Improvements in Brake Mechanism, suitable for use with Bicycles, Motor Cycles and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1899
Complete.Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1900-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Mechanism, suitable for use with Bicycles,
Motor Cycles and like Vehicles.
We, GEORGE CHARLES HOLTAM, of 170, High Street and Fleece Mews, Chelten-
ham, in the County of Gloucester, Fishmonger, Cab Proprietor, and Proprietor
of and trading as "The New Sultan Engineering Co.", and DALE MARSHALL,
of 20, Carlton Street, Cheltenham, aforesaid, Manager of Cycle and Engineering
Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a simple, light and compact construction of
brake mechanism for bicycles, motor cycles and like vehicles whereby the
amount of brake power exerted on a wheel of a vehicle can be regulated and
skidding or locking of the wheel, due to the over application of the brake,
obviated, such mechanism moreover being capable of ready application to exist-
ing vehicles and of being easily operated in a direct manner.
According thereto the brake mechanism comprises a fork-like lever pivoted
to the frame of the vehicle so that a wheel thereof can rotate between its two
side arms the free ends of which are provided with brake blocks adapted to be
brought into contact with opposite sides of the rim of the wheel. This fork-
like lever is provided with a bridge-piece that is movable endways thereon
against the action of one or more springs, the said bridge piece being connected
to one end of a flexible connector the other end of which is provided with a
hook or catch that is adapted to engage with a rotary body on the driving axle
of the vehicle when the said body is turned in one direction and to be disengaged
therefrom when the said body is turned in the opposite direction. The arrange-
ment is such that when the rotary body is partly turned in one direction it will
engage with the hook or catch on the flexible connector and partly wind up
the latter and thereby pull on the bridge-piece and move the fork-like lever in
a direction to force the brake blocks carried thereby against the wheel rim with
a pressure that practically does not exceed a determined amount depending
upon the resistance offered by the spring or springs, any force exerted on
the flexible connector in excess of the amount required to obtain such maximum
braking effect acting to move the bridge piece nearer to the axis of the lever,
thereby reducing the leverage at which it acts on the lever, and compressing the
spring or springs which thus serves or serve as a safety device to prevent lock-
ing or skidding of the wheel.
Brake mechanism to act in the manner described can be constructed and
arranged in various_form's.
In one arrangement, suitable for a cycle, the fork like lever consists of two
bent arms connected together at one end by a cross piece that is mounted in a
clip or other suitable bearing by which it can be applied to a cross member of
the frame of the cycle. To the other ends of the lever arms are jointed the two
brake blocks to act against opposite sides of the wheel rim embraced by the
lever. Threaded on the lever arms is a bridge piece between which and washers

page_text: on the connected pivoted ends of the said arms are two coiled springs that
encircle such arms. Fixed on the pedal shaft of the cycle is a rotary body in
the form of a hollow metal sleeve formed with openings which may conveniently
be made by striking in portions of the periphery of the sleeve,
the struck in portions being preferably bent to a convex shape and so
arranged as to leave one end of each hole free to be engaged with a hook fixed
to one end of the flexible connector. The hook end of this connector is located
within the cylindrical shell, generally known as the bottom bracket, in which
the pedal shaft is carried, the said connector extending -through a hollow stem or
guide fixed to the said shell or bracket and being connected at its other end
to the bridge piece on the lever. The portion of the flexible connector located
within the bracket is or may be of a spring like nature and partly encircle the
sleeve on the pedal shaft..
The flexible connector may advantageously consist of two lengths of strip
metal adjustably fixed together so that the length of the compound strip can
be adjusted to suit requirement. For this purpose the two strips may be
arranged to overlap one another and be formed at corresponding edges with
teeth or notches with which engages a correspondingly toothed or notched block
that is held in place against them by a screw clamp encircling the block and
the overlapped ends of the two strips. The block is or may be provided with
guide bars that are capable of sliding to a limited extent on the hollow stem or
guide fixed to the bottom bracket and whereby the extent of endways movement
of the flexible connector can be limited.. A spring is or may be located between
the toothed or notched block and the outer end of the hollow stem or guide,
such spring acting as a buffer on the application of the brake, and reacting
so as to move the flexible connector outward and permit of the brake block being
held clear of the wheel rim, when the brake mechanism is released. The springs
on the fork-like lever may be enclosed so as to prevent access of dirt thereto.
