Brake Gear for the Stopping or Retarding of Vehicles especially Motor Cars
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Brake Gear for the Stopping or Retarding of Vehicles especially
Motor Cars."
I. THOMAS EDWARD GAMBRELL of "Grasmere, Allfarthing Lane Wandsworth"
Common in the County of London Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention.consists in the use of a wheel or wheels roller or rollers which
I propose to call the "Brake Gear" and which Brake Gear will be used only ta
stop or retard the vehicle to which it is attached.
It will be fixed beneath the bed of the vehicle a short distance from the ground
so as not to interfere with the running of such vehicle. It may be of any size to
suit the vehicle for which it is intended. When required to stop the vehicle the
"Brake Gear" can be brought to the ground by means of a lever, a screw, or some
equally convenient mechanical appliance worked by the driver-the working of
which appliance automatically connects the "Brake Gear" either with some of
the wheels on which the vehicle runs or with the motive power which propels the
vehicle in such manner as to cause the Brake Gear to rotate in the opposite
direction to that in which the wheels on which the vehicle runs are rotating.
The "Brake Gear" can be brought to the ground, if necessary, with sufficient
force to slightly lift, in the case of a four-wheeled vehicle one pair of the ordinary
road wheels from the ground thus taking for the time being the place of the
wheels which have been thus lifted and as the "Brake Gear" is rotating in the
opposite direction to that in which the remaining road wheels are rotating the
result will be the same as reversing one pair of the road wheels without causing
any unnecessary strain on the machinery.
SOME ADVANTAGES.
I. The Brake power of my invention is roughly proportional to the speed of the
vehicle but in the opposite direction.
2. In the use of my "brake gear" there will be no wear or tear on the tyres
of the wheels which are generally pneumatic and can be so applied as to gradually
or immediately stop the vehicle.
Dated this 21st day of Novr 1896
THOMAS EDWARD GAMBRELL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"Brake Gear for the Stopping or Retarding of Vehicles especially
Motor Cars."
I, THOMAS EDWARD GAMBRELL, of "Grasmere, Allfarthing Lane Wandsworth"
Common, London, S.W., Electrician, 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:-
My invention relates to improved brake-gear for stopping or retarding the
motion of motor-cars or other vehicles and consists in the use of one or more
wheels or rollers which form the brake-gear and are adapted, when rotated in a

page_text: reverse direction to the running wheels of the vehicle, as hereinafter, described
to stop or retard the said vehicle by being brought into contact with the ground
or other surface on which the vehicle is travelling.
My improved brake-gear is fixed beneath the vehicle at a short distance from
the ground so as not to interfere with the running of such vehicle. The said
brake-wheel or wheels may be of any size to suit the vehicle, for which it is
intended. When required to stop the vehicle, the brake-gear can be brough
to the ground by means of a lever, a screw, or somo equally convenient
mechanical appliance worked by the driver. This appliance is, in some in
stances, adapted. to. automatically connect: the lirake-gear either with some of the
wheels on which the vehicle runs, or with the motive power which propels the
vehicle, in such a manner as to cause the brake gear to rotate in the opposite
direction to that in which the wheels on which the vehicle runs are rotating.
The brake gear can be brought to the ground if necessary with sufficient force
to slightly lift, in the case of four wheeled vehicle, one pair of the ordinary road
wheels from the ground, thus taking for the time being the place of the wheels
which have been thus lifted, and, as the brake gear is rotating in the opposite
direction to that in which the remaining road wheels are rotating, the result will
be the same, as reversing one pair of the road wheels without causing any un-
necessary. strain on the machinery.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a plan, both with parts removed, showing a vehicle having my im-
proved brake-gear applied thereto.
A is the body of the car or vehicle which is provided with a steering-wheel B
in front and can be propelled in. any suitable manner.
car is mounted a frame C which is pivotally connected at its rear end to the
Beneath the body of the
body A by means of hinges D and is preferably provided with guide-bars C
sliding in guide-ways C on the body A to prevent lateral niotion thereof. The
frame C carries the main running or driving wheels E which are mounted on a
shaft F turning in bearings G supported on springs G secured to the said frame.
