Foot-brake for Safety and other Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Foot-brake for Safety and other Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Wheeled Vehicles.
WILLIAM HENRY KITTO, the Octagon Plymouth Devon, Accountant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To consist of a lever being attached to the footrest or framework of a Safety or
other bicycle, tricycle or other wheeled vehicle, which will form a fulcrum for the
lever to work, by pulling a rod attached to the brake spoon, brake spoon-rod, or
band brake rod.
Further description.
(1) A lever, one end of which is attached to the framework or footrest of the above
Machines the other end is acted on by the foot. To the lever is attached one end of
a rod (2) the other end being fixed to the ordinary brake. The lever works the rod,
the rod applies the brake.

page_text: wheeled venicles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY KITTO, of the Octagon, Plymouth, in the county of Devon,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to a device for augmenting the brake power on safety bicycles,
tricycles, and other velocipedes in which the brake power is applied by means of a
lever pivotted on the transverse steering handle bar, and adapted to be operated by
the hand of the rider.
At the present time the most popular types of both bicycles and tricycles are those
steered by a single front wheel, and it is usual in this type of machine to apply the
brake power to the periphery of the steering wheel by means of a spoon lever,
operated by a hand lever pivotted to the transverse handle bar. Owing to the
application of the brake power to one wheel only a great strain is thrown on the
hand of the rider controlling the brake lever, and it is to obviate this strain that is
the object of my invention, and I attain this end by pivotting on one or both sides of
the fork carrying the steering wheel, a lever carrying at its free end a foot bar
preferably clothed with rubber as footrests are. From any convenient point in this
lever to obtain the required leverage a rod extends upwards to the brake spoon or its
connecting rod or lever to which it is connected in a suitable manner, so that the foot
lever pivotted on the fork and the hand lever pivotted on the handle bar, act
synchronously to operate the brake spoon.
.
On all machines having footrests on the fork carrying the steering wheel, I prefer
to pivot the lever or levers on to them, or in such close proximity thereto as to
enable the footlever to be operated without removing the foot from the said footrest.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I herewith append drawings
illustrating some methods of carrying it into practical effect, and will proceed to
describe the same.
Throughout the several views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
Figure 1. Sheet No. 1. is a view in side elevation of the steering wheel of a front
steering bicycle or tricycle having a spoon brake acting on the front wheel, and
fitted with my invention. V. designates the steering wheel mounted in a fork. W.
extending upwards as a steering post X. to carry the head or socket to connect the
backbone Y. and to carry the transverse handle bar Z. all in the well-known manner.
A spoon brake, consisting of a brake spoon lever A. pivotted to the crown of the
fork W, a hand lever B, pivotted to the handle bar Z, and a connecting rod or lever C.
connecting the brake spoon lever A. with the hand lever B, is fitted in the well-known
manner. So far no novel features are presented. On to the pin w. fixed to the side
of the fork W. to carry the footrest W is pivotted a lever B₁ carrying at its free end
a rubber clothed bar B³. To the brake spoon lever A. is pivotted by the pin a. that
connects the said spoon lever to the connecting rod or lever C, a rod C shaped to

