Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1899
1000
2
1000
I, FELIX LANCELOTT LANGTON, of No. 108, Stockwell Park Road, in the Parish
of Lambeth and County of Surrey, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in rim brakes for bicycles, tricycles, and
other vehicles.
According to my invention I provide a piece in the form of the letter A
which has at its lower ends two projections or extensions which are preferably
slotted to serve as guides. I attach to each fork member a clip by means of a
bolt and either the head of the bolt fastening same or a part of the clip itself
enters the slot in the projection on the said A piece. The latter is further
provided with brake blocks to operate on each side of the rim. Instead of form-
ing slots in the projections of the A piece the said projections may be plain and
slide in holes made in the clips or in the bolts of same and further the clips
are sometimes conveniently provided with foot rests. The brake blocks which
are made of leather fibre or the like are conveniently made to slide into suitable
recesses near the lower parts of the A piece. The recesses may be dovetailed
and the brake blocks be fashioned to correspond. The brake is actuated in
the case of a front wheel brake, by means of a brake lever and brake rod or
wire adjustable as to length, the upper part of the A piece having a clip or
other means of adjustment and attachment. The brake may also be applied to
the rear or driving wheel and either be operated by a hand lever or a foot lever
or otherwise as found most convenient. I may further dispense with the afore-
said projections or extensions and form the guides or slots in the legs of the A
piece in which case I am enabled to mount the clips studs or the like on the
forks nearer the crown thereof whereby less leverage or strain is applied thereto
when the brake is on.
… וימ
Anal 1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Vehicles.
I, FELIX LANCELOTT LANGTON, of 108, Stockwell Park Road, Brixton, in the
County of London, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
[Price 8d.]

page_text: 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 that class of cycle and vehicle brakes in which
friction is applied to the rim of the wheel in various more or less complicated
ways instead of to the tyre, which, in practice, has been found to be detrimental
and unsafe by reason of the liability of the tyre to become deflated and the brake
rendered ineffective.
Brakes which have heretofore been constructed with a view to obviating the
defects aforementioned have consisted of various parts, hinged and jointed in
such manner as to be complicated, liable to work loose and rattle, and necessitate
a more substantial and consequently a heavier construction than is desirable on
light machines.
It is the object of this my invention to provide a brake possessing only very few
operative parts; in which pivot and other joints are dispensed with, so far as is
possible without limiting the necessary adjustments; which will permit of side
movement of the friction device to permit of variations in the truth of the rim,
without undue strain on the parts; and in which the movement, due to the
manipulation of the brake-lever, is imparted directly to the rim with ease and
most effective results; which can be readily applied to any existing cycle with-
out special tools or skilled labour; and lastly, to provide a brake which will
in consequence of its simplicity, be cheap to manufacture and therefore be
within reach of all cycle riders.
Reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much of a cycle as will serve to illustrate
my improved brake in operative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the
casting or stamping constituting the main feature of my invention. Fig. 3 is
a detail view illustrating what I consider the best method of adjustment of the
friction device upon the lever rod. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the
line of Fig. 2; but shewing in addition.. the application thereto of the
fork clips and the springs in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional
view to Fig. 4 taken on the line yy of Fig. 2 but shewing the clip arranged
in its alternative position. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the springs shewn in
Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement of the hand-
lever, clip, and spring for raising the lever, in its relation to the handle-bar.
Fig. 8 is an end view of the clip. Fig. 9 is a plan of the spring.
My improved brake comprises the casting or stamping 1 consisting of depend-
ing side arms 2, formed with rearwardly extending perforated lugs 3, and shoes 4
at their extremities, upwardly extending side arms 5 formed at their junction
into a head 6 having a cavity 7 provided with a narrowed extension through the
boss 8, and co-incident with vertical perforations 9. The shoes 4 are formed
with longitudinal dove-tailed grooves 10 in which suitably shaped pieces of
vulcanized fibre or other suitable substance 11 can be conveniently secured.
A bolt 12, having a flattened head 13, is provided with a perforation 14 and
is adapted to fit within the recess 7 with its extremity projecting through the
boss 8, at which point it is fitted with a washer and nut or combined nut and
washer 15 as shewn.
The brake-rod 16 extends through the coincident perforations 9 and 14 and
can be secured in any desired position with relation to its length by tightening
the nut 15 which causes the peripheries of the perforations 9 and 14 to impinge
upon the brake-rod and secure it from vertical movement in said apertures.
The brake-rod is pivotally attached to the hand-lever 17 in the usual manner by
the bifurcated connection 34.
The hand-lever is pivotally secured between the jaws 18 of a clip 19 adjusted
over the handle-bar 20. It will be observed that the two metal jaws 18 of the
clip 19 are united by a thin metal band 21 which is rivetted or otherwise secured
thereto at 22. This form of construction. while being exceedingly light and neat is