Brake apparatus of the kind described can be readily fitted to existing vehicles
and will not interfere with the gear case, the adjustment in length of the driving
chain, or with the ready removal of the pedal driving spindle or of the wheel
to which the brake is applied.
0 1
1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Brake Mechanism, suitable for use with Bicycles,
Motor Cycles and like Vehicles.
We, GEORGE CHARLES HOLTAM, formerly of 170, High Street and Fleece Mews,
but now of 30, Winchcombe Street and Fleece Mews, Cheltenham, in the County
of Gloucester, Fishmonger, Cab Proprietor, and Proprietor of, and trading as,
The New Sultan Engineering Co.", and DALE MARSHALL, of 20, Cariton
Street, Cheltenham, aforesaid, Manager of Cycle and Engineering Works, 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 follow-
ing statement:
-
This invention relates to simple, light, and compact brake mechanism for

page_text: bicycles, motor cycles, and like vehicles, whereby the amount of brake power
exerted on a wheel of a vehicle can be regulated and the locking and consequent
skidding of the wheel, due to over application of the brake, obviated, such
mechanism moreover being capable of easy application to existing vehicles
and being adapted to operate in a direct manner..
Brake mechanism according thereto comprises a fork-like lever pivoted to the
frame of the vehicle so that a wheel rim thereof can rotate between its two side
arms, the free ends of which are provided with brake blocks adapted to be
brought into contact with opposite sides of the rim of the wheel. This fork-like
lever is provided with a bridge-piece that is movable endwise thereon against
the action of one or more springs, the said bridge-piece being connected to one
end of a flexible connector the other end of which is provided with a hook or
catch is adapted to engage with a rotary body on the driving axle of the vehicle
when the said body is turned in one direction and to be disengaged therefrom
when the said body is turned in the opposite direction. The arrangement is
such that when the rotary body is partly turned in one direction it will engage
with the hook or catch on the flexible connector and partly wind up the latter
and thereby pull on the bridge-piece and move the fork-like lever so as to force
the brake blocks carried thereby against the wheel rim with a pressure that prac-
tically will not exceed a determined amount depending upon the resistance
offered by the spring or springs, any force exerted on the flexible connector in
excess of the amount required to obtain such maximum braking effect moving
the bridge piece nearer to the axis of the lever and thereby reducing the leverage
at which it acts on the lever, and compressing the spring or springs which thus
serves or serve as a safety device to prevent the locking and consequent skidding
of the wheel.
Brake mechanism to act in the manner described can be constructed and
arranged in various forms.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in side elevation, partly in section,
the bottom bracket and adjacent parts of a cycle fitted with an example of
brake mechanism according to this invention;
Fig. 2 shows in plan the fork-like lever with its means for attachment to
the frame of the cycle;
Fig. 3 is an underside view of the flexible connector; and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the pedal shaft of the cycle with a sleeve (partly broken
away) secured thereon.
In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the fork-like lever comprises
two bent arms a and b connected together at one end by a cross piece e integral
therewith and mounted in a clip d secured by a bolt e to the cross member f of
the frame of the cycle. To the free ends of the lever arms a and b are jointed
two brake blocks g and h arranged to act against opposite sides of the wheel
rim m. Threaded on the lever arms a and b is a bridge-piece n; and between
the piece n and washers threaded on the arms a and b and connected together
to form a bridge-piece bearing against the cross piece c of the said arms, are
two coiled springs and q that encircle such arms, collars r secured to the
arms preventing downward movement of the bridge-piece n. Fixed on the.
