Improvements in the Brakes of Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Brakes of Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
I, JOHN HENRY PLAYER, of 83, Hillfield Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:
My invention has for its object improvements in the brakes of bicycles, tricycles,
and the like which enables the rider of such machine to easily apply the brake
by back pedalling at any time in the most simple manner and the brake is most
simple in construction.
I mount by a right hand thread on the chain side of the hub of the driving
wheel a drum which has a recess cut into its periphery and in which I mount
a ratchet block or catch the point of the ratchet being kept in contact with
the inside diameter of the sprocket wheel by a spring in the recess the sprocket
wheel sliding easily over it and the inside of this sprocket wheel is notched
down so as to form a sudden shoulder with a gradual taper or incline leading
to it. This sprocket wheel slides easily over this drum and is free to turn
in one direction when the brake is applied and when driven by the chain
forward the point of the ratchet block operates and carries the wheel around
with it. The drum on the hub is a little wider than the corresponding thickness
of the sprocket wheel so that a left hand threaded lock nut screwed on a
projection on the face of the hub when screwed tightly against the
face of the drum just leaves the sprocket wheel free to turn. A
projecting flange on the outside face of the sprocket wheel carries a tooth or
recess for the purpose of putting on the brake when the rider of the machine
suddenly back pedals the brake being brought to hear upon the periphery of
the lock nut which is screwed on the hub by a left handed thread. Over the
lock nut and projecting flange of the sprocket wheel fits a flanged disc, and
inside the flange of this disc a curved spring or strap is secured at one end
thereto by two rivets. This spring or strap constitutes the brake and is lined
inside with leather or other soft material where it comes in contact with the
drum. The spring or strap finishes at its outer end with a rounded nose and
a keen tooth inside and is made weak at the centre so that the tooth offers no
resistance to the sprocket wheel turning over it when driven by the chain. This
flanged disc is kept in position by the fork end which receives the spindle and
is secured by the outer nut. It will thus be seen that by suddenly back
pedalling the brake is effectively applied in a most simple manner and without
complicated mechanism. The edges of the sprocket wheel may be fitted with
balls if found desirable.

page_text: pants in the brakes of bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
I, JOHN HENRY PLAYER, of 83, Hillfield Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
-
My invention has for its object improvements in the brakes of bicycles, tricycles
and the like which enables the rider of such machine to easily apply the brake
by back pedalling at any time in the most simple manner and the brake is most
simple in construction.
I mount by a right hand thread on the chain side of the hub of the driving
wheel a drum which has a recess cut into its periphery and in which I mount
a ratchet block or catch the point of the ratchet being kept in contact with
the inside diameter of the sprocket wheel by a spring in the recess the sprocket
wheel sliding easily over it and the inside of this sprocket wheel is notched
down so as to form a sudden shoulder with a gradual taper or incline leading
to it. The sprocket wheel sliding easily over this drum and is free to turn
in one direction when the brake is applied and when driven by the chain
forward the point of the ratchet block operates and carries the wheel around
with it. The drum on the hub is a little wider than the corresponding thickness
of the sprocket wheel so that a left hand threaded lock nut screwed on a
projection on the face of the hub when screwed tightly against the
face of the drum just leaves the sprocket wheel free to turn.
projecting flange on the outside face of the sprocket wheel carries a tooth or
recess for the purpose of putting on the brake when the rider of the machine
suddenly back pedals the brake being brought to bear upon the periphery of
the lock nut which is screwed on the hub by a left hand thread. Over the
lock nut and projecting flange of the sprocket wheel fits a flanged disc and
inside the flange of this disc a curved spring or strap is screwed at one end
thereto by two rivets. This spring or strap constitutes the brake and is lined
inside with leather or other soft material where it comes in contact with the
lock nut. The spring or strap finishes at its outer end with a rounded nose and
a keen tooth inside and is made weak at the centre so that the tooth offers no
resistance to the sprocket wheel turning over it when driven by the chain. This
flanged disc is kept in position by the fork end which receives the spindle and
is secured by the outer nut. It will thus be seen that by suddenly back
pedalling the brake is effectively applied in a most simple manner and without
complicated mechanism. The edges of the sprocket wheel may be fitted with
balls if found desirable.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated my improvements.
Figure 1 is a view of the back or driving wheel hub of a cycle made according
to my invention.
Figure 2 is a part sectional view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a part sectional end view of Figure 1 with the flanged disc and
lock nut removed.
Figure 4 is a sectional end view of Figure 1 taken on the line a-b.
Figure 5 is a detached end view of the sprocket wheel.
Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is an and view of the i

