Improvements in Perambulators and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Perambulators and similar Vehicles.
I, LUKE ROBERTS, of Cutler Heights, Tong, near Bradford, in the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in perambulators and similar vehicles
and its object is to provide a simple automatic brake for this class of vehicle.
The said improvements consist in the employment of brake mechanism adapted
to be automatically brought into operation or put on by the weight of the body of
the perambulator and to be automatically taken off or out of operation when
sufficient power is applied to the handle to move the perambulator in either
direction.
To carry out my invention I connect the brake to the body of the vehicle in such
a manner that the whole or a portion of the weight of the body of the vehicle tends
to apply the brake and I allow the handles a limited independent motion for the
purpose of operating an arrangement of levers, cams, inclined planes or their
equivalent for the purpose of slightly raising the body of the vehicle to take off the
brake.
A simple arrangement is to form one of the axles into a rocking shaft fitted with
cams or their equivalent arranged to raise the body of the vehicle in relation to the
said axle and I turn such axle by a lever secured thereon and connected to a lever
formed by a continuation of the handle.
Dated this 25th day of November 1892.
DRACUT & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Perambulators and similar Vehicles.
I, LUKE ROBERTS, of Cutler Heights, Tong, near Bradford, in the County of
York, 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 perambulators and similar vehicles and
its object is to provide a simple automatic brake for this class of vehicle.
The said improvements consist in the employment of brake mechanism adapted
to be automatically brought into operation or put on by the weight of the body of
the perambulator and to be automatically taken off or out of operation when
sufficient power is applied to the handle to move the perambulator in either
direction.
To carry out my invention I connect the brake to the body of the vehicle in such
a manner that the whole or a portion of the weight of the body of the vehicle tends
to apply the brake and I allow the handle a limited independent motion for the
purpose of operating an arrangement of levers, cams, inclined planes or their
equivalent for the purpose of slightly raising the body of the vehicle to take off the
brake.
A simple arrangement is to form one of the axles into a rocking shaft fitted with
cams or their equivalent arranged to raise the body of the vehicle in relation
to the said axle and I turn such axle by a lever formed by a continuation of the
handle

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of
this Specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a side elevation of a perambulator with my improved brake
applied thereto in which one of the wheels is removed to more clearly show the
biake mechanism.
Figure 2, represents an end view of the same.
Figure 3, represents a plan view with the body of the vehicle removed so as to
disclose the brake mechanism beneath.
Figure 4, is a view on a larger scale of the axle E and adjacent parts shown in
Figure 1.
The perambulator shown is of that well known type in which the body A is
suspended by four straps B to the arms C projecting at right angles from the
extremities of the curved spring D, but the brake is equally applicable to any other
form of perambulator.
Instead of the spring D being rigidly secured to the axle E the spring is fixed
to the cross piece F and the axle confined in the slots G, G formed in the
projections H, H on the underside of the cross piece F. Each end of the axle has
a pair of lugs e, e on either side and an antifriction roller i is mounted in each pair
of lugs. Curved arms J. J are formed upon or rigidly connected to the axle E and
these arms are attached to the connecting rods K, K and K¹, K' connecting the
lower ends of the levers L, L and L', L' to the upper ends of which the handles M
and M are fixed. An upright piece N is formed upon or rigidly connected to
each end of the cross-piece F each of which is provided with two lugs r, rl, adapted
to receive the shank O of one of the brake shoes P, P. The brake shoes Pare
capable of radial adjustment in relation to the wheels R, R by means of the
nuts t, t (mounted upon the screwed end of the shank O) clamping the lugs
between them.
But as
The brake shoes are adjusted so that they normally press upon the wheels R, R
with approximately the full weight of that end of the vehicle which is amply
sufficient to check and stop the vehicle under any ordinary circumstances.
the pairs of levers L, L and L', L' are pivoted to the brackets S, S fixed upon D
these levers are free to move or vibrate to a limited extent in either direction when
power is applied to either of the handles to move the vehicle. This movement is
communicated to the arms J, J thereby rocking or partly turning the axle E.
And the parts are so arranged that this rocking movement of the axle brings the
anti-friction rollers i on one side of the axle to bear upon the underside of the cross
piece F so as to raise the said cross piece and lift the brake shoes carried by it
clear of the wheels.
Immediately the application to the handle of power to move the vehicle is
discontinued the parts assume their normal position and the brake is automatically
applied.
It will be obvious that the brake is equally applicable to perambulators having
only one handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is :
An automatic brake for perambulators and other similar vehicles in which the
weight of the vehicle is utilized to apply the brake and the application of power to
the handle of the vehicle automatically removes the brake, substantially as herein
shown and described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1893.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.