Improvements in Braking and Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braking and Driving Mechanism for Bicycles.
We, VICTOR EMUNEL DOREMUS, Painter and Decorator, of 190, W, 12th Street,
and PATRICK THOMAS WALL, Hotel Keeper, of 102, W. 93rd Street, both of New
York, in the County of New York, and State of New York, United States of
America, 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:
-
CC
و,
This invention relates to an improvement in bicycle brakes, and the object thereof
is to provide a simple, economic and efficient device of an automatic type, whereby
the machine may be allowed to run wild or coast without losing control of the
pedals, an important element of danger in the usual type of bicycle driving
mechanism. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple brake which
'may be applied to the rim or hub of the driving wheel by the simple action of
"back pedaling."
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in
the annexed claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device attached to a portion of the bicycle
frame, partly sectional and on the line - of Fig. 2.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse view of a portion of the same on the line x-x
of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same, on the line y-y of Fig. 2.
Figure 4 is a central vertical sectional view of a modification of the sprocket
wheel and locking device.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same with the outer casing removed.
In applying our invention, we employ a crank hanger 1 to which are attached
in the usual or any preferred manner tubes 22 and 33 forming a part of the
bicycle frame. Mounted within said crank hanger in the usual manner is the
crank shaft 4. To said crank shaft 4 is fixed the cone 5, which may be driven on
said shaft or screwed on, as preferred. Said cone 5 is provided with a flange 6
which has upon its outer face an annular groove 7 in which the balls 88 are adapted
to run. Immediately outside of said flange is the locking collar 9 which may be
driven on the shaft, brazed on, or formed integrally therewith. The said locking
collar is provided upon its periphery with a series of pockets 10 10 adapted to
receive the locking rollers 11 11. Said locking rollers are of a size adapted to roll
in and out of said pockets freely, and said pockets are of a sufficient depth to
receive said rollers within the peripheral line of said locking collar.
A driving sprocket 12 has a fixed hub portion 13 upon both faces of which
annular grooves 14 14 are cut, said grooves being adapted to serve in conjunction
with the groove 7 and a similar groove upon the opposite side of said sprocket
as races for the balls 8.8 and 15 15. The central portion of said hub is provided
upon its inner periphery with a series of recesses 16 16 of a depth equal to one-half
the diameter of the locking rollers and each provided with one square shoulder 17

page_text: and one inclined shoulder 18, the object of which is to permit the rotation of the
said sprocket wheel around the said fixed collar in a forward direction but prevent-
ing its rotation in a rearward direction and thereby locking said collar and sprocket
wheel together.
By referring to Fig. 3, it will readily be seen that the locking rolls on the lowe
half section of the collar will roll partially out from the pockets of said collar
into the recesses of the sprocket wheel hub. In propelling the bicycle forward,
this engagement of the rollers in the said pockets and recesses locks the sprocket
firmly to the collar and shaft but when the pedals are stopped and the momentum
of the machine keeps the sprocket in motion, the inclined shoulders of said recesses
will lift each roller on the lower side of said collar into its pocket without resist-
ance. When it is desired to again resume pedaling, it is only necessary to start
the pedals in a forward direction when the rolls will again drop into the recesses
by the combined action of gravity and the centrifugal force imparted thereto by
the rotation of the shaft and collar.
The balls 15 15 run in grooves 19 19 on the inner face of an outer casing 20
which is adapted to thread on the crank shaft 4. Said casing 20 is held in place by
means of the lock nut 21 threaded on the shaft 4.
Within the crank hanger, between the ball cups is the locking collar 22 which
is preferably driven on the shaft 4 but may be screwed on or otherwise fastened
to the said shaft. Said collar is provided with pockets 23 23 similar to the pockets
of the sprocket wheel locking collar. Said collar is provided with a central hub
upon which the flange 24 is adapted to thread. Said flange 24 is provided upon its
inner face with an annular groove 25 and is held in position upon said hub by
means of the lock nut 26 adapted to thread upon said hub.
Upon the opposite side of said collar is another flange 27 provided on its inner
face with an annular groove 28. Said flange is provided with a hub 29 and a
pin 30, passing through said hub and into said shaft 4 radially, secures it in fixed
position upon the shaft.
A ring 31 provided upon both faces with annular grooves 32 32 is mounted
between said flanges upon balls running in said grooves and its inner periphery is
provided with a series of recesses 33 33, one shoulder of which is square and the
other inclined, said shoulder being adapted to act upon the rollers 34 34 in a rela-
tively opposite manner with the recesses of the sprocket wheel that is, when the
shaft and collar are rotated forwardly the ring remains unlocked, but as soon as
the shaft and collar is rotated rearwardly, the ring becomes automatically locked
to the fixed collar.
A chain or belt 35, one end of which is fixed to said ring by means of a screw 36,
is adapted to extend part way around the circumference of said ring and is pivot-
ally connected to the brake rod 37 which extends rearwardly through a suitable
hole 38 in the crank hanger 1. Its free end is pivotally connected to the brake
lever arm 39 which is fulcrumed upon the yoke 40 extended downwardly from and
transversely between the rear stays 3 3. An extension 41 of said arm below the
fulcrum terminates in the brake shoe 42 adapted to contact with the tire 43 of the
wheel. A coil spring 44 surrounding said brake rod 37 is adapted to normally
hold said brake shoe out of contact with the tire of the wheel.
In the modification of a sprocket wheel shown in Fig. 4, the locking collar 45
is brazed to the crank shaft 46 or if preferred may be formed integrally therewith.
The sprocket wheel 47 is provided with an annular ring 48 upon the outer peri-
pheral face of which the ball race 49 is cut. Its inner periphery is provided with
recesses like those shown in Fig. 3, and the collar is provided with pockets like
those shown in Fig. 3, the locking mechanism being in both instances the same.
An annular ring 50 formed integrally with said sprocket wheel and arranged
concentrically with said ring 48 extends outwardly with relation to the frame of
the machine from the main portion of said sprocket wheel.
An outer casing 51 is driven on or brazed to said crank shaft 46. Said casing