The frame C also carries a single brake-wheel or roller H which is inounted on
a shaft H turning in suitable bearings H on the said frame and is preferably
provided with a metal tyre. The said roller H is driven from the shaft F through
gearing comprising a sprocket-wheel J driving a sprocket-wheel J on a counter-
shaft K by means of a chain J, the motion of the counter-shaft K
being transmitted, to the roller H through spur-wheels L, L' so that the
wheel or roller H shall rotate in an opposite direction to the wheels F. If desired,
the said vehicle can be propelled by means of a suitable engine or motor, in which
case the wheels E are proferably driven through balance gear, through which my
improved brake is also adapted to act.
In order to press the frame C downward so as to bring the wheel or roller H
into contact with the ground or other surface on which the vehicle is running, I
provide a screw M turning in a nut M¹ secured to the body of the vehicle and bear-
ing at its lower end against a plate M3 on the frame C. This screw is made with
a shaft M³ extending upwards to within reach of the driver and provided with a
hand-wheel or the like to enable it to be readily turned.
means, such as guide-bars on the frame C engaging with a channel in the screw M
In some cases, I provide
for retaining the end of the said screw in contact with the plate M2 during vibra
tion or jolting of the vehicle when passing. over rough roads.
by turning the screw M in one direction, the wheel or roller H can be brought
It is evident that,
into contact with the ground and thus caused to arrest or retard the motion of
the vehicle; and that by turning it further in the same direction, the front wheel B
will be raised from the ground, the wheel H then sustaining the weight of the
front nart of the vehicle.
N is a clutch for connecting the sprocket-wheel to the
ດ

page_text: which may be of any suitable known construction, is thrown into and out of gear
by means of a sleeve N sliding on the shaft F and operated by means of a bell-
crank-lever P, 13, the shaft P of which is mounted in suitable bearings on the
frame C. One arm P¹ of the said bell-crank lever is provided with a forked end for
engaging with a groove in the sleeve N', whilst the other arm P3 of the said lever
is connected to the body A of the car by means of a link Q, so that when the
frame C is moved downwards to apply the brake, as above described, the sleeve N¹
will be moved inwards and the sprocket-wheel J connected to the shaft F by
means of the clutch N so as to drive the brake-wheel or roller H, but when the
frame C returns to its normal position, as shown in Figure 1, the sleeve N¹ will be
moved in the reverse direction and the shaft F will be free to turn within the
sprocket-wheel J without rotating the brake-wheel H. The parts are preferably
so arranged that the clutch N will be thrown into gear before the wheel H comes
into contact with the ground.
If desired I can dispense with the automatic clutch-gear above described and
allow the wheel H to rotate continuously during the motion of the vehicle. Or I
can operate the clutch through suitable connecting mechanism from a hand-lever
controlled by the driver.
The breaking or retarding power of my improved gear is roughly proportional
to the speed at which the vehicle is traveling. Moreover in the use of my im-
proved brake-gear, there will be no wear or tear of the wheel-tyres, which are often
pneumatic or rubber, and it can be so applied as to slowly or rapidly stop the
vehicle.
Although I have shown my invention as applied to a vehicle with three wheels,
it is evident that it can be applied to other kinds of vehicles; and also that
the construction and arrangement of the parts can be somewhat modified without
departing from the nature of my invention.
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 vehicle provided with brake-gear comprising a wheel or roller which
is held out of contact with the ground while the vehicle is travelling freely and
which can at will be brought into contact with the ground and will then be
rotated in the reverse direction to that in which the travelling wheels rotate.
Second. A vehicle provided with brake-gear such as I have hereinabove
described, in which suitable provision is made for raising one or more of the
travelling wheels from the ground when the brake-wheel or roller is brought
into contact with the ground, substantially as herein before described.
Third. The combination, with a vehicle-frame, of one or more brake wheels or
rollers carried by a movable frame so that they can be moved into and out of con-
tact with the ground, and means for automatically connecting the said brake
wheels or rollers with the running wheels of the vehicle or with a motor for
driving the same so that the said brake wheels or rollers will rotate in a raverso
direction to said running wheels when brought into contact with the ground, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The improved brake gear constructed substantially as hereinbeford
described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and operating as, and for
the purposes, specified.
Dated the 23rd dor of Cantambon 1907
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.