Improvements in Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
JAMES WILLIAM RESTLER, of 68, Linden Grove, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
In this invention I propose to employ as a means of applying a brake to a cycle
or other vehicle the power of one or both hands acting on the guiding or steering
handles and tending to rotate or partly rotate them on the axis of the handle bar.
In order to carry out this invention I make one or both handles attached to the
handle bar capable of being rotated or partly rotated on the axis of the bar. The
handle is mounted on a sleeve which carries a central pin or tube projecting for
some distance into the centre of the end of the handle bar, this pin or tube is
provided with a slot or feather which engages in a cylindrical piece carrying a
piston or plunger inside the handle bar, the cylindrical piece is provided on its
outer surface with a spiral thread or worm fitting a corresponding spiral formed
on the inner surface of a nut or cylinder fitted into and fixed to the inside of the
handle bar.
On partially rotating, or turning the handle of the cycle on its axis, the central
pin by means of its feather gives a rotary movement to the cylindrical piece, the
nut into which it engages being incapable of rotating, the cylindrical piece is
carried forward by the spiral or thread and the piston which it carries is likewise
pushed forward or projected along a tube fitted into or attached to the handle bar.
This tube is filled with a number of pieces of a cylindrical, spheroidal, or other
kindred form in contact with each other, and having flat, hollowed, pointed or
rounded ends.
The tube is carried from the end of the handle bar to near the junction of the
fork which embraces the cycle wheel, or it may terminate at any suitable point
in or on the vertical portion of the handle bar.
The projecting or thrusting motion of the piston or plunger described above is
transmitted to the cylindrical or spheroidal pieces in contact with the plunger and
with each other, and thence from one piece to another throughout the tube, the
last piece being in contact with another piston or plunger which is fitted into or
attached to the handle bar near the junction of the fork or at any suitable point
on or adjacent to the vertical portion of the handle bar.
This piston which is connected by suitable rods, levers, or other appliances to a
brake block or slipper capable of being applied to the rim, tyre, or hub of a cycle
wheel, derives its motion from the projection or pushing forward of the cylindrical
or spheroidal pieces in the tube, and it can readily be seen that by the use of the
mechanism described above the act of turning the cycle handle applies the brake
or slipper to the rim, tyre, or hub of the cycle wheel.
A spiral spring or its equivalent is provided in a suitable position to withdraw
the pressure of the brake block or slipper from the wheel when the power applied
by the rider's hand to the cycle handle is relaxed or released.

page_text: I propose to use for the purpose of transmitting or applying the power to a brake
on a cycle or other wheel by means of the mechanism or appliances described above,
a series of cylindrical or spheroidal pieces having flat, hollowed, pointed or rounded
ends, either separately or in conjunction with spherical balls.
The series may comprise a number of cylindrical or spheroidal pieces having the
ends of each either pointed or rounded alternating and engaging with cylindrical
or spheroidal pieces having the ends flat or hollowed, or it may comprise a number
of cylindrical or spheroidal pieces each having one end pointed or rounded, and
the other end flat or hollowed alternating and engaging with each other; the series
may also be formed from spherical balls alternating and engaging with cylindrical
or spheroidal pieces having either flat hollow, or rounded ends substantially for
the purpose described.
The cylindrical or spheroidal pieces may be formed from any suitable material
but are preferably metallic.
When the direction of the motion of the spherical balls, cylindrical or spheroidal
pieces actuating the brake is intended to be away from the wheel so that the rods
or other appliances which are connected directly or by levers to the brake slipper
shall be in tension or pull, instead of in compression or thrust, I propose to turn
the end of the tube carrying the balls, cylindrical, or spheroidal pieces upwards
instead of downwards, the top ball, cylindrical or spheroidal piece being in contact
with and tending to propel or thrust upwards a piston or plunger inserted in the
end of the tube.
This piston or plunger is connected by rods or a tube, or by other suitable
appliance carried through the lower part of the handle bar to near the junction
of the fork, and there connected to a brake lever or levers, or directly to a slipper or
brake block capable of being applied to the surface of the. tyre or rim of a cycle
wheel.
1
000
2
1007
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM RESTLER, of 68, Linden Grove, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey, 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 brakes for cycles and other vehicles, more especially
to that class or type of cycle brake (which is actuated by mechanism concealed
within the tubular parts of the steering apparatus upon rotating one of the steering
handles. It has for its chief object to provide improved and simple means for
transmitting motion from the handle or actuating device to the brake block or
braking device along any required path, however winding or tortuous, such path
being preferably, in the case of cycle brakes, the interior of the handle bar and
utem.
According to my invention, I transmit a thrusting motion from the handle or
actuating device to the brake block or braking device by means of a string of
articulations of metal or other suitable hard material (such as a series of spherical
balls for example), either contained within a tube, or perforated and threaded upon
a wire like beads, said tube or wire following the path along which the thrust is
to be conveyed and acting as a guide to the articulations which travel along it as