page_text: nevertheless very strong. The jaws 18 are recessed to form a groove 23 in
which a reduced portion 24 of a spring 25 is seated, and adapted to be retained
within the clip by the head 26 in such manner as to bear upon the lever 17 and
tend to press it downwards.
Clips 27, consisting of curved spring arms 28, 29 are adapted for adjustment to
the front forks of the cycle by means of bolts and nuts 30. Studs 31 are threaded
through the lugs 32 of the clips and extend inwardly through the perforations
in the lugs 3 of the casting 2. A spring 33 is interposed between the lugs 3
and 32.
As an alternative method of construction the studs 31 may be substituted by
studs projecting from the lugs 3, and the elongated apertures in said lugs be
made in the lugs 32 to receive the ends of said studs. Moreover the lugs 3 may
be dispensed with and vertical slots be made in the side arms 2; but for. simplicity
and neatness of the clips 27 I prefer the construction shewn.
The manner of fitting my improved brake to a cycle and operating the same is
as follows:
The casting or stamping 2 is passed over the tyre and rim when the former is
deflated. The clips 27 are adjusted over the forks; the springs 33 placed over
the studs 31 and the studs entered through the elongated perforations in the
lugs 3: the clips are then secured in place by tightening nuts 30. When the
space between the forks is narrow the clips 27 are secured thereto with their
arms 29 inwards as shewn in Fig. 4. but when the space is of considerable width
the clips are secured as shewn in Fig. 5. By this means the distance between
the lugs 32 can be varied to obtain the proper adjustment of the springs between
them and the lugs 3. The brake rod is next adjusted in the casting or stamping
ai 6 and pivotally attached to the brake-lever 17 at 34 which lever has previously
been applied to the handle-bar 20 with the spring 25 in position as shewn, by
means of the clip 19. The rod 16 is then adjusted at any height, as afore-
described, to bring the handle of the brake-lever into convenient position with
respect to the handle-bar.
Tt will be readily understood that by raising the brake-lever 17 .the casting
will be raised to bring the fibre 11 into contact with the underside of the rim on
hoth sides thereof; and that any deviation in the truth of the wheel is taken up
by the springs 33.
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:
(1) In a cycle or vehicle brake, a casting or stamping in one single piece
adapted to embrace the rim of the wheel and be brought into frictional con-
tact with said rim, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
(2) In a cycle or vehicle brake, a casting or stamping in one single piece con-
sisting of depending side arms adapted to embrace the sides of the rim of the
wheel, shoes formed at the extremities of said side arms and retaining vulcanized
fibre or analogous substance, and adapted to be brought into frictional contact
with the rim of the wheel, by a lever and rod connected thereto, substantially
as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
(3) In a cycle or vehicle brake, a casting or stamping consisting of a sub-
stantially inverted U-shaped casting or stamping adapted to embrace the rim
of the wheel and to be brought into frictional contact therewith, said casting or
stamping having upwardly converging arms, terminating in a head, a horizontally
formed recess in said head having a narrowed portion extending through one
side thereof, vertical coincident apertures extending through said head, a bolt
having a perforated enlargement fitted in a recess of the head and projecting
through the side thereof, and fitted with a nut and washer adapted to adjustably
secure the casting or stamping to the brake-rod all substantially as and for the
purposes herein before set forth.

page_text: (4) In a cycle or vehicle brake comprising a casting or stamping adapted to
embrace the rim of the wheel, lugs projecting from the rear of its side arms.
clips adjustable on the fork of the cycle, lugs on the clips, a stud projecting
transversely of said lugs, a spring adjusted over each projecting stud and
intermediate said lugs and the slotted lugs projecting from the casting or stamp-
ing, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
(5) In a cycle or vehicle brake comprising a casting or stamping having depend-
ing side arms adapted to embrace the rim of the wheel, vertical slots, in said
side arms adapted for engagement with studs projecting from clips adjustably
secured to the cycle fork, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before
set forth.
(6) In a cycle or vehicle brake comprising a casting or stamping of the form
and adapted to operate as described between clips adjustably secured to the
cycle fork, the clips consisting of spring metal side pieces terminating at their
respective ends in lugs, and having one of their side pieces curved outwardly to
a greater extent than the opposite side, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before set forth.
(7) The combination in a cycle or vehicle brake consisting of a casting or
stamping in one single piece adapted to embrace the rim of a wheel, and to be
brought into contact with said rim, and the means described for permitting side
play, of the brake-lever and rod for operating the brake, all substantially as set
forth and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 24th day of January 1000