicated, by replacing the clips as well as the brake rod which was
formed in one piece but will now be divided by the following appliances (Fig. 2)
that is to say :-
1. A tapped coupling sleeve t upon which the brake a bis mounted on its
fulcrum o.
2. Two tapped rods m n and m³ n' representing a divided brake rod.
3. Two small plates and vl arranged at the free ends of the two tapped rods
aforesaid and bearing upon the inside part of the arms of the fork. It will be

page_text: readily understood that by screwing by hand or otherwise in a suitable direction
either the coupling sleeve t t provided for this purpose with a nut e, or the
rods m n, m' n' the latter will be caused to enter more or less within the tube thus
varying the distance between the two plates, if these plates have been placed
between the arms of the fork the brake can be held in that position, by tightly
pressing such plates against these arms.
The above arrangement of plates may be varied by securing them externally to
the arms of the fork instead of. inside the same, these plates being brought in
proximity one to the other instead of being separated by means of a screw as in
the precited arrangement.
In the various arrangements above set forth, the brake can always be placed
either in front or at the rear of the fork which is a decided advantage of my
invention.
To apply the brake upon the wheel of the cycle whereon it is mounted, I may
use a cord, chain or strap one of the ends of which is fixed to the end of the
brake lever by a spring hook or by any other suitable means, while its other end
is passed over the steering bar or handle of the cycle and is secured by a spring
or other hook in the eyelets s formed at suitable intervals along the said cord,
chain or strap g so that the length of the latter may be varied according as required.
Or instead of the eyelets I may simply form knots in the said cord, chain or strap
which will fulfil the same purpose.
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 brake apparatus for velocipedes, the combination with a brake controlled
by a spring and stopping means and terminated by a lever fulcrumed upon a brake
rod which is secured to the arms of the front wheel fork by a clip, of a cord, belt
or chain fixed to the said lever at its lower end whilst its upper end is furnished
with a hook secured, over the steering bar or handle of the machine, to suitable
eyelets or knots formed in the said cord, belt or chain, substantially as herein
described and shewn in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In brake apparatus of the kind above claimed, the modification whereby the
lever is fulcrumed upon a coupling sleeve securing the two inner ends of a divided
brake rod, the outer ends of which are fixed to two plates attached to the arms of
the front wheel forks, substantially as herein described and shewn in Fig. 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. The improved brake apparatus for velocipedes arranged, constructed and
operating substantially as herein described and shewn and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 7th day of May 1807