page_text: Figure 8 is an edge view of Figure 7 shewing the recess with the ratchet-
block mounted therein.
Figure 9 is a part sectional end view shewing a modified form of the flanged
disc which constitutes the brake.
In carrying my invention into practice I mount by the right hand screw thread a¹
which is cut on the sprocket wheel side of the hub A of the driving wheel the
drum B upon the periphery of which the recess 6¹ is cut and in this recess b¹
I hinge or pivot the ratchet block or catch 62 the point 63 of which is kept in
contact with the inside diameter of the sprocket wheel S by the spring_6* as
clearly shewn at Figure 8. This sprocket wheel S fits over the drum B and .
ratchet block or catch 62 against the rim or shoulder 65 and is free to move
thereon in one direction but when driven forward by the chain the point _63
of the ratchet block catches into one of the notches s¹ formed with a sudden
shoulder and a gradual taper or incline leading to it on the inside diameter
of the sprocket wheel as clearly shewn at Figures 3 and 5 thereby carrying the
wheel of the machine around with it. The drum B is a little wider than that
part of the sprocket wheel S which fits around it so that the left hand threaded
lock nut D which screws on to the left hand threaded portion a² also cut on the
sprocket wheel side of the hub A, when screwed tightly against the face of
the drum just leaves the sprocket wheel free to turn thereon. Formed on the
outside face of the sprocket wheel is the projecting flange s² in which a number
of notches recesses or slots are cut or formed for the purpose of putting on
the brake when the rider of the machine back pedals the brake being brought to
bear upon the periphery of the lock nut D as herein after explained. That part
of the lock nut which comes in contact with the face of the drum B is reduced
so as to fit under the flange but the part d' upon which the brake bears is
slightly larger in diameter than this flange. Fitting over the lock nut D and
the projecting flange is the disc E having the flange e and inside this flange
is fitted the curved spring or strap F secured to the flange at the end f¹ by
rivets screws, or otherwise. This spring or strap F constitutes the brake and is
lined on the inner side with leather or other soft material where it comes in
contact with the lock nut D. The other end of the spring or strap finishes with
the rounded nose and inwardly turned catch or tooth f which takes into one
of the notches or recesses 3 in the flange of the sprocket wheel the centre portion
of the spring being made weak so that the tooth f offers no resistance to the
sprocket wheel as it turns in the direction in which the machine is travelling as
indicated by the arrows x but slides over the notches which are inclined for
that purpose. The disc F is held in position by the fork end H which receives
the spindle J of the hub and is locked by the outer nut 1 as clearly shewn at
Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be seen that when the rider ceases to pedal the
machine will continue to travel forward as the sprocket wheel will remain
stationary on the drum B but immediately the rider commences to back pedal
and the sprocket wheel is slightly turned in the contrary direction to which the
machine is travelling the tooth 2 catches into one of the notches or recesses 3
thereby tightening the spring or strap F around the periphery of the lock nut D
as clearly shewn at Figure 4 thus effectually breaking or stopping the machine.
Brass or other thin soft metal washers are preferably interposed between the drum
and the lock nut. When the rider commences to pedal forward again and the
hub revolves in the direction of the arrow x the spring or strap is instantly
released.
At Figure 9 I have shewn a slightly modified form of brake. In this case I
enlarge the disc E and fix it eccentrically on the spindle of the hub and in the
interior of the flange e¹ I fit the strap or spring having a shoulder or enlarge-
ment at one end against which the thick end of the tapering strip or block e
butts and which is fixed to the strap. This strap or spring e³ is held in position
by the screws 6 or their equivalents which are free to move in slots formed in
the flange el so as to allow the strap which forms the brake to move a certain

page_text: distance around the inside of the flange. The pawl or catch e which is pivoted
or hinged to the end 3 of the strap and free to move a certain distance takes
into one of the notches 3 in the flange of the sprocket wheel S in such a manner
that when the machine is travelling forward the end slides over these notches
but when the rider back pedals the pawl catches in one of these notches and
wedges the strap between the flange e¹ and the periphery of the lock nut D
thereby breaking or retarding the machine.
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:
-
CLAIMS.
The improvements in the brakes of bicycles tricycles and the like consisting
essentially in mounting upon the end of the hub of the driving wheel a drum
such as B having a recess formed on its periphery in which a ratchet block or
catch such as 62 operated by a spring fits and around which drum the sprocket
wheel such as S having a projecting flange provided with a notch or notches
such as is placed the said sprocket wheel being kept in position by a lock nut
such as I mounted by a left hand thread on the end of the hub which lock nut
is surrounded by a curved spring or strap such as F fixed at one end in the
flanged disc E rigidly mounted on the spindle of the hub the other end of the
said spring or strap taking into the notches in the flange of the sprocket wheel
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shewn
upon the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 10th day of
JOHN HENRY PLAYER,
By George Barker,
Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.