Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Road Vehicles.
I, BENJAMIN MILLWARD, of Pulley Block Works, Lomey Town, Cradley Heath,
Staffordshire, Pulley Block Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in and connected
with brakes for those road vehicles which are arranged to be drawn by horses
or other diaft animals and is applicable alike to two wheeled and to four wheeled
vehicles The object of this invention is to so arrange the biake and brake
operating mechanism that when the vehicle is going down hill the brake is
automatically applied to the wheel or wheels to the proper amount to prevent
the vehicle injuriously over-running the horse or other draft animal harnessed
to it.
When a horse harnessed to the shafts of a two wheeled vehicle is going down
hill the vehicle tends to over run the horse but the vehicle is held back by the
horse pressing against the back band and it is this pressure of the horse against
the back band which according to my invention I utilize to apply the brake to
the wheel or wheels so that the pressure of the brake increases with the pressure
of the horse against the back band. Also in the case of a pair of horses in a
vehicle with pole harness the horses hold back the vehicle when going down hill
by the pull of the collar on the pole chains which are connected to the front end
of the pole and in this case I utilise the pull on the pole chains to automatically
apply the brake or brakes to the wheel or wheels to retard the vehicle.
I will first describe my invention as applied to a two wheeled cait or other
two wheeled vehicle with a horse harnessed between the shafts.
I provide two levers to which the ends of the back band are connected by chains
or other means and these levers are jointed to the shafts. The said levers are
by suitable connecting rods and if necessary by other levers connected to the
biake blocks which act upon the wheels this mechanism being so arranged that
when the vehicle is going down hill the back pressure of the horse against the
back band turns the levers on the shafts and they in their turn act through
the brake connections and apply the brakes to the wheels.
If desired, instead of the brake mechanism being arranged on both sides of
the vehicle to apply a brake to both wheels, the said brake mechanism may be
similarly arranged to be applied to only one wheel and in this case one end
of the back band will be suitably fixed to one shaft whilst the other end of
the back band is connected to the lever on the other shaft as above described.
When the horse ceases to press upon the back band as when he reaches the
bottom of the hill the brake is taken off as by a spring or counter-weight.
In applying my invention to a brougham or other four wheeled vehicle the
brake is or the brakes are or may be arranged to be applied to the front wheels
similarly as above described, and in addition to or instead of applying the brake
to the front wheels the brake is or the biakes are also applied to the back wheels
and operated by a link or other connection which is suitably connected to the
.

page_text: levers on the shafts through a lever or levers which turn on a fulcrum pin corre-
sponding with the centre of the fore carriage so that the movement of the back
band will be properly transmitted to the brake or brakes on the back wheel or
wheels whether the front axle is parallel with the back axle or inclined thereto
as when the horse is turning round a curve.
My invention is similarly applied to vehicles provided with pole harness for
a pair of horses but in this case instead of the chains from the hames on the
collars being connected directly to the ends of the pole as is usual, the said
chains are connected to one end of a lever or levers which I provide at or near
the end of the pole these levers being also connected by suitable connecting rods
or other connections to the brake or brakes, so that when the said pole chains
are pulled by the vehicle over-running the horses the pull on the pole chains
will apply the brakes to the wheels.
On one or both shafts I provide a catch or equivalent device which when the
horse is required to back the cart or other vehicle and it is desired to maintain.
the brake out of action, this catch or similar device is turned up so as to engage
the lever on the shaft and form a stop to prevent the lever from turning and
applying the brake when the horse presses against the back-band.
Dated this 8th day of February 1899.
I, BENJAMIN MILLWARD, of Pulley Block Works, Lomey Town, Cradley Heath,
Staffordshire, Pulley Block Manufacturer, 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 consists of the herein described improvements in and connected
with brakes for those road vehicles which are arranged to be drawn by horses
or other draft animals and is applicable alike to two wheeled and to four wheeled
vehicles. The object of this invention is to so arrange the brake and brake
operating mechanism that when the vehicle is going down hill the brake is
automatically applied to the wheel or wheels to the proper amount to prevent
the vehicle injuriously over-running the horse or other draft animal harnessed
to it.
