New or Improved Twin Lever Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
New or Improved Twin Lever Brakes for Cycles.
I, CHRISTOPHER GEORGE COOPER, of 27, Wellington Park, Clifton, Bristol,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
My invention relates to improvements in lever brakes for cycles, and has for its
object to provide brakes that are simple in construction, easy of application, and
efficient in their operation.
The invention consists in the provision of twin levers actuating a pair of brakes,
each acting against the inner surface of the rim of the wheel, by which means the
distorting effects of a brake applied on one side only of the rim are avoided, as
the action of each brake on the wheel is simultaneous; it is also much more
effective and causes less strain on the joints and bearing parts.
In carrying this invention into effect, a lever is attached in the usual manner
to the handle bar, and connected by a rod to a loop bell crank lever on the head;
from this a connecting rod having a loop at the end, is attached to the two ends of
twin levers, the fulcrums of which are fastened to the back forks or stays, or other
parts in close proximity to the wheel; or instead of a connecting rod from the
head to the levers, a flexible wire cord with a loop at the end may be employed,
the cord working over rollers or pulleys: the long sides of the twin levers being
attached to the loops of the connecting rod or cord, the short sides are fitted with
grips or shoes, in which blocks of leather, rubber, or other suitable material are
inserted, to bear on the under side of the rim.
The inner surfaces of the rims are preferably made concave, so that the convex
bearing surface of the brake may more effectually grip them, and to utilise rims
at present in use, rings or bands may be attached to their convex surface to offer
a better grip for the brake; the twin brake will act with advantage on the ordinary
rim with its convex surface, but the best results will be obtained by constructing
the rims or adapting them in the manner described with a flat or concave surface
on which the brakes may bear, and this surface may be either plain or corrugated,
the latter being preferred, as the brake will hold thereon with greater certainty.
Dated this 26th day of November. 1896.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in lever brakes for cycles, and has for
its object to provide brakes that are simple in construction, easy of application,
and eficient in their operation.
The invention consists in the provision of twin levers actuating a pair of brakes,
each acting against the inner surface of the rim of the wheel, by which means the
distorting effects of a brake applied on one side only of the wheel are avoided as
the action of the brakes on the wheel is simultaneous, it is therefore much more
effective and causes less strain on the jointa and bearing parts.
In carrying this invention into effect, a lever. is attached in the usual manner
to the handle bar and connected by a rod to a loop bell crank lever on the head,
from this a connecting rod having a loop at the end is attached to the two ends of
twin levers, the fulcrums of which are fastened to the back forks or stays or other
parts in close proximity to the wheel, or instead of a connecting rod from the head
to the levers, a flexible wire cord with a loop at the end may be employed, the cord
working over rollers or pulleys: the long sides of the twin levers being attached
to the loops of the connecting rod or cord; the short sides are fitted with grips
or shoes in which blocks of leather, rubber, or other suitable material are inserted
to bear on the under side of the rim.
Most of the rims as usually made can be used with the twin brakes with satis-
factory results, the best being those that present the greatest amount of flat or
concave surface for the brake to come into contact with, but the rims may be
specially adapted if desired as will be readily understood.
My invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of such parts of a bicycle
with a sloping top bar as carry the brakes and the appliances by which they are
put into operation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the loop at the end of the con-
necting rod, by which the power is distributed to each lever, as hereinafter
described; Fig. 3 shows a modified arrangement for adapting this invention to a
bicycle which has a horizontal top bar.
In Fig. 1, A is the ordinary rod descending from the lever attached to the
handle bar, this rod is pivotted to a loop bell crank lever B on the down tube;
the bell crank lever is fulcrumed at b, and its short end is attached to the connecting
rod C, fastened to a loop 1) which surrounds the seat pillar tube d. The end of the
loop D is fitted with a knuckle or pivot joint E, so that any inequalities in the
rim on one side do not affect the tension on the other side, as the swivel action
permit each bruke to be applied with equal force, notwithstanding such inequali-
ties. The swivel plate is connected by rods or wires F with the top ends of the
levers G. pivotted to the back stay tubes at. H, the short ends I of the levers are
fitted to receive shoes K pivotted at the end of the lever, so that the entire hearing
surface of the pad in the shoe curved to fit the under part of the rim L may operate
at once.
To meet the requirements of a bicycle with a high frame and horizontal top bar,
a modification of the levers is necessary as shown in Fig. 3. Instead of having
the crank lever GHI, extending from back tubes to below the rim, which would
necessitate a very long arm on the lever, or carrying the connecting rod lower
down, which would expose it to breakage, (it being thus mounted at a distance
from the horizontal bar.) the loop D is carried round the down tube d and attached
directly to the ends of the levers G. The ends of the levers I carry the knuckle
or swivel joints, and the swivel plates E and rods F, instead of extending to the
levers in a horizontal directien, are attached vertically to the shoes K. The-e
are attached to frames M fitted on the stay tubes, and held in position by anv
suitable contrivance which will permit them to slide up and down when actuated
by the lever on the handle bar.

page_text: To keep the brake shoes and pads away from the rim when not in action, springs
are provided as will be obvious and fitted in any suitable position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained he nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
Twin brakes for cycles in which the brake shoes carrying the brake pads acting
on the under side of the wheel rim, are so combined with bell crank levers, and
said levers so connected with the rod that transmits power to the brake, that both
brake shoes and pads are applied to the wheel rim simult.Leously and efficiently,
notwithstanding any irregularity of the rim, the whole constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 26th day of Anrust 1807
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol Applicant's Agent.