Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 18-9
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1900-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
We, HUMBER & COMPANY LIMITED, of 32, Holborn Viaduct, in the City of
London, and FREDERICK EASOм, of 53, City Road, Beeston, in the County of
Nottingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
This invention relates to brakes for cycles and other light vehicles, and we
will describe it as applied to a bicycle where a rim brake is applied to the back
road wheel of the vehicle. The brake comprises the features now much used of a
brake which can be applied by turning backwards the cranks while the wheel
when the brake is not applied can run entirely free and independent of the
cranks, though the latter can, when needed, be used for driving purposes in the
usual manner. In addition to these capabilities by our present invention we
have the further advantage that we can apply the brake by hand as well as by
foot, either in addition to the feet-the two applications being made together
or without the assistance of the feet. The hand arrangement may be also
utilised to apply a brake of any suitable kind, but preferably a rim brake, to
any other road wheel of the vehicle. The following will describe it. as applied
to any other description of bicycle.
The brake may be of any suitable description for application to the rim of
the wheel, say for example, a yoke passing round the tyre anu rim of the wheel
from the front and supported by hangers at its back ends upon which are carried
the brake shoes or blocks which can be either fixed or pirotted--the latter
preferred to facilitate their correct application to the rim."
The yoke ends in a rod or stem, the length of which may be adjustable if
desired, pivotted to a crank arm carried in any suitable manner preferably
underneath the bottom bracket or crank hanger, the spindle of this arm carrying
a spring controlled pawl. or the latter may in any other suitable manner be
connected with the arm. The chain wheel upon the crank axle or some other
rotating part such as a special arm provided for the purpose, has one or more
studs or projections-preferably a considerable number such as five or six-
which as the wheel rotates engage with the pawl, which when the wheel is
driving the bicycle ahead slips over the studs without applying the brake. When
the direction of motion of the chain wheel is reversed one of these studs comes
into engagement with the other side of the pawl, which is then moved in a
forward direction carrying the aim with it and so applying the brake so long
as the back pressure upon the pedals is maintained. When this is released
the spring operating upon the pawl disengages it from the arm, and the brake
blocks under the influence of any convenient spring withdraw themselves from
the wheel and the latter is free to rotate. Should the motion of the pedals be
nearly suspended and the wheel not turned backwards, the road wheel of the
vehicle runs cutirely free by reason of a clutch provided for the purpose
preferably between the hub of the road wheel and the chain wheel thereof.
The spring for controlling the movement of the pawl is arranged so as to
control the latter in two directions, the spring being secured to the pawl and
turned round into a bow or fiddle shape, the portion near its free end being
curved and resting against a fixed stop which may be covered with some material
which will prevent noise-a roller can be employed upon this stop if desired.
When the pawl is moved in either direction the spring travels lengthways upor

page_text: its stop so that partly by its curved shape and partly by its resilience it has
the effect of bringing the pawl always into substantially the same position.
Other kinds of springs may be used to effect the same object but the one we
have described is silent and free in its operation, and being of considerable
length, it is not likely to break and it works noiselessly.
Considerable difficulty has been experienced in devices of this kind where
stops upon the chain wheel engage with the pawl on account of the noise as
each stop successively comes into engagement with the pawl during ordinary
driving; we overcome this difficulty in the following manner. We secure to
the pawl one end of a thin flat spring curved so as to stand out somewhat from
the face of the pawl; the stop engages with this spring which is very thin and
flattens it out more or less against the face of the pawl, the engagement thus
provided being exceedingly gradual and light so that practically no sound is
emitted.
The attachment for hand operation may be of any suitable type, say for
example, what is now commonly known as the Bowden brake type consisting
of a wire which may be passed through one or more of the frame tubes from
the hand lever and connected to the previously mentioned brake yoke or an
arm or attachment thereof so that when the hand lever is moved the yoke is
brought forward and the brake applied as will be well understood.
Any convenient form of adjustment-a screw adjustment for example-may be
used for regulating the length so as to adjust the brake properly, and as above
stated the hand lever may operate also a brake upon the front or other wheel
of the bicycle, or vehicle.
In an alternative arrangement while retaining the feature of hand and foot
operated brakes we dispense with the pawl and its springs and substitute the
following arrangement.
We employ a bottom bracket of ordinary construction, through which the
crank axle passes, and is carried in ball bearings in the usual manner. A portion
or the whole of the axle between the ball bearing collars we recess во as to
carry clutch rollers operating in conjunction with the sleeve in a manner which
will be well understood. Instead, however, as hitherto, making the clutch
rollers short we make them the full length to fit between the bearing collars,
which thus serve to retain them endwise in their proper position upon the axle.