"
"
When a horse harnessed to the shafts of a two wheeled vehicle is going down
hill the vehicle tends to over run the horse but the vehicle is held back by the
horse pressing against the band which goes round the back part of the horse
and which in my Provisional Specification I have referred to as the "back band"
but which I have since found is usually known as the breeching" or breech
band by which latter name I will hereinafter call the said band. It is this
pressure of the horse against the so called breech band which according to my
invention I utilize to apply the brake to the wheel or wheels so that the pressure
of the brake increases with the pressure of the horse against the breech band.
Also in the case of a pair of horses in a vehicle with pole harness the horses hold
back the vehicle when going down hill by the pull of the collar on the pole
chains which are connected to the front end of the pole and in this case I utilize
the pull on the pole chains to automatically apply the brake or brakes to the
wheel or wheels to retard the vehicle.
4
I will first describe my invention as applied to a two wheeled cart or other

page_text: The
two wheeled vehicle with the horse harnessed between the shafts and I will refer
to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying diawings of which Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a two wheeled horse and cart with my invention applied and Fig. 2 18 a plan
of the same. I provide two levers A¹ A2 which at a are jointed to the shafts
and project above and below the same. To the upper ends of the levers A A³
the ends of the breech band Care connected by chains or other means.
lower ends of the levers A¹ A³ are connected by connecting rods, DI D² to
levers EE which are fixed on a way shaft F carried in bearings or brackets
fixed to the underside of the vehicle near the wheels. On the ends of this way
shaft Fare fixed two levers G1 G2 which carry the brake blocks H¹ H2 to act
upon the wheels
When the vehicle is going down hill the back pressure of the
horse against the breech band C turns the levers A¹ A on the shafts and they in
their turn act through the brake connections and apply the brake blocks H H
to the wheels.
When the horse ceases to press upon the breech band as when he reaches
the bottom of the hill the brakes are taken off the wheels as by the springs I
connected to the connecting rods D D and to the shafts B; or instead of springs
a counter-weight on a lever on the way shaft F may be employed, or the springs
and balance weight may be dispensed with.
If desired instead of the biake mechanism being arranged at both sides of
the vehicle to apply a brake to both wheels the said brake mechanism may be
similarly arranged to be applied to only one wheel and in this case one end
of the breech band will be suitably fixed to one shaft in the usual way whilst
the other end of the breech band is connected to the lever A¹ and the shaft B
as above described.
I will now describe how I apply my invention to a brougham or other four
wheeled vehicle, and I will refer to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings
of which Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a four wheeled wagon with my invention
applied to actuate brakes on all four wheels and Fig 4 is a plan of the same
with the upper part of the wagon removed. The brake mechanism for the front
wheels J J2 is the same as herein before described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2 as applied to a two wheeled vehicle except that the bearings for the way
shaft Fare fixed to the fore carnage K which tuins about the centre pin kl.
