Improvements in connection with Foot Brakes for Carriages and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1894-Accepted. 28th Apr.. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Foot Brakes for Carriages and
other Road Vehicles.
GEORGE SAMUEL THOMPSON of 5 Farleigh Road, Stoke Newington,
London, N. Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention, hereinafter called the Carriage "Brake Lock" has for its object
the remedying of certain disadvantages that exist in connection with the use of
ordinary foot brakes of carriages and other road vehicles, the need of which
improvements are particularly manifest when descending long hills and in stopping
upon ascents and descents, namely; the lack of any means at the will of the
operator to instantly lock the pressure of the brake block or blocks against the
wheel or wheels of the carriage or vehicle, and to as readily disengage that pressure
when required, especially to the accomplishment of these ends without in any way
fettering the free action of the brake as ordinarily used, either in applying the
pressure or on
the release of same, but entirely maintaining all its present
carriage
advantages.
C
These desirable improvements are fully carried out by means of my
brake lock" and may indeed be added to most existing foot brakes without alteration
in them.
The "carriage brake lock" consists of a cranked lever composed of two arms.
At the point of juncture of the two arms is an axis working in suitable bearings
fixed to the body of the carriage; one arm of the lever terminates in the formation
of a crank, the underside of which is of semi-circular shape; the other arm of
the lever terminates in an arm at right angles and projects forward, forming a foot
tread upon which the pressure is applied; a spring exerts its force for the purpose
of bringing the lever when otherwise released back into its dormant position against
a stop.
In an ordinary foot brake which consists of a cranked lever forming two arms
working on an axis at the juncture having suitable bearings attached to the body
of the carriage; the front arm of the brake lever is furnished with a tread upon
which is applied the power by the pressure of the foot of the operator, the back
arm of the lever transmits the power through the medium of suitable connecting
rod or rods to the back portion of the brake, the lever is brought into its dormant
position by means of a suitable spring or springs.
"
"
The "carriage brake lock is substantially fixed to the carriage body under-
neath or nearly underneath the front arm of the brake lever, and the lever of the
"carriage brake lock moves in a transverse direction to the lever of the brake;
it will also be found that the action of the brake lever is entirely independent of
and unfettered by the lever of the carriage brake lock when the latter is in its
dormant position, the front arm of the brake lever having a free passage up and
down when the pressure of the operator's foot is applied to or released from the
tread.
"
When, however, it is desired to keep down the lever of the brake and thereby
retain the full pressure of the brake upon the wheel or wheels, the operator has
only to place his other foot or heel upon the tread of the "carriage brake lock

page_text: and force it down, thereby causing the crank to pass over the front arm of the
brake lever, the pressure of the foot upon the tread of the brake lever may then
be released, and immediately after may also be released the pressure of the other
foot upon the tread of the "carriage brake lock," then the brake remains with
the full force of its original pressure securely locked against the wheel or
wheels.
In order to unlock the arm of the brake held down by the arm of the carriage
brake lock and thereby release the pressure from the wheel or wheels, it is necessary
only, to momentarily renew the pressure of the foot on the brake tread, the result
being that the frictional contact of the brake lever with the arm of the "carriage
brake lock" being removed, the spring attached to the lever of the "carriage brake
lock"
at once contracts and draws back the lever, thereby allowing the brake lever
by the action of its spring to return to its dormant position the moment the
pressure of the foot is released from the brake tread.
Modifications in the design of the "carriage brake lock" or any of the parts
relating thereto may be made within the meaning of my invention and the crank
of the "carriage brake lock" may be smooth or jagged or be formed with teeth
or otherwise, or may be constructed with a hook or eye or other means of holding
down the lever of a foot brake, and the power of locking the brake may be applied
or conveyed by means of another lever or combinations of levers acting upon the
lever of the "carriage brake lock" or any of its modifications and any method
of spring or springs or other devices may be employed for the purpose of forcing
or drawing back the lever of the "carriage brake lock" or any modifications of
the same.
Dated this Twenty-third day of June 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Foot Brakes for Carriages and
other Road Vehicles.
