Improvements in and relating to Driving Gear and Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Driving Gear and Brakes for
Cycles.
I SILAS FADER of Vancouver British Columbia Canada 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings:-
My invention relates to improvements in driving gear and brakes for bicycles,
and it has for its object providing a stop-motion for the pedals; that is to say so
that the bicyclist may by a sudden back pressure on one of the pedals release the
drive wheel in such a way that, although the machine continues on at its usual pace
the pedals are retained in a horizontal position by the feet of the operator, and by
an extra back pressure on the said pedal the brake is applied at pleasure.
In the drawing similar letters and numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the several views, referring to which:
Fig. 1, is a view of the drive-wheel of a bicycle containing my invention, the
internal mechanism being shewn in dotted lines,
Fig. 2, is a vertical cross-section of Fig. 1, at line 1, 1,
Fig. 3, is a view of the fixed disc exposing the inner side thereof,
Fig. 4, is a sectional view of the loosely mounted sprocket-carrying disc, and
Fig. 5, is a cross-section of the last figure at line 2, 2.
A, & A', indicate dises which lie in close proximity to each other, the disc A¹
having an extended sleeve, A2, on which the sprocket-carrying one is loosely fixed,
(see Fig. 2,) and the disc A having a slight recess a to receive the rim of the
dise A, (see Fig. 5).
Within the disc A, around and at a distance from its centre is a circular flange B.
This Hange B is provided upon its inner side at regular intervals with recesses b,
and on the engaging side with the disc A of the periphery is a recess b', to receive
a band of leather or other material 3, the whole being securely fixed to the said
disc by counter-sunk screws, 3, the object of which will presently be seen.
Placed upon the disc A', and at a radius to come just without the band covered
flange B, within the disc A, is a spring C. This spring C, is secured to the disc A¹
by the screw e, aud at a point some distance from the said screw is a stop-pin c¹, and
at or about the point 3, is an enlarged portion, having a slot e, and its loose end is
turned at right angles so as to provide a projecting lug 2 which passes through the
opening 2 of the disc A'. When the said spring is in its normal position the lug c²
rests in the recess 2ª of the opening 2.
Placed transverse to the enlarged portion of the spring C, at c³, and on the
opposite side of the disc A¹, is a sliding plate D. This plate D is provided at one
end with a projecting lug or shoulder d which passes through an aperture 3 of the
said disc, and at the opposite end it passes a similar projection d', passing through
a second aperture 4, of the disc, and into the slot c of the spring C, (see Fig. 3,) and
at its centre it is arranged to receive a screw d through the slot d³. By reason of
this screw being loosely arranged in the said slot d³, and securely threaded in the
disc A, it will be seen that the plate D may be forced towards the axis of the said disc
by the spring C being pressed forward by means of the crank E engaging the
projecting lug 2

page_text: The crank E is loosely mounted upon the shaft F, and is held in position thereon
by the washer e, and the screw f. threaded into the end thereof, as f¹ (see Fig. 2),
and the arm of the said crank E lies between the projection 2 on the spring C, and
a fixed projecting shoulder 5 on the disc.
In operating a bicycle to which my invention is attached all forward motion on
the pedal crank E is received by the projecting shoulder 5, (see Fig. 1,) and any
slight back pressure is received by the projecting lug e of the spring C, and by
reason of the said spring C being pressed forward in the slight recess 2", by
the stop-pin c on the opposite side of the disc A', it will be seen that the
loosely mounted crank E will retain its normal position except when required to
be used.
When the bicyclist desires to stop the motion of the pedals and allow the
machine to continue on its course unrestrained, this is done by a sharp_back
motion on the crank E, the disc A' being secured to the shaft F, the crank E will
at once force the engaging portion of the spring C, as e², from the recess 2ª, in the
opening 2; and by reason of the slot et in the said spring engaging the projection
on the sliding plate D, the said plate will be driven towards the axis of the
disc A', and the projecting portion d thereon will be released from the recess b
in the flange B, on the disc A, and the said disc will be free to pass round without
obstruction, and the bicyclist may sit with the pedals as foot rests in a horizontal
position.
In brakeing the machine (when the motion of the pedals is stopped as above
described), extra back pressure will draw the ends of the spring C towards each
other and reduce its diameter, the inner circle of which will be brought in friction
with the band 62 upon the flange B in the sprocket-carrying disc A.
It is obvious from the foregoing that my invention is simple to operate, and it
furnishes a means whereby the bicyclist may rest his feet and legs while passing by
gravity along a declivity without the exertion of following the pedals with the
feet, as is the case with the ordinary machine, and it also furnishes simple and easy
means for operating the brake without changing from the resting position, which
is the important desideratum.
I am aware that prior to my invention a clamp-brake has been applied to the
drive-wheel of a bicycle by the back pressure of the pedals, but without stopping
the rotary motion thereof, therefore I do not claim such a device.
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 combination of a fixed disc upon a shaft, having an extended sleeve, a
second disc loosely mounted upon the said sleeve, and lying in close proximity to
the first mentioned disc, and means of locking the loose disc to the fixed one,
whereby it may be rotated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
2. The combination of a fixed disc upon a crank shaft, having an extending
sleeve, a stout spring secured to and placed at a distance from the axis of the said
disc, a projecting lug on one end of the spring and made to pass through an opening
in the fixed disc and engage a loosely mounted pedal crank on the said shaft, a slot
in the said spring placed at some distance from the projecting lugged end of a
sliding plate on the opposite side of the said disc, having projections at each end,
the one projecting portion passing through an aperture in the disc, and into the
slot in the spring, and the other projection passing through a slot to within the
said disc at a point toward its centre, substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
3. The combination of a fixed disc upon a crank-shaft, one of the cranks being
loosely mounted thereon, and lying in close proximity to the said disc, of a spring
secured to the opposite side of the said disc having its loose end turned at right
angles and projecting through an opening in the disc, the said opening having a
recess in which the lug of the said spring rests while in its normal position of a

page_text: loosely mounted sprocket-carrying disc mounted on the extended sleeve of the
fixed disc, and means for locking and releasing to and from each other by the back
or forward pressure of the loosely mounted pedal crank, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
4. The combination of a fixed disc upon a crank shaft carrying a stout spring
around and at some distance from its axis, the loose end thereof projecting through
the said disc and being engaged by the loosely mounted pedal crank on the said
shaft, and a projecting shoulder upon the said disc and made to engage the
opposite side of the pedal crank, of a loosely mounted sprocket-carrying disc
mounted and arranged to turn in close proximity to the fixed disc an extending
flange having a band on its periphery, and recesses on its inner side secured to the
loosely mounted disc within the arc of the spring on the fixed disc, a sliding plate
arranged upon the outer side of the fixed disc having a projection on each end
which pass through the slotted apertures in the said disc the projection on the
outer end engaging in a slot in the spring which encircles the band covered flange on
the loosely mounted disc and the projection on the opposite end of the sliding plate,
when in its normal position is engaged by one of the recesses on the inner side of
the band covered flange secured to the loose disc, and thereby locking the same
substantially as aud for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 28th day of October 1896.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
7 Cherry Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.