Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
I, CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY, of 42, St. Luke's Road, Clapham, in the County
of Surrey, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to brakes for cycles or other vehicles its object being
the construction of a brake capable of being automatically applied by back
pedalling, in machines in which the cranks can be worked backward indepen-
dently of the road-wheels, or capable of operating automatically on ordinary
machines. Preferably the apparatus hereafter described is employed in com-
bination with a brake block or blocks acting upon the inner periphery or sides
of the wheel rim, although it is applicable with brakes which act otherwise.
In one construction of brake according to this invention the brake lever is
situated in proximity to the chain wheel or to one of the cranks, which is pro-
vided with a projection adapted to come into engagement once in every revolution
of the crank or chain wheel with a trip pivotted on the brake lever and arranged
in such a manner that when operated during the forward rotation of the pedals
it is simply raised and lowered idly, whereas when engaged by the projection
when the crank-shaft is rotated reversely, it becomes interlocked or bears rigidly
against the brake lever so as to operate the brake.
Preferably a pair of these trips are provided, one. at each side of the machine,
one of them being so situated as to come into operation at a time when the rider
is capable of exerting the most effective leverage by means of the crank moving
downward on that side of the machine, and the other being so placed as to be
best adapted for operation by the crank at the other side in its downward
movement.
If desired there may be a series of projections or trips arranged near the most
effective position of the corresponding crank so that there shall be the least
possible lost motion, after any attempt to back pedal, before the brake acts.
The projections aforesaid need not be provided upon the crank shaft or a
part affixed thereto, but may be provided upon any moving part operatively
connected with the wheel or rotating shaft by means of which it is desired to
apply the brake, and although the preceding description relates mainly to the
application of the brake to cycles it will be obvious that it can be applied in
analogous fashion to other vehicles.
Dated this 20th day of August 1897.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles or other Vehicles.
I, CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY, of 42, St. Luke's Road, Clapham, in the County
of Surrey, Cycle Manufacturer, 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 brakes for cycles or other vehicles its object being
the construction of a brake capable of being automatically applied by back
pedalling, in machines in which the cranks can be worked backward indepen-
dently of the road-wheels, or capable of operating automatically on ordinary
machines. Preferably the apparatus hereafter described is employed in com-
bination with a brake block or blocks acting upon the inner periphery or sides
of the wheel rim, although it is applicable with brakes which act otherwise.
In one construction of brake according to this invention the brake lever is
situated in proximity to the chain wheel or to one of the cranks, which is pro-
vided with a projection adapted to come into engagement once in every revolution
of the crank or chain wheel with a trip pivotted on the brake lever and arranged
in such a manner that when operated during the forward rotation of the pedals
it is simply raised and lowered idly whereas when engaged by the projection
when the crank shaft is rotated reversely, it becomes interlocked or bears rigidly
against the brake lever so as to operate the brake.
Preferably a pair of these trips are provided one at each side of the machine,
one of them being so situated as to come into operation at a time when the rider
is capable of exerting the most effective leverage by means of the crank moving
downward on that side of the machine and the other being so placed as to be
best adapted for operation by the crank at the other side in its downward
movement.
If desired there may be a series of projections or trips arranged near the most
effective position of the corresponding crank so that there shall be the least
possible lost motion after any attempt to back pedal before the brake acts
The projections aforesaid need not be provided upon the crank shaft or a
part affixed thereto, but may be provided upon any moving part operatively
connected with the wheel or rotating shaft by means of which it is desired to
apply the brake, and although the preceding description relates mainly to the
application of the brake to cycles it will be obvious that it can be applied in
analogous fashion to other vehicles.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one construction of brake gear according
to this invention as applied to a bicycle.
Figure 1 being a perspective view of the gear and portions of the adjacent
parts of the bicycle parts being broken away for the sake of clearness and
Figure 2 a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 1 the brake being
shown applied to the wheel.
A are portions of the frame tubes of a bicycle, A¹ the bottom bracket, B the
rear wheel, B¹ the rear and C the front chain wheel, D the pedal cranks and E
the chain.
In Figure 1 a portion A2 of one of the frame tubes is shown dotted and the
chain stays are shown broken off in order to shown the adjacent parts clearly,
the chain E and the rear hub B' being also omitted from Figure 1.
Attached to the bottom bracket is a small bracket F by which is pivotally
supported at F¹ a two arm lever G G¹.
Pivotally attached to the arm G at H' is an extension H hereinafter termed

page_text: a "trip" it being so arranged that when pressed upon in one direction, (viz.:-
downwards) it will act as a rigid extension of the arm G owing to the pivot H¹
being placed on the upper side and not at the extremity of the arm, but when
pressed in the opposite direction will yield or trip by swinging about its pivot
at H. The free end of the trip is preferably rounded at its tripping edge as
at H2, the engaging edge H3 being preferably substantially radial from the centre
of oscillation F1 of the arm G.