GEORGE SAMUEL THOMPSON, of 5 Farleigh Road, London, N., Carriage
Builder 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 :-
My invention, hereinafter called the " Carriage Brake Lock" has for its object
the remedying of certain disadvantages that exist in connection with the use of
ordinary foot brakes of carriages and other road vehicles, the need of which
improvements are particularly manifest when descending long hills and in stopping
upon ascents and descents; namely, the lack of any means at the will of the
operator to instantly lock the pressure of the brake block or blocks against the
wheel or wheels of the carriage or vehicle and to as readily disengage that
pressure when required, especially to the accomplishment of these ends without in
any way fettering the free action of the brake as ordinarily used either in applying
the pressure or on the release of same, but entirely maintaining all its present
advantages.
These desirable improvements are fully carried out by means of my "carriage
brake lock" and may indeed be added to most existing foot brakes without
alteration in them.

page_text: 65
Fig. 2 shows front elevation of same engaged with the brake.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the front portion of an ordinary foot brake with the
carriage brake lock" applied.
The "carriage brake lock" consists of a cranked lever A moving on an axis
at B, a suitable support G is attached to the carriage body E, the arm a of the
lever A terminates in the formation of a crank b, the underside of which is
preferably of semi-circular shape: the other arm c of the lever A terminates in
an arm d at right angles to c and projects forward forming a foot tread, upon
which the pressure is applied. e, Figs. 1 and 2, is a rubber or other suitable
spring capable of exerting its force in the direction indicated by the arrow and is
connected to A. for the purpose of bringing that lever when otherwise released
back into its dormant position against the stop f as shown in Fig. 1.
The front portion of an ordinary foot brake shown in Fig. 3 consists of the
cranked lever C which works on an axis at D, a suitable support of which is
attached to the body of the carriage E; the long arm r of the brake lever C
is furnished with a tread w upon which is applied the power by the pressure of
the foot of the operator in the direction of the arrow, the short arms of the lever C
transmits the power through the medium of suitable connecting rod or rods K to
the back portion of the brake which however is not necessary to be here shown
to demonstrate my invention; the lever C is brought into its dormant position,
the long arm being raised by the rubber or other suitable spring v which exerts
its force in the direction indicated by the arrow.
"
It will be observed that the support G of the axis B of the "carriage brake
lock is fixed to the carriage body E underneath or nearly underneath the front
arm of the brake lever C and that the lever A of the "carriage brake lock"
moves in a transverse direction to the lever C of the brake, it will also be seen by
Fig. 1 that the action of the arm of the brake lever C is entirely independent
of and unfettered by the arm 6 of the lever A, the arm r of the lever C having a
free
passage to and from the dotted position when the pressure of the operator's
foot is applied to or released from the tread.
When however it is desired to keep down the arm r of the lever C of the brake
in the position shown by the dotted lines at rl in Figs. 1 and 3 and thereby retain
the full pressure of the brake upon the wheel or wheels, the operator has only to
place his other foot or heel upon the tread d of the "carriage brake lock" and
force it down thereby causing the crank b to pass over the arm of the brake
as shown in Fig. 2, the pressure of the foot upon tread w may then be released
and immediately after may also be released the pressure of the other foot upon
the tread d when the brake remains with the full force of its original pressure
securely locked against the wheel or wheels.
In order to unlock the arm of the brake from the position shown in Fig. 2 and
thereby release the pressure from the wheel or wheels it is necessary only to
momentarily renew the pressure of the foot on tread w, the result being that the
frictional contact of the arm r of the brake lever with the arm b being removed
the spring
e at once contracts in the direction indicated by the arrow and draws
back the lever A. thereby allowing the brake lever C by the action of its spring
to return to its dormant position as in Figs. 1 and 3 the moment the pressure of
the foot is released from the tread w.
"
Modifications in the design of the " carriage brake lock or any of the parts
relating thereto may be made within the meaning of my invention and the crank b
may be smooth or jagged or be formed with teeth or otherwise or may be con-
structed with a hook or eye or other means of holding down the lever of a foot
brake, and the power of locking the brake may be applied or conveyed by means
of another lever or combinations of levers acting upon the lever A or any of its
modifications, and any method of spring or springs or other devices may be
employed for the purpose of forcing or drawing back the lever A or any modifi-
cations of the same.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with brakes for carriages and other road vehicles of a spring
or similarly controlled lever acting substantially as described.
2. The construction and use of the lever A and spring e to facilitate locking
and releasing the brake lever C substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Twenty-third day of March 1894.
G. S. THOMPSON.