Improvements in Brakes for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1899
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, GEORGE GATTON MELIUISH HARDINGHAM, of Clun House, Surrey Street, in
the County of London, Civil Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad from Gioachino
Cattaneo, of 5, Via Assarotti, Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy, Civil Engineer,)
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of roller brake applicable for
use with cycles, motorcars and other read vehicles, particularly those mounted
upon pneumatically tyred wheels; the objects being to provide an efficient brake
and to obviate the excessive wear of the wheel-tyre incidental to the use of
friction brakes of the kind commonly employed in connection with vehicles of the
class referred to.
According to the present invention, the brake-roller is so mounted that upon
being pressed into contact with the wheel-tyre the roller, although revolving freely
upon its axis, is engaged by stationary brake blocks; the friction or retarding
effect of such engagement being transmitted through the brake-roller to the
wheel-tyre.
In carrying out this invention, I will describe its application, by way of example,
to the front wheel of an ordinary "safety" bicycle. A sector-shaped box wherein
rubbing blocks are seated is connected by means of a pin or pivot to the brake-rod.
This latter may be operated so as to press the brake-roller against the tyre and
to automatically release the same therefrom by means of the ordinary well-known
devices. The axle of the brake-roller is carried by bell-crank levers arranged on
either side of the box. One arm of each lever is pivoted in a collar at a point
behind the steering head, while the other arm of each lever is formed with a
screw-threaded extremity which projects upwardly through the box. The brake-
roller, which is formed with a central portion and two lateral portions, is mounted
upon the axle by means of ball-bearings. The lateral portions of the roller come
into contact with the rubbing blocks while the central portion, which may be
rendered removeable, or interchangeable, is capable of being pressed against the
wheel-tyre.
In order to ensure satisfactory results, the degree of adherence between the
central portion of the brake-roller and the wheel-tyre must be greater than the
adherence between the stationary blocks and the lateral portions of the brake-roller.
To this end the pressure between the blocks and the roller is under separate
control by means of springs in conjunction with regulating nuts mounted on
the upwardly projecting arms of the bell-crank levers. The material and the
degree of smoothness of the surfaces which are intended to come into contact
with each other may also be varied. The central portion of the brake-roller may
be constructed of metal, india-rubber, leather or other suitable material, and its
periphery be formed with indentations, corrugations, serrations or the like, or
be concave in transverse section so as to embrace the tyre; the object in all cases

page_text: being to cause a strict adherence between the roller and the tyre. The blocks on
the other hand may be constructed of wood, leather or other material adapted to
secure a lesser degree of adherence between them and the lateral portions of
the brake-roller.
Assuming the pressure between the stationary blocks and the roller to have been
properly adjusted and the cycle to be in motion, upon the descent of the brake-
rod, the pressure between the blocks and the lateral portions of the roller is
increased by the amount of the pressure exerted by the revolving roller upon the
wheel-tyre, resulting in the central portion of the roller rolling on the tyre while
the lateral portions are subjected to a braking action incidental to their rubbing
or sliding upon the surfaces of the brake blocks; the said braking action being
transmitted indirectly through the central portion of the roller to the wheel-tyre
without any appreciable slipping effect occurring along the line of contact of the
tyre and the said central portion.
ז'
11
1
CALL 1000
improvements in Brakes for Cycles and other
I, GEORGE GATTON MELIUISH HARDINGHAM, of Clun House, Surrey Street, in
the County of London, Civil Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad from Gioachino
Cattaneo, of 5, Via Assarotti, Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy, Civil Engineer,)
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 an improved construction of roller brake applicable
for use with cycles, motorcars and other road vehicles, particularly those mounted
upon pneumatically tyred wheels; the objects being to provide an efficient brake
and to obviate the excessive wear of the wheel-tyre incidental to the use of friction-
brakes of the kind commonly employed in connection with vehicles of the class
referred to.
