A Bicycle or Tricycle Brake, and an Improved Method of Applying. the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Bicycle or Tricycle Brake, and an Improved Method of Applying.
the same.
I HENRY WATTS of 50 St. James's Street Piccadilly London Club Steward do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It consists of a brake handle of suitable shape, pivotted to handle bar in such
manner, as to be easily gripped and worked by the thumb.
Attached to this brake handle is a flexible cord, composed of gut, silk, or any
other suitable material, passing over pulley attached to stearing bar, and down to
lever of brake.
At lower part of front tube, I attach a bracket for lever of break, by collar
passing round the tube, fastened by screws and nuts, the arms of the bracket
projecting over front tyre.
Between these arms I pivot the lever, and attach the cord to the end of lever
nearest the front tube.
At the other end of lever, I attach the brake.
The brake consists of india rubber, felt, or other suitable material, attached in
suitable manner to the brake lever.
I attach a spring to the arms of the bracket, near pivot of lever, with the end of
spring pressing on lever near the cord, thus keeping the, brake off the tyre when
not in use..
Instead of collar and bracket attached to lower part of front tube, I may attach
two metal brackets to front forks with, ends projecting over the front tyre, the ends
held together by a pin which passes through brake lever and also acts as pivot for
the same.
I also fix a spring near pivot of lever, pressing on end of lever near cord.
The action of the brake is, that by gripping the brake handle with the thumb,
and drawing the same towards the bicycle or tricycle handle draws up the cord
passing over pulley attached to stearing bar, thus pulling up the lever of break,
and applying the brake to the tyre.
Upon releasing the handle of break the spring on the bracket comes into action,
by depressing the end of lever near cord, thus taking the brake from the tyre, and
drawing by means of the cord, the brake handle away from the bicycle or tricycle
handie ready for use again.
Dated this Finns den of Iul 1906
HENRY WATTS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
5 A Bicycle or Tricycle Brake, and an Improved Method of Applying
the same.
I, HENRY WATTS of 50, St. James's Street, London, W. 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:-
My invention relates to a new or improved bicycle brake the object of which is

page_text: .
to provide a brake or braking apparatus of extremely simple construction and
which, while being considerably lighter than the ordinary plunger brake now in
general use, is capable of exerting a considerable braking force upon the wheel of
a velocipede, upon slight pressure being applied to a suitable thumb-piece or
lever..
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide a brake handle or thumb-
piece of suitable shape furnished with a socket by means of which it may be
pivotally connected to the handle-bar in such a manner as to be easily gripped and
operated by the thumb. Attached to this brake handle or thumb-piece is one end
of a flexible connection consisting of a cord composed of gut, silk, or other suitable
material, or wire or the like may be employed for this purpose, said flexible
connection passing over a suitably shaped pulley clamped or secured in any
convenient position upon the handle-bar, the free end being then connected to the
operating lever of the brake, said lever being pivoted between the extended ends of
a socket or clamp whereby this portion of the brake is secured in position between
the crown plates of the front fork.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 illustrates in side view and plan respectively the brake lever, brake shoe
and pad, and clamp by means of which it is secured in position, Fig. 2 being
similar views of the operating lever or thumb-piece and its parts.
Figs. 3 and 4, are a front view and a plan respectively of the pulley and its
connections, and
Fig. 5 shows so much of the handle-bars and head and forks of a velocipede as is
necessary to illustrate the application of my invention thereto.
My improved brake comprises essentially the brake lever a Fig. 1 pivoted
between the arms or extensions a, a, of the connecting clamp c, said lever being
furnished at one end with a suitable brake shoes while the free end of said lever
carries a projecting lug / provided with ring or the liker whereby it may be
readily connected to one end of the flexible cord or connection C. Beneath the
brake lever a I arrange a suitable spring p the end p' of which bears against the
forward end of the brake lever a as shown, keeping it normally in the raised
position out of contact with the tyre and forcing the other end of the lever into
contact with the stop t.
The clamp c embraces the tube 6 between the platès d of the front fork (Fig. 5)
so as to bring the brake lever a and shoe s into a convenient position over, the
wheel of the velocipede.
I further provide a brake handle or thumb-piece as shown at Fig. 2, comprising
the arm or lever g pivotally connected between the arms 91, 92, of the clamp or
socket c¹ by means of which it is secured in a convenient position upon the handle-
bars as shown (Fig. 5). The arm g is provided with a ring r so as to allow of
the other end of the cord or flexible connection C to be readily attached, the said
cord or flexible connection passing over a suitable pulley such for instance as that
shown at k (Fig. 3) said pulley being carried by a forked piece k carried by the
extension of the clamp e in such a manner as to be free to turn as required,
said pulley being secured in any required position upon the handle-bars as
shown at Fig. 5, and serving merely as a guide for the cord or flexible
connection C.
The cord or flexible connection C may be of any suitable material, and any
,convenient means may be employed whereby its length may be adjusted or regulated,
so as to take up any slackness due to stretching of the cord or flexible connection,
for instance, at either end of the said cord an ordinary short strap may be
arranged furnished with a buckle or the like so as to allow of ready adjustment.
The thumb-piece clamp c¹ may be furnished with a projectiou m' through which
passes a screw m for the purpose of regulating the distance to which the arm or
lever g may be brought back.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The new or improved brake for velocipedes, comprising the brake lever a
carried between the extensions a, a, of the clamp c, the brake shoes and spring p;
the operating handle or thumb-piece g carried by the extensions g', g, of the
clamp c', and having a regulating screw m carried by lug or extension m¹, in
combination with a flexible connection, cord, or the like, C, and suitable guiding
pulley or pulleys such as k carried by a clamp, the whole arranged and
operating substantially as herein described and shown and for the purposes
specified.
2. The new or improved brake for velocipedes and method of operating same,
substantially as herein described and shown, and for the purposes specified.
D
1007
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22 Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.