Improved Hub Brake for Bicycles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Hub Brake for Bicycles.
We, ALFRED WILLIAM WATERS, of No. 866, Palmerston Avenue, in the City of
Toronto, in the County of York, and Province of Ontario, Canada, Superintendent,
and LAMBERT VICTOR DUSSEAU, of No. 108, Seaton Street, in the said City of
Toronto, Secretary-Treasurer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows;-
The object of the invention is to devise a brake for bicycles, which will be simple,
quickly set to give any desired degree of friction and which when set will stay
set till released by the rider, and it consists, essentially, of a friction, drum non-
revolubly supported upon the axle of the rear wheel, a disk fast upon the hub
within the drum, one or more friction dogs adapted to slide upon the said disk,
and a sprocket wheel loose upon the hub and provided with a spiral thread upon its
outer face adapted to engage a similar thread cut upon the friction dogs so that
the revolution of the sprocket wheel in one direction will force the dogs into contact
with the drum to break the wheel, and in the other direction will draw them into
contact with the disk to drive the wheel, the whole being arranged substantially
as hereinafter more specifically described.
Figure 1, is a cross-section of the improved brake.
Figure 2, is an inside face view of the friction dog, disk and friction drum.
Figure 3, is an outside face view of the device partly broken away to expose the
spiral threads upon the sprocket wheel.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures.
A, is the axle of the rear wheel rigidly secured in the frame in the usual manner,
a portion of which frame is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.
B, is the hub of the rear wheel suitably supported by ball bearings about the
axle A.
C, is a friction drum supported upon the axle A, and held from turning in any
suitable manner, preferably by having a pin a, inserted in its outer face, which
may engage with a portion of the frame of the machine, though in some cases it
might be sufficient to merely screw it upon the axle as shown.
Ď, is a disk secured upon the hub B, in any suitable manner, preferably by being
threaded thereon as shown in Fig. 1. This disk is grooved at b to receive one or
more friction dogs E, which lie within the rim c of the drum C.
Heads d are preferably formed upon, each dog E, to present as broad a friction
urface as possible to the rim of the friction disk, and also to enable the dog to
engage with the edge of the disk D, when drawn inward towards the hub. It is
hot essential, however, that the heads should engage the disk, as the
pressure of the dogs upon the inner ends of the grooves will answer the same
urpose. Upon the face of each dog is formed a segment of a spiral thread e,
which is adapted to engage with the spiral thread f, formed upon the face of the
procket wheel F. This sprocket wheel is loose upon the hub B, and is always
eld in engagement with the friction dogs by the flange upon the hub.

page_text: Having described the construction of the device we will briefly set out its
mode of operation.
When the sprocket wheel F, is revolved in the direction indicated by arrow in
Fig. 3, as in the action of forward pedalling, the spiral thread upon its face
engaging with the threads upon the dogs, causes the latter to retract and the heads
of the dog firmly grip and jamb upon the outer edge of the disk D, preventing
any further revolution of the sprocket wheel upon the hub. The latter is then
in driving connection with the sprocket wheel, till, by the action of back pedalling,
the latter is revolved in the opposite direction, when the dogs are released from
contact with the disk and forced outwardly into contact with the inner surface
of the rim c, of the friction drum C. Friction is immediately set up between the
friction dogs and the drum so that an effectual brake is put upon the action of
the wheel..
As the pitch of the spiral thread is preferably comparatively small, the sprocket
wheel will remain in the exact position, to which it has been turned till it is either
revolved further backward to increase the friction, or turned forward to again drive
the bicycle.
It will be readily understood that the effectiveness of the brake is wonderfully
added to by the fact that when the brake has once been set, it remains set till the
sprocket wheel is again moved.
The ease with which the brake can be set to give a greater or less degree of
friction according to the position to which the sprocket wheel is turned, is a most
important advantage derived from this peculiar construction, and enables a rider
to retard the motion of his wheel sufficiently to enable him to coast down the
steepest hill or to bring his wheel to a sudden stop, as may be desired.
In constructing the brake, the details of construction may be materially varied
without departing from the spirit of the invention. Other means might be
adopted, for instance for holding the friction drum from rotating, for connect-
ing the disk D, to the hub, and for slidably supporting the friction dogs therein.
