Improved Brake Mechanism for Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1899
Improved Brake Mechanism for Cycles.
We, ARTHUR HOUGHTON ROGERS, and HENRY WILLIAM PATRICK, Cycle Manu-
facturers, of The Desideratum Brake & Fork End Co., Snow Hill, in the City
of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is an improved brake mechanism for cycles and is fitted to work
upon the hub or centre of one of the wheels (preferably the rear wheel) upon
the side opposite the chain wheel. It is put into action either by hand or by
a slight retrograde or backpedalling movement the rider, and is particularly
applicable to a free-wheel built cycle. The brake mechanism according to this
invention comprises the following parts: Upon the hub of the back wheel on
the opposite side to the chain wheel is provided a rigid circular drum or cylin-
drical collar of about two and a half inches in diameter, preferably an attached
part in view of simplicity of construction and the choice of material forming
the said drum, although the latter must rotate as one with the hub. Surround-
ing the periphery of this drum or collar is an open brake band normally free or
out of contact with the said drum, but capable of being closed in upon and
around it by drawing together its free ends. These latter are connected to two
studs or outstanding pegs, one of which is a fixture upon a carrier-plate threaded
upon the end of the axle of the back hub, and connected in, a suitable way, rigid
with the back fork end of the cycle. The other stud or peg is fixed to a rotating
ring mounted in a convenient manner upon the inside face of the carrier plate
so that on the said ring being turned the stud or peg it carries is made to
approach or advance towards the stud or peg upon the carrier plate a slot being
formed through the rotating ring to admit of the passage of the stud on the
carrier-plate inwardly, the said carrier plate and ring being outside or external
to the brake-band. This brake band is a spring one normally holding the pegs
apart, and when closed in upon the drum it retards the latter's rotation, and
automatically frees it when the force closing the said band is relieved.
An arm or projecting part is formed upon the rotating ring, and to this is
attached a rod, a link, or a cord proceeding from the operating element of the
brake mechanism. This element, if the brake is hand-applied, would be con-
nected to the brake lever on the handle bar of the cycle, but, when applied by
back pedalling, which is more important as according to this invention, it is con-
nected to a clutch on the bottom bracket or crank axis, which said clutch (pre-
ferably of the free wheel type) is so arranged that only on back pedalling shall
the rotating ring of the brake mechanism be acted upon, and then only sufficient
to close in the band brake to the required degree for obtaining the requisite
retardation of the drum on the hub.
A free-wheel clutch would be used upon the chain wheel side of the hub in
the case of a free-wheel cycle whose chain is desired to be stationary when a
rider is coasting and his pedals free.
The carrier-plate is preferably circular in form, loosely threaded upon the

page_text: end of the axle, and prevented from rotating by engaging projections or similar
devices on the back fork; the said devices being capable of adjustment to set
the carrier plate if necessary.
A quadrant, or a lever, mounted upon the end of the axle and carrying the
particular stud and peg may be substituted for the rotating ring with a like
effect.
improveu Drake шеславтыщ тог сустер.
We, ARTHUR HOUGHTON ROGERS, and HENRY WILLIAM PATRICK, Cycle Manu-
facturers, of The Desideratum Brake & Fork End Co., Snow Hill, in the City
of Birmingham, 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 is an improved brake mechanism for cycles fitted to work upon
the hub or centre of the driving wheel (preferably the rear wheel), upon the
side opposite the chain wheel, and upon the bottom bracket or crank axis. It is
put into action either by hand or by a slight retrograde or back-pedalling move-
ment of a rider, (the latter for choice) and is particularly applicable to a free-
wheel built cycle or a cycle in which the pedals can rest or remain stationary
while the cycle is running.
The brake mechanism according to this invention is illustrated in the sheet of
drawings herewith by four views, and will be hereinafter clearly defined in con-
nection therewith by the aid of reference letters. The brake mechanism com-
prises two parts, the one a retarding means, and the other devices for operating
them; both parts being shown in diagram in Fig. 1 of the drawings applied to
the rear wheel and crank axis of a well known pattern cycle. Figs. 2, 3, and 4
are views of the retarding means of Fig. 1 on a larger scale; the first-named fig.
being a side elevation of the exterior; the second-named fig. a side elevation
from the inside of the hub; and the last-named fig. a transverse section of Fig. 3
on the dotted line X X.
The brake mechanism illustrated by the aforesaid figs. comprises the following
parts Upon the hub of the rear wheel, on the opposite side to the chain
wheel d³, is provided a rigid circular drum or cylindrical collar d of about
three inches in diameter, preferably an attached part in view of simplicity
of construction and choice of material, although the said drum must rotate as
one with the hub. Surrounding the periphery of this drum or collar is an
open brake band h, normally free of or out of contact with the said drum but
capable of being closed in upon and around it by drawing together its free
ends ³, 1. The brake band is a resilient one lined with leather or similar
material, and the periphery of the drum d is a plain one.
The free ends of the band are connected to two studs or outstanding pegs h, h
respectively carried upon a rotatable ring g and a fixed disc or carrier plate f;
the said carrier plate being threaded upon the end n² of the axle and constituting
a mounting for the said rotatable ring. The last-named encircles the carrier
plate and works within a groove or seating 92 upon it, and the stud or peg h*

