Improvements in Brakes for Velocipedes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Brakes for Velocipedes.
I, HEINRICH SECK, of 15, Leubnitzerstrasse, Dresden, in the Kingdom of
Saxony and Empire of Germany, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved brake for velocipedes which is operated
by back pedalling, and which may be applied to the hub of the back wheel as
well as to the crank axle, I shall here describe the invention as applied to the
back axle.
The hub fixed to the back wheel carries the usual chain wheel loosely mounted
thereon, and a fixed drum having two annular flanges forming frictional surfaces
encircling a split ring or strap which will either act so as to propel, or so as to
retard the machine, that is to say which will act as a propelling clutch when
forward pedalling, and as a retarding brake when back pedalling, as the case
may be.
The open ends of said split ring or strap are separately connected with a lever
by means of two bolts, the opposite end of said lever being coupled by means
of a bolt with the said loosely mounted chain wheel. When forward pedalling,
the said chain wheel will cause the said lever to pull the open ends of the ring
or strap away from each other so that the outer surface of the latter will be
pressed against the inner surface of the outer annular frictional surface of the
said fixed drum which is thereby rotated, and being fixed to the hub, will im-
part its rotary motion to the said hub and the back wheel. The latter, there-
fore, will have to follow the forward pull of the chain and the forward revolution
of the chain wheel.
Now, if it is desired to interrupt such propelling revolution and to stop the
machine, it will be necessary only to cease with forward pedalling and commence
to back pedal whereby the loose chain wheel is brought to rest under the strain
of the chain. Simultaneously with the chain wheel the bolt coupling said wheel
with the said opposite end of the aforesaid lever will likewise come to rest whilst
the back wheel and its hub with the said fixed drum are continuing their rotary
movement. This will cause the said lever held fast at its said opposite end by the
chain wheel to which it is bolted, to draw away the said elastic strap; the open
ends of which are separately attached to said lever by means of bolts, as set
forth; from the annular inner face of the outer flange or frictional surface of
the said drum and to compress it in a reversed direction so that the said split
ring or strap will, for a time, be free of contact with either frictional surface of
said drum and thus at rest. Now, on continuing back pedalling and thereby
increasing the retrograde movement of the chain wheel, the open ends of the
strap will be drawn towards each other, and this will cause the inner surface
of the latter to be laid snugly around and against the annular outer face of the
said inner flange or frictional surface of the said drum. The strap will then
Du Q71

page_text: not act propelling any more, but its action will now be that of a brake and cause
the hub with its connected back wheel to be brought to a standstill by the said
retained drum fixed to the said hub.
Thus it will be noticed that, according to this invention, the same strap is
adapted to do the dual office of a propeller and a brake.
I, HEINRICH SECK, of 15, Leubnitzerstrasse, Dresden, in the Kingdom of
Saxony and Empire of Germany, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved brake for velocipedes which is operated
by the act of back pedalling. The said brake may be applied to the hub of the
rear wheel or to the crank axle.
I will however hereinafter describe the invention as applied to the rear axle
of a velocipede.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved brake, partly in section,
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, and
The hub a of the rear wheel is provided with the usual chain wheel 6 loosely
mounted thereon, and with a fixed drum e having two annular flanges d and e
forming frictional surfaces between which is arranged an interrupted ring or
strap adapted to propel the vehicle, or so as to retard the same, that is to say
which will act as a propelling clutch when pedalling forward, and as a brake
when back pedalling.
The ends of the strap f are separately connected with a lever h by means of
two bolts gg, the opposite portion of the said lever being pivoted by means of a
bolt to the loosely mounted chain wheel b.
When forward pedalling, the said wheel will cause the said lever to move the
ends of the strap f away from each other so that the outer surface of the latter
will be pressed against the inner surface of the outer annular frictional surface d
of the fixed drum c which will be thereby rotated, and consequently also the hub a,
and the rear wheel, which latter will therefore follow the forward movement of
the chain and chain wheel.
Now, if it is desired to release the propelling mechanism and to stop the
machine, it will only be necessary to back pedal, so that the loose chain wheel
is brought to rest under the action of the chain. At the same time the bolt i
will also come to rest whilst the rear wheel and its hub a with the fixed drum c
continue to rotate. This will cause the lever held fast at its said opposite end
to the chain wheel to draw away the elastic strap f from the annular inner face
of the outer flange or frictional surface d of the drum c and to compress it in
the reverse direction so that the said strap will, for a moment, be free from con-
tact with either frictional surface of said drum and thus at rest. If back pedal-
ling is continued and the retrograde movement of the chain wheel thereby
increased, the ends of the strap f will be drawn towards each other, and this

page_text: will cause the inner surface of the latter to be compressed around and against
the annular outer face of the inner flange or frictional surface e of the drum c.
The strap will therefore not act to propel the vehicle but will operate as a brake
and prevent the further rotation of the hub with its connected rear wheel.
It will therefore be understood that, according to this invention, the same
strap is adapted to serve a double purpose, that is to say, on the one hand it will
serve as a means of propelling the vehicle and on the other hand as a brake to
stop the same.
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―
A brake for cycles having two frictional surfaces (d and e) secured to the hub
either of the crank or of the rear wheel, and a ring or strap (f) arranged between
the said frictional surfaces, the said strap being coupled to the loosely mounted
chain wheel by means of a lever (h) and acting, when pedalling forward against
one of the frictional surfaces so as to propel the machine, and when back-pedal-
ling, against the other of the said surfaces so as to stop the machine.
Paten
LIL18
So ay 01 April 1000.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.