Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
I, ALFRED WALTER DENNIS, of 486, Bethnal Green Road, in the County of London,
Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to mechanical brakes for cycles and has for its object to
provide an inexpensive and efficient direct acting brake which may be readily
attached to any cycle (not already fitted with a brake) and as readily detached
from same should occasion require, and which is equally applicable to all shapes
and configurations of handle bars.
According to my improvement I provide a light metallic frame capable of being
clamped or otherwise temporarily fixed to the crown of the fork of the front wheel,
and to this frame I hinge a short lever carrying any convenient type of wheel
brake which is normally held up out of action by a spring or otherwise. The
hinged lever is extended for a suitable distance to one side or the other and cranked,
and the end of the crank is connected by a flexible or rigid connection, such as a
chain, cord or rod, provided with means for accurately adjusting its length, to an
operating lever with hand grip, one end of which is hinged to a clip fixed to the
handle bar in any convenient position for the hand.
I will fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a part of the front end of a cycle with my improved
brake attached, Fig. 2 is a front view of same and Fig. 3 a plan of the frame, brake,
and hinged brake-lever. A is the removable frame of appropriate shape which is
illustrated as clamped by a bolt a to the crown F of the fork; B is the brake fixed
to a lever C as shown and connected to the steering pillar by spring b. The lever C
is extended to one side and cranked at C' and the end of the crank C¹ is connected
by a chain D, or it may be a cord or rod, to the hand lever E fixed on the handle
bars in convenient position for easy manipulation by the rider. A chain is shown
attached to the end of the hand grip part of lever E, but it may be attached at any
point thereof as shown for example by the dotted line, so long as the required
degree of leverage is assured. It is advantageous whether a chain or flexible
connection or a rigid rod is used to provide means for adjusting its length such as
a union shown at d by which any slack may be taken up to regulate the range of
leverage of the lever E on the handle bar. It will be seen that my improved
arrangement of brake can be readily attached and detached by means of the fixtures
of the clamped frame A and lever grip E, and it may be fitted to all shapes of
handles and in any desired position thereupon; the action is the same as with
ordinary brakes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The improved brake for cycles consisting in the combination of a detachable
frame donted to be the
1

page_text: a brake normally held up by a spring, said lever being extended to one side and
cranked, a removable hand-lever adapted to be fixed to the handle bar in any
desired position, said crank and hand-lever being connected by an adjustable
flexible or rigid connection, the whole arranged and adapted for use substantially
in the manner hereinabove described and illustrated in the drawing.
Dated this Twenty-first day of February 1898.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Chartered Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.