Improvements in Bicycle Brakes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
CAZII 11711.J
Improvements in Bicycle Brakes.
I, LLEWELLYN HENRY FLORY, of 129, Main Street, Ashley, County of Luzerne,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Merchant, 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: --
My invention relates to brakes for bicycles, and particularly to the class of
brakes adapted to be operated by the foot of the rider.
It has for its object to provide a brake which can be readily attached to different
forms of bicycles without the services of a skilled workman and which will be
simple and efficient in construction and operation and comparatively inexpensive
to manufacture.
It has further for its object to provide a brake which can be operated by the
rider when his feet are resting on the coasters, and also to improve the construction
of the friction-rolier and the other parts of the brake, so that the same may be
rendered more efficient in operation than heretofore.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a side view of a portion of a bicycle having my brake applied thereto
and showing in dotted lines the position of the rider's foot when resting on the
coasters and operating the brake.
Fig. 2 is a perspective of the brake detached from a bicycle.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the friction-roller showing the lubricating-
journal thereof; and
Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified form of support for the brake having the
coaster formed thereon.
The numerals designate two oppositely-located foot-levers, which are pivoted
at their inner ends at 2 to supporting-bands 3, located upon the opposite forks of
the front wheel of the bicycle. These foot-levers extend forwardly from the
forks and have pivoted in their outer ends a friction-roller 4, formed of wood,
rubber, or other material, by means of a spindle 5, extending from one foot-lever
to the other. Each of the levers is provided near its outer end with a foot-rest 6,
extending at an angle therefrom, and is normally held out of contact with the
tire by means of supporting-springs 7, which may be of any desired shape, but
are shown as provided with a coiled portion 8 and a hooked side extension 9,
adapted to lie under and support each of the foot-levers. The inner ends of the
springs are seated in sockets 91, formed in the securing-bands 3, so that the levers
are constantly supported by the springs, and when the roller is forced into contact
with the tire the springs are placed under compression, whereby the roller and
levers are at once returned to their normal position when the pressure is released.
In connection with the form of clamp shown in Fig. 1 I employ coaster-clamps.
located upon the opposite front forks, as at 10. These coasters have a portion of
the band 11, which encircles the forks, cut away, so as to leave a space 12, into
which the bands are placed and secured by the coaster-clamps. In this way the
brake-supporting bands are positively secured against slipping and a very simple
D
017

page_text: and convenient attachment formed, which can be placed in a few moments upon
any of the ordinary bicycles now in use.
Instead of using the arrangement of coasters and bands just described I can,
however, use a clamp, such as is shown in Fig. 4, composed of two plates 13,
adapted to be placed on opposite sides of each fork and the outer one of which has
a coaster foot-support 14 extending therefrom. The plates 13 are secured together
by nuts and bolts 15, or otherwise, and the foot-levers pivoted upon the forward
securing-bolt, so as to swing in an are in front of the head of the bicycle. The
relation of the coasters and the foot-rests upon the foot-levers is such that when
the shank of the foot rests upon the coasters the ball or forward portion thereof
will be in contact with the foot-rest on the levers, whereby the brake can be
immediately applied when desired by simply swinging downward the forward
portion of the foot. It will thus be seen that the brake can be applied without
removing the feet from their previous position when coasting and that the coasters
are always free to be used without applying the brake. This feature is due to
the location of the foot-rests on the levers in a position forward of and above the
coaster-supports.
