Improvements in Holders and Regulators for Cycle Brakes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders and Regulators for Cycle Brakes.
I, EDWARD BRUEL of 10 Boulevard de Plainpalais in the City of Geneva,
Switzerland, Factor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in appliances called holders, or holders
and regulators for both holding cycle brakes, and regulating the pressure applied
by them.
Cycles provided with brake holders of the ordinary construction, do not admit of
the brakes being operated, unless the same also be held, which is undesirable, as a
rider may only require to slacken speed momentarily, and then proceed, while the
holders require only to be brought in requisition when descending steep and
lengthened gradients.
My invention has for its object the construction of a holder, or a combined
holder and regulator, in manner that the brake shall have perfect freedom of
motion independent of its holder and regulator, so that a rider can apply the brake
without the same being held, and bring the holder and regulator only into requisi-
tion when descending steep and lengthened gradients.
Thus according to my improvements, a rider can apply and hold the brake by
hand, for ordinary riding, or he may apply, hold, or regulate the holder, by the
holder or regulator for descending gradients, whereby the hands of a rider are left
free for steering and other purposes.
A gradient brake holder constructed according to my invention, consists of a
bracket provided with a jointed clip at its upper part, for taking upon the handle
bar of a machine, and be there affixed by a jointed or other clamping screw pin, or
like device.
The said bracket has upon its upperside, a forewardly disposed and depending lug
or foot having a plain hole through it (at right angles to the bar handle) wherein
a screw, or screwed stem, takes and slides. This screwed stem, is prevented from
rotating, by a pin through the lug, taking into a longitudinal groove or channel
formed within it, while its bottom-end is made in the form of an upwardly directed
hook, adapted to come in front of, or partly embrace the brake lever, by means of
which the brake is operated.
The said screwed stem, in front of the bracket, has screwing upon it, a thumb
lever, or capstan nut, with the fore part of the central boss of it, abutting against
the top of the lug of the bracket, in manner, that when the said thumb lever or
capstan nut, is rotated from right to left, the screwed rod is repelled or drawn
upwards, and the brake operated, by the drawing upwards of the hand lever.
To prevent the thumb lever or nut from becoming detached, the top end of the
screwed stem is headed.
OPERATION.
Assuming the clip of the bracket to be attached to a bar handle of a machine,
the screwed stem extended upwardly, and the brake lever lying inside of its
hooked bottom end, the operating and holding of the brake by hand, through the
intervention of the said lever, has no effect upon the holder, as the said lever has a
freedom of traverse between the said hooked end, and the lug of the bracket, so
that the brake can be operated and held by hand for short retardiations or
stoppages of the machine, but on the machine descending a steep or lengthened
gradient then the rider brings into requisition his holder and regulator, by rotating

page_text: rapidly from right to left, the thumb lever or capstan nut of it, when the impinge-
ment of the bossed middle part of it, against the top of the lug repells or draws
upwardly and inwardly, through the hole in the lug, the screwed stem, and thereby
operates the brake, which is held for any period, and regulated as may be
desired.
The releasing of the brake, is performed by the re-rotation of the capstan nut,
and the extending downwardly of the screwed stem thereby, thus allowing the
brake to assume its normal position.
The direction of the threads of the screwed stem, is preferably of a rapid and
right-handed pitch.
The top or hooked end of the screwed stem, instead of operating the brake
through the intervention of the hand lever, may directly operate the brake rod,
and further, to obtain a quick releasing action to the thumb lever or capstan nut,
(which may if necessary be in the form of a hand wheel) than by rotation, I provide
the same with a yielding and split screw box, which screws in one direction, but
passes over the worms of the threads in the other.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
EDWARD BRUEL.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders and Regulators for Cycle Brakes.
I, EDWARD BRUEL of 10 Boulevard de Plainpalais, in the City of Geneva,
Switzerland, Factor, 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 appliances called "brake holders,"
consisting of means for the retention or holding of, the brake lever, and regulating
the pressure of the same.
Cycle brakes, fitted with holders of the ordinary construction, cannot be operated
by hand, or by holder, indiscriminately.
My invention has for its object, the independent working of the brake, or the
brake lever, by a holder, or by hand, indiscriminately.
Thus, a cycle fitted with a holder made according to my invention, admits of
its brake being applied by hand for ordinary running, and by holder for descending
steep and lengthy gradients, hence in the latter, leaving the hands of the rider
free, for steering, and other purposes.
My improved holder, or both holder and regulator, consists of an adjustable
screwed stem, passing through a plain hole, directed upwardly through a lug of a
carrying clip, and with a capstan nut taking upon the upper end of the said screwed
stem, above the lug.