In order that the trip may operate noiselessly it is preferred to attach say a
piece of leather H to it slightly larger than the trip so that the leather projects
slightly beyond the edges of the trip.
The arm G which is formed in one piece with or operatively connected with
the arm G operates the brake shoes L through a screwed rod K and stirrup K²,
the rod K being pivotally attached at K' to the arm G and engaging a screwed
boss or nut K3 on the stirrup, the latter being pivotally secured to the brake
shoes at K. The latter are suspended from the chain stays of the machine by
clamps or brackets L to which the shoes are pivoted at L2. The shoes are
preferably faced with leather as at L³, the facings being in contact with the wheel
rim when the brake is applied. A spring L serves to normally hold the shoes
out of contact with the rim and to remove them when the pressure on the trip H
is relieved. Upon the chain wheel C is a projection or catch C¹ which engages
as the wheel is rotated with the free end of the trip H.
The driving gear is one in which the cranks can be rotated backwards inde-
pendently of the road wheels, provision for this being made in the instance
illustrated by a ratchet device on the rear hub. This is indicated by the ratchet
teeth B2 cut on the inner circumference of the rear sprocket B¹ and the pawl M
which is pivotted to the hub and which in company with one or more others
(not shown), transmits the driving force from the wheel B₁ to the hub in a
well known manner.
Other devices of a similar nature may be employed for this purpose such for
example as a Cheylesmore clutch or the device may be located near and operate
upon the chain wheel C in which case the catch C¹ would be attached to say
an arm or disc secured upon the crank axle but the term "reversible driving
mechanism will hereinafter and in the appended claims be employed to indicate
any driving mechanism comprising such arrangement or device by which the
driving or crank axle is enabled to be rotated in a direction the reverse of the
forward driving direction, independently of the road driving wheel.
"
The balls N are shown carried in a race formed in the rear sprocket between the
ratchet B2 and the external wall of the wheel B¹.
The operation of the mechanism and brake is as follows:-
When the bicycle is being driven along and the pedal cranks rotated in the
direction of the arrow 1, the wheel B is driven owing to the engagement of the
ratchet Ba and pawls M, and the catch C will on reaching the trip H once in
each revolution, of the wheel C lift the end of it and allow it to fall idly after
passing if desired a spring may be added to ensure the prompt return of the
trip after it has been lifted. If, however at any instant the pedal cranks D be
kept stationary the pawls M will slip inoperatively over the teeth B2 and the
machine to continue to run forward. If now the pedal cranks be rotated in the
reverse direction, as indicated by arrow 2, such rotation cannot proceed indefi-
nitely since it will be checked by the engagement of the catch C¹ with the
trip H and the further rotation of the wheel C in the same direction will depress
the lever arm G and apply the brake, the parts being shown in that position in
Figure 2. When the pedals are again rotated in the direction of the arrow 1
the pressure on the arm G is released, and the spring L lifts the brake shoes L
from the rim of the wheel B.
It is obvious that modifications may be made in the precise construction of
gear just described without departing from the spirit of this invention; for
instance the catch C¹ may be attached to the lever arm which operates the brake

page_text: and the trip carried by the chain wheel; or the bracket F may be replaced, as
may be preferred, by say two lugs formed in one with the bottom bracket A¹,
between which the lever arms are pivotted; or a tyre brake may be used instead
of a rim brake. Or if preferred two or more catches may be employed to enable
the brake to be applied in so many positions of the crank axle.
It will be seen that by the arrangement of trip and catch according to this inven-
tion, the application of the brake by the pedals can be made possible at any
desired or predetermined position of the pedals, or if more than one catch is
provided, the brake may be applied at two or more such positions of the pedals.
The advantage of such an arrangement is that any one or more particularly advan-
tageous positions may be chosen, such for example as that shown in the drawings,
and particularly disadvantageous positions can be avoided so that, for instance,
the pedals are not over a dead centre when the brake is being applied; and
moreover certainty of action is obtained by the use of few positions only in
which the brake can be applied, preferably by the use of two catches diametrically
opposite each other. In such a case the brake would be operatable by either
foot in one position of the foot.
6
"
I am aware that it has been suggested to employ a friction clutch gear to
operate a brake from the pedals of a cycle, such a clutch being operative at any
position of the feet, the disadvantage of such an arrangement being that a rider
might when suddenly called upon to apply the brake have his feet over the dead
centre and therefore in a practically powerless position. Further, such a clutch
being dependent on friction for its operation is less certain in its action being
liable also to become clogged by the use of inferior lubricants etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is:-
6
1. In a cycle or the like the combination with a reversible driving mechan-
ism" of a brake operated by the reversal thereof only at one or more definite or
predetermined positions of the mechanism substantially as described.
65
2. In a cycle or the like the combination with a reversible driving mechan-
ism"
and a brake operated by the reversal thereof of a "trip" such as H
connected with the one and a catch such as C connected with the other arranged
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete driving
and brake operating mechanism for a cycle or the like substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of Im 1000