Year: 1885

page_text: I EDWARD PORTER HOWE of Northborough in the Commonwealth of Massa-
chusetts one of the United States of America Machinist do hereby declare the
nature of 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 relating to a brake for velocipedes is shown as applied to a
tricycle and consists essentially of an air forcing device or pump actuated while the
tricycle is in motion to produce an air pressure which through suitable mechanism
acts upon a braking device for the wheel of the vehicle, to retard it in any usual
manner, it being shown in this instance as applied to a band brako or one in which
a flexible band is drawn tightly around the hub or a drum connected therewith to
produce friction which will retard the rotation of the said hub and connected
vehicle wheel.
The flow of the air may be controlled by a cock or valve so that by merely
turning the said cock, the brake may be applied.
The air forcing device is herein shown as employed either to compress air which
will act upon a piston connected with the brake or to exhaust the air from a
cylinder so that the piston therein connected with the brake will be actuated by
atmospheric pressure.
When the pump is used to compress the air it is preferable to employ a portion
of the tubular frame-work as a reservoir which will contain the air under pressure
until required for the purpose of applying the brake to retard the velocipede.
The invention consists in a velocipede the combination of the following instru-
mentalities, an eccentric, means substantially as will be described to rotate it, a
cylinder, a piston and piston-rod actuated by the said eccentric, a tank or reservoir
carried by the velocipede, a pipe to connect the said cylinder with the tank or
reservoir, a controlling cock in said pipe, a brake actuating device consisting of a
cylinder and piston actuated by fluid pressure caused by the first mentioned
cylinder, its piston and actuating mechanism a pipe having an air controlling cock
and connecting the cylinder of the brake actuating device with the tank or reservoir,

page_text: and a brake connected with and actuated by the piston of the brake actuating
device, all as will be hereinafter set forth.
Also in the combination of the frame-work and wheel of a velocipede, with an
air forcing device actuated by the said wheel and connected with the said frame-
work which constitutes a reservoir for the compressed air, a braking device actuated
by the fluid pressure, and a cock controlling its operation, substantially as will be
described.
Also in the wheel and tubular framework of a velocipede and an eccentric and
pitman actuated by said wheel, combined with an air forcing device delivering
compressed air into the said framo-work, and a cylinder and piston therein actuated
by the said compressed air, and braking device actuated by the said piston, sub-
stantially as will be described.
Also in the combination with an air pump consisting of a cylinder and piston,
an eccentric rotated substantially as will be described, and connected with the
piston of the air pump by a pitman, of a brake cylinder, connected with the
cylinder of the air pump by a pipe, a cock in said pipe controlling the passage
therethrough, a piston moving in said brake cylinder by the unbalanced atmo-
spheric pressure thereon when the brake cylinder is exhausted, and connected with
the brake mechanism to operate substantially as will be described.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a tricycle provided with an automatic brake
embodying this invention.
Fig. 2 an enlarged detail of the brake mechanism by itself.
Fig. 3 a modification in which the brake is operated by atmospheric pressure, and
Fig. 4. a detail to be referred to.
The main frame-work a with the driving wheel 6 and its actuating mechanism,
and the steering wheel c may be of any usual construction, the said driving wheel
or its rotating shaft or axle being provided with actuating mechanism shown as
an eccentric & operating a pitman e, connected with a piston or plunger f operating
in a cylinder g to compress or force air, which as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is delivered
through a pipe h into a portion of the tubular framework a, which portion thus
constitutes a reservoir for the compressed air, and is provided with a safety valve i
which permits the air to escape when its pressure reaches a certain point.
The air thus compressed in the framework a may be delivered through a pipe k
into a cylinder m where it will act on a piston m³, shown in dotted lines Figs. 1
and 2, connected by a rod n with the braking device o shown as a lever pivotted
at o' upon the frame work and provided with studs o³ connected with the opposite
ends of the brake band p surrounding and adapted to press against the hub or
drum r fixed upon the axle or otherwise connected with the driving wheel of the
vehicle.
The admission of the air through the pipe k to the cylinder m for the purpose
of applying the brake may be controlled by a cock t having a stem t¹ provided
with a handle t in proper position to be easily accessible to the rider.
The said cock t may be a three way cock of usual construction so that when in
one position it will permit the passage of air from the reservoir in the frame into
the cylinder m, and when in another position will shut off the escape of air from
the said reservoir but permit the air to escape from the cylinder m thus relieving
the pressure on the brake and leaving the vehicle free to run.
In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the intermediate reservoir for compressed
air is dispensed with, and the brake strap r is connected directly with the rod n¹
of a piston m³ working in a cylinder m³ connected by a pipe k¹ with the cylinder g³,
containing a piston fl connected with the pitman el actuated by the eccentric d₁
fixed on the rotating shaft or axle or hub of the vehicle.
A cock controls the flow of the air through the pipe, the said cock being
operated by a stem and handle to.
When the passage ¹ between the cylinders m³ and g' is opened, the piston f¹
at the next stroke produced by the rotation of the eccentric d¹ will exhaust the