This screwed stem, which is hooked at its lower end, is prevented from rotating
within the said plain hole of the lug, by a feather, stud or rib, carried by the said
lug, taking into a longitudinal groove, sunken up the front of the stem.
The screwed stem, instead of operating the brake through the intervention of the
hand lever, may be connected directly with the brake rod, and the brake operated
independent of the said lever.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents the handle bar and fore part
of a safety bicycle, provided with a brake holder, or a combined brake holder and
regulator, constructed and arranged according to my said invention.
The adjustable screwed stem of the said holder, is shown in the position which it
assumes when the brake is being held.
Figure 2 represents upon an enlarged scale, an elevation of the said brake

page_text: holder, showing the handle bar gripped by the jointed clip, and the hooked and
lower end of the said screwed stem, taking under the brake lever.
Figure 3 is the holder in section, with its stem in elevation.
Figure 4 is a top side plan of Figure 2, while
Figure 5 is a front view of the same, showing the groove directed up the screwed
stem, wherein a feather or stud takes, for preventing its rotation within the plain
hole within the lug, wherethrough the said stem passes.
Figure 6 is a part section of the holder, through the dotted line A Figure 3.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 6 of
the drawing.
a is a screwed stem, passing up or taking through a plain hole 3, directed or made
through a lug or body part 3, of a bracket or holder b, whose back part is made in
the form of a jointed clip, and adapted to embrace and clip upon the handle
bar C, of a machine.
The said screwed stem part, is hooked at its lower end a³, and is headed or has a
stop a, at its upper end, while directed longitudinally down the front of the said
stem, is a groove a', wherein a feather or stud 6, carried by the lug, takes, for
preventing the stem from rotating.
d is a capstan nut or thumb lever, with a thrust collar d', which takes its bearing
upon the top side 6, of the lug 2, of the bracket or carrier, so that by rotating from
right to left, the screwed rod is repelled or drawn upwards by a sliding motion, and
thereby the brake lever operated.
The holding part of the bracket consists of a jointed half-clip part 67, jointed
at 8, and having at its lower part, a slotted hole 6, wherethrough a jointed screw e,
with a nut upon its end, carried by the body part, takes and passes.
OPERATION.
Assuming the bracket to be firmly affixed to a handle bar, by the drawing
together of the clip parts by the nut, and with a hooked end of the screwed stem,
coming under the brake lever, which is in its normal position for operating by
hand, the rotation of the capstan nut or thumb lever, causes the impingement of its
bossed part, to bear against the top part 68, of the lug 6, and so draws upwardly
and inwardly through the hole of the lug, the screwed stem, and by it, the brake
lever, which is held in the adjusted position for any time as may be required,
during the descent of a steep or other gradient.
The relaxing of the brake is performed by the re-rotation of the capstan nut,
which allows the screwed stem, and the brake lever, to resume their former
positions.
As a modification, the hooked end may be made to swivel, and the screwed stem
to rotate within a screw box, formed within the lug of the clip carrier or bracket.
Thus Figure 7 represents such an arrangement.
Figure 8 represents a back view of the lower portion of the screwed stem of the
said holder or combined holder and adjuster; the bracket and screw box of
Figure 7 is shown in vertical section.
a, is the screwed stem taking up or passing through a screwed hole or screw-
box, directed or made through a lug or body part 6, of a bracket or holder b,
made clip wise, and adapted to embrace and clip upon the handle bar c, of a
machine, the screwed stem part a, carries at its lower end a swivelly connected
hook a', which remains stationary or quiescent on the stem a, being rotated by
means of a fixed head or capstan lever a³, at its upper end; thus as the hook a², is
connected with, or lies around the underside of the brake lever, the same remain's
in a fixed position, but rises and falls, as the screw stem is turned in one or other
direction.
I propose that the hook part should be sufficiently long that the same shall
always remain within the working-traverse of the brake lever where the hook
surrounds or partly surrounds it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First A holder or adjuster for cycle-brakes, consisting of an adjustable
screwed stem, taking through a plain hole in an attachment-bracket, or carrier,
and operated by a capstan or lever nut, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-A holder or adjuster for cycle-brakes, consisting of an adjustable
and sliding screwed stem, hooked at its lower end, and taking through a plain hole
formed within a clip or other attachment bracket or carrier, upon the top side of
which, a capstan or lever operating nut (encircling the said stem) takes its bearing
substantially as and for the purpose as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 6.
Thirdly cycle-brake holder or adjuster, consisting of a sliding and screwed
stem, swivelly hooked at its lower end, and working through a screw box, carried
by, or formed within a portion of a clip or other attachment bracket, substantially
as described and represented in Figure 7.
:-
: Dated this 27th day of August 1891
EDWARD BRUEL.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
EDWARD BRUEL.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.