Improvements in Brake Handles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM ALPHONSUS MCGUIRE, of 309 Webster
Avenue, Chicago, in the County of Cook, and State of Illinois, United States
of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Brake Handles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 ratchet brake handles, and it consists in providing a
new and improved brake handle which is so constructed as to prevent the slipping
of the ratchet handles or wheels on account of the wearing away of the ratchet
teeth or from other causes.
The advantages of ratchet brake handles are well known, but as heretofore con-
structed they require constant careful inspection to prevent the danger of accidents
on account of the slipping of the ratchets. In service the working faces of the
brake handle wear off at an angle with the line of the brake staff, and the points
of the teeth become rounded, so that when power is applied to set the brakes, the
teeth being held in engagement with each other by spring pressure only, they slip
out of engagement and the brake staff is not rotated; consequently the brakes are
set only slightly, if at all, and if this occurs in an emergency a collision or wreck
is the result. To keep the ratchet teeth in proper working order so as to secure
approximate safety, considerable expense is entailed.
These objections are overcome by making the engagement of the ratchet teeth
one which is positive and substantially unyielding when the handle is operated to
set the brakes, but which is nevertheless yielding on the reverse movement of the
bake handle, so that the handle may be reversely moved on the staff.
In the form of invention hereindescribed the brake handle is arranged to
operatively engage the brake staff by means of an interposed ratchet or clutch
hub, which by rotation of the brake handle in one direction is positively forced
end unyieldingly held in locking engagement with the brake staff, but upon
1+verse rotation of the brake handle is released from such downward pressure, so
that it may rotate upon the head of the brake staff; and as such clutch hub is
connected to the handle, rotation of the brake handle in the proper direction
consequently rotates the brake staff.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brake handle mounted upon the brake staff,
part being in section;
Figure 2 is an under side view of the clutch hub;
Figures 3 and 4 are side and plan views, respectively, of the same;
Figures 5 and 6 are plan and side views, respectively, of the staff head;
Figures 7 and 8 are plan and side views, respectively, of the screw cap which
secures the brake handle upon the staff;
Figure 9 is a cross section on line 9-9 of Figure 1, looking down;

page_text: Figure 10 is a cross section on line 9-9 of Figure 1, looking up;
Figure 11 is a view of the upper end of the brake staff;
Figure 12 is a view of the brake handle, part being in section to show these
improvements as applied to a ratchet brake handle in which the ratchet teeth
connecting the handle to the brake staff have become worn or rounded off.
13 indicates the brake handle, and 14 indicates the brake staff. As shown in
Figure 1, the handle 13 is provided with a hollow shell 15 into which the upper
end of the brake staff is fitted.
16 indicates a head provided with ratchet teeth 17 on its upper surface, and
adapted to fit upon the brake staff 14. The brake staff and head 16 are preferably
screw-threaded, as illustrated in the drawings, so that said head may be screwed
upon the staff, but the head may be otherwise secured upon the staff if desired,
provided it is so secured that the staff will rotate with said head when said head is
rotated by means of its ratchet teeth.
The head 16 is further provided with a peripheral shoulder 18, as shown in
Figure 6, the object of which is to permit the brake handle to be locked upon the
staff by means of a cap 19 which fits upon the upper end of the brake staff and
screws into the lower portion of the shell 15, said cap abutting against the
shoulder 18, as shown in Figure 1.
20 indicates a clutch or ratchet hub, which, in the construction shown, is
adapted to fit over the upper end of the brake staff and to rest upon the head 16.
The hub 20 is provided at its lower end with ratchet teeth 21 adapted to mesh
with the teeth 17 of the head 16. Said hub is further provided at its upper end
with one or more recesses 22, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, said recesses being
adapted to receive a corresponding number of ratchet teeth or cams 24 carried
by the brake handle 13, as shown in Figure 1. It will be noted that the teeth
or cams 24 project further than the ratchet teeth 17-21, the object of which is
to permit vertical movement of the hub 20 sufficient to clear the teeth 17 and
consequently permit reverse movement of the brake handle, as will be hereinafter
more fully set forth.
As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the hub 20 is provided with one or more (pre-
ferably two) vertical grooves or channels 25 in its periphery, which are adapted
to receive a corresponding number of lugs or splines 26 carried by the brake
handle, as shown in Figure 1. By this construction, the brake handle and the
hub 20 are locked together, although movement, to a certain extent, of the brake:
Landle independently of the hub is permitted.
The operation of this improved brake handle is as follows: The parts being
assembled, when the brake handle is to be operated to set the brake it is rotated
in the proper direction, bringing the teeth or cams 24 to the position shown in
Figure 1, and consequently the hub 20 will be forced down positively into engage 4
ment with the brake staff head 16, and will be held there unyieldingly as long as
pressure is applied to the brake handle. To release the brake, all that it is
necessary to do is to move the brake handle back slightly so that the teeth 24
may project into the recesses 22 on the upper end of the hub, when, as the teeth 17
do not project as far as the teeth 24, the hub may rise sufficiently to clear the 4
teeth 17, permitting reverse movement of the brake staff.
improved brake handle when the brake staff teeth have been worn off to rounded
The operation of this
form, as shown in Figure 12, is equally as good as before, inasmuch as by the
positive engagement of the hub 20 with the head even slight projections, whether
rounded or angular, are sufficient to lock the hub and head together, so that the 5
ake staff may be rotated to set the brakes without danger of slipping. By these
improvements, therefore, the life of the locking parts is almost infinitely in-
creased, as the ratchet teeth require no attention and may be used until they are
almost entirely worn off.
