Improvements in Brakes for the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1893
-Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug.. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Velocipedes.
1, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works, Rea Street South, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
In constructing a brake according to my invention, I fix on the framing of the
bicycle or velocipede preferably over the highest part of the wheel on which it has
to operate, a short vertical socket in which is situated a. vertical sliding rod pressed
upwards by a coiled or other spring. To the lower end of the said rod across arm
is affixed the two branches of the arm preferably inclining slightly downwards
making with each other an angle of about one hundred and twenty degrees. The
brake proper consists of two blocks made preferably of vulcanised india rubber..
Each of the said blocks has a longitudinal groove running round it, the said groove
extending along the middle of two of its opposite longer sides and also across the..
middle of its ends. These blocks are fixed to the metallic framing of the brake in
the following manner.. A wire bent twice at right angles and forming three sides
of a parallelogram is connected by its cross or middle part with a nearly horizontal
arm forming part of the framing of the movable part of the brake. The said arm.
has flanges on each side and the cross arm herein before described also has flanges.
The said flanges when the brake blocks are in position occupy the grooves in
the inner sides and two ends of the brake blocks respectively. The parallel arms
of the bent wire described occupy the outer grooves in the said blocks and the
cross or middle part of the said wire occupies the other two end grooves in the
brake blocks. Thus, when the said blocks are in position they are fixed by a
metallic framing engaged in the grooves running around the said blocks. The
parts are put together in the following manner. The parallel arms and cross or
middle part of the bent wire are engaged in the grooves in the outer faces and two.
ends of the blocks. By a sliding motion the blocks are engaged with the flanges
on the nearly horizontal arm described and on the cross arm. As the bent wire is
forced home the ends of its parallel arms take into holes in the cross arm carried
by the sliding rod of the brake and the cross or middle part of the bent wire by
pressure snaps into the hook shaped end of the horizontal arm.
In the normal state of the brake the blocks are raised from off the tyre of the
wheel by the coiled or other spring described. When the rider wishes to put the.
brake into operation he depresses the vertical rod carrying the brake blocks.
The said blocks are thereby depressed upon the tyre of the wheel and reduce or
arrest its motion. The said blocks are incapable of performing a rotary motion
but their acting faces are inclined at or about a right angle to each other and on
their descent press respectively on opposite sides of the tyre at a short distance.
from its summit. The depression of the rod by which the brake is brought into.
action may either be effected by the direct action of the hand on the expanded top.
of the rod or by the action of a lever.
Dated this 11th day of November 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant...

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and
other Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works Rea Street South Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In constructing a brake according to my invention, I fix on the framing of
the bicycle, or velocipede, preferably over the highest part of the wheel on which it
has to operate, a short vertical socket in which is situated a vertical sliding rod
pressed upwards by a coiled or other spring. To the lower end of the said
rod a cross arm is affixed, the two branches of the arm preferably inclining slightly
downwards making with each other an angle of about one hundred and twenty
degrees. The brake proper consists of two blocks made preferably of vulcanized
india rubber. Each of the said blocks has a longitudinal groove running round it,
the said groove extending along the middle of two of its opposite longer sides and
also across the middle of its ends. These blocks are fixed to the metallic
framing of the brake in the following manner. A wire bent twice at right
angles and forming three sides of a parallelogram is connected by its cross or
middle part with a nearly horizontal arm forming part of the framing of the
movable part of the brake. When the brake blocks are in position the grooves
in their inner sides and two ends engage respectively with the edges of the
horizontal arm and cross arm of the frame. The parallel arms of the bent wire
described occupy the outer grooves in the said blocks and the cross or middle
part of the said wire occupies the other two end grooves in the brake blocks.
Thus, when the said blocks are in position they are fixed by a metallic framing
engaged in the grooves running around the said blocks. The parts are put together
in the following manner. The parallel arms and cross or middle part of the bent
wire are engaged in the grooves in the outer faces and two ends of the blocks. By
a sliding motion the blocks are engaged with the flanges on the nearly horizontal
arm described and on the cross arm. As the bent wire is forced home the ends
of its parallel arms take into holes in the cross arm carried by the sliding rod
of the brake and the cross or middle part of the bent wire by pressure snaps
into the hook shaped or recessed end of the horizontal arm.
In the normal state of the brake the blocks are raised from off the tyre of the
wheel by the coiled or other spring described. When the rider wishes to put
the brake into operation he depresses the vertical rod carrying the brake blocks.
The said blocks are thereby depressed upon the tyre of the wheel and reduce or
arrest its motion. The said blocks are incapable of performing a rotary motion
but their acting faces are inclined at or about the same angle as the branches
of the cross arms of the frame and on their descent press respectively on
opposite sides of the tyre at a short distance from its summit. The depression
of the rod by which the brake is brought into action may either be effected by the
direct action of the hand on the expanded top of the rod or by the action of a
lever.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation; Figure 2
in side elevation and Figure 3 in longitudinal section a brake constructed according
to my invention; Figure 4 is a cross section of the same taken on the line x, x
Figure 2;
Figure 5 represents in plan of underside the frame of the said brake;
Figure 6 represents in plan, edge view and cross section one of the brake

page_text: Figure 7 represents in front elevation, side elevation and plan detached, the bent
wire for securing the brake blocks of the frame.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a is the screw socket of the brake by which the said brake is connected to the
sliding brake rod (not represented) through which the brake is operated. The
said screw socket a carries the nearly horizontal arm terminating at front in
the cross arm c. The branches of the said cross arm cincline slightly downwards
and make with each other an angle of about one hundred and twenty degrees.
d, d are the india rubber brake blocks having grooves in their edges. The
groove in one of the longitudinal edges of each of the said brake blocks d, d, when put
in position on the frame, engages with the edge of the horizontal arm b and the end
groove d in each of the said blocks engages with the edge of the cross arm c as will be
best understood by reference to Figures 3 and 4. The opposite longitudinal groove and
end groove in each block are for receiving the retaining wire hereinafter described.
The said india rubber blocks d, d are retained in position on the frame by the bent
wire e, e, e the side arms e, e of which engage in the grooves in the outer edges of
the blocks d, d and the cross or bridge piece e³ of which engages with the end
grooves of the blocks d at the inner end of the frame.. When the parts are in
position the ends of the arms e,e of the bent wire engage in holes or depressions c³, c²
in the ends of the cross arm c and the summit of the bridge piece e of the said bent
wire engages when pressed in position in a groove or depression 62 in the end of the
horizontal arm b.
By the construction of the brake herein before described the india rubber brake
blocks d, d are very securely fixed to the frame of the brake and are situated at or
nearly at right angles with each other so that on the depression of the said brake
on the wheel the said blocks are made to press tangentially on opposite sides of the
tyre at a short distance below the summit of the said tyre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention ;-
The improvements in brakes for the wheels of velocipedes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing the said improvements consisting in
the use of groove edged india rubber brake blocks of the kind described and repre-
sented and in the appliance for securing the said brake blocks to the frame of the
brake substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the Seventeenth day of July 1894.