Improvements in and relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct.,
1899
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
I, ALFRED ANGAS SCOTT, 32, Oak Lane, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in brakes, particularly applicable to
the rear wheel rims of safty bicycles, and the object is to provide a simple brake
mechanism which with the minimum pressure on the hand lever will give the
maximum retarding effect on the rim, while subjecting it and the spokes to the
least possible strain.
Hitherto, in brakes acting on the rear wheel the power has been transmitted by
means of wires, or rods, or by flexible wires working through flexible tubes
formed of closely coiled wires, which owing to their want of complete incom-
pressibility absorb some of the transmitted power.
To carry out my invention I employ a flexible wire working through a rigid
incompressible tube in the following manner.
The hand lever is pivoted to a clip on the handlebar, and at a point between
it's fulcrum and the end is fixed a flexible wire The lever is adjusted in such a
position that it's upward movement communicates a pull to this wire, the motion
of which decreases as the lever is brought towards the handle giving proportionate
increase of leverage and consequent ease in application of the brake.
The flexible wire moves through a rigid incompressible tube which is fastened
by a clip to the handlebar, or handlebar stem, with it's end resting against a
projecting part of the clip already mentioned, which carries the hand lever. The
tube may be provided with a swivel joint to enable the end which abuts against
the hand lever clip to slide up in following the upward movement of the wire it
contains; or the length of tube between the two clips may give sufficient spring
for this purpose.
The tube is continued down the "head" along the bottom tube of the frame
to which it is securely fastened, and ends in a suitably formed bracket depend-
ing from the chain tubes, or bottom forks, and is preferably fixed at the extreme
end of this bracket below the level of the chain.
To allow for adjustment, and steering movement of the handlebars, the tube
lying in front of, or alongside the "head telescopes into a larger diameter
tube in which it can be raised or lowered, and is free to twist in following the
steering movement. When it is desired to raise or lower the handlebars, an
adjustable clip on the smaller diameter tube is brought to abut against the
end of the tube into which it telescopes, and is fastened in that position, thus
providing for the complete incompressibility of the tubing.
On the bracket in which the tube ends is pivoted a lever terminating in a horse
shoe shaped portion which carries friction blocks one on each side of the rim on
which they bear. The wire after passing through the described arrangement of
rigid tubing is drawn through a lug, or eye on this brake lever at the point where
the straight arm merges into the horse-shoe portion, and is gripped in a bolt
which forms part of a clip adjustable on the straight arm of the lever.

page_text: When it is desired to apply the brake the hand-lever is drawn towards the
handle, and a pull is transmitted through the wire to the brake lever, which
is thereby depressed so that its friction blocks are brought to bear against the rim
with more or less pressure, while the forward revolution of the wheel tends to
further depress the brake lever and assist in the application of the brake, which
when the hand lever is released is brought back to it's normal position by the
action of a suitably placed spring.
Dated this Ninth day of October 1899.
Cycles and the like.
I, ALFRED ANGAS SCOTT, of 32, Oak Lane, Bradford, in the County of York,
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 improvements in that class of rear wheel cycle brakes
in which the power is communicated from the hand lever to the brake lever by
a flexible cord or wire.
For this purpose I pass the wire through a rigid tube bent to conform more or
less to the shape of the frame and secured thereto at intervals by suitable con-
nections. This construction obviates certain defects inherent to a flexible tube.
To fully describe my invention, reference is made to the accompanying sheet of
drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the views.
Figure 1, represents a side elevation of such portions of a safety bicycle as are
necessary to illustrate the application of my improvements.
Figure 2, is a front view of the same.
Figure 3, is a sectional plan showing the brake lever and its attachment.
The brake shoes 2 are arranged to bear upon the inside 3 (Figures 1 and 3) of
the rim 11 (Figures 1 and 3) and they are pivoted to the arms 4 of the forked
brake lever 5 pivoted by the pin 6 to the bracket 7 fixed to the frame
immediately to the rear of the crank shaft bearing 9. A spring 10 of any con-
venient form is provided to normally keep the brake shoes out of contact with
the rim.
The
The brake is applied by the flexible wire cord 12 connected to it and passed
through the tube 21 cliped at intervals by clips 22 to the cycle frame 23.
upper end 24 of the tube abuts against the bracket 26 carrying the hand lever 27
to which the upper end of the cord 12 is attached. This lever is pivoted in such
a position that when pressed towards the handle 28 it draws the cord 12 in the
direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1 and thus applies the brake, and by
arranging the various parts in the position shown the movement of the cord in
relation to the movement of the brake lever decreases consequently the pressure
of the brake shoes upon the rim proportionately increases.
To allow of the steering movement and of the vertical adjustment of the handle
bar 30 a joint is made in the tube at 31 and one portion fits telescopically within
the other. An adjustable collar 32 is fixed on the internal tube for the end of
the external tube to abut against.
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. The means or method of applying cycle brakes consisting of a flexible wire

page_text: cord passing through a rigid tube and connecting the brake lever and hand lever,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The means or method of applying cycle brakes consisting of a flexible wire
cord passing through a rigid tube and connecting the brake lever and hand lever
the latter being pivoted in such a position that its movement increases in pro-
portion to the movement of cord as the brake is applied.
Daid this Sib day of Amensi 1900
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.