As the threads formed on the dogs only engage with the spiral threads on the
face of the sprocket wheel for a short distance during pedalling and back pedalling,
it is obvious that a segment of one or more spiral threads with appropriate pitch
for each dog will suffice without having a continuous spiral as indicated in the
drawings, or a single thread may be formed on the friction dog, and the face of
the sprocket wheel so shaped as to engage therewith.
From the above description it will be seen that a very efficient and simple brake
for bicycles is devised, which fulfils the important function of being quickly set
by back pedalling to give any desired degree of friction, and which, when set,
will stay set till released by the rider, thus continuing the braking action, even
though the chain should break.
We, ALFRED WILLIAM WATERS, of 866, Palmerston Avenue, of the City of
Toronto, in the County of York, and Province of Ontario, Canada, Superintendent,
and LAMBERT VICTOR DUSSEAU, of 108, Seaton Street, of the said City of

page_text: Toronto, Secretary Treasurer, 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:-
The object of the invention is to devise a brake for bicycles which will be simple,
quickly set to give any desired degree of friction, and which when set, will stay
set till released by the rider, and it consists, essentially, of a friction, drum non-
revolubly supported upon the axle of the rear wheel; a disk fast upon the hub
within the drum, one or more friction dogs adapted to slide upon the said disk,
and a sprocket wheel loose upon the hub and provided with a spiral thread upon its
outer face, adapted to engage a similar thread cut upon the friction dogs so that
the revolution of the sprocket wheel in one direction will force the dogs into contact
with the drum to break the wheel, and in the other direction will draw them into
contact with the disk to drive the wheel, the whole being arranged substantially
as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.
Figure 1, is a cross-section of the improved brake.
Figure 2, is an inside face view of the friction dogs, disk, and friction drum.
Figure 3, is an outside face view of the device partly broken away to expose the
spiral threads upon the sprocket wheel.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures. The drawings referred to are those filed with the Provisional
Application.
A, is the axle of the rear wheel rigidly secured in the frame in the usual manner,
a portion of which frame is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.
B, is the hub of the rear wheel suitably supported by ball bearings about the
axle A.
C, is a friction drum supported upon the axle A, and held from turning in any
suitable manner, preferably by having a pin a inserted in its outer face, which
may engage with a portion of the frame of the machine, though in some cases it
might be sufficient to merely screw it upon, the axle as shown.
D, is a disk secured upon the hub B, in any suitable manner, preferably by being
threaded thereon as shown in Fig. 1. This disk is grooved at b to receive one or
more friction dogs E, which lie within the rim c of the drum C.
Heads d are preferably formed upon each dog E, to present as broad a friction
surface as possible to the rim of the friction disk, and also to enable the dog to
engage with the edge of the disk D), when drawn inward towards the hub. It is
not essential, however, that the heads should engage the disk, as the
pressure of the dogs upon the inner ends of the grooves b will answer the same
purpose. Upon the face of each dog is formed a segment of a spiral thread e
which is adapted to engage with the spiral thread f formed upon the face of the
sprocket wheel F. This sprocket wheel is loose upon the hub B, and is always
held in engagement with the friction dogs by the flange g upon the hub.
Having described the construction of the device we will briefly set out its
mode of operation.
When the sprocket wheel F, is revolved in the direction indicated by arrow in
Fig. 3, as in the action of forward pedalling, the spiral thread upon its face
engaging with the threads upon the dogs, causes the latter to retract and the heads
of the dog firmly grip and jamb upon the outer edge of the disk D,, preventing
any further revolution of the sprocket wheel upon the hub. The latter is then
in driving connection with the sprocket wheel till, by the action of back pedalling,
the latter is revolved in the opposite direction, when the dogs are released from
contact with the disk and forced outwardly into contact with the inner surface
of the rim c of the friction drum C. Friction is immediately set up between the
friction dogs and the drum so that an effectual brake is put upon the action of
the wheel.
As the pitch of the spiral thread is preferably comparatively small, the sprocket
wheel will remain in the exact position, to which it has been turned till it is either

page_text: revolved further backward to increase the friction, or turned forward to again drive
the bicycle.
It will be readily understood that the effectiveness of the brake is wonderfully
added to by the fact that when the brake has once been set, it remains set till. the
sprocket wheel is again moved.