The clutch projections of the axle itself may extend to the same length or a
portion thereof.
The clutch sleeve lies inside the bottom bracket and is carried by the rollers
of the clutch, which when the rider is driving ahead pass freely inside it, but
when he pedals backwards tend to carry the sleeve backwards with them. The
sleeve may be made of any desired thickness, and as a convenient means of
attaching the pull rod of the brake we make the hole obliquely through the
sleeve, thus obtaining sufficient length and a convenient disposition of the hole
into which the pull rod may screw. The rod passes through a slot or hole pro-
vided for it in the bracket, the slot being either a continuation of the saw-cut
used in conjunction with the pinch-screw for securing the bearing cuts or it
may be independent thereof. The pull rod may be secured at any portion of
the clutch shell and when placed at one end of it (in which arrangement the
previously mentioned oblique hole may or may not be required) may pass through
an enlargement of the previously mentioned saw-cut. The pull rod may be
employed to operate any desired form of brake, such for example as a band
brake on the hub. or a shoe brake upon the tyre, or a rim brake.
Instead of the oblique hole being formed in the slotted portion of the sleeve,
the latter may be comparatively thin, and the pull rod secured to a lug or
projection formed upon the sleeve.
Dated this 29th day of August 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
We, HUMBER & COMPANY LIMITED (in Liquidation), of 32, Holborn Viaduct,
in the City of London, and FREDERICK EASOм, of Riseholme, Chilwell Road,
late of 53, City Road, Beeston, in the County of Nottingham, Engineer, 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 improvements in back-pedal brake mechanisms
now commonly in use for cycles having one or more free wheels," and has for
its object to provide an improved means whereby the pedals may be auto-
matically connected with the brake when it is desired to apply the latter.
In carrying out this invention as applied to a bicycle, the crank axle is made
to form part of a friction clutch, rollers being arranged between it and a sleeve
or shell mounted free within the bottom bracket of the machine. The rollers.
and the shell of the friction clutch are preferably made the whole length of
that part of the axle which lies between the cones or cups of the bearings, so
that these latter may serve to keep the parts of the clutch in position. An arm
is screwed or otherwise secured to the outer circumference of the shell and
projects through the wall of the bracket. That end of the arm which extends
beyond the bottom bracket is connected to the operating rod of the brake so
that when the rider back pedals the crank axle is made to engage its surround-
ing shell by means of the rollers. This will cause the shell to partially revolve
carrying with it the arm by means of which the brake is applied. A spring
may be used to return the arm with its sleeve or shell and brake connections
to their normal positions.
The brake may be either a band or rim brake; in the latter case the shoes
of the brake are suspended by arms pivotted to the bottom stays of the machine.
The arms are connected together by a forked member secured to the arm of the
clutch shell, and means for adjusting the distance between these two last
members is preferably provided.
In place of the arm being secured to the external circumference of the clutch
shell, it may take the form of a pin screwed tangentially into the wall of the
shell.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a back-pedal brake mechanism shown in trans-
verse vertical section and constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section of the clutch mechanism shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an underside view of the clutch mechanism shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a back-pedal brake mechanism adapted to
operate a rim brake, and
Figure 5 is a side elevation in part section of a modified clutch device.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The crank axle A is fluted or provided with a series of recesses A¹ adapted
to receive friction rollers As in the well-known manner.
The rollers A² pre-
ferably extend the full length of that part of the axle A which lies between
the usual. cones A' with which the axle is provided so that they butt against
the cones and are thus prevented from endwise displacement. Surrounding the
axle and friction rollers and free within the bottom bracket B of the machine
is mounted a sleeve or shell A³. The outer circumference of the shell A³ is
reduced at one end and screw-threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded

page_text: boss of an arm C. The free end of the arm C projects through a slot E in the
lower portion of the bottom bracket B and is connected to a brake' operating
rod D.
It is obvious from the above that so long as the crank axle is revolved in
the direction for forward driving of the machine the shell A³ will remain
stationary, the clutch not being adapted to engage it when the axle is travelling
in this direction. If, however, the rider back-pedals, thus reversing the direction
of rotation of the axle A, the rollers A2 will immediately engage the shell A³,
and axle A so that the arm C will be moved in the direction indicated by the
arrow (Figure 1). This movement will cause the arm to pull upon the rod D
which is arranged to operate some convenient form of brake.
In putting the clutch mechanism together the arm is first inserted from the
outside of the bottom bracket through the slot E, the sleeve being next placed in
position and screwed into it, until the shoulder, formed on the sleeve by reducing
the end, is brought against the face of the boss of the arm C. The axle A can
now be introduced through the sleeve, the rollers A3 being placed in position,
and the whole is secured within the bracket by means of the usual ball bearings.