While the construction shown is that which is considered the best adapted for 5
general use, the invention should not be limited to such construction, as various
mcdifications may be made without departing from such invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
ne by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a shaft having a series of teeth upon one portion
thereof, of a rotatably mounted handle, a movable member mounted in said handle,
and means for automatically and positively forcing said movable member into
engagement with the teeth on said shaft by the rotation of the said handle,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with a shaft, of a toothed head carried thereby, a handle
journaled on said shaft, a movable member adapted to engage the teeth of said
head, and means automatically operated by the rotary movement of said handle
for positively forcing said movable member into engagement with the teeth on
said head when said handle is moved in one direction only, whereby said shaft
and handle are positively locked together for rotating said shaft in one direction
only, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a shaft having a series of teeth upon one portion, a wheel
or crank journaled on said shaft, a movable member mounted in said wheel or
crank, and one or more cams actuated by the movement of said wheel or crank
to positively force and maintain the engagement of said movable member with
said teeth, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a brake handle, the combination with a brake staff having a series of
teeth at the upper portion thereof, a brake handle having a shell embracing the
upper end of said staff and adapted to rotate thereupon, a movable piece engaging
the teeth carried by said staff, and means carried by the brake handle for positively
forcing said movable piece into engagement with said brake staff and locking it
unyieldingly in such engagement when the handle is operated to apply the brake,
and permitting the disengagement of said movable piece from said brake staff
when the handle is reversely operated, substantially as described.
5. In a ratchet brake handle, the combination with a brake staff having a
toothed head, of a handle having a shell for embracing said head, and being
Journaled on said staff, a movable clutch hub mounted in said shell and adapted
to engage said toothed head, said clutch having a limited vertical and rotary
movement independently of said shell, and means for positively forcing said hub
into engagement with said staff head, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a brake staff, of a handle, and automatic mechanism
positively actuated to lock said handle and staff together by the rotation of the
handle to set the brake, and for unlocking said staff from the handle by the reverse
motion of the handle, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a brake staff, of a handle, and automatic mechanism
positively actuated to positively and unyieldingly lock said handle and staff
tegether by the rotation of the handle to set the brake, and for automatically
unlocking said staff from said handle by the reverse motion of the latter,
substantially as described.
8. The combination with a brake staff, of a rotatable handle, an intermediate
device for locking the handle and staff together, means for automatically locking
the intermediate device for locking the handle and staff positively and unyield-
ingly together when said handle is rotated in one direction, and means operated
by the rotation of the handle in the reverse direction for releasing said
intermediate device, substantially as described.
9. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of a handle,
an intermediate device adapted to lock said handle and staff together, means
automatically operated by the rotary movement of the brake handle to lock
said intermediate device, handle and staff positively together when the handle
is moved in one direction, and means for unlocking said parts when the handle
is moved in another direction, substantially as described.
10. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of a handle

page_text: mounted upon said staff, a clutch hub between said handle and staff, said hub
being movable longitudinally of said staff and having teeth adapted to engage
the teeth of said staff, and means operated by the rotation of the handle in one
direction to positively hold said hub in engagement with said brake staff,
substantially as described.
11. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of a handle
mounted upon said staff, a clutch hub between said handle and staff, said hub
being movable longitudinally of said staff and having teeth adapted to engage the
teen of said staff, and a cam carried by the handle and acting, when said handle
is rotated in one direction, to positively hold said hub in engagement with said
brake staff, substantially as described.
12. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of a handle
mounted upon said staff, a clutch hub between said handle and staff, said
hub being movable longitudinally of said staff and having teeth adapted to engage
the teeth of said staff, a cam carried by the handle and acting, when said handle
is rotated in one direction, to positively hold said hub in engagement with said
brake staff, and means for releasing said hub when the handle is moved in the
cposite direction, substantially as described.
13. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of a handle
mounted upon said staff, a clutch hub between said handle and staff, said hub
being movable longitudinally of said staff and having teeth adapted to engage
the teeth of said staff, a cam carried by the handle and acting, when said handie
is rotated in one direction, to positively hold said hub in engagement with said
brake staff, and means for releasing said hub when the handle is moved in the
opposite direction, said handle having a limited rotary movement independently
of said hub, substantially as described.
14. The combination with a brake staff, and teeth carried thereby, of an inter-
mediate hub arranged upon said staff and adapted to engage the teeth of said
staff, said hub having a recess 25, a brake handle having a shell, a lug carried
thereby and adapted to enter said recess 25, and a cam carried by said handle
and adapted to hold said hub in locking engagement with said staff when the
handle is rotated in one direction, and to release said hub when the handle is
rotated in the opposite direction.
15. The combination with a brake staff, and a toothed head mounted thereupon
and screwed thereto, cf a hub having teeth adapted to engage the teeth of said
head, a recess 22 at its upper end, a brake handle having a shell adapted to receive
said hub, and a cam adapted to enter the recess 22 of said hub, substantially as
described.
16. The combination with a brake staff, and a toothed head mounted thereupon
and secured thereto, of a hub having teeth adapted to engage the teeth of said
bead, a recess 22 at its upper end, a brake handle having a shell adapted to
receive said hub, and a cam adapted to enter the recess 22 of said hub, said shell
baving a lug 26 adapted to enter a recess 25 in said hub, substantially sc.escribed.
1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.