According to the present invention, the brake roller is so mounted that, upon
being pressed into contact with the wheel-tyre, the roller, although revolving
freely upon its axis, is engaged by stationary brake blocks; the friction or retard-
ing effect of such engagement being transmitted through the brake roller to the
wheel tyre.
In the accom
companying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the mode
of applying the improved brake to a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken
on the line X-X in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views of alternative
constructions of brake rollers; that shown in Fig. 3 being formed with a trans-
versely corrugated surface and that shown in Fig. 4 with a concave surface..
In carrying out this invention, I will describe its application, by way of example,
to the front wheel of an ordinary "safety" bicycle. A sector-shaped box d wherein
rubbing blocks are seated is connected by means of a pin or pivot s to the brake-
rod . This latter may be operated so as to press the brake-roller against the
tyre c and to automatically release the same therefrom by means of the ordinary
well-known devices. The axle of the brake-roller is carried by bell-crank
levers arranged on either side of the box. One arm m of each lever is pivoted
at in a carrier or support n behind the steering head and fork b, while the
other arm of each lever is formed with a screw-threaded extremity which
projects upwardly through the box d. The brake-roller which is formed with a

page_text: central portion f and two lateral portions e e is mounted upon the axle by means
of ball-bearings. The lateral portions e of the roller come into contact with the
rubbing blocks while the central portion f, which may be rendered removeable
or interchangeable, is capable of being pressed against the wheel-tyre c.
In order to ensure satisfactory results, the degree of adherence between the
central portion f of the brake-roller and the wheel-tyre must be greater than
the adherence between the stationary blocks g g and the lateral portions e e of
the brake-roller. To this end the pressure between the blocks y and the
roller e is under separate control by means of springs in conjunction with
regulating nuts i q mounted on the upwardly projecting arms h of the bell-crank
levers. The material and the degree of smoothness of the surfaces which are
intended to come into contact with each other may also be varied. The central
portion f of the brake-roller may be constructed of metal, india-rubber, leather
or other suitable material, and its periphery be formed with indentations, corruga-
tions, serrations or the like as shown in Fig. 3 or be concave in transverse section
as shown in Fig. 4, so as to embrace the tyre c; the object in all cases being
to cause a strict adherence between the roller f and the tyre c.
The blocks y g
on the other hand may be constructed of wood, leather or other material adapted
to secure a lesser degree of adherence between them and the lateral portions e e
of the brake-roller.
Assuming the pressure between the stationary blocks g g and the roller (c e)
to have been properly adjusted and the cycle to be in motion, upon the descent of
the brake-rod, the pressure or adherence between the blocks yg and the lateral
portions e c of the roller is increased by the amount of the pressure exerted by the
revolving roller upon the wheel-tyre, resulting in the central portion f of the
roller rolling on the tyre while the lateral portions e e are subjected to a braking
action incidental to their rubbing or sliding upon the surfaces of the brake
blocks the said braking action being transmitted indirectly through the
central portion f of the roller to the wheel-tyre without any appreciable slipping
effect occurring along the line of contact of the tyre and the said central portion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. A brake for cycles and other vehicles constructed substantially as herein
described and comprising a brake-roller whereof one portion is subject to the
rolling action of the tyre, when applying the brake, while the other portions of the
said roller operate frictionally in contact with stationary blocks.
2. A roller brake for cycles and other vehicles, wherein a pressure between the
braking blocks and the lateral portions of the roller is obtained independently from
and subject to the pressure communicated by the central portion of the roller
when forced upon the wheel-tyre, in applying the brake, whereby a powerful
braking action is secured and the central portion of the roller being in mere
rolling contact with the tyre, the amount of wear is unappreciable.
3. A brake for cycles and other vehicles comprising a roller formed with lateral
portions and a central portion and mounted upon an axle; the said lateral portions
being arranged in frictional contact with blocks secured in a box which is capable
of being operated by the brake-rod, substantially as herein described.
4. A brake for cycles and other vehicles constructed and operating substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.