Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Velocipedes and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1854
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Velocipedes and
the like.
I, WILLIAM STEVENSON LOUDON of Warwick Road Coventry in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:-
My invention relates principally to brakes for the wheels of velocipedes though
it may be applied to brakes for other wheels, and has for its objects the production
of an efficient brake "shoe" which shall, without alteration, be usable with tires of
any ordinary dimensions, which shall not be liable to injure the said tires and
which shall offer great frictional resistance to the revolution of the wheel to the tire
of which it is applied, and at the same time requiring a comparatively small force
to be exerted by the operator.
To attain these objects I mount two cylindrical blocks, of rubber or other
suitable material and of suitable dimensions, on the arms of a V or equivalent
shaped frame and adjust the said frame with respect to the wheel, to which the
brake is to be applied so that the plane in which lie the axes of the blocks is at
right angles or approximately at right angles to the plane of the wheel, the planes
cutting each other centrally.
66
My improved shoe may be secured by the apex of the frame in place of the
spoon "shoe to the foot of the rod of the "plunger" brake as commonly applied
to the front wheel of a rear driven safety bicycle, or it may be secured and operated
by any other convenient means, such means preferably causing the shoe to work
more or less towards the centre of the wheel to which the brake is applied.
The application of a brake fitted with my improved shoe, to the tire of a wheel,
tends to squeeze the sides of the tire together and produces a powerful wedging
effect offering great resistance to the revolution of the wheel.
The brake may be removed from contact with the tire by a spring or by any
other convenient means. The blocks may be flat sided instead of cylindrical or of
any other convenient shape if preferred and may or may not be free to rotate on
the arms of the frame. I prefer to so construct the parts that the blocks may be
released and refixed in different positions on the arms of the frame, so that the
unworn parts of the blocks come in contact with the tire in place of those which
have become worn by use, and so that either or any of the blocks may be replaced
by another or others when desired. More than two blocks may be used if preferred
and the frame or frames altered accordingly.
Dated this 4th day of March 1893.
W. B. MAXFIELD,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Velocipedes and
the like.
I, WILLIAM STEVENSON LOUDON, of Warwick Road Coventry in the County
of Warwick, Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates principally to brakes for the wheels of velocipedes, though

page_text: it may be applied to brakes for other wheels, and has for its objects the production
of an efficient brake "shoe" which shall, without alteration, be usable with tires of
any ordinary dimensions, which shall not be liable to injure the said tires and which
shall offer great frictional resistance to the revolution of the wheel to the tire
thereof which it is applied, and at the same time requiring a comparatively small
force to be exerted by the operator.
To attain these objects I mount two cylindrical blocks, of rubber or other suitable
material and of suitable dimensions, on the arms of a V or equivalent shaped frame,
and adjust the said frame with respect to the wheel to which the brake is to be
applied so that the plane in which lie the axes of the blocks is at right angles or
approximately at right angles to the plane of the wheel, the planes cutting each
other centrally.
"
My improved shoe may be secured by the apex of the frame in place of the
spoon" shoe to the foot of the rod of the "plunger" brake as commonly applied
to the front wheel of a rear driven safety bicycle, or it may be secured and operated
by any other convenient means, such means preferably causing the shoe to work
more or less towards the centre of the wheel to which the brake is applied.
The application of a brake fitted with my improved shoe, to the tire of the
wheel, tends to squeeze the sides of the tire together and produces a powerful
wedging effect offering great resistance to the revolution of the wheel.
The brake may be removed from contact with the tire by a spring or by any
other convenient means. The blocks may be flat sided instead of cylindrical or of
any other convenient shape if preferred and may or may not be free to rotate on
the arms of the frame. If the blocks be not free to rotate on the arms of the frame [
prefer to so construct the parts that the blocks may be released and refixed in'
different positions on the arms of the frame, so that unworn parts of the blocks come
in contact with the tire in place of those which have become worn by use, and so
that either or any of the blocks may be replaced by another or others when desired.
