Improvements in Brakes for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
We, WALTER MUIRHEAD, Agent, of Federal Coffee Palace, 547 Collins Street,
and HARRY WILKINSON, Journalist, of Victoria Coffee Palace, 196 Collins Street,
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, 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:-―
The object of our invention is to provide a simple and reliable brake for con-
veyances provided with a pneumatic tire. Many of the plunger brakes hitherto
used have possessed the great defect of pressing only upon the tread or in other
words the weakest part of the tire. By so doing not only has the tire been injured
but its life has been greatly diminished. Should also a sharp stone or other sub-
stance be embedded in the tread it was forced more deeply into it and did further
damage to the weakening portion. But with our invention these objections do
not exist since pressure is applied not so much to the centre of the tire as to the
sides of the same.
At
Our invention which is applicable to all or any class of conveyance having
pneumatically tired wheels consists of a plunger rod operated from a handle bar
in any effective manner and situated above or at any portion of the wheel.
the front end of this rod which in its normal position is drawn away from the
wheel by a spring is a fork or pair of forks. Between the legs of these rotate
loosely a roller the spindle through which is bearinged in slides working
in slots in the said legs. Above each slide is the end of a sheet spring which
pressing against the said slides force them and the roller away from a pad.
But in order that our invention may be better understood we will now refer
to the accompanying sheet of drawings which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read herewith.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a brake which as will be seen is of the
plunger character and is kept off the tire beneath it by a spring.
Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the brake shewing the slide in which the
roller axle is bearinged.
Figure represents a side elevation of the brake shewing the slide removed
and exposing the seat in which it slides.
Figure 4 is a section through X X Figure 1 and is drawn to shew more clearly
the sheet spring and the shape of the interior of the back of the fork.
Figure 5 shews a plunger rod having at its bottom end two forks in each of
which is a roller. Between these two forks is a bridge piece to which the forks are
pivotted the manner in which the pivotting is effected being clearly seen in the
left hand view where one of the lugs is broken away.
Figure represents a side view of Figure 5 shewing the bridge piece and the
pivot pin on the back of the fork.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts where they
occur in the several views.

page_text: On reference to the drawings and to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 it will be seen that
A is the tire against which bears the roller B. This may be of wood or any other
suitable material and revolves upon an axle C secured by nuts at each end. This
axle passes through holes in the slides 1 which travel backwards and forwards
in the slots E (Figure 3) in the forks F. The slides I have a flange all round
them which bears against the outside face of the fork F and on the upper step
formed by the body of the slide presses the end of a spring G. The round of
this bears against the back of the fork. In the front of the spring is a stretcher plate H
which rests and is sweated against or otherwise secured to a longitudinal step
formed along the inside of the back of the fork (see Figure 4). On the front of H
is secured the stationary pad I which is connected to H in any well known way.
At the back of the fork is a bearing K fixed to the front of the machine above
which bearing is a loose sleeve L. Above the top of L is a spiral spring M the
top of which presses against a collar N secured to the plunger rod 0.
pressure of this spring against N forces the back of the fork against
the bottom of the bearing K and the roller is thus constantly
withdrawn from the wheel. But when the plunger rod 0 is depressed
the spring M is compressed and the roller B forced on the tire A. This lifts the
axle C and the slides D the steps on which compress the spring G. The roller B
then rotates with the tire A and rubbing against the pad I restrains the speed
of the wheel.
The
On reference to Figures 5 and 6 it is seen that we have a combination by which
the tread of the tire is completely nuworm by the use of the brake. In this com-
bination two unrecessed rollers are mounted in forks the backs of which forks are
pivotted to a semi-circular bridge piece P. This which is of spring steel is by a
nut or other means attached to the end of the rod (). Beneath each end of this
bridge piece is rivetted or otherwise secured a pivotting piece Q. The inner end
of this is ringed to pass round a pivot pin R and the outer end is bent to form a
stop S to prevent the roller by gravity falling too low. On the back of the forks F
are lugs T through which the pins R pass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1st. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles a
roller B having a recessed centre area and axle the ends of which pass through
holes in slides as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in
the drawings.
2nd. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination with a self withdrawing plunger rod as 0, slides D) having a
flange all round them, a step at the upper end and a hole to receive an axle C
all as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the drawings.
Brd. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination with a self withdrawing plunger rod 0, forks F having slots E
in which travel slides 1 carrying a spindle (on which rotates a wneel B with
or without a centrally recessed area which slides and wheels are pressed outwardly
from a pad by a spring G all as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
as illustrated in the drawings.
4th. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination with a self withdrawing plunger rod O, forks F at the back of
which are a spring G, a stretcher plate H and a pad I, between which forks F' is a
roller B having an axle C bearinged in slides D travelling in slots E all as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the drawings.
5th. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination with and attached to the bottom of a self withdrawing plunger
rod a flexible semi-circular bridge piece P extending around the tire all as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the drawings.

page_text: 6th. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination with and attached to the bottom of a self withdrawing plunger
rod O, a flexible semi-circular bridge piece P attached to the ends of which are
pivotting pieces Q, the inner ends of which are ringed and the outer bent to form
a stop S all as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in
the drawings.
7th. In brakes applicable te velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination a self withdrawing plunger rod U, at the bottom of which is
a semicircular flexible bridge piece P having at its ends pivotting pieces Q the inner
ends of which are ringed to receive a pin R and the outer end bent for a stop S which
pivotting pieces are pivotted between lugs T on the back of the forks Fall as and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and as illustrated in the drawings.
8th. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
and in combination a plunger rod 0, semi-circular flexible bridge piece P,
pivotting pieces Q, pins R, lugs T, forks F, slots E, slides D, axles C, wheels B,
pads I, spring G, stretcher plates H all as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and as illustrated in the drawings.
9th. In brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles
the combination and arrangement of parts as herein before described and as illus-
trated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 upon Figures 5 and 6 and constituting our " Improve-
ments in brakes applicable to velocipedes cycles motor and other wheel vehicles."
Dated this 15th day of June 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.