The ease with which the brake can be set to give a greater or less degree of
friction according to the position to which the sprocket wheel is turned, is a most
important advantage derived from this peculiar construction, and enables a rider
to retard the motion of his wheel sufficiently to enable him to coast down the
steepest hill or to bring his wheel to a sudden stop, as may be desired.
In constructing the brake, the details of construction may be materially varied
without departing from the spirit of the invention. Other means might be
adopted, for instance for holding the friction drum from rotating, for connect-
ing the disk D to the hub, and for slidably supporting the friction dogs therein.
From the above description it will be seen that there has been devised a very
simple and efficient brake for bicycles, which fulfills the important function of
being quickly set by back pedalling to give any desired degree of friction, and which,
when set, will stay set till released by the rider, thus continuing the braking action
even though the chain should break.
As the threads formed on the dogs only engage with the spiral threads on the
face of the sprocket wheel for a short distance during pedalling and back pedalling,
it is obvious that a segment of one or more spiral threads with appropriate pitch for
each dog will suffice without having a continuous spiral as indicated in the draw-
ings, or a single thread may be formed on the friction dog, and the face of the
sprocket wheel so shaped as to engage therewith.
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:
1. In a bicycle, a brake composed of a stationary and a rotatable member
normally concentric and inoperative with regard to one another, the rotatable mem-
ber slidably supporting one or more friction dogs in combination with a sprocket
wheel rotatable with regard to and adapted to drive the said rotatable member or
to press the said friction dogs into contact with the stationary member when
rotated in a backward direction, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a bicycle, an axle and a stationary drum carried by the said axle, in com-
bination with a hub; a friction dog movably supported upon the said hub within
the drum and provided upon its face with a segment of a spiral thread; and a
sprocket wheel loose upon the hub and suitably threaded to engage the said dog
and expand it within the drum when the rider back pedals, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
3. In a bicycle, an axle and a stationary drum carried by the said axle, in com-
bination with a hub; a disk rigidly connected to the hub within the drum, one or
more friction dogs slidable in radial grooves formed in the said disk and each pro-
vided upon its face with a segment of a spiral thread and a sprocket wheel loose
upon the hub and suitably threaded to engage the said dogs and to force them into
contact with the drum or the disk according to the direction in which it is revolved,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a bicycle, an axle and a stationary drum carried by the said axle and pro-
vided with a pin to engage a portion of the frame, in combination with a hub; a
disk rigidly connected to the hub within the drum; one or more friction dogs
slidable in radial grooves formed in the said disk and each provided upon its face
with a segment of a spiral thread; and a sprocket wheel loose upon the hub and
suitably threaded to engage the said dogs and to force them into contact with the
drum or the disk according to the direction in which it is revolved, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a bicycle. the combination of the axle A; the hub B; the friction

page_text: drum C, stationary upon the said axle; the disk D, fixed to the said hub and
grooved at b; one or more friction dogs E, set in the grooves b and provided with
heads and segmental spiral threads e; and the sprocket wheel F, loose on the
hub B, and provided with the spiral thread f to engage the threads e, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a bicycle, the combination of the axle A; the hub B, having a flange g
formed thereon; the friction drum C, stationary upon the said axle; the disk D,
fixed to the said hub and grooved at 6; one or more friction dogs E, set in the
grooves b, and provided with heads d, and segmental spiral threads e; and the
sprocket wheel F, loose on the hub B, and provided with the spiral thread f to
engage the threads e, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. In a bicycle the combination of the axle A; the hub B; the friction drum C,
stationary upon the said axle, and provided with a pin a to engage a portion of the
frame; the disk D, fixed to the said hub and grooved at 6; one or more friction
dogs E, set in the grooves b and provided with heads d and segmental spiral
threads e; and the sprocket wheel F, loose on the hub B, and provided with the
spiral thread f to engage the threads e, substantially .as and for the purpose
specified.
8. A bicycle hub brake comprising the following instrumentalities: -A friction
drum secured to the axle, a rotatable disk secured to the hub, one or more friction
dogs with one or more threads formed thereon and slidably connected to the disk;
a sprocket wheel loose on the hub with the face so shaped as to engage with the
thread or threads on the friction dogs, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.