Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and Tricycles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and Tricycles.
LEWIS OWEN MICHAEL 88 Bordesley Green Birmingham Warwickshire
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
I
This invention has for its object the applying of the brake power to the rear
wheel, and adapting the back pedaling motion in an improved inanner, so as to
enable the rider to apply the brake with his feet on the pedals. I am aware this
has been done in other forms before, but the brake in that case was applied to the
tyre of the rear wheel, this being liable to damage the tyre and on pneumatic tyres
not giving the requisite grip; I entirely superseed by my improvement.
In carrying my invention into effect I allow the bottom bracket chain wheel to
run loose on the crank spindle; and firmly fixed on the said crank spindle is a
clutch arrangement, various kinds of clutch arrangements may be used but I prefer
to employ what is termed a roller clutch as described in Patent No. 512 1881.
This roller clutch works inside a flange on the bottom bracket chain wheel; and
outside of this flange I apply my improved brake.
A band brake may be used but I prefer to use two halves of a circle made to fit
the outside of the said flange and hinged together at one end, so that when drawn.
together they will grip the flange, and when loose the flange can run free between
them. To the centre of each of these half circle brakes I fix one end of a small
crank the other end being fixed to the part of the roller clutch that is firmly fixed
on the crank spindle, the point of attatchment being at right and left angles from
the centre, and so arranged that when the crank spindle is propelled forward the
brakes are lifted off the flange and when a back pedalling motion is made the
brakes are drawn down on the flange and thus brakes the chain wheel the brake
power being carried by the chain to the rear wheel.
The feet can thus be at rest while travelling down hill and a back pressure can
be put on the pedals according to the brake power required.
Dated this 1st day of September 1894.
I, LEWIS OWEN MICHAEL of 88 Bordesley Green Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Commercial Traveller 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 :-
This invention has for its object the application of the brake power to the rear
wheel and the adaption of the back pedalling motion in an improved manner to
enable the rider to apply the brake with his feet on the pedals.
I am aware this has been attempted in other forms before but previously the '
brake has been applied to the tyre of the rear wheel which is most liable to
ΓΟ

page_text: damage the tyre and does not give the requisite grip when applied to pneumatic
tyres and is entirely superceeded by my improvement.
In carrying my invention into effect I allow the bottom bracket chain wheel to
run loose on the crank spindle and firmly fixed on the said crank spindle is a clutch
arrangement. Various kinds of clutch arrangements may be used but I prefer to
employ what is termed a roller clutch.
'
This roller clutch works inside a flange on the bottom bracket chain wheel and
outside this flange I apply my improved brake. A band brake may be used but
I prefer to use two halves of a circle made to fit the outside of this flange and
hinged together at one end; so that when drawn together they will grip the flange
and when loose the flange can run free between them. To the centre of each of
these half circle brakes I fix one end of a small crank the other end being fixed to
the part of the roller clutch that is firmly fixed on the crank spindle, the point of
attachment being at right and left angles from the centre and so arranged that
when the crank spindle is propelled forward the brakes are lifted off the flange, and
when a back pedalling motion is made the brakes are drawn down on the flange,
and thus brake the chain wheel, the brake power being carried by the chain to the
rear wheel. The feet can thus be at rest while travelling down hill and a back
pressure can be put on the pedals according to the brake power required.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawing-upon which I have
fully illustrated the nature of my said improvements together with the mode of and
means for carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the interior of one of my chain wheel
brakes.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 put shewing only the centre part for the
purpose of illustrating a modification of the brake.
Figure 4 is a view of the sprocket wheel complete.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount the sprocket wheel A to run loose
on the crank spindle B¹. Upon the crank spindle & firmly secured to it is the
block B which in combination with the rollers C and flange A¹ forms a well known
clutch arrangement between the wheel A and crank spindle B'. Around the
flange A the band brake, E is provided and is connected at 62 with the block B by
the link E the other end e¹ one of which is attached to the said band E in such a
manner that as the link E is caused by means hereafter described to take the
position shewn by dotted lines e³ the brake band E is thereby caused to bind the
flange A at A2 as shewn by dotted lines thereby creating friction between
the band E and flange A¹ by which a brake to the sprocket-wheel A may be
obtained. The action being as follows-When the forward treadling is in
progress and the spindle B' is being propelled in the direction of the arrow X the
rollers wedge between the centre block B and the flange A' by which means the
wheel A is carried in that direction as indicated by arrow W but immediately back
pedalling is commenced and the direction of spindle is changed to that indicated by
the arrow Z then the action causes the lever E¹ to press the band E against the
flange A and thus brakes the progress of the chain wheel. In the case of the
modification shewn by Figure 3, the brake consists of two half circles J & J¹
which are arranged as shewn so that upon the spindle being operated in a forward
direction as shewn by arrow X they are lifted off the flange as shewn but upon the
action of the spindle B' being reversed the links K draw the two points Jand J
together & thus grip the flange.
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 :-
The improvements in brakes for bicycles and tricycles by which the brake power

page_text: is attached and applied to the bottom bracket chain wheel and automatically
operated by the back pressure of the pedals whether they are at rest or rotating
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shewn.
Dated this 1st day of June 1895.
LEWIS OWEN MICHAEL.