pedal shaft s is a rotary body in the form of a hollow metal sleeve t provided
with openings which may conveniently be made by striking-in portions of
the periphery of the sleeve, the struck-in portions v being prefer-
ably bent so to be convex outwardly and so arranged a's to leave one
end of each hole u free to be engaged by a hook 1 fixed to one end of the
flexible connector 2. The hook end of the connector 2 is located within the
cylindrical shell w of the bottom bracket, in which the pedal shaft s rotates, the
connector 2 extending through a hollow stem or guide a fixed to the shell wo and
being connected at its other end to the bridge-piece n of the lever a, b, c. The
portion of the flexible connector 2 located within the shell w is of a spring-like
nature and partly encircles the sleeve t on the pedal shaft s, its hook bearing

page_text: on the outer periphery of the sleeve t and having a tendency to drop into the
openings thereof. The flexible connector 2 consists, in the example, of two
lengths of strip metal adjustably fixed together so that the length of the com-
pound strip can be adjusted to suit requirement. For this purpose the two con-
stituent strips are arranged to overlap each other (as shown) and are formed at
corresponding edges with teeth or notches 3 with which engages a correspondingly
toothed or notched block 4 that is held in place against them by a screw clamp 5
encircling the block and the overlapped ends of the two strips. The block
is provided with a casing 6 (not shown in Fig. 3) that is capable of sliding on
the hollow stem or guide a fixed to the shell w, and with a bar 7 which has
a pin 7 engaging in a slot 8 in the guider and whereby the extent of endwise
movement of the flexible connector 2 is limited; the bar 7 and the casing 6
are attached to the block 5 by a common screw 7b. In the example shown a
spring 9, enclosed by the casing 6, is located between the clamp 5 and the outer
end of the hollow stem or guide, such spring acting as a buffer on the applica-
tion of the brake, and reacting so as to move the flexible connector 2 outward
and consequently the brake blocks g and h clear of the wheel rim m when the
brake mechanism is released.
Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are similar views to Figs. 1 to 4 showing another
example of brake mechanism according to this invention, which differs from that
shown in Figs. 1 to 4 in constructional details only; corresponding parts
are indicated in the two sets of figures by similar reference letters or numerals.
In lieu of the two springs p and q there is a single spring 10, which is enclosed
by a telescopic casing 11 whose upper end is concave and bears against the cross
piece c and whose lower end straddles and bears against a bridge-piece n, down-
ward movement of which is limited by a fixed cross piece c¹. It will be seen
that in this example the spring 10 can be easily removed if required, as also
can the movable bridge-piece, which is made in two parts connected by set
screws. The same levers can thus be used either with springs as described or in
brake mechanism in which such springs are not employed. Instead of a flexible
connector 2 having a hooked end to engage with the pedal axles, the flexible
connector 2 forms a loop 1 which is adapted to be engaged by hooks or teeth t
provided on the pedal axle s when the axle s is rotated in one direction, whilst
the hooks are adapted to slip past without engaging with the connector 2
when the said shaft is rotated in the reverse direction. The flexible connector 2
is composed of a number of strands or fine cables of steel wire the ends of which
are firmly gripped by a screw clamp 5, the part of the connector that is
within the bottom bracket being bent round to form the loop 1 and the other
end of the connector 2 forming a loop in which engages the cross piece n.
Endwise movement of the flexible connector 2 is limited by a pin 7 screwed
into the clamp 5 and passing through a slot 8 formed in a bar projecting
from the stem a. Instead of the spring 9 inserted between the clamp and
the stem, there is provided a spring 13 which is connected at one end to the
free end of one of the arms of the fork-like lever a, b, c and at the other end to
a fixed part of the framework of the cycle.
Brake apparatus of the kind described can be readily fitted to existing vehicles
and will not interfere with the gear case, the adjustment in length of the
driving chain, or with the easy and quick removal of the pedal driving axle or
of the wheel to which the brake is applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. In the brake mechanism of a bicycle, motor cycle, or like vehicle, the com-
bination of a fork-like lever pivoted to the frame of the vehicle and provided
with brake blocks adapted to be brought into contact with opposite sides of the
rim of a wheel of the vehicle, a bridge-piece movable endwise on the said lever

page_text: against the action of a spring or springs, and means for exerting a pull on the
said bridge-piece in the direction to apply the brake blocks, the arrangement
being such that on the exertion of such a pull the pressure exerted by the brake
blocks will practically not exceed a determined amount, any pull exerted in
excess of that required to obtain such maximum braking effect moving the
bridge-piece nearer to the axis of the lever in opposition to the action of the
spring or springs, and thereby reducing the leverage, substantially as described.
2. In the brake mechanism of a bicycle, motor car, or like vehicle, for operat-
ing a brake lever, the combination of a flexible connector attached at one end
to the said lever and provided at the other end with a hook or catch or with an
eye or loop, and a rotary part on the driving axle of the vehicle adapted to engage
with the said hook or catch or with the said eye or loop when the axle is turned
in one direction and to be disengaged therefrom when the said axle is turned
in the opposite direction, substantially as described.
3. Brake mechanism for the purpose set forth, constructed, arranged and
operating as herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to
4 inclusive of the accompanying drawings and the same as modified according to
Dated this 3rd day of August 1900.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.