page_text: is provided at its periphery with an inwardly projecting flange 52, the face of
which is beveled to form one side of the adjusting cone. Adapted to thread upon
the periphery of said casing is the ring 53 which is provided with a flange 54, the
inner periphery of which is beveled to form an adjusting cone.
A lock nut 55 is adapted to thread from the outside upon the periphery of said
casing and against the ring 53 thereby preventing it from becoming loosened and
out of adjustment. Said lock nut is of greater diameter than the adjusting ring
and of a diameter equal to that of the outer ring of the sprocket wheel. The object
of making this lock nut of a greater diameter than the adjusting ring is to provide
a dust proof casing for the ball race for while it is possible for the dust to enter
between the edge of said lock nut and of the edge of the sprocket wheel ring, it
can never pass around the corners of the adjusting ring and thereby clog the
bearing.
The sprocket wheel outside of the outer ring is dished in order to bring the strain
in a direct line with the ball bearing which lies in the plane of the wheel.
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. A bicycle braking and coasting device, comprising a brake adapted for fric-
tional contact with the wheel tire or hub, a clutch mechanism on the crank shaft,
adapted to operate said, brake when said shaft is rotated rearwardly, a driving
sprocket mounted on ball bearings and provided with a clutch mechanism adapted
to lock only when the said shaft is rotated forwardly, substantially as shown and
described.
2. A bicycle brake, comprising a shoe adapted for frictional contact with the
wheel tire, a spring actuated brake lever formed integrally with said shoe and
fulcrumed upon a yoke extended downwardly from and between the rear stays of
the frame, a rod pivotally connected with the free end of said brake lever and
adapted to work freely in a suitable hole in the crank hanger, a strap or chain
connected with the inner end of said rod and adapted to partially surround a
recessed ring loosely mounted concentrically with the crank shaft upon suitable
ball bearings, a locking collar fixed upon said crank shaft and provided with a
series of pockets upon its periphery in radially opposite relation to the recesses of
said ring, a series of rollers adapted to roll in said recesses from said pockets and
lock said ring to said locking collar when the shaft is rotated rearwardly and adap-
ted to automatically remain unlocked while the shaft is rotating forwardly,
substantially as shown and described.
I
3. In a brake of the class described, a clutch mechanism embodying the crank
shaft, a flange provided upon its inner face with an annular groove adapted to
receive a series of balls and upon its outer face with a hub, said hub being fixed
to said shaft by means of a pin, a locking collar adapted to be driven on said shaft
and remain fixed thereon by frictional contact, said collar being provided upon its
periphery with a series of pockets adapted to receive a series of locking rollers, an
annular ring adapted to thread upon the hub of said locking collar and provided
upon its inner face with an annular groove adapted to receive a series of balls, a
lock nut adapted to thread on said collar hub behind and against said annular ring,
a recessed ring provided with annular grooves adapted to form recesses for said
balls, said recesses having square and inclined shoulders, a series of rollers locked
in said pockets and adapted to roll into said recesses and lock said ring to said fixed
collar only when the shaft is rotated rearwardly, and means for connecting said
ring to the brake shoe, substantially as shown and described.
4. A combined brake and coaster embodying a brake shoe, a lever formed integ-
raily therewith, a rod pivoted to the free end of said lever and adapted to pass
through a suitable hole in the crank hanger of the bicycle frame, the inner end

page_text: of said rod having a flexible connection with a clutch adapted to be locked only
during rearward rotation of the crank shaft, a spring adapted to hold said brake
shoe normally out of contact with the tire of the wheel, and a driving sprocket
- adapted to be locked to the crank shaft only during forward rotation of the latter
and to run freely on suitable ball bearings when said crank shaft is held stationary,
substantially as shown and described.
5. In a braking and coasting device of the class described, a sprocket wheel
having two concentric rings projecting outwardly from the main body of said
sprocket, the inner ring being provided upon its outer peripheral face with a
channel or groove adaptable as a ball race and upon its inner peripheral edge with
a series of recesses in depth equalling one half the diameter of the locking rollers,
said recesses having one square shoulder and one inclined shoulder each, a collar
fixed upon and forming part of the crank shaft, said collar being provided with a
series of pockets upon its periphery, said pockets being arranged in radial relation
with the recesses in said sprocket and adapted to receive a series of locking rollers,
an outer casing brazed or otherwise fixed to said crank, shaft having an inwardly
projecting flange at its periphery, the inner face of which is beveled for contact
with the balls and forming one side of the ball race, an annular ring adapted to
thread upon the periphery of said casing and provided with a beveled flange form-
ing another side of the ball race, a lock nut adapted to thread on the periphery of
said outer casing and prevent displacement of the annular adjusting ring and to
prevent dust from entering the bearings, the series of balls adapted to run in said
ball races and in the plane of the wheel, said sprocket wheel being dished and
adapted to bring the strain of the chain in line with the plane of the wheel and
the ball bearings thereof, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.