The shell A3 although of sufficient dimensions to pass over the cones A is
prevented from end displacement by the engagement of the arm C in the slot E.
The thread on the sleeve A³ is preferably left-handed so that when the brake
is operated the pull on the arm C tends to screw the arm further on to the
sleeve.
If preferred this device may be modified by reducing the end of the sleeve
and providing it with a projection or recess, in place of the screw thread and
the arm C with a corresponding recess or projection adapted to engage that on
the sleeve, so that when the end of the sleeve is inserted in the boss of the arm
the two parts will be prevented from revolving relatively to one another. The
arm C is preferably arranged at one end of the shell A³, as described, so that
it may be carried through the vertical or transverse slot E commonly used in
conjunction with a horizontal or longitudinal slot E¹, which permits the end of
the bottom bracket to be contracted by the usual bolt Es passing through lugs E³.
It should however be understood that in cases where this arrangement for con-
tracting the end of the bracket is not used, or where it is desired to have the
arm project through some other portion of the bracket, a separate slot may be
made for the same, and the arm allowed to screw further on the sleeve as shown
in Figure 4 or Figure 5.
Figure 5 shows another method of securing the arm C to the shell A³, the
arm in this case taking the form of a pin screwed tangentially into the wall of
the shell. A longer bearing is thus obtained for the threaded part of the pin
or arm than would be the case if screwed radially into the shell.
In front of the arm C is a light spring or shield of resilient metal C₁ which
serves to prevent dust from passing into the bearing through the slot E when
the arm is in its normal position, i.e. the position shown by dotted lines in
Figure 1.
The
Figure 4 shows a rim brake adapted to be operated by the back pedal mechanism
described above. The brake shoes J are suspended by links J¹ pivotted at J*
to the bottom stays of the machine and are connected together by a forked
member K. The member K is pivotted at K to the ends of the links J¹ and
the shoes J are for convenience pivotted at K to the ends of the fork K.
forward end of the fork K is connected to the operating rod D by an adjustable
link D. The adjustable link D³ may conveniently comprise a sleeve provided
with an interior right and left-handed thread adapted to receive correspondingly
threaded portions of the rod D and member K, so that when this link is revolved
in one direction the distance between these two parts is increased, and when
revolved in the opposite direction decreased. In order that the rod D may have
free play it is pivotted at D³ to the arm C. A lock nut D is provided to secure
the link D when properly adjusted.

page_text: The operating rod D with its adjustable connection 1) is conveniently secured
to the fork or yoke K by nuts D
In addition to operating the brake by back-pedalling hand operation may be
provided for comprising a flexible wire L, such as that used in the brake kuown
as the Bowden brake, secured to the arm (and conveniently connected to a
lever arranged on the handle-bar of the machine. If preferred the wire L in
place of being secured direct to the aim C may be connected to a projection such
as M (Figure 5) with which the rod D may be provided. When thus arranged
the rod D may, if necessary, be made to travel in a guide N secured to any
convenient part of the frame of the machine to prevent the rod from rising.
It will be understood that although this invention has been described more
particularly as applied to a bicycle, it may also be adapted for use in tricycles,
motor vehicles, and the like.
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:-
1. In a back-pedal brake mechanism for cycles and the like the combination
with the crank axle of rollers carried by the axle and prevented from endwise
displacement by the axle cones and a surrounding shell or sleeve free to pass
over the cones substantially us and for the purpose described.
2. In a back-pedal brake mechanism of the kind described the combination with
a shell such as A³ of an arm detachably secured to the outer circumference of
the shell and extended through the casing of the bearing substantially as
described.
3. In a back-pedal brake mechanism for cycles and the like the combination
with a friction clutch arranged in the bottom bracket of a cycle of an arm
secured to one part of the friction clutch and extended through the bracket in
a slot which is also used to permit contraction of the ends of the bracket for
the purpose of locking the bearing cone substantially as described.
4. In a back-pedal brake mechanism of the kind described the combination
with the clutch arm of a brake operating rod adjustable or otherwise suspended
from the frame by links such as with or without means whereby the rod may
be operated by hand substantially as described.
5. In a back-pedal brake mechanism of the kind described the combination
with a friction clutch shell of a pin such as ( (Figure 5) screwed obliquely in
the shell substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination with the same cycle brake of attachments whereby it
can be operated either by the hand or foot.
7. The complete back-pedal brake-operating mechanism substantially 88
described or illustrated in Figures 1.2 and 3 or Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
D109...
1000