Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
I, Philip JosepH PARMITER, of The Harrow Works, Ansty, near Salisbury,
in the County of Wilts, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
-
This invention relates to improvements in brakes for cycles of the kind wherein
a brake block is frictionally applied against the periphery of the cycle tyre.
In such brakes as heretofore usually made it has been found that the friction
generated between the brake block and the periphery of the tyre when the former
is applied to the latter in the usual manner gradually wears away the surface of
the tyre, thereby producing injurious results.
Now, my invention has for its object to obviate this disadvantage and to this end
I construct a brake comprising a fixed disc or block of wood or other suitable
material mounted in a suitable support attached to the usual brake rod, and
around the periphery of this disc or block I loosely apply a rubber band which
is kept in position upon the disc by suitable means such as by the cheeks or
flanges of the support in which the disc is mounted.
With this arrangement, when the brake is applied in the usual manner, the
rubber ring is brought into contact with the outer surface of the tyre, but
instead of rubbing thereon in the usual manner and thus setting up a large
amount of friction, it is rotated by the said tyre and all the friction occurs
between the inner surface of the india rubber ring and the periphery of the wood
disc so that all wear of the surface of the tyre is avoided.
+
If desired the periphery of the wood or other disc or block can be covered with
leather or other suitable material.
I, PHILIP JOSEPH PARMITER, of The Harrow Works, Ansty, near Salisbury,
in the County of Wilts, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in brakes for cycles of the kind wherein
a brake block is frictionally applied against the periphery of the cycle tyre.
In such brakes as heretofore usually made it has been found that they either
run too freely or get blocked or stuck with road grit and that the friction gene-
[Price &

page_text: rated between the brake block and the periphery of the tyre when the former is
applied to the latter in the usual manner gradually wears away the surface of
the tyre, thereby producing injurious results.
Now, my invention has for its object to obviate this disadvantage and to this
end I construct a brake comprising a fixed disc, of steel or other suitable
material, mounted in a suitable support attached to the usual brake rod, and
around the periphery of this disc or block I loosely apply a band of leather,
rubber or other suitable material, the said band being kept in position upon the
disc or frame by suitable means such as by cheeks or flanges.
The brake band and support instead of being operated by a hand lever can be
arranged to be actuated by a foot lever.
With this arrangement, when the brake is applied to the tyre the leather or
other band or ring is brought into contact with the outer surface of the tyre,
but instead of rubbing thereon in the usual manner and thus setting up a large
amount of friction, it is rotated by the said tyre and all the friction occurs
between the inner surface of the ring and the periphery of the disc or frame, so
that all wear of the surface of the tyre is avoided.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bicycle having applied to it a
hand brake constructed according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the same:
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation and a sectional end elevation
of a foot brake constructed according to the invention.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 a designates a portion of the frame of a
cycle and is the brake frame, the said frame being here shewn in the form of
an incomplete ring of metal. c is the support to which the ring b is attached,
the said support being pivoted by a bolt c to a bracket suitably secured to
the front fork of the frame a of the machine. d, d are brake rods which are
connected to the usual brake lever operated in the ordinary manner by the rider
and which rods are connected at their lower ends to the support c.
e is the band or ring of leather, rubber or other suitable material which is
loosely applied upon the disc or ring 6 and is held in position thereon by means
of the lateral lugs b'.
With this arrangement, as above mentioned when the brake is applied by the
brake rod d the support c is turned upon its pivot and the loose ring e is applied
against the outer surface of the tyre A but instead of rubbing thereon in the
usual manner so as to set up a large amount of friction and tend to wear away
the surface of the tyre, the said ring is rotated by the tyre upon the metal ring b
and all the friction occurs between the inner surface of the ring e and the
periphery of the ring b, so that all wear on the surface of the tyre is avoided.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4 I have illustrated the applica-
tion of my invention to a foot brake. In this case the ring 6, instead of being
mounted upon a support pivoted to the front fork of the bicycle as in the above
described arrangement, is secured to a bent lever f which is pivoted to the
bottom stay g of the cycle frame, preferably by means of the clip shewn.
clip is constructed of a U-shaped metal strip h to the end of one limb of which
the lever is pivoted at ' and the other end of which carries a set screw i by
means of which the clip can be tightened upon the stay. A stop piece j is
arranged between the set screw and the stay so that when the clip is fixed in
position the said stop piece j is also fixed, its position being adjusted in such a
manner that the lever is normally held in such a position that mere downward
pressure of the foot upon it does not apply the brake so that the said lever can
be used as a foot rest. The brake is applied by pushing the upper end of the
lever somewhat forward by means of the foot.
T'his
I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to this lever per se as it
forms the subject of a separate application No. 7871 of the 14th April 1899.

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 18-
1. In brakes for cycles the employment of a loose band or the like between the
brake block and the tyre, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore
described.
2. In brakes for cycles the combination of a disc, frame or its equivalent, of a
loose ring mounted upon the said disc and of means whereby the said loose ring
can be applied against the tyre to be braked, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In brakes for cycles the combination of a disc, frame or its equivalent
mounted upon a support pivoted to the frame of the cycle, of a loose ring of
leather, rubber or other suitable material mounted upon the said disc or its
equivalent and of means such as a brake rod or lever whereby the loose ring can
be applied against the surface of the tyre to be braked, substantially as herein-
before described.
4. In brakes for cycles the arrangement of a disc or frame fixed to a bent foot
lever and carrying a loose ring of leather, rubber or other suitable material, the
said foot lever being pivoted to the lower part of the bicycle frame in such a
manner that the brake can be applied by the pressure of the foot upon the said
lever which can also serve as a foot rest, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved cycle
brakes herein before described and illustrated respectively in Figures 1 and 2;
and 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 2nd day of May 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.