Improvements in Brakes for Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 16th July, 1897
We, THOMAS ALFRED HEARSON of Cooper's Hill, Englefield Green, in the County
of Surrey, Professor of Engineering, and WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW of Hypatia Lodge,
Campden Hill, Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Gentlemen do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanism such as is described in the Specification
No. 16043 of 1893. Such mechanism has the disadvantage that the brake can only
be applied whilst the feet are on the treadles.
According to this invention we combine with such mechanism a subsidiary brake
or retarding apparatus which can be applied at wil to the pedal axis (or preferably to
an enlargement or drum on it) causing it to lag behind the chain wheel and so apply
the main brake as described in the above mentioned Specification.
The subsidiary brake may take various forms such as a strap having one end
attached to the inside of the fixed drum of the old apparatus and the other end led
up to the handles or foot rest or brake blocks pivotted on the inside of the fixed
drum and actuated by a screw or levers, or by wedges or rollers.
Or in place of being merely retarded the pedal axis may by positive mechanism be
forced back relatively to the chain wheel.
Dated this 16th day of July 1906
T. A. HEARSON.
WM. THOS. SHAW.
Improvements in Brakes for Velocipedes.
We, THOMAS ALFRED HEARSON, of Cooper's Hill, Englefield Green, in the County of
Surrey, Professor of Engineering, and WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW of Hypatia Lodge,
Campden Hill, Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 relates to mechanisms such as are described in the Specification
No. 16043 of 1893, in which the brake, which consists of a running portion and a
fixed drum or surface is applied by the process of back-pedalling.
Such mechanisms have the disadvantage that the brake can be applied only when
the feet are on the treadles.
According to this invention we combine with such mechanism a subsidiary brake
or retarding apparatus which can be applied at will to the pedal axis or such other
Price 1

page_text: portion of the mechanism, which, if the feet were on the treadles, would be retarded
by the action of back-pedalling and thus bring into operation by a method, alternative
to back-pedalling, the same main brake.
Figure 1 is a central horizontal section and Figure 2 a vertical section on the
line 2-2 Figure 1 of the construction we prefer to employ when the brake is applied
to the pedal axle.
In Figure 2 some of the parts shown in Figure 1 are omitted but those are parts
of the above quoted patent.
In these Figures PA is the pedal axle to which the pedal crank P C is secured and
which may be retarded by a back pressure on the treadles. To the pedal crank P C
a running drum RD is secured. This is surrounded by the subsidiary strap SS
consisting of a strip of leather or other suitable material attached to a steel band.
One end of this strap is fastened to the inside of a fixed drum F D, secured to the
frame concentrically to the pedal axle, and the other end is controlled by a lever L
connected either to the handle bar, ortoa lever on or near the foot rest, in such a way that
either by the hand, or the foot whilst on the foot-rest, the strap S S may be tightened
around the running drum R D. The direction of forward motion being as shown by
the arrow in Figure 2 the strap S S is so placed that the frictional force exerted on it
by the running drum will assist the hand or foot in still further tightening the strap.
When the pull of the hand or foot is relaxed the elasticity of the steel band will
withdraw the strap from embracing the drum..
The running drum R D is made in one piece with a wheel disc W D to which the
rear or following end of a running strap R S is secured. This running strap R S and
fixed drum FD are portions of the apparatus described in Specification No. 16043
of 1893. The forward end of the same strap RS is fastened to the chain wheel which
rides on the disc W D and which is capable of a small angular movement relatively to
the disc W D.
Thus if the dise W D is retarded either by back-pedalling, or by the application of
the subsidiary strap S S to the running drum R D, the rear or following end of the
running strap R S will be moved back relatively to the forward end and the strap - will
be tightened around the fixed drum F D. The friction thus created will serve to still
further tighten the strap around the fixed drum and so forcibly retard the motion of
the chain wheel and the velocipede.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of the construction we prefer to use when the
brake is applied to the hub of the rear wheel of a safety bicycle.
In this case the subsidiary strap SS surrounds a running drum R D which is a
part of the small rear chain-wheel.
One end of the strap S S is secured by a cotter to a fixed disc which is in one piece
with a fixed drum F D secured to the frame concentrically with the axle of the rear
wheel. The other end of the strap S S is led to the handle bar or foot-rest as
described for the previous construction. If this end is pulled by the hand or foot the
subsidiary strap will be tightened around the running drum R D and will retard the
motion of the chain wheel. The retardation of the chain-wheel by this method or
by back-pedalling will cause it to lag relatively to the dise W D on which the chain
wheel is mounted, and this will have the effect of tightening the running strap RS
around the fixed drum F D and thus cause the retardation of the bicycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination with a brake normally operated by back pedalling of other
means for retarding the portion of the mechanism retarded by the back pedalling.
2. The combination with the rotating brake and fixed drum or surface of the
Specification No. 16043 of 1893 of a drum or surface rotating with the brake and a
subsidiary brake acting upon this drum or surface.
3. Brakes for velocipedes substantially as described and shown at 'Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings.

page_text: 4. Brakes for velocipedes substantially as described and shown at Figures 3 and 4
of the drawings.
Dated this and day of Anvil 100-
T. A. HEARSON.
WM. THOS. SHAW.