AN IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Wilson, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DRAG OR
BRAKE FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES."
Scaled the 13th April 1869, and dated 'the 17th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th October 1868.
I, DAVID WILSON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED
DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES," to be as follows, that is to
say:-
This Invention - more especially applies to two-wheeled vehicles, such
as are ordinarily employed on common roads. The apparatus is situated
to act upon the inner end of the naves of the wheels, and is wholly or
partly held in place by a rod at the end next to the rear of the vehicle;
it consists of a drag strap which surrounds the inner hoop of the nave

page_text: and through which a screw shaft passes situated underneath the body of
the vehicle. A wheel is placed at the end of the shaft by which it is
revolved and the screw brought into action in the following manner:―
As the drag screw is rotated it is forced backwards against the nave of
the wheel at the same time that the rear end of the drag is drawn
tightly against the opposite side of the nave, so that the nave becomes
firmly held thereby, the object being to retard the vehicle in going down
a hill, and the wheel may be either fixed so as not to revolve when the
drag is put on, or it may be allowed to revolve under friction slowly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
WILSON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said David Wilson, Her special license that I,
the said David Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said David Wilson, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree. with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE FOR THE
WHEELS OF VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said David Wilson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE,. that I, the said. David Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my, said Invention,, and in what manner, the same is to
be performed, to. be particularly. described. and. ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters. and figures marked thereon, that is to.
say:
My said Invention more especially applies to two-wheeled vehicles,
such as are ordinarly employed on common roads. The apparatus is:
situated to act upon the inner end of the naves of the wheels, and is
wholly or partly held in place by a rod at the end next to the rear of the
vehicle; it consists of a drag strap which surrounds the inner hoop of the.
nave and through which a screw shaft passes. situated underneath the
body of the vehicle. A wheel is placed at the end of the shaft by
which it is revolved and the screw brought into action in the following
manner: As the drag screw is. rotated it is forced backwards against
the nave of the wheel at the same time that the rear end of the drag is
drawn tightly. against the opposite side of the nave, so that the nave
becomes firmly held thereby, the object being to retard the vehicle in
going down a hill, and the wheel may be either fixed so as not to revolve-
when the drag is put on, or it may be allowed to revolve under friotion:
slowly.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I'
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system; mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried'
into effect, reférence. being had to tlic accompanying Drawings and to:
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a side clevation of a cart showing the general arrangement
of my improved brake and the manner in which it is in this instance
applied; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a cart wheel nave with my
improved drag or brake shown thereupon; Figure 3 represents an
enlarged view of the drag or brake spindle with the screw. and drag
plate and hand wheel at its extremities respectively:
In Figure 1, A is the body of the cart; B; the wheels by which it is
supported; C, the cart shaft; and D, tlie nave of the wheel B, having
upon its inner side an iron or steel hoop I to protect it while the drag
or brake is in operation, and upon which the drag, is made, to act;
E is the spindle of the drag running parallel with the body A of the
cart and suspended from the shaft by the eyes F, F; these eyes

page_text: are made sufficiently large to admit of a free longitudinal motion of
the spindle E. That part of the spindle E nearest the nave D has its
end reduced in diameter so as to fit into a hole or bearing formed in
the boss L of the brake plate K, and which plate is bent to the curvo
of the circumference of the nave D. Upon the other extremity of the
spindle E a hand wheel is fastened, by the revolution of which the
drag or brake is put in operation. To prevent the plate K from turning
round with the spindle E a pin M is fixed to it and projects through
a hole in the loop N of the drag; this pin M is long enough to remain.
inserted at whatever position the plate may stand, is a screw turned
upon the spindle E, more particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, and it is
fitted into a corresponding nut chased into the boss H on the hoop N of
the brake or drag. Upon the other side of the hoop a projecting bracket
picco P is formed and inserted into a support Q suspended from the cart
shaft C having a corresponding socket or eye in it, and made so that
while acting as a support it does not impede the backward and forward
movement of it. The piece P and its bearing Q are preferably made
square or oblong so as to prevent the hoop N from twisting with tho
revolution of the hand wheel G. When the brake or drag is required
fo be put in operation the hand wheel G which is keyed upon the
spindle E is revolved; the screw O turning in the boss H of the brake
or drag hoop N draws the part near the piece P on the hoop N against
the protecting ring I upon the nave of the cart wheel, and at the same
time presses the curved plate K carried upon the spindle E against the
nave ring from the opposite side, thus compressing the nave of the cart
wheck at two opposing points; thus the wheel G may be stopped
altogether or retarded to any required extent.
In conclusion I may add that my improved drag or brake is applicable
to the retarding or braking of wheels or revolving mechanism of many
kinds; and I desire it further to be understood that in the case of
vehicles travelling on roads a separate brake may be applied to cach
wheel which may be actuated separately; or by using a transverse
actuating shaft, with bevel or other gearing, for connecting the brake
shafts together, they may be made to act simultaneously..
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, I desire it to
be understood that I do not claim to have invented any new parts of
apparatus, but what I do claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement

page_text: and combination of parts constituting the brake or drag hercin-before
described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
DAVID WILSON. (L.S.)