Improvements in Brakes for Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Wheeled Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN, of the firm of Horn & Son, of 151 Strand, London,
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (a com-
munication to me from abroad by La Société Breton Frères, of 95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris,) to be as follows:-
:-
The brake which forms the subject of the present invention is designed so that
it may be operated either by hand or foot, and is applicable to wheeled vehicles of
various kinds.
This brake is composed of two levers of iron, steel or other suitable material of
similar shape connected together at a short distance apart by cross ties. These
levers aforesaid support a pedal for controlling the action of the brake. The said
levers are fulcrumed upon the body of the vehicle and upon depressing the pedal
the ends of the said levers disengage a bolt thereby allowing a plate having
a pawl fixed thereto to fall by its own weight and engage said pawl with a
ratchet wheel fixed to the axle of the wheels, thereby preventing the rotation of
the wheels.
The plate carrying the pawl is of sufficient length to prevent the disengagement
of the before-mentioned bolt when the lever is slightly shaken, for example when
the vehicle is driven over a rough road.
Upon removing the pressure upon the pedal a spring returns the levers to their
original position thereby removing the pawl from the ratchet wheel.
It will be readily understood that a hand lever may be used to operate the
mechanism in place of the foot lever described, without departing from the spirit
of my invention.
Dated this 19th day of November 1890.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Wheeled Vehicles.
I WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm of Horn & Son of 151 Strand
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me from La Société Breton Frères of 95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais Paris in the Republic of France Inventors) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The new system of brakes which forms the subject of the present invention is
designed so as to operate either by hand or foot and is applicable to every class of
vehicles drawn by horse power.
I have succeeded in overcoming the existing difficulties in controlling the action
of the brake, and in avoiding the engagement of the brake by a slight movement of
the operating lever-that produced, for example by an error of the driver, or by an
inequality in the surface of the road.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention in which like letters
indicate corresponding parts in both of the figures,
Fig. 1 shews a gig with my improved brake applied thereto and
Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of the vehicle.
My improved brake system is composed of two pieces of iron or other

page_text: material A of the same shape connected together at a short distance apart by cross
pieces t t¹.
These pieces t t rest upon a foot lever or pedal P governing the action of the
brake the pieces A being therefore supported by the said lever P.
The levers A are pivotted at O upon the framing of the seat and a spring V
is arranged to return the levers A after they are depressed as hereinafter
described.
The other extremities of the levers A are provided with outwardly projecting
pins upon which rest plates R, the said plates being secured upon a shaft X
running across the vehicle and carried in suitable bearings; the said bearings
being omitted in the drawings.
Upon the outer extremities of the said shaft X are mounted ratchets or pawls T¹
which are adapted to engage with ratchet wheels T2 mounted upon or secured to
the hubs of the wheels.
The action of the brake is as follows,
Upon depressing the foot lever P the levers A which are supported thereon as
before described and being fulcrummed at the point O the rear extremities carrying
the pins will be lowered.
As the pins i fall the levers R supported thereon will rotate by gravitation
around the shaft X and thereby cause the ratchets T' carried by the said shaft X
to engage the ratchet wheels T².
The parts are so adjusted as to allow a slight vibration of the parts without
operating the brake mechanism.
A hand lever L is attached to the lever P for the purpose of operating the brake
mechanism by hand when desired and P is a lever pivotted upon the framing at
the point and connected to the lever P at p so that the brake may be operated
from the rear of the vehicle.
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,
A new system of automatic brake for vehicles adapted to be operated by hand
or foot and consisting of a lever pivotted at one end on to the framing of the seat
or car and having at its other extremity a bolt which when the lever is moved
either by means of a pedal or handle permits one of the connected or adjacent parts
to fall so as to allow a pawl to come in contact with a ratchet wheel fixed upon or
connected to the wheels of the vehicle.
Dated this 18th day of August 1891.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.