page_text: hereinafter described. The said articulations are maintained in a state of com-
pression between two pistons or thrust pieces, one piston or thrust piece being
connected with the handle or actuating device and the other with the braking
device, and the thrust of one piston is transmitted through the series of articula-
tions to the other piston, it is thus obvious that a thrusting motion may be trans-
mitted along any desired path, however winding or tortuous, from the actuating
handle to the most convenient point from which a simple connection, such as a rod
or lever, may lead to the brake. When my invention is applied to a cycle I prefer
that the guide tube or wire should pass along the interior of the handle bar and
the stem thereof, the piston farthest from the actuating handle being connected
with the brake block, roller or the like either directly or by means of rods, levers
or equivalent contrivances concealed within the handle bar, stem and steering tube.
In lieu of spherical balls, the string of articulations may be composed of
spheroidal pieces, or pieces of cylindrical or other section, having flat, hollow,
pointed or rounded ends, and arranged so that the flat or hollow end of one piece
engages with the pointed or rounded end of its neighbour, or I may alternate the
said spheroidal or other shaped pieces with spherical balls.
A convenient arrangement for projecting and retracting the piston or thrust
piece connected with the actuating handle by the rotation of the latter consists in
mounting such handle rotatably on the handle bar and providing it with a screw
threaded spindle projecting centrally from its end into the interior of the handle
bar and traversing a nut which is suitably connected with the piston or thrust
piece. This arrangement of rotatable handle actuating a sliding nut is well known.
I do not however confine myself to the use of a rotatable handle for actuating the
piston, as a lever, pneumatic ball, or other suitable device may be substituted if
preferred.
A convenient spring would be provided for releasing the brake, said spring also
serving to keep the articulations compressed between their pistons or thrust pieces.
It is obvious that the above described means for transmitting motion may be
applied to brakes of various types, such as tyre brakes, rim brakes, band or hub
brakes and the like. Where, as in the case of some rim brakes, for example, a pull
instead of a thrust is required, this can obviously be readily obtained by suitable
levers or other mechanical devices for converting a thrust into a pull, or the pull
may be obtained by simply bending the end of the guide tube or wire so that the
piston or thrust piece connected with the brake is thrust away from the latter in
lieu of towards the same.
I will now more particularly describe my invention and the manner of perform-
ing the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
-
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan, and Fig. 2 a part sectional elevation, of a cycle handle
bar and handle, shewing my invention applied to a rim cycle brake brought into
action by an upward pull.
Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation of a cycle handle bar shewing my invention
applied to an ordinary tyre brake applied by a downward thrust.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are details.
Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is the handle bar, B the hollow stem or
plunger thereof, C the braking device, in this case of the well known rim type,
and the actuating handle. The said handle D, which is also the steering handle,
is mounted so as to be rotatable on the handle bar A, being held in place by the
flanged ring a which screws into a slotted bush 6 brazed inside the handle bar and
engages with a flange c¹ formed around the sleeve c of the handle. The end of the
handle is closed by a screw plug d from which extends a spindle e having a quick
pitch screw thread formed thereon which engages with a nut f, prevented from
rotation by feathers f¹ formed on either side and engaging with slots b' in the
bush above referred to. The said nut f is formed with a hollow cylindrical
extension f2 from which a piston or thrust piece g projects and enters one end of the
tube E which latter follows the axial line of the handle bar, curving upwards into

page_text: "
the stem, and is held in position at each end by the socket pieces hh¹. This guide
tube E is filled with and serves as guide for the string of articulations F held in
compression between the piston 9 above mentioned and another piston g¹ which
enters the upcurved end of the tube E and is furnished with a head 92 adapted to
engage with the upper end of a split tube i (see detail Fig. 4), the lower end of this
tube engaging by a screw connection the rod k connected with the brake. In the
drawing, the brake is represented as on," the piston g being thrust into the tube
to its full extent, and its thrust being transmitted through the series of articula-
tions to the piston g¹ which by means of the split tube and rod k draws up the
brake against the rim. I is a convenient spring by which the parts are restored
to their normal position, said spring also keeping the articulations at all timesi
in compression between the plungers gg¹. The articulations are here represented
as consisting mainly of a series of spheres alternating with cup ended cylindrical
pieces the ends of said pieces being of less diameter that the tube E thereby
reducing friction and permitting the balls to centre themselves in the cups. I
find this arrangement to answer well in practice, but other forms of articulations
may be employed as for example a series of spheres only as represented at the
upcurved end of the tube E, Fig. 2, or a series of spheroids (shewn at open end of
the tube E Fig. 3) the alternate spheroids having hollowed ends, or a series of
alternately pointed and flat ended cylindrical pieces (Fig. 5) the bodies of said
pieces being preferably hollowed out so as to reduce bearing surface and
lighten the parts. Other forms of articulations will also readily suggest them-
selves.
In the arrangement just described, the brake is applied by an upward pull, in
Fig. 3 the brake is represented as applied by a downward thrust and in this case
the end of the tube E curves downward into the handle bar stem in lieu of upward.
the piston g being connected with a rod k in turn attached to the brake block C.
The thrust conveved to the piston gl may however obviously be converted into a
pull if desired, without upcurving the end of the tube E as shewn in Fig. 1, for
example the piston g¹ Fig. 3 may be connected with one end of a short lever of the
first order the other end of which is connected with the rod k secured to the brake.
In Fig. 6 the articulations F are represented as guided along the desired path
of the thrust by means of a wire E' on which they are strung like beads, and it is
clear that in all cases this arrangement may be substituted for the guide tube E and
will perform the same function. In this case the piston or thrust pieces g g¹ will
of course slide upon the wire.
In conclusion, I would observe that I do not confine or limit myself to the precise
constructional details shewn and described, as the same may obviously be varied
in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.
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 brakes for cycles and other vehicles, means for transmitting thrusting
motion along any desired path, consisting of a string of articulations carried by
and travelling along a guide and held in compression between pistons or thrust
pieces, one piston or thrust piece being connected with the actuating device and
the other with the braking device.
2. In brakes for cycles and other vehicles the combination of a guide tube, a
string of articulations free to slide therein, a piston at one end of the guide tube
connected with the actuating device, and a piston at the other end of such tube
connected with the braking device, the articulations being kept in compression
between the two pistons, substantially as described.
3. In brakes for cycles and other vehicles the combination of a guide wire, a
string of articulations threaded thereon, thrust pieces between which the articula-

page_text: tions are held compressed and connections between the thrust pieces and the
actuating and braking devices respectively, substantially as described.
4. Brake apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3
of the annexed drawings.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.