An Improved Brake for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COME DELE DI MOLTTOAI
An Improved Brake for Cycles.
We, FREDERICK GRAEF-BEAUMONT of No. 203 Rue Lafayette, Paris,
in the French Republic, Civil Engineer, and WILLY SECK of Oberursel near
Frankfort o/M, in the German Empire, 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:-
The subject of the present invention is a cycle brake, which acts upon the driving
wheel and possesses the quality of being automatic :-
1. As soon as the cycle tries to go at a greater speed than is desired by the
rider (for instance when descending a bill):
2. When the rider desires to reduce the speed of his cycle by working the pedals
more slowly and
3. When dismounting by means of the pedal.
For operating the brake, levers or the like worked by hand or foot are not
necessary, the brake being applied by the driving chain.
The arrangement is such that the brake is self-acting according to the variation
of the tension in the two halves of the chain; that is to say the brake is out of
action when the upper half of the chain is in tension, that is when going forward,
and in action when the lower half of the chain is in tension. This latter is the case
when the rider stops the pedals or back pedals.
Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating the application of the
present invention to a rear driving wheel.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
In Figure 1, w is the axle of the driving wheel; n the hub of the wheel; and
8, s, the spokes. The cones c¹ and c, are screwed on to the axle and are provided
with specially shaped discs d, e fast to them respectively, and the purpose of which
will be more particularly indicated further on. The disc d is provided with an
annular leather facing l.
Upon the hub n and opposite to the facing 1, stands the disc d', which is held to
the said hub in such a manner that it must partake of the rotation thereof, and
shall also be capable of an axial displacement thereupon.
e is a collar having an annular shoulder e' on it.
It is connected to the hub n
in the same way as is the disc d', and has an external left-handed screw thread
on which is screwed the chain wheel r, the latter having an internal screw thread to
correspond. This wheel is normally up the shoulder e¹.
It is slotted at each
h is a casing surrounding the central portion of the hub n.
end in order that the passage of the spokes & through it may not prevent its
moving upon the said hub with the disc d' with which it is incorporated at one
end, while its opposite end reaches as far as the chain wheel r.
The invention acts as follows. If the chain wheel r be turned to the left hand
-in terms of Figure 1, it becomes unscrewed from the collar e and ther by
presses the latter up against the disc which is fast to the cone c³, on one side;
and on the other, presses the disc d up against the disc d'. But this turning to
the left can only take place when the rider, then on his machine, puts the lower
half of the chain into tension by back-pedalling. The brake is actuated more or
less according to the variation of this tension.

page_text: If on the other hand the upper half of the chain is put in tension, as by riding
forwards, the chain wheel r is screwed up on the collar e, thereby taking the brake
off and keeping it off.
In order that the brake surfaces shall become completely separated by taking
the brakes off, a connecting piece is provided between the disc d' and the chain
wheel r, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
The combination in a brake mechanism operated through the chain wheel, on the
driving wheel, of a disc on one end of the hub, partaking its motion of rotation
and capable of a sliding motion thereon parallel with its axis; a leather faced
brake disc fast on the axle and standing with its face normally opposite to that of
the first mentioned dise; a disc fast on the opposite end of the axle outside and
clear of the hub; a collar on the adjacent end of the hub, partaking its motion
of rotation and capable of a sliding motion thereon parallel with the axis and
screw threaded externally to receive the said chain wheel, the pitch of the screw
being such that back pedalling presses the said collar against the last mentioned
disc and pulls the leather faced brake disc up against the one opposite it, and
forward pedalling restores the parts to their normal position.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.