Improvements in or relating to Brake Operating Mechanism, Specially Applicable to Velocipedes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brake Operating Mechanism,
Specially Applicable to Velocipedes.
A communication from JULIUS KRIEGER, Merchant, ALBERT DALLMER, Mechanic,
and HERMANN SCHOEN, Merchant, all of Dresden, in the Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a mechanical contrivance for regulating the brake
action upon wheels to the requisite degree and also to lock them completely when
stationary so as to prevent strangers from moving the vehicle to which such apparatus
is applied.
Generally the application and release of the brake is effected by the action of a
lever connected therewith. To regulate the action of the brake by operating the
hand lever with one hand which in velocipedes is generally engaged in assisting in
the guidance of the vehicle, requires a great deal of experience but it is still more
difficult to uniformly maintain a weak application of the brake such as is desirable
upon slightly inclined roads.
The present invention provides for the requisite degree of the brake action being
increased or decreased or instantly taken off according as circumstances may require.
A further object of this invention consists in the contrivance which provides for the
complete locking of the wheels to prevent their being rotated when not in use and
warehoused.
In carrying out this invention a bracket in any convenient manner is secured upon
the brake lever and to this is pivotted a toothed bar or rack.
The toothed bar which is arranged to move between suitable guides is provided with
a knob or head.
The toothed bar passes through a lock wherein the, said teeth gear with other teeth
but can be disengaged from them by unlocking the lock which is constructed of
sufficient length for this object. A bolt or latch in the lock is pressed by a spring
upon the toothed rack or bar and can be pushed back into the lock by a side move-
ment of the said rack bar and so permits of the rack being released from the
engaging teeth of the lock and the adjustment of the same tooth by tooth to
correspond to the varying degrees of brake pressure to be applied. The greatest
pressure of the brake is effected when the last tooth is engaged and the pressure is
diminished by degrees as the insertion of the other teeth is effected and the
engagement of the first tooth of the rack sets the brake completely free.
Another bolt in the lock is pressed upon by a spring but is retained back in the
lock by suitable catches and can only be moved by means of a key..
The last mentioned bolt when the brake is not applied is kept in position by a
trigger or latch which is in connection with a notch in the said bolt.
By pushing the trigger into the lock the last mentioned bolt is set free and enters
a suitable recess in the back of the toothed rack bar and is kept in that position by a
suitable detent which fits into the casing of the bar and is operated upon by a
spring.
By these arrangements the toothed rack is kept in a fixed position and cannot be
moved in, either direction and if the brake is at the time applied with sufficient
pressure it will keep the wheel locked and unable to be rotated.
The brake and the toothed rack bar connected therewith are set free by means of
a key. When the said key is turned say to the right the ward connected therewith
lifts and throws the bolt so far back within the lock as to allow the trigger to enter

page_text: into its notch in such bolt so as to retain the bolt in position and release the toothed
rack bar.
The before mentioned guide may be solidly connected to the casing of the lock
and may be formed at both ends in any such manner as will admit of its convenient
attachment to the steering handle.
'
The above described apparatus can be applied to any wheel without necessitating
the slightest alteration of the said wheel.
Dated this 24th day of Danmhan 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brake Operating Mechanism,.
Specially Applicable to Velocipedes.
A communication from JULIUS KRIEGER, Merchant, ALBERT DALLMER, Mechanic,
and HERMANN SCHOEN, Merchant, all of Dresden, in the Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :—
The object of this invention is to lock the brakes of vehicles in any of the positions
to which the said brakes may be moved so that if desired the wheels may be locked
so as to prevent them being rotated until again released.
It is well known that in order to apply the brake it is necessary to grasp and pull
the lever connected with the brake. The moment this lever is released, the brake
ceases entirely from acting upon the wheel, but when it is desired to control the
effect of the brake i.e. to pull the hand lever with more or less force by the hand
mainly resting upon the steering handle or yoke a great experience is necessary,
especially when the wheels, in addition to having the brake applied to them are to
have at the same time their direction changed, and what is more difficult still, is to
apply the brake to the wheels uniformly for any length of time and more especially,
to apply it so with comparatively little power, as is necessary, for example, on gently
sloping roads.
By means of the device herein described the brake may be set exactly to the desired
degree and its effect easily increased, decreased, or entirely suppressed, according to
the exigencies of the moment, and a further object of this device is so to lock the
wheel in position, that it should be impossible for any uninitiated person to set it in
motion when it is intended to remain at rest.
The essential features of the apparatus are illustrated in the accompanying
drawing as applied to a velocipede, in these drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the
apparatus as applied to the brake lever and the steering handle, with the case of the
lock removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the open lock
with the key shown in section and Fig. 4 is a plan of the lock with the key-hole
exposed to view.
A hinge C destined to be connected with rack R, is passed over brake lever H
(fig. 1) which may be oval in section. The two shanks or arms of the hinge C pass
round the lever H and the rack R is interposed between their ends, the whole being
secured together by a screw M. The screw P is only to be used as a tightening
screw. The adjustable rack R held between the shanks or arms of hinge C and on
whose forward end a knob k is screwed is adapted to pivot on
screw M. It is
provided with ratchet teeth Z and so passed through lock S, that these teeth may
engage with similar teeth Z' formed in the casing of the lock, but may also be
readily disengaged therefrom, owing to the elongated shape of the aperture of the
lock.

