Improvements in or connected with Velocipede Breaks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Velocipede Breaks.
We, ANTHONY LAVELLY of 12 Wellington Square, Chelsea, Professed Cook,
and BENEDICT HOBI of 14 Croxley Road, St. Peter's Park Kilburn, Professed
Cook both in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with velocipede
breaks.
A velocipede break is generally arranged to act upon the tyre of one of the
wheels of the vehicle and in practice is liable to injure the tyre.
In order to avoid this difficulty it has been proposed to apply a break to the bub
of one of the wheels, and to actuate the same by the hand through suitable
connections from the handle bar but a satisfactory break of this character has not.
yet been devised.
Now the object of the present invention is to construct and arrange a break in
such manner that it will act upon the hub of the wheel in a more effective manner
than heretofore, and so that in lieu of or in addition to a lever carried by the handle
bar to be actuated by the hand, the device is so arranged that it may be actuated
by one of the feet of the rider, and a greater force thus brought to bear upon the
break.
In carrying the invention into effect the hub of the wheel or other equivalent
part has fixed therewith a grooved break wheel which may if desired be constructed
of aluminium for the sake of lightness, whilst the groove may have a V, half round,
or other suitable shape in transverse section.
In connection with this grooved break wheel is employed a flexible strap of any
suitable material but preferably of steel wire rope, and upon this strap are loosely
fixed preferably by means of eyes or staples passing around the strap several
segmental break blocks formed preferably of hard wood shaped to fit the groove
of the break wheel.
One end of this flexible strap is fixed with a limb of the fork of the wheel or
other fixed part of the machine and the strap is passed under and partly around
the break wheel with the wood or other break blocks fitting into the groove
thereof, and the other end of the flexible strap is connected with a rocking
platform or lever mounted preferably in the place of one of the ordinary foot rests,
and held in its normal position by means of a spring or by the weight of the
parts, or by an additional weight, so that the break blocks will normally be held
out of contact, or only lightly in contact with the break wheel, whilst by pressing
upon the foot rest or lever with the foot the strap will be tightened and the break
blocks thereby powerfully pressed into the groove of the break wheel and the
rotation of the wheel thus retarded or if desired absolutely stopped.
If desired the break blocks or the break wheel or both may have their surfaces
serrated or roughened in order to increase the frictional contact of the parts, but
generally speaking this will be unnecessary as by the aid of the V or tapered
coacting surfaces the desired amount of friction may be obtained between the
parts.
If desired in lieu of or in addition to connecting the break strap. with a foot rest
or lever it may be connected with a hand lever mounted on or adjacent to the
handle bar or in other suitable position.

page_text: By the means hereinbefore described a break is obtained which is simple in
construction inexpensive to produce of the same or approximately the same weight
as existing breaks, and which by reason of its peculiar construction is adapted to
be highly efficient in action. :"
Dated this 10th day January 1896.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Velocipede Breaks.
We, ANTHONY LAVELLY of 12 Wellington Square Chelsea Professed Cook
and BENEDICT HOBI of 14 Croxley Road, St. Peter's Park, Kilburn, Professed
Cook, both in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with velocipede breaks.
A velocipede break is generally arranged to act upon the tyre of one of the
wheels of the vehicle, and in practice is liable to injure the tyrc.
In order to avoid this difficulty it has been proposed to apply a break to the
hub of one of the wheels, and to actuate the same by the hand through suitable
connections from the handle bar, but a satisfactory break of this character has not
yet been devised.
Now the object of the present invention is to construct and arrange a break in
such manner that it will act upon the hub of the wheel in a more effective manner
than heretofore.
In carrying the invention into effect the hub of the wheel or other equivalent
part has fixed therewith a grooved break wheel which is preferably constructed of
aluminium for the sake of lightness, whilst the groove is V shape in transverse
section.
In connection with this grooved break wheel is employed a flexible strap of
any suitable material but preferably of steel wire rope and upon this strap are
loosely fixed preferably by means of eyes or staples passing around the strap
several segmental break blocks formed preferably of hard wood shaped to fit the
groove of the break wheel.
One end of this flexible strap is fixed with a limb of the fork of the wheel
or other fixed part of the machine and the strap is passed under and partly
around the break wheel with the wood or other break blocks fitting into the
groove thereof and the other end of the flexible strap is connected with a
rocking platform or lever mounted preferably in the place of one of the ordinary
foot-rests and held in its normal position by means of a spring or by the
weight of the parts, or by an additional weight so that the break blocks will
normally be held out of contact or only lightly in contact with the break wheel,
whilst by pressing upon the foot-rest or lever with the foot, the strap will be
tightened and the break blocks thereby powerfully pressed into the groove of
the break wheel and the rotation of the wheel thus retarded or if desired
absolutely stopped.
In lieu of or in addition to connecting the break strap with a foot-rest or
lever it is connected with a hand lever mounted on or adjacent to the handle bar
or in other suitable position.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more
fully to describe the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rear driven bicycle having the present>
invention applied thereto, the hub of the front or steering wheel being specially.
formed to receive the break wheel.
Figure 2 is a side view representing the break wheel and co-acting parts,
the steering fork being broken away for the sake of clearness.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 but
showing one limb of the fork complete.
*:-
Figure 4 is a side view representing more particularly the method of attaching
the rocking platform or foot lever to a limb of the steering fork.
Figure 5 is a front view thereof but with the strap removed.
Figure 6 is a side view of one of the break blocks separately.
Figure 7 a peripheral or face view thereof.
Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Eigure 6.
Figure 9 is a front view of the handle bar of the machine showing the connection
of the strap with the usual hand lever.
Figure 10 is a similar view to Figure 3, but representing the application of the
break wheel to an ordinary hub.
Figure 11 is a side view of the break wheel separately and
Figure 12 is a front view partly in section illustrating the application of the
break wheel to the axle of a direct driven velocipede.
In the several figures in which like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference, Figures 2 to 12 are drawn to an increased scale with respect to
Figure 1.
Referring to Figures 1 to 9 a represents the frame of a velocipede b represents
the fork of the front wheel which in this example is the steering wheel ' represents
the steering bar and c and e* represent respectively the front and rear wheels
of the vehicle.
The hub c of the wheel c has fixed therewith by screws d² the boss d¹ of a break
wheel d which is preferably constructed of aluminium for the sake of lightness the
axle being slightly prolonged at 3 in order to accommodate the boss d¹ of
the break wheel d and this wheel d is formed with a V groove d³ in the periphery
thereof.
In connection with this grooved break wheel d is employed a flexible strap ƒ of
any suitable material but preferably of steel wire rope, and upon this strap fare
fixed several segmental break blocks e formed preferably of hard wood shaped to
fit the V groove d³ of the break wheel d.
The segmental break blocks e are as shown more particularly at Figures 6 to 8,
formed with longitudinal V grooves e in the periphery thereof into which is
received the strap which passes through eyes or staples screwing into the
break block e and the strap f is jammed in the groove e by means of transverse
metal plates e forced down thereon by means of screws e screwing into the
break blocks e, and the break blocks e are thus securely fixed with the strap f.
:
As an additional precaution however and in order to prevent end way movement
of the break blocks e with relation to the strap f the latter has clamped thereon
stops which will effectually prevent the possibility of movement between the.
parts.
One end of the flexible strap is secured to an eye b³ projecting from a fitting b
securely clamped around one of the limbs of the fork b or it might be any other
fixed part of the machine, and the strap f is then passed under and partially around
the break wheel d with the wood or other break blocks fitting into the groove d
thereof.
The other end of the flexible strap fis connected with the eye gl of a rocking.
platform or lever g mounted upon a centre of motion g² carried by a clip 9³ securely
clamped or otherwise fixed to a limb of the fork 6 as shown more particularly at
Figures 4 and 5.

