Improvements in Brakes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
Improvements in Brakes.
I EDWARD SPENCER HALL, of 321 Fifth Avenue in the City, County, and
State of New York, in the United States of America, 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:-
My invention relates to brakes for revolving shafts, and consists in surrounding
the same with a coil of flexible, semi-flexible or elastic material, made in the form of a
cord, wire or band applied directly to the axle and without the intervention of a
drum or pulley, and provided with means for drawing the coil to tighten the same
on the axle.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the invention as applied to
bicycles, and when thus applied the invention further consists in attaching the brake
to the crank shaft, whereon it may be enclosed within the tube surrounding the
same and thus placed out of sight.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view of a bicycle showing the crank shaft and
the brake attachment.
Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the tubular frame of the apparatus,
showing the crank shaft with the brake and its connections.
Figure 3, a plan view of a portion of the tubular frame-work, partly in section,
showing crank shaft and brake, in the form of a double coil.
Figure 4, a modification of the invention showing a single-band brake with one
end attached to an independent bar.
Figure 5, a cross-section of tube and axle shaft taken on line a-x of Figure 4,
showing connection of band brake with independent bar.
Figure 6, a detail view of part of the device shown in Figures 4 and 5.
The parts of a bicycle are well known and the one chosen for illustration consists
chiefly of a tubular frame-work which carries all of the journals. A, carries the
journals of the front wheel, B and C, those of the rear wheel, whilst C, E, and F
carry and support the journals for the crank-shaft. H is the crank-shaft, the
crank with its pedal. Around the crank-shaft 1 place the brake I, which consists
of a coil of cord, wire or band made of suitable material, and if of metal, may be
tempered to give it sufficient spring to enable it to return to normal when released;
his cord or band may be coiled upon the shaft either single or double; and should
be so wound upon the shaft that when tightened, the tendency of the shaft to turn
vill assist in tightening the brake; the end or ends of the brake may be secured
n any suitable manner; as shown in Figures 2 and 3, they are passed through the
valls of the surrounding tube and secured by the nuts or bolts : the other end
may be looped and the loop connected to the chain or bar i, and at the other end
f which it is attached to one arm of a bell crank lever suitably pivoted within
be tube A, and to the other arm of this lever is attached a connecting rod or
hain, which proceeds up through the tube and at its other end is connected
ith the pivoted brake handle, which passes through a slot in the tube A.
The rod may run outside of the tube A, if desired, and thus dispense with the
ot 7. Where the end of the band brake is passed through and secured to the
alls of the tube as shown in Figures 2 and 3, there may be a tendency to direct
e pull of the brake upon one side of the ball bearings of the journals, and thus
[1

page_text: induce more wear on that side. Hence, I have introduced the modifications shown
in Figures 4, 5, and 6, consisting of an independent bar or rod K, to which the end
of the band brake is suitably attached, and for convenience I have provided this
end of the band with the shoulders i", i¹, and one end of the bar K, with a slot a², to
pass behind the shoulders and hold that end of the band; it may be attached in any
other way if desired.
The other end of the independent bar passes through an opening or slot in the
tube, and need not be otherwise secured or fastened; for convenience I have also
scooped out the bar as shown at a³, to conform in shape to the axle, and give a
good bearing surface thereon, and this bearing surface renders material aid to the
action of the brake on the shaft, whilst at the same time such construction diminishes
the tendency of the shaft to be drawn toward and work upon one side of the ball
axle bearings.
The operation of the device is very simple, the hand actuates the brake handle
in the usual way, which draws the coil 1 and tightens it upon the crank-shaft: the
tendency of this shaft to revolve assists in tightening the coil, stops the revolution
of the shaft, and this, acting upon the sprocket chain or cogged rod, stops the wheel
with which it is connected.
The above described brake would apply equally well to the axles or shafts of
vehicles, where the axle is fastened to and revolves with the wheels, such as
tricycles, horseless carriages and the like.
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 brake for a revolving shaft or axle consisting of a wire, cord or band coiled
directly upon said shaft or axle in the direction of its motion, and without the
intervention of a pulley or drum, in combination with means for securing said brake
at one of its ends and means for drawing the other end of the coil to thereby tighten
the same upon the shaft.
2. A brake for a bicycle, consisting of a wire, cord or band coiled directly upon
the crank axle shaft in the direction of its motion, in combination with means for
securing one of its ends, and means attached to the other end for actuating the
same operated by the rider of the bicycle.
3. A brake for a bicycle consisting of a wire cord or band, coiled upon the
crank axle shaft, having one of its ends passing through the tube on the axle
shaft and properly secured, in combination with connections at its other
end, proceeding to actuating devices operated by the hand of the rider of the
bicycle.
4. A brake for a bicycle, consisting of a wire, cord or band, applied directly and
coiled upon the pedal or crank shaft in a direction corresponding with the motion
of the same, and within the tube joining the journals of said shaft, and suitably
secured at one of its ends, in combination with means for drawing the coil and
thereby tightening the same upon the shaft.
5. A brake for a bicycle consisting of a wire, cord or band, applied directly and
coiled upon the pedal or crank-shaft in a direction corresponding with the motion of
the same and within the tube joining the journals of said shaft, and suitably secured
at one end and provided at its other end with connections to the hand of the rider,
in combination with the rear wheel of the bicycle and means for revolving the same
actuated by the revolution of the crank axle shaft.
6. A brake for a bicycle consisting of a wire, cord or band, coiled upon an
axle and within a tube, having one of its ends connected with the actuating
devices of the brake, and an independent bar having one of its ends attached to
the opposite end of the band brake and its other end passed through a slot in
the tube.
7. In a brake for a bicycle, an axle enclosed within a tube, in combination
with a band brake coiled upon the axle within the tube, having one of its culs

page_text: connected with the actuating devices of the brake and its other end attached to the
extremity of an independent bar, the latter scooped out to conform to the shape of
the axle, and means for sustaining the free end of the independent bar.
Dated the 3rd day of September 1895.
THEO. MCKENNA,
Agent.