page_text: clear the periphery of the wheel V, and threaded at its free end to engage with a
swivelling nut b. mounted on the foot lever B¹ and to connect the said foot lever with
the brake spoon. By forming a screw connection between the rod C¹ and the foot
lever B¹ the position of the footlever may be varied as desired, and in applying this
device to existing types of machines it also provides a means of adapting the device
to the various positions in which the footrests are placed. If desired any other
suitable manner of varying the effective length of the rod C¹ may be adopted.
Figure 2. Sheet No. 1. is a view in side elevation showing a modification of my
device, more specially adapted for fitting to machines already constructed of which
the types are innumerable. In this case a double stirrup footlever B¹ replaces the
simple footlever as illustrated by Figure 1. Sheet No. 1. This having a bearing on
each end of the footrest pin w. gives a steady fulcrum, and avoids all chance of the
lever being bent inwards so as to catch the spokes of the wheel. The top end of the
connecting rod C is also modified in shape to allow it to be screwed down to
the top of the spoon lever, instead of being connected to the joint thereof, as herein-
before described.
Figure 3. Sheet No. 1. is a view in front elevation showing another modification
more specially adapted for fitting to machines during construction. In this case the
connecting rod C. extends direct from the hand lever B. to the footlever B¹ a finger c,
adjustably mounted on the said rod, engages with the spoon lever A. and so imparts
motion to it either from the hand lever or foot-lever, or from both synchronously.
Figure 4. Sheet No. 2. is a view in side elevation showing a modification of my
device applied to a brake connection operating a spoon or drum brake on the
driving wheel or wheels. The rod C¹ is coupled either directly or indirectly on to
the rod C, or on to the bell-crank.which reverses the direction of the motion of the
rod C. In this case the footlever B¹ is arranged to place the footbar B' in the rear of
the footrest W. When desired this arrangement may also be used with a spoon
brake acting on the steering wheel as illustrated by Figure 1. Sheet No. 1. by either
shaping the rod C¹ to carry it to the rear of the footrest, or by carrying out a pivot in
front of the fork to place the fulcrum of the footlever in advance of the connection
of the rod C¹ therewith, and the footbar B* in the rear of the footrest W¹.
Figures 5. and 6. Sheet No. 2. are views in side elevation and plan respectively, on
an enlarged scale, showing a method of attaching my device to the fork of any
machine without any drilling or other machine work. The lever B' is pivotted by a
pin d. to a bracket D, shaped to fit on the fork W. and adapted to be clamped thereto
by the screw d' and clamp piece D' as illustrated. By extending the bracket D. to
carry the pivot d. further forwards, the footlever may be reversed to bring the footbar
in the rear of the footrest, as hereinbefore described.
It will be obvious that footlevers connected with the brake may be mounted on both
sides of the fork carrying the steering wheel if desired, to allow either or both the
feet to assist in operating the brake.
I am aware that the brakes of velocipedes have already been operated by footlevers,
as instanced by the Patents of J. and J. K. Starley No. 4478. of 1876. and of
J. Appleby No. 9256 of 1884, and I therefore do not claim such an arrangement
broadly, but
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 :-
1st. In a velocipede, augmenting the brake power by means of a foot lever
constructed and operating specifically as set forth.
2nd. In a velocipede having a spoon brake acting on the front steering wheel, and
controlled by a hand lever pivotted on the transverse steering handle bar, augment-
ing the power of such brake by means of a foot lever, constructed, arranged, and
operating as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 1. Sheet No. 1. of the
accompanying drawings.
3rd. In a velocipede having a spoon brake acting on the front steering wheel and
controlled by a hand lever pivotted on the transverse steering handle bar, augmenting

page_text: the power of such brake by means of a foot lever constructed, arranged, and operating
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 2. Sheet No. 1. of the accompanying
drawings.
4th. In a velocipede having a spoon brake acting on the front steering wheel and
controlled by a hand lever pivotted on the transverse steering handle bar, augmenting
the power of such brake by means of a foot lever, constructed, arranged, and operating
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 3. Sheet No. 1. of the accompanying
drawings.
5th. In a velocipede having a brake acting on the driving wheel or wheels and
controlled by a lever pivotted on the handle bar controlling the front steering wheel
or wheels, the device for augmenting the power of such brake, as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figure 4. Sheet No. 2. of the accompanying drawings.
6th. In a velocipede, the device for attaching an auxiliary foot brake for augmenting
the power of the hand lever brake as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figure 5. and 6. of the accompanying drawings.
7th. In a velocipede the combination with the steering-wheel spoon brake and its
operating hand lever, of the foot lever B¹ pivotted directly, or indirectly, to the fork
carrying the said steering wheel, and connected to the brake spoon lever, or its
connecting rod, as and for the purpose set forth.
8th. In a velocipede the combination with the steering-wheel spoon brake and its
operating hand lever, of the foot-lever B₁ the foot-bar B2 the connecting rod C¹ and
the swivel nut b. all combined, arranged, and operating, as and for the purpose
set forth.
9th. In a velocipede having a brake operated by a hand lever pivotted on the handle
bar controlling the steering wheel, the combination with the footrests fixed to the fork
carrying steering wheel, or wheels, of one or more footlevers pivotted on the pins of
the said footrests and connected directly or indirectly with the hand lever operating
the said brake, as and for the purpose set forth.
10th. In a velocipede having a brake operated by a hand lever pivotted or fulcrated
on the handle bar controlling the steering wheel, the combination with the said hand
lever and the brake connections, of the footlever B', the footbar B' the connecting
rod C, the swivel nut b. or its equivalent, the bracket D, the clamp piece D¹ the
screw d¹ and the pivot pin d. all combined, arranged, and operating as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 17th dex of October 1888
1888
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.