page_text: air from the cylinder m³ leaving the unbalanced atmospheric pressure on the
piston m² which will thus be forced through the said cylinder, tightening the brake
band r and thus retarding the movement of the wheels and stopping or retarding
the vehicle.
The eccentric dis shown as to be continuously rotated by the rotating shaft
thus the air pump is constantly at work.
The controlling cock is normally in the position shown in Fig. 3, permitting
air to enter the pipe to supply the air pump, thus leaving the brake piston m²
at rest; but when it is desired to apply the brake, the operator merely turns the
controlling cock to by means of the stem in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3,
closing the opening of the passage of air from the outside and leaving a continuous
passage through the pipe .
Should the piston fi be at its starting point when the cock t³ is turned, the
valve w will be employed to permit the air contained in the cylinder to escape.
The next stroke of the piston f1 exhausts the air from the cylinder m³ and applies
the brake, but should the piston be at its extreme movement at the time the cock
is turned the valve w will not be employed.
To release the brake the controlling cock may be farther turned in the direction
of the arrow until a free passage is obtained for the air to enter the pipe k¹ and
cylinder m³ when the cock may be placed in the position Fig. 4 again.
Any other well known means may be resorted to permit the cylinder m³ to
become again filled with air after the same has been exhausted as described,
without departing from my invention.
When as is common in velocipedes the driving wheel is positively connected
with some other moving part, as with a rotating pedal shaft, it is obvious that the
air pump might be actuated from such part, or that the retarding device might
nct upon it, and such arrangement would be the equivalent of that herein shown
and described.
Any other suitable retarding device may be employed connected with and
actuated by the piston as deemed necessary.
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
1. In a velocipede, the combination of the following instrumentalities, an
eccentric, means substantially as described to rotate it, a cylinder, a piston and
piston-rod actuated by the said eccentric, a tank or reservoir carried by the
velocipede, a pipe to connect the said cylinder with the tank or reservoir, a con-
trolling cock in said pipe, a brake actuating device consisting of a cylinder and
piston actuated by fluid pressure caused by the first mentioned cylinder, its piston
and actuating mechanism, a pipe having an air controlling cock and connecting the
cylinder of the brake actuating device with the tank or reservoir, and a brake
connected with and actuated by the piston of the brake actuating device, all as set
forth.
2. The combination of the frame-work and wheel of a velocipede, with an air
forcing device actuated by the said wheel and connected with the said frame-work
which constitutes a reservoir for the compressed air, a braking device actuated by
the fluid pressure, and a cock controlling its operation, substantially as described.
3. The wheel and tubular frame-work of a velocipede and an eccentric and
pitman actuated by said wheel, combined with an air forcing device delivering
compressed air into the said frame-work, and a cylinder and piston therein actuated
by the said compressed air, and braking device actuated by the said piston,
substantially as described.
4. The combination with an air pump consisting of a cylinder and piston, an
eccentric rotated substantially as described, and connected with the piston of the
air pump by a pitman, of a brake cylinder connected with the cylinder of the air

page_text: pump by a pipe, a cock in said pipe controlling the passage there through, a piston:
moving in said brake cylinder by the unbalanced atmospheric pressure thereon
when the brake cylinder is exhausted, and connected with the brake mechanism to
operate, substantially as set forth.