More than two blocks may be used if preferred and the frame or frames altered
accordingly.
In order that my invention may be well understood I append drawings which
show the general form and arrangement of the parts thereof, but modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Figure is a front, view in elevation of a brake shoe constructed according to my
invention and applied to a tire of small diameter.
Figure 1 is a similar view but partly in section of the same or a similar brake
shoe applied to a tire of large dimensions and it also shows a modification.
Figure II is a side view in elevation of the said brake shoe.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
The two cylindrical blocks 2, 3 are mounted on the arms 4, 5 of the V shaped
frame and the said frame is adjusted so that the plane in which lie the axes of the
blocks 2, 3 is at right angles to the plane of the wheel, which is shod or fitted with
the tire 6, the planes cutting each other centrally. The shoe is secured by the
apex 7 of the frame to the foot of the plunger rod 8 by any well known convenient
means and operated so that, when the brake is applied, it moves more or less towards
the centre of the wheel. The application of the brake tends to squeeze the sides
of the tire together as shown and produces a powerful wedging effect offering great
resistance to the revolution of the wheel. If the blocks 2, 3 are of rubber
I prefer to fix them so that they do not rotate when the brake is in action, by
making them a tight fit on the arms 3, 4 and by providing the arms with
shoulders 9, 10 near the apex and with external screw threads at their free ends, on
to which free ends are passed wasbers 14, 15 and nuts 16, 17 which enable the
blocks to be compressed by tightening the nuts. While this construction prevents
the blocks 2, 3 rotating it allows them by loosening the nuts 16, 17 to be released
and refixed in different positions on the arms 4, 5 so that unworn parts of the
blocks come in contact with the tire in place of those which have become worn by
if the blocks are made of lignum vitæ or other hard material they may be
use,

page_text: mounted on the arms with sufficient freedom to allow them to rotate when the brake
is applied. By removing the nuts 16, 17 and washers 14, 15, the blocks 2, 3 may
be replaced by others when desired.
The blocks are of such dimensions and are so placed that the space between their
opposite bottom edges 18, 19 is wider than the diameter of the largest tire of
ordinary dimensions the brake shoe is intended to be applied to (as shown in
Figure II) and that the space between their opposite top edges 20, 21 is narrower
than the diameter of the smallest tire of ordinary dimensions the brake shoe is
intended to be applied to (as shown in Figure I) so that the shoe is usable with
tires of any ordinary dimensions.. Where the blocks are of cylindrical form they
are set at a distance apart which is not greater than the largest diameter nor less
than the smallest diameter of tires of ordinary dimensions.
If the blocks are made of soft or rapidly wearing material and fixed, or if of hard
material are preferably allowed to rotate the shoe is not liable to injure the said
tires and owing to the wedging action above described a brake fitted with it requires
a comparatively small force to be exerted by the operator.
I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described and illustrated, they
may be modified and varied in any convenient manner provided the essential
features of the invention are retained. For example, instead of providing the free
ends of the arms with external screw threads and nuts and washers they may be cut
off short of the adjacent ends of the blocks as shown in part of Figure II and be
provided with tapped holes 2 into which are secured suitable headed screws 26
carrying suitable washers 24 which enable the blocks to be compressed by tightening
the screws.
The parts of the frame may be made hollow to decrease weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A shoe for a velocipede or like brake consisting of two or more cylindrical,
flat sided, spherical or otherwise conveniently shaped blocks mounted on the arms
of a V or equivalent shaped frame, all constructed, arranged and operating
substantially as aud for the purpose set forth.
2. In a brake for a velocipede or the like, a "shoe" so constructed as to be
(without alteration) usable with tires of any ordinary dimensions, and so as not to
be liable to injure the said tires, and so as to offer great frictional resistance to the
revolution of the wheel to the tire of which it is applied and requiring a com-
paratively small force to be exerted by the operator substantially as hereinbefore
described.
°
3. The improvements in or relating to brakes for velocipedes and the like
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 5th day of December 1893.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
Of 19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicant's Agent.