page_text: The rocking platform or lever 7 is preferably mounted in the place of one of the
ordinary foot-rests as shown at Figure 1 and is held in its normal position by a
curved spring g' at one end fixed with the clip g³ by a screw 9 and at the other
end fixed with the boss of the lever g by a screw go or the parts might be held in
their normal position by their own weight, or if necessary by the aid of an additional
weight.
By this arrangement of parts the break blocks e will normally be held out of
contact or only lightly in contact with the break wheel d whilst by pressing upon
the foot-rest or lever g with the foot the strap f will be tightened and the break
blocks e thereby powerfully pressed into the V groove 3 of the break wheel d
and the rotation of the wheel e will thereby be retarded or if desired absolutely
stopped.
In lieu of or in addition to actuating the break strap f by means of the foot
lever g provision is made for actuating the break by hand and which consists of an
extension of the strap f connected with a hand lever mounted upon a centre
of motion carried by the handle bar of the machine, or in other suitable
position.
In the example given at Figures 10 and 11 the hub c¹ and axle care of the
ordinary or approximately of the ordinary pattern, whilst the boss d' of the break
wheel d is hollowed out or chambered to fit upon the end of the hub e' where it is
secured by keys or screws d² screwing partly into the boss of the break wheel d
and partly into the hub c¹.
In the example given at Figure 12 which represents the device applied to the
crank axle of an ordinary direct driven bicycle or the like the boss d' of the break
wheel d is by means of a key d³ fixed with the axle 2 to which is secured the
ordinary pedal crank c³.
By the means herein before described a break is obtained which is simple in
construction, inexpensive to produce, of the same or approximately the same
weight as existing breaks and which by reason of its peculiar construction is
adapted to be highly efficient in action, whilst at the same time all injury to the
tyre is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In combination with a velocipede a break comprising a break wheel fixed
with the hub of one of the wheels and formed with a V groove in its periphery,
several segmental blocks of wood or other suitable material shaped to fit the
groove, a wire rope or other flexible strap carrying the segmental blocks and
means for tightening the strap and thus bringing the break into action and a spring
or other means for loosening the strap and throwing the break out of action
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In combination with a velocipede a break comprising a break wheel fixed
with one of the wheels and formed with a V groove in its periphery, several
segmental blocks of wood or other suitable material shaped to fit the groove a
flexible strap carrying the segmental blocks and a pedal lever connected with the
strap for tightening the same and thus bringing the break into action substantially
as herein shown and described.
3. In combination with a velocipede a break comprising a break wheel of
aluminium formed with a V groove in its periphery several segmental blocks of
wood or other suitable material shaped to fit the groove, a flexible strap carrying
the segmental blocks and a hand lever connected with the strap for tightening the
same and thus bringing the break into action substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. In combination with a velocipede.a break comprising a break-wheel formed
with a groove in its periphery, several segmental blocks shaped to fit the groove,
a flexible strap fitting longitudinal V grooves in the backs of the blocks and held

page_text: there by clamping plates, and, means for tightening the strap and thus bringing the
break into action substantially as herein shown and described.
5. A velocipede break constructed and operating in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 12th day of October 1896.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.