The spindle 5, on which the friction-roller 4 is journaled, is formed hollow
throughout, so as to form a chamber 16 for lubricant, and tapers toward the central
portion, thereby forming a lubricant-chamber 17 between the outer surface of the
spindle and the inner surface of the friction-roller. This tapering of the spindle
also causes the lubricant to work toward the center of the chamber 17 and away
from the opposite ends of the spindle. At the ends of the spindle and between
the friction-roller and the foot-levers I locate felt or leather washers 18 to form an
oil-tight joint at the end of the roller-bearing and to prevent any jar or rattling
of the roller which otherwise would occur in the movement of the bicycle. The
spindle is provided at opposite ends with internal screw-threads 19, and screws 20
are passed through apertures in the foot-levers to engage the said screw-threads
and firmly hold the journalling-spindle in place. Apertures 21 are formed in
the spindle, so that the chamber 16 within the spindle may be in communication
with the outer chamber 17. The two chambers are filled with a stiff lubricant,
such as grease or any other suitable material, and as in the rotation of the friction-
roller the lubricant becomes worn out of the chamber 17 the lubricant within the
hollow spindle will he liquefied by the heat generated and pass through the
apertures 21 into the outer chamber 17, so as to fill the same. The spindle can be
readily refilled with lubricant whenever desired by simply removing one of the
screws 20 and inserting the lubricant through the open end of the spindle. By
this construction of friction-roller a brake is formed which is practically anti-
rattling and the roiler of which is kept constantly lubricated, so that the same will
always rotate when in contact with the tire and not scrape over the same, as is
now the case when the heat caused by rapid rotation causes the bearing of the
roller to expand and lock the same against rotation. A thorough lubrication of
the roller-bearing prevents this heating and the consequent difficulties resulting
from the expansion and contraction of the metal parts.
In the operation of the brake when the roller is pressed forward, as shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 1, the tire is compressed, forming a cushion of air behind the
roller. By this compression of the tire the axis of the roller is brought nearly in
line with the tangent to the outer rim of the tire at this point, and, as will be
seen by reference to the figure, the pressure of the brake is oblique to the tangent
instead of perpendicular to it, as in the case of the spoon-brake. Consequently a
larger component of the force applied acts tangentially to the rim of the wheel,
and the effective braking action is thus secured.
When it is desired to regulate or adjust the friction of the roller, the same may
be accomplished by adjusting the screws 20 which will cause the foot-levers to
press more or less against the ends of the roller and produce friction when it is
desired or necessary.
I have described with particularity the details of construction of my brake, but

page_text: it is obvious that the details of the several parts may be changed without departing
from the essential features of the invention.
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. A bicycle-brake consisting of oppositely-located foot-levers pivoted to the
front fork of the bicycle and extending forwardly therefrom, a friction-roller
journaled between said levers at their forward ends, a hollow bearing-spindle
provided with an aperture through its wall and having a portion thereof of less
diameter than the interior bearing-surface of the roller to form a chamber for
lubricant, and a spring to support said roller normally out of contact with the
tire of a bicycle, substantially as described.
2. In a bicycle-brake, the combination with the oppositely-located foot-levers
pivoted to the front fork of a bicycle, of a friction-roller journaled between said
levers, a hollow bearing-spindle having apertures communicating with the interior
thereof and interiorly screw-threaded at its ends, and retaining-screws passing
through the levers and engaging the screw-threads in the ends of the spindle,
substantially as described.
3. In a bicycle-brake, the combination with coaster-supports having an opening
in the portion thereof encircling the front fork of a bicycle, of a supporting-
band for the brake-levers lying within said opening in the coaster-supports, and
foot-levers pivoted to said lever-supports and carrying a brake, substantially as
described.
4. In a bicycle-brake, the combination with the oppositely-located foot-levers
pivoted to the front fork of a bicycle, of a friction-roller journaled between said
levers, and a hollow bearing-spindle for said roller tapering toward its center and
having apertures therein to connect the chamber within the spindle with the
chamber formed between the spindle and roller, substantially as described.
5. In a bicycle-brake, the combination with the oppositely-located foot-levers
extending forwardly of the front forks of a bicycle, of supports for said levers
secured to said forks, supporting-springs for said levers seated at one end in
sockets in said supports and at their opposite ends connected to said foot-levers,
a friction-roller at the outer end of said levers, a hollow spindle for
said roller tapering toward the center from each end and provided with apertures
connecting the chamber within the spindle with the space between the same and
the friction-roller, and foot-rests extending from said levers, substantially as
described.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.