Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN RANDALL POTTER, of 290, Balham High Road, London, S.W., Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :―
This invention relates to a new or improved brake for velocipedes the object of
which is to provide a concealed brake of simple construction, which, while being
extremely light efficiently fulfils all the usual requirements it is further not liable to
get out of order and can be easily applied or removed as required.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide a suitable plunging rod
passing through a hole or perforation in a disc or stop secured near the lower end
of the tubular head of the velocipede, said rod extending through same and being
connected to the screw threaded end of a second rod passing through a hole or
perforation forined in a second disc or stop arranged near the upper part of the
aforesaid tubular head. This screw threaded arrangement of the two rods allows of
adjustment, while one or both of them may be replaced by a tube or tubes.
The end of the lowermost rod projects below the crown plates of the front fork, and is
furnished with any suitable brake-shoe, while between said brake-shoe and the under
surface of the first mentioned disc or stop a spiral spring is arranged, in such a manner
as to automatically apply the brake to the front wheel of the machine.
The free end of the second rod or tube, contained within the tubular head and stem
of handle-bars, is secured to one end of a flexible connection passing over a pulley,
said connection then traversing one of the handle-bars where it is secured to a suitable
pull piece, projecting through a slot formed in the said handle-bars, and employed in
connection with any suitable ratchet mechanism or the like, so that upon drawing
back the said pull-piece it is retained in the required position by means of the
aforesaid ratchet mechanism or the like, at the same time raising the brake shoe from
the wheel and compressing the aforesaid spiral spring, while upon releasing the
pull-piece, the brake is instantly and automatically applied by means of the spring
hereinbefore referred to.
I, JOHN RANDALL POTTER, of 290, Balham High Road, London, S.W., Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
Price 477

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a new or improved brake for velocipedes, the object of
which is to provide a concealed brake of simple construction, which, while being
extremely light, efficiently fulfils all the usual requirements, it is further not liable to
get out of order and can be easily applied or removed as required.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide a suitable plunging rod
passing through a hole or perforation in a disc or stop secured near the lower end of
the tubular head of the velocipede, said rod extending through same and being con-
nected to the screw threaded end of a second rod passing through a hole or perforation
formed in a second disc or stop arranged near the upper part of the aforesaid tubular
head. This screw threaded arrangement of the two rods allows of adjustment, while
one or both of them may be replaced by a tube or tubes.
The end of the lowermost rod projects below the crown plates of the front fork, and
is furnished with any suitable brake-shoe, while between said brake-shoe and the
under surface of the first mentioned dise or stop a spiral spring is arranged in such a
manner as to automatically apply the brake to the front wheel of the machine.
The free end of the second rod or tube, contained within the tubular head and stem
of handle-bars, is secured to one end of a flexible connection passing over a pulley,
said connection then traversing one of the handle-bars where it is secured to a suitable
pull piece, projecting through a slot formed in the said handle-bars, and employed in
connection with side slots or indents, or the like, so that upon drawing back the
said pull-piece it is retained in the required position by means of the aforesaid side
slots, indents or the like, at the same time raising the brake shoe from the wheel and
compressing the aforesaid spiral spring; while upon releasing the pull-piece the
brake is instantly and automatically applied by means of the spring hereinbefore
referred to.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is
a sectional elevation taken through the tubular head of a velocipede and showing
my improved brake in position. Fig. 2 is a sectional detailed view of a handle used
for operating the said brake, and Fig. 3 is a plan of same.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of handle suitable for operating the
brake.
According to my invention, within the tubular head a of the velocipede, I provide
a suitable plunging rod formed in two parts b, c, the lower portion b being round and
passing through a hole or perforation formed in the stop d and arranged near
the lower part of the aforesaid tubular head a, while the upper part c of the
aforesaid plunging rod is formed, square, rectangular, triangular, or other suitable
shape in cross section, so as to prevent it turning, and passes through a
correspondingly shaped hole or perforation in a disc e arranged near the top of the
aforesaid tubular head or within the stem of the handle-bars as shown, the two
portions b, c, of said plunging rod being united by a screw threaded connection.
The end of plunger rod bis furnished with any suitable brake-shoe or pad f between
which and the stop or disc d a sufficiently powerful spiral spring g is arranged, in such
a manner, as to automatically apply the brake to the wheel when not raised and
retained out of position.
In order to raise the brake and keep it out of contact with the wheel h, the end c¹
of the top portion of plunger rod c is furnished with a hole or perforation i to. which
is secured one end of a suitable flexible connection k, passing over pulley k¹, the other
end being suitably secured to a sliding sleeve (Figs. 2 and 3) furnished with a
projecting portion or finger piece m passing through the horizontal slot n, so that
upon drawing back the sliding sleeve by means of finger piece m and turning said
thumb piece into one of the side slots or indents o the brake is kept in a raised
position, while in order to apply the brake to the wheel h it is only necessary to
release, the thumb piece n from the side slot o containing it when the sliding sleeve

page_text: is free to move in a forward direction which allows the brake pad f to be automatically
applied to the wheel h by the action of the spiral spring 9 herein before referred to.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of handle wherein the action of a screw is
employed to draw back and release the flexible connection k. This form of handle
comprises essentially a central screw or worm p, preferably of coarse pitch, secured to
the bottom of the case of the handle q, by means of a screw r or in any other
suitable manner, while arranged upon the said screw p, and free to work up and down
same, is a collar or ring & furnished with a projecting pin 8 travelling within the
slot t formed in the handle bar w, in such a manner as to prevent the ring or collar 8
turning, while projecting from the said ring or collar is a suitably shaped wire part
or frame x to which the free end of the aforesaid flexible connection is suitably
secured, so that upon revolving the handle y the flexible connection k is drawn back,
thus raising the brake shoe f out of contact with the tyre, while in order to apply the
brake it is only necessary to revolve the handle in the opposite direction, thus
slackening the tension on the aforesaid flexible connection, and allowing the brake
shoe to be forced into contact with the wheel by the action of the aforesaid spiral
spring g, as herein before described. As the form of handle above described &
shewn at Fig. 4 is not new, I lay no claim to same but reserve to myself the right to
use it in combination with my improved brake mechanism.
In Figs. 2 and 3 only the end of the handle bar is shown but the said ends would
of course be covered with suitable material in any convenient manner so as to form
handles.
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 that what I
claim is:-
1/. The new or improved brake for velocipedes comprising essentially a vertical rod
preferably formed in two parts b, c, and screwed together, contained within the tubular
head of the velocipede and having a brake shoe designed to be forced into contact
with the tyre of the wheel by means of a suitable spiral spring arranged between
the said brake shoe and a suitable stop d, the whole arranged in combination with a
flexible connection such as k and a suitable handle for operating the said brake or for
keeping it out of contact with the wheel h, the whole combined and arranged
substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.
2/. In combination with a brake for velocipedes and the like such as above claimed,
a handle such as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, for operating same and comprising
essentially a sliding sleeve l, arranged within the end of the handle bars, and
furnished with a projecting portion or finger piece m, passing through the slot n,
furnished with side slots or indents o, substantially as herein described and shown,
and for the purposes specified.
3/. In combination with the brake for velocipedes and the like claimed in claim 1,
the use of a screw handle for operating same, substantially as herein described and
shown with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4/. The new or improved brake for velocipedes substantially as herein described
and shown, and for the purposes specified.
3534
VM Δανει και να συό του κουτ
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22 Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.