Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
WILLIAM HENRY HARVEY (trading as William Harvey), 60, West Street,
Bristol, Engineer and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:--
My brake is fork shaped to grip each side of the rim of the hind wheel and
is attached to a stud pin which is square at one end and round at the other end.
The square part of the pin works thro' the bridge of the bottom back wheel stays
The round end of the stud pin is for a spring to pass over for the purpose of
slacking off the brake. The fork ends of the brake rest on the back wheel stays
and grip each side of the rim of the back wheel. My brake is worked by the
foot and hand together or by either foot or hand separately. The lever for
working the brake is attached to the bottom angle tube of the frame and has a
swivel joint at the end of the lever with a tube attached to the swivel joint
under the crown of the fork of the front wheel. The said tube passes up inside
the ball-head tube and has a thread cut inside its top end to connect it to a solid
rod which solid rod passes up through the handle bars. The said solid rod is
connected with a horizontal lever to be worked by hand the end of which lever
is connected to the handle bar and so constitutes a fulcrum at its end instead of
its centre and may be worked either up or down with suitable appliances. I
work the brake by foot from the lever attached to the bottom angle tube aforesaid.
Dated this 28th day of July 1898.
Improvements in DIRKUS TO Cycles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HARVEY, (trading as William Harvey), of No. 60, West
Street, Bristol, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to brakes for cycles to be operated by hand and feet,
either jointly or separately, and consists essentially of a sliding frame with a
pair of grips, each to hold a piece of rubber, leather, or other suitable material
to bear when required against the inner part of the rim of the back wheel,
actuated by the usual lever on the steering bar, or by the feet pressing a cross
bar attached to or communicating with one of the connections from the lever to
the sliding frame which holds the brake appliance.

page_text: The brake frame is preferably attached to the back fork tubes immediately
behind the bottom bracket and in front of the outer cover of the tyre, the frame
being continued on each side of the tyre until it is just behind the rim, it is then
formed with the necessary grips or shoes to hold the pads which bear on each
side of the surface of the rim the usual spring is provided to bring the frame
back to its normal position when the pressure of the hand or feet on the lever
is removed.
My invention, and the means employed for putting the same into operation,
will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying sheet of
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the steering bar and frame of the
machine showing the plunger working through the ball head tube and fork
crown; Fig. 2 is side view of a bicycle, showing only the parts of the machine
on which the connecting rods, levers, and the like, operate the brakes from the
handle bar to the bridge of the frame; Fig. 3, is a view in elevation, on an
enlarged scale, and Fig. 4 is a similar plan, of the pedal bracket and part of the
back wheel, with the brake frame fitted between the back fork tubes, which will
probably have to be made a little longer than usual, to make room for the frame
between the bracket barrel and wheel.
A is the usual hand lever, attached to a banda on the steering bar, the lever
is connected by a hook or the like to a boss B on the top of the bar, from this a
rod passes through the ball head tube and is connected to another rod C, which
emerges below the fork crown for the purpose of adjusting this rod when the
steering bar is raised or lowered, the rod b is screw threaded and the rod C has
a tube c¹ fixed on the top of it, which is tapped to engage with the rod b, near
the bottom, the rod C is journalled to fit into a square or other shaped socket,
which prevents the tube turning round when the rod is turned by the boss B
at the top. On the lower end of the rod C one end of a lever D is fastened, this
lever is fulcrumed at E, and continued to a crank or elbow F, on the top of this
crank a cross-bar G is fixed, so that the crank can be operated either by the foot
or hand, or both the bottom of the crank is connected to a flexible wire cord H,
which passes over and under suitable pulleys on its way to the brake frame.
Just behind the bottom bracket, two bearings I are placed at a convenient
distance apart between the fork tubes; a spindle J is inserted in these bearings,
a spring surrounds it, as shown, to restore it to its normal position, and to
remove the brake pads from contact with the wheel when the pressure is removed;
this spindle is continued to an arch or bridge K, extensions at each side being
formed which are above the level of the fork tubes; the wire cord H is attached
to the spindle J at the lower side, so that when the levers are actuated, the cord
will draw the bridge and frame towards the bracket barrel. Two side pieces L,
with horizontal slots for adjustment, are attached to the bridge K, on the ends
of these side pieces, curved shoes or holders M are formed to receive blocks or
pads N of rubber, leather, or the like, to operate against the rim of the wheel.
The side pieces and shoes L, M, are firmly attached by screws to the bridge
extensions K, and the bridge being an integral part of the spindle J which slides
in the bearings I, both brakes will have a parallel action, and will each bear
equally on the rim.
The parts being provided as described, by the action of the lever, the plunger
will actuate the lever D and the crank will be operated by the lever or the
foot-bar G on the angle of the crank, the tension will be communicated by
the cord H to the spindle J and bridge K, and the side pieces and frames L M
with the pads N, will cause the pressure to bear on each side of the rim.
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 a duplex brake to act on the rims of cycles, the arrangement and com-
bination of the several parts and appliances to form an effective brake, all

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose herein described and set forth and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a duplex brake for cycle rims, the attachment of the foot cross bar
to a crank lever or the like, to act in conjunction or alternation with the lever
attached to the handle bar, substantially as shown.
Dated this 4th day of March
1800
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.