Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Bicycles and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Bicycles and like Vehicles.
FRANCIS BEAUCHAMP, Sunny Side, The Green, South Tottenham, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Improvements in bicycles and the like vehicles for this purpose I provide means
whereby a brake can be put on by the foot or by hand or both together or seperately
on the front wheel or the back wheel or wheels of a cycle. It is well known that
when a rider is coming down a hill he rests his feet on a convenient part of the
frame of his machine and he finds it very difficult to get his hold on the pedals again
more often than not he fails to catch them. In this invention I provide a foot rest
hung on a pivot to the front part of the frame of a bicycle one end of a lever is
pivotted to the foot rest the other end of the said lever is pivotted to the lever attached
to the handle bar under the foot rest I fix a lug and pivot a rod or a chain thereto
the other end of the rod or the chain is connected to a band brake the rim of the
said band brake in some cases is fixed to the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle or
fixed to the main spindle of a tricycle or fixed to a convenient part of that motion
where gearage is used other than chain. When I apply the brake to the front wheel
of a bicycle I fix a rim to the hub of the wheel the band I apply has two lugs fixed
thereon one has a right hand screw and the other a left hand screw cut therein the
said lugs are provided with a spindle with left and righthand screw to fit into the
same to bind the band together the said spindle is carried up at the side of the fork
or inside to connect the end of the lever attached to the handle bar and it is so
arranged that it can be easily worked by the hand. The left and righthand screw
can be used on the rear hub or any part of the machine where the band brake is
required.
Dated this 20th day of September 1897.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Bicycles and like Vehicles.
I, FRANCIS BEAUCHAMP, of Sunny Side, The Green, South Tottenham, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 means whereby a brake can be applied by the foot or by
the hand of the rider to the front or back wheel or wheels of a bicycle or other like
vehicle

page_text: And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tricycle with my invention applied thereto, the
right hand hind wheel being supposed to be removed, and parts of the frame broken
away in order to show more clearly the parts behind, and Figure 2 a partial side
elevation of the front part of a tricycle or bicycle showing a somewhat different
method of applying the invention, part of the steering fork being supposed to be
broken away to show the mechanism behind.
In Figure 1, A is a brake-sheave fixed on the rear axle B of the machine. In the
case of a bicycle this brake-sheave would be fixed on the hub of the driving wheel.
C is a brake strap partly encircling the brake-sheave A and fixed at one end, by a
pin-joint or otherwise, as at D for example, to a rigid part of the frame. The other
end of the brake-strap C is connected to one end of a rod, wire, chain or cord E, the
opposite end of which is connected to the free end of a lever arm F pivotted to
the front part of the frame at G. H is a pin projecting laterally from the side of the
lever arm F. The brake-strap C is normally held free of the brake-sheave A by its
natural tendency to spring open, it being preferably made of spring steel lined, if
desired, with leather or other comparatively soft material, or by means of any
suitably applied spring.
It will now be understood that when the rider desires to apply the brake-strap C
to the sheave A he has only to place his foot on the laterally projecting-pin H and to
press it forward, thereby turning the lever arm F on its pivot G, and exerting tension
on the rod E, which draws the strap C into frictional contact with the sheave A, and
the progress of the machine is retarded. Then on removing the pressure of his foot
from the pin H the brake-strap C springs open and the brake action is stopped.
A method of applying the brake to the front or steering wheel is also shown in
Figure 1. In this case the brake-sheave 'A' is fixed on the hub of the front wheel.
The brake-strap C¹ is fixed at one end as at D¹ to an arm I fixed to or formed with
the steering fork J or the fixed axle K. The other end of the brake-strap C¹
is jointed to a sliding rod E¹ guided at its upper end in a socket L fixed to one side
of the steering fork J.
When the rider desires to apply the brake to the front wheel, he places his foot on
the upper end E2 of the rod E' and presses it downwards; this tightens the brake
strap Con to the sheave A¹, thus braking the front wheel. Then on removing the
pressure of his foot from E2, the brake strap C¹ opens, releasing the sheave A¹ and
stopping the brake action as before.
Instead of applying pressure with the foot direct to the top E2 of the rod E¹, any
convenient arrangement of lever may be interposed between the foot and the rod E¹
whereby additional power may be obtained.
In the modification shown in Figure 2, A¹ is the brake-sheave as before, fixed on the
hub of the front wheel. C2 is the brake-strap, the ends C3 C of which, however, are
formed as screw nuts, one, tapped with a right handed screw-thread and the other with
a left handed thread: Ez is a rod or spindle screwed at its lower end with right and
left handed threads adapted to fit the internal threads of the nuts C3 C. This
screwed rod E2 is guided at its upper end by passing through guide lugs M and N,
the former fixed to or forming part of the crown of the steering spindle, and the
latter fixed to or forming part of the upper end of the steering spindle. The upper
end of the screwed rod E2 is provided with a milled head E3, or any other suitable
handle, by means of which it can be rotated at pleasure.
When the brake is to be applied, the rider turns the rod E2 by means of the head
E3 or other handle, which is preferably placed in close proximity to the steering bar.
This has the effect of drawing the two nuts C3 C4 towards one another and of
tightening the brake-strap C on the brake-sheave A¹. On turning the rod E2 in
the reverse direction the nuts C3 C4 are separated, and the brake-strap C² released
from the sheave A¹. It will be understood that the brake-strap C² and its actuating
rod E2 are free to follow the movements of the steering' spindle and fork so as to
maintain at all times their proper relative positions to the brake-sheave A¹ on the

page_text: hub of the front wheels; also that the nuts C3 C4, or at all events one of them, can be
detached from the brake strap to enable them to be screwed on to the screwed part
of the rod E2; likewise that in order to enable the nut C³ to be got on to the
correspondingly threaded part of the rod from the bottom the lower part of the
rod may be made of smaller diameter so that it can pass clear through the nut C³
before the nut C4 is screwed on to such lower part. Or, if preferred, the nut C³
may be passed on to its thread over the upper part of the rod E2, the head E³ or
other handle being made removable to allow that to be done.
The arrangement of right and left handed screwed spindle and corresponding nuts
on the brake strap shown in Figure 2 may be applied to the rear wheel or wheels
by arranging the spindle so that its upper end is guided by suitable lugs on the
frame of the machine, and stands in a convenient position for the rider to reach its
actuating head or handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
First. In a cycle or other like vehicle, mechanism for applying a brake to the
rear wheel or wheels, which consists of a lever arm pivotted to the front part of the
frame, adapted to be operated by the foot of the rider, and connected by a rod, wire,.
chain, cord or other similar. device to brake gear connected with the rear wheel or
wheels, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
Second. In a cycle or other like vehicle, mechanism for applying a brake to the
front wheel which consists of a sliding rod adapted to slide on the steering fork and
to be operated by the foot of the rider, and connected to brake gear adapted to act
on the front wheel, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the
drawings.
Third. In a cycle or other like vehicle, mechanism for applying a brake to the
wheel or wheels which consists of a rod or spindle having formed on it right and left
handed screw threads, and corresponding nuts on the ends of the brake-strap,
adapted to receive the screw threads on the spindle, combined and operating
substantially as described.
Fourth. The improved mechanism for applying brakes to the wheel or wheels
of cycles or other like vehicles in the various forms, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1808
F. BEAUCHAMP,
Per W. H. Beck, Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.