page_text: it carries is connected to it by an arm or coupling piece which is operated to
move the ring g by a connecting rod connected to the said arm at c³. The disc
or carrier plate f fits on the axle end n² external to the drum d, and the band h,
but comes quite close to them and it is connected with the framing of a cycle
so that it becomes a rigid part therewith. In the drawing the said plate or
disc is clamped upon the axle end, and a stud r (Figs. 1 and 2) prevents its rota-
tion on the said axle end in the direction for closing-in the band upon the
drum d. The stud h is a fixture on the disc or carrier plate and the end h
of the band h is held stationary by it whilst the end h² is moved to close in the
said band by the part rotation of the ring within the seating g². A slot or
cut-away part m in the carrier plate allows freedom of movement of the arm, i,
to rotate the ring g, the inner edge m³ of the said arm during the movement
working upon a circular surface m³ adjacent to the cut-away part, to steady
the transverse of the arm and prevent strain upon the ring 9.
The connecting rod c², as aforesaid, is adjustably attached to a protecting
part, c, upon the clutch, a, mounted to work upon the crank axis a. The middle
part a of the clutch is a fixture upon the cranks at or their axis and can move
freely and independently of the outer part a3 of the said clutch in a forward
pedalling direction, but only as rigid with the said outer part in a back pedalling
'direction of the cranks, the said .outer part being normally held stationary
by being connected with the band h. Clutches of the type described are well
known, but a ball clutch, or a clutch with pawls and ratchet teeth which is
noisless in its action, and which is usually used on free-wheel cycles, is best
suited for the purpose of this invention. The working of the brake mechanism is
as follows:
―:
Forward pedalling or driving of the cycle moves only the part a³ of the clutch,
but back-pedalling moves the part a² also, and reciprocates or draws forward
the rod 2, and moves the arm and closes in the band h, onto the drum d.
Immediately forward pedalling is again set up, the band automatically opens
out and leaves the surface of the drum d and brings the parts i, 2, and a² back
to their normal positions as set forth in the figs. of the drawings.
Adjusting devices may in some cases be fitted to the carrier plate in order to
set it in any desired position with respect to the cycle's framing.
A brake constructed according to the foregoing is a powerful one capable to
be instantly put into action to either gradually retard the cycle or decisively
to bring the cycle to a dead stop, the resilient band h, however, being of such
strength that there must be a back-pedalling action in order to apply the brake
at all.
Instead of operating the retarding mechanism by a back pedalling action
through a clutch as defined in the drawings the said retarding mechanism may
be put into action from the handle bar by the ordinary lever mechanism, which
may be coupled to the arm i in a suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
First. A brake mechanism for cycles, comprising a drum fast on the rear wheel
hub, a resilient band surrounding said drum and adapted to close in upon it, a
carrier plate fixed to the cycle's framing and to which the one end of the said
band is attached, a rotatable ring g mounted upon said carrier plate to work in
a groove and to which the other end of the closing-in band as aforesaid is
connected, substantially as described.
Second. A brake mechanism for cycles having in its combination a drum
or collar fast on the back wheel hub, a closing-in resilient band surrounding
said drum, a carrier plate fixed to the back fork end of a cycle's framing and
threaded upon the axle end of the hub, and to which is attached the one end of
the closing-in band, and a rotatable ring working within a groove upon said

page_text: carrier plate and which carries the other end of the closing-in band, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third. A brake mechanism for cycles comprising a combination of a drum d
fixed on a hub, a closing-in resilient band h surrounding said drum, a carrier
plate fattached to the cycle's frame and threaded on the end of said hub and to
which is connected by a stud h the end h2 of the said band, a rotatable ring g
working in a groove on said carrier plate and having an arm i to which is con-
nected by a peg h the end 3 of said band, and a clutch a on the crank axis, and
coupling means c, c², between said clutch and drum i, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 27th day of June 1900.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also at London, Liverpool & Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.