The brake blocks G3 G4 of the back wheels J3 J4 are fixed on a way shaft L
arranged parallel with the back axle M and carried by bearings a fixed to the
underside of the wagon the biake blocks G G being respectively fixed to
levers N N which are fixed to the ends of the way shaft L and depend there-
from. The way shaft L is actuated from the way shaft F by the following
arrangement of mechanism. Fixed on the way shaft F and depending therefrom
is a lever O which is connected to a lever l' fixed on the way shaft L by the
chain Q which is carried under a guide roller R carried by a bracket r from the
underside of the fore carriage K and immediately above the axle of the front
wheels J J the chain passing over another guide roller S which, is carried by
a brackets fixed underneath the bottom of the wagon as near to the centre
pin as possible. Thus the part of the chain Q which rises from the pulley R
to the pulley S is vertical or nearly so and is very near to the centre pin of
the fore carriage and therefore the turning of the fore carriage will not per-
ceptibly tighten or slacken the chain Q. 2¹ is an ordinary right and left hand
screwed connector for adjusting the length of the chain Q. Thus it will be
seen that when the back pressure on the breech band moves the connecting
rods in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 and applies the
brake blocks to the front wheels the movement is transmitted through the chain Q
to the way shaft L and brake block levers N¹ N thereby applying the brake
blocks G G to the back wheels J3 J simultaneously with the front wheels
and thus the movement of the breech band will be properly transmitted to the
brakes G3 G' on the back wheels whether the front axle is parallel
with the back axle or inclined thereto as when the horse is turning round

page_text: a curve. U is a counter-balance weight on a lever u fixed to the way
shaft L arranged to take the brake blocks off the wheels when the horse's
pressure on the breech band is removed. It will be evident that my invention
can be similarly applied to act on the back wheels only or only on the front
wheels.
My invention is similarly applied to vehicles provided with pole harness for
a pair of hoises but in this case instead of the chains W from the hames on the
collars being connected directly to the ends of the pole V (see Figs. 5, 6 and 7)
as usual, the said chains W are connected to the end of a lever 13 which is
Jointed at or near the end of the pole V this lever projecting below the pole
and the lower projecting end being connected to the connecting rod D³ which at
its other end is connected to a lever such as E¹ on the way shaft 1 so that when
the pole chains W are pulled by the vehicle over-running the horses the pull
on the pole chains W will apply the brakes to the wheels
On one or both shafts or on the polc 1 provide a catch such as X (see Figs 3
and 4) or equivalent device which when the horse is required to back the cart
or other vehicle and it is desired to maintain the brake out of action this catch
or similar device is turned to take against the lever A2 and forming a stop to
prevent the lever from turning and applying the brake as the horse presses
against the breech band. When it is desired for the blake to come into action
again the catch or equivalent device X is turned to the position indicated by
the dotted lines in Fig. 3 so as not to interfere with the movements of the
lever A².
The accompanying drawings indicate what I consider to be the best ways of
carrying my said invention into practice but it is to be understood that my said
invention is not limited to the precise details shewn.
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;-
1. In a road vehicle arranged to be drawn by a draft animal the employment
and combination of a brake or brakes arranged to act upon the wheel or wheels,
levers jointed to the shafts and connected to the breech band of the animal's
harness, connections from said levers to the brake or brakes the parts being so
arranged that a backward pressure of the animal on the breech band applies the
brake or brakes to the wheel or wheels, substantially as set forth.
2. In a two wheeled road vehicle arranged to be drawn by a draft animal the
employment of a brake or brakes arranged to act upon the wheel or wheels in
combination with mechanism for operating said brake or brakes by a back
pressure of the animal upon the breech band the parts being constructed and
arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings.
3 In a four wheeled road vehicle arranged to be drawn by a draft animal or
draft animals the employment of a brake or brakes acting upon the back wheel
or back wheels in combination with mechanism for operating said brake or
biakes by a back pressure of the animal upon the breech band the parts being
constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4 In a four wheeled road vehicle arranged to be drawn by a draft animal
or animals the employment of brakes acting upon the front wheels and back
wheels in combination with mechanism for operating said brakes by a back
pressure of the animal upon the breech band the parts being constructed arranged
and operating substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs.
and of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a four wheeled road vehicle arranged to be drawn by draft animals and
provided with pole harness the employment and combination of a brake or brakes
arranged to act upon the wheel or wheels a lever or levers jointed to the end

page_text: of the pole and connected to the pole chains on the horse collars, connections
from said levers to the brake or brakes, the parts being so arranged that a
backward pressure of the horses on the pole chains applies the brake or brakes
to the wheel or wheels, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of November 1899.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.