page_text: A bolt D suitably guided within the lock-case, constantly bears, under spring
pressure, upon the back edge of rack R. This pressure bolt D will slide backward
whenever the rack is shifted side-ways, which enables the latter to be disengaged
from the teeth Z' of the lock to be withdrawn from such lock, and to be re-engaged
with either of the teeth of the same as required (fig. 3).
When the last tooth is engaged, the power of the brake attains its highest degree;
and this power gradually decreases at each of the succeeding teeth, while, when
the foremost one is reached, the brake is entirely free.
A sliding pressure bolt r is also located within the lock case, with a spring tending
to move it forward, though its spontaneous forward motion is prevented by a catch
device, so that a key is necessary to shift it backwards and forwards. Under ordinary
circumstances, and when the wheel is in motion pressure bolt r is held back as in
fig. 3, a small spring catch or detent d engaging in slot or recess a of bolt r retaining
it in this backward position. By pressing catch d inwards, pressure bolt r is dis-
engaged and thereby allowed to spring forward and to take position against the
back edge of rack R when the recess 6 engages with the casing and in which
position it is maintained by means of a spring as shown in figure 1.
In this position rack R is locked so that it can move neither in nor out and if the
brake be at the same time applied to the wheel with sufficient force such wheel is
also locked in position and prevented from turning.
To release the brake and unlock rack R, a key is used, which, together with its
bit e, is inserted into the key-hole figure 4. When such key is turned to the right
its bit raises bolt r so as to move the recess 6 free of the lock casing. The side of
the bit e then meets the enlarged portion c of bolt r as in figure 3, and so shifts the
latter as to enable the catch a to re-enter the recess a which locks bolt r in its
inward position and sets free rack R which can be shifted backwards and forwards
as desired.
The key is removable from key-hole and can be taken away by the person
entrusted with its use.
A bent piece or yoke B is rigidly attached to the lock care S.
Its ends are
extended so as to form ears 0 on either side, which are screwed to the shackles or
clips A A passed around the steering handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is ;—
1. An improved brake controlling and locking device consisting of an adjustable
rack R connected to the brake lever and adapted to turn on a pivot and of a lock
attached to the steering handle or yoke or to other suitable part of the frame or
vehicle such lock being provided on one side with an opening having a toothed
edge and destined to receive the said rack R so that it may be adjustably fixed therein
by means of the teeth and z which are retained in gear though capable of being
disengaged when required, by means of a pressure bolt such as D pressing upon
rack R, while the lock bolt ŕ when caused to spring out and bear against rack R
when released from catch d retains the said rack in gear in such a manner that it can
only be released by moving back the bolt,r by means of a key whereby the brake is
released substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a device such as described the combination with a rack pivotally connected
to the brake lever of a lock carried on the steering handle and having a spring
adapted to press the rack into engagement with other relatively stationary locking
teeth substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a device such as described the combination with a rack pivotally connected
to the brake lever of a lock having a bolt which may be brought against the rack to
lock it in any of the positions to which it may be moved substantially as and for the
purpose herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a device such as described the combination with a rack pivotally connected

page_text: to the brake lever of a lock carried on the steering handle and having both a spring
for pressing the rack into engagement with locking teeth in the said lock and a bolt
for locking it in any position to which it may be moved substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of January 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.