An Improved Brake for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
An Improved Brake for Road Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM HAROLD SEFTON MOORHOUSE, Solicitor, and DONALD LANGLEY
TURNER, Chemist, both of 54 Lambton Quay, in the City of Wellington, in the
Colony of New Zealand do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "An
Improved Brake for Road Vehicles" 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 used upon vehicles to check the progress or stop
the same and the object of the invention is to provide a brake which may be used
in connection with wheels having pneumatic, rubber, or other resilient tyres and in
such a manner that the wear and tear caused by the brake shall occur upon the rim
or felloe of the wheel with a resultant avoidance of such wear upon the tyres.
It is well known to riders of vehicles such as bicycles that the use of the brakes
ordinarily employed has a deleterious effect upon pneumatic tyres, and we are aware
that brakes have been devised to overcome this objection, and we refer more
particularly to band brakes or brakes operating upon the ground, but such devices
have been cumbersome and heavy or for other reasons have not met with favour.
By the present invention a brake for a bicycle is provided which is sightly in
appearance, light in weight, thoroughly effective and is operated by the ordinary
brake lever.
The brake will be described herein as applied to a bicycle from which description
a skilled person will be able readily to adapt the parts to vehicles of other
descriptions.
In carrying out the invention upon a bicycle, two bell crank levers are pivotally
attached to the front fork of the machine, the lower members of the lever being
provided with pads or brake blocks preferably of leather which take upon the rim or
felloe of the wheel. The upper members are connected by a link having slotted
holes and a rod which passes upwards and is connected to a break lever of ordinary
construction. In normal circumstances the pads are held at a distance from the rim
by a spiral spring fixed to the upper members of the bell crank levers and this spring
may be assisted if desired by the usual spring upon the brake lever.
A plate is provided at the back of the device to regulate the distance apart at
which the pads shall be normally held, and in case of an accident with one of the
ads, the other shall continue to be serviceable for braking the machine without
coming into contact with the spokes of the wheel.
.
In order that our invention may be most easily understood reference will be made
o the accompanying drawings whilst giving a description in detail.
Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle fitted with the brake.
Figure 2 is a front view of same.
Figure 3 is a front view on a larger scale of the brake in its normal position.
Figure 4 is a similar view with the brake in contact with the rim.
Figure 5 is a back view of the brake.
Figure 6 is a plan of the same.
Cimilam later

page_text: clips (6) by which they are attached to the front fork (b) by means of screws (62)
Figure 6. The clips are made preferably of steel, are sprung into position upon
the fork, and have a boss (63) to receive the pivot (a). Pads or brake blocks (2)
made preferably of leather are fixed to the lower members of the bell crank levers (a)
and we prefer to fix the pads by means of grooved shoes (a³) made solid with the
lower members ant by plates (at) secured to the said shoes by screws (a). The
leather pal is reinforced by a block (a) of wood.
The upper members of the lever (a) are connected by link (c) which has
slotted holes (c¹) wherein pins (5) may slide and provide for the circular
movement of the same. The link (c) is made with a boss (c2) to take the rod (c³)
which is pivoted at its upper end to a brake lever (c) fulcrumed at (c) to the
handle bar (c).
The spiral spring (d) is in tension and normally keeps the pads (2) removed from
the rim (f) of the wheel, the ends of the spring being attached to the upper
members of the lever (a) by means of its pins (d¹).
Referring now more particularly to Figures 5 and 6 the plate (g) is pivoted at (g¹)
upon the upper member of one of the bell crank levers (a) and is slotted at (92) so
that it may slide upon the stud (3) within the limit of the slot. In case of an
accident to one of the bell crank levers (a) or pads (2) this plate (g) will prevent
the other pad from approaching too nearly to and striking the spokes of the wheel,
and will further provide that the intact pad may be serviceable for braking the
machine.
The brake is operated by the lever (c) in the ordinary manner as will be obvious
from an inspection of the drawings.
our said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,
1. A brake for vehicles having pneumatic rubber or resilient tyres consisting of two
levers carrying pads or brake blocks to form contact with the rim of the wheel said
levers being operated by a rod coupled to an ordinary brake lever, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth herein.
2. A brake for vehicles having pneumatic rubber or resilient tyres, consisting of two
levers carrying pads or brake blocks to form contact with the rim of the wheel said
levers being operated by a link having slotted holes and a rod coupled to an ordinary
brake lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
3. A brake for vehicles having pneumatic rubber or resilient tyres, consisting of two
levers carrying pads or brake blocks to form contact with the rim of the wheel said
levers being operated by a link having slotted holes and a rod coupled to an ordinary
brake lever and a safety plate in case of accident to prevent the pads reaching the spokes
of the wheel and providing that one pad may remain operative when the other is out
of order, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
4. In combination with the wheel c
pneumatic rubber or other
resilient tyre, a brake consisting of levers (a) having pads (a2) link (c) rod (c³)
brake lever (c) spiral spring (d) and plate (g) substantially as and for the purposes
set forth herein.
5. A brake for vehicles having pneumatic rubber or resilient tyres, consisting of
parts constructed, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set
forth herein and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicants.