Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
We, SAMUEL WATERS, Decorator, and SAMUEL ALBERT WATERS, Sign Writer, both
of 30c Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to brakes such as are used for retarding the progress of
vehicles, and consists of improvements whereby the action of "back-pedalling," or a
similar movement, is caused to bring into operation a powerful and efficient braking
device.
It is especially suitable for application to a rear driving safety bicycle, and it is here
described as applied to such a vehicle. The spindle runs in bearings in the bottom
bracket in the usual manner, and one of the pedal cranks is fixed rigidly to one end
of this. The other end of the spindle projects farther out of the bracket than is
usual, and has mounted upon it, so as to be capable of rotating freely the driving
chain wheel, which is placed close to the end of the bottom bracket. This wheel has
a circular depression formed in its outer face of such a diameter that it encloses a disc,
the periphery of which has either teeth formed upon it which may engage with a pawl
or pawls fixed to the chain wheel, or pawls which engage with teeth formed upon the
inside of the chain wheel. The disc may have a number of notches or recesses, each
having one inclined side arranged in such manner that a roller or ball contained
therein runs up and engages with the interior of the recess in the chain wheel, when
the disc is moved in one direction. The whole of the balls or rollers running up their,
inclines simultaneously locks the dise to the wheel, and these are so arranged that:
this takes place when the bottom bracket spindle is rotated in that direction which
causes the machine to move forward.
The disc is fixed rigidly to the spindle by means of a boss, upon which is mounted,
so as to be free to move independently of the disc and close by its side, a second disc
which is formed integrally with or rigidly attached to the loose crank.
The disc has pins projecting from it which pass through slots in the second disc;
and the undersides of the heads of these pins form inclined planes which engage with.
corresponding inclined planes formed in the substance of or upon the outer face of
the second disc. The heads may be adjustable by screw nuts or other means. The
slots in the second disc are short so as to permit the disc to move, without the
second dise, only through a short distance. The inclined planes are so arranged that
when the (loose) crank is being propelled forward and the machine is travelling the
two discs are forced slightly apart, while when an attempt is made to retard the
rotation of the loose crank the second disc is drawn towards the disc to such an
extent that its inner face is thrust against the side of the chain wheel, and forcing
it against the end of the bottom bracket or against a third disc rigidly attached
thereto, "brakes "the machine.
The surfaces of either the second dise, the chain wheel, or the third disc may.
be faced with leather, wood or the like to ensure efficient grip.
Instead of the pins with inclined planes, the end of the spindle may be bored

page_text: and have a quick pitch thread cut in it, and the crank being attached to a screw plug
working in this, it may be so arranged that the back-pedalling produces the
braking action as before.
66
"
The exterior surface of the boss of the disc may have inclined slots formed in it
and in these fit pins which project inwardly from the bore of the boss of the second
disc. In this case as before the retardation of the crank serves to force together the
discs and chain wheel, thus affording an extremely powerful "braking" action.
The whole of the pins and slots may be covered up by a plate which secures
freedom from dust and dirt.
Dated thin Dith day of Uk 1007
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
"The Inventor's Assistant " Office,
75 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
We, SAMUEL WATERS, Decorator and SAMUEL ALBERT WATERS, Sign Writer,
both of 30c Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, 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 such as are used for retarding the progress of
vehicles, and consists of improvements whereby the action of "back pedalling";
or a similar movement, is caused to bring into operation a powerful and efficient
braking device.
It is especially suitable for application to a rear driving safety bicycle, and it is
here described as applied to such a vehicle. The spindle runs in bearings in the
bottom bracket in the usual manner, and one of the pedal cranks is fixed rigidly to
one end of this. The other end of the spindle projects further out of the bracket
than is usual, and has mounted upon it, so as to be capable of rotating freely, the
driving chain wheel, which is placed close to the end of the bottom bracket. This
wheel has a circular depression formed in its outer face of such a diameter that it
encloses a disc, the periphery of which has either teeth formed upon it, which may
engage with a pawl or pawls fixed to the chain wheel, or pawls which engage with
teeth formed upon the inside of the chain wheel. The disc may have a number of
notches or recesses, each having one inclined side, arranged in such manner that a
roller, ball or wedge, contained therein runs up and engages with the interior of the
recess in the chain wheel, when the disc is moved in one direction. The whole of
the balls, rollers, or wedges, running up their inclines simultaneously, locks the
disc to the wheel, and these are so arranged that this takes place when the bottom
bracket spindle is rotated in that direction which causes the machine to move
forward.
The disc is fixed rigidly to the spindle by means of a boss, upon which is mounted,
so as to be free to move independently of the disc, and close by its side, a second
disc, which is formed integrally with or rigidly attached to the loose crank. The
disc has pins projecting from it which pass through slots in the second disc, and the
undersides of the heads of these pins form inclined planes which engage with
corresponding inclined planes formed in the substance of or upon the outside face of
the second disc. The heads may be adjusted by screw nuts or other means. The
slots in the second disc are short so as to permit the disc to move without the second

page_text: dise only through a short distance. The inclined planes are so arranged that when
the (loose) crank is being propelled forward, and the machine is travelling, the two
discs are forced slightly apart, while when an attempt is made to retard the rotation
of the loose crank the second disc is drawn towards the disc to such an extent that
its inner face is thrust against the side of the chain wheel, and forcing it against the
end of the bottom bracket, or against a third disc rigidly attached thereto, "brakes”
the machine.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood, we append drawings, in
which,
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of the brake.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation on a reduced scale.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the brake disc shewing the slots.
a is a disc provided with a washer b of leather or other similar material upon its
outer surface, and is attached to one end of the bottom bracket h. c is the chain or
sprocket wheel which runs in ball bearings as shewn. This chain wheel is so made
that it has a circular depression in its outer face, which depression is surrounded by a
projecting rim or flange, the inner surface of which engages with rollers or balls m¹
placed in wedge-like recesses in the periphery of the clutch disc f.
Pins g, 9,
project therefrom and pass through slots in the brake disc e which is provided on
its inner face with a leather or similar washer d, and is formed integrally with or
firmly attached to the loose pedal crank by one or more screws 0. The clutch
disc f is provided with a central boss f¹ which fits on and is screwed to the end of
the bottom bracket spindle i.
The lateral movement of the brake disc e, necessary to brake the machine is
obtained as follows:-
The chain wheel c is mounted to run on ball bearings, and is revolved when the
machine is to move forward by means of the clutch disc f, provided with rollers or
balls ml to acts as pawls. The clutch disc f revolves with the brake disc e by means
of the pins g. 9. engaging short slots gl (Fig. 3) formed in inclined or wedge-like
projections el upon the face of the brake disc e, while the undersides of the heads of
the pins g, g, or a nut screwed on same, are inade correspondingly wedge-shaped
at e. The effect of this is that the brake dise e is allowed to move a short distance,
according to the length of the slots g', independently of the clutch disc f, which
causes the wedge surfaces c¹, e², to either engage or disengage, and accordingly cause
the brake disc e to either approach and jam against or recede from the side of the
chain wheel. At the same time the pins g¹ will retard the rotation of the clutch
disc f, and allow the rollers m¹ to drop back into their recesses in which position they
will become disengaged from the chain wheel, thus securing a powerful, efficient
and instantaneous braking action.
As an alternative the disc a may be fixed to the boss which would necessarily
be prolonged for the purpose, and attached to the spindle i. This is to prevent a
possible tendency of the brake acting when the machine is being driven uphill as the
disc a will be stationary only when the brake is put on.
Or the chain wheel may consist simply of a toothed ring to economise space. The
rollers or pawls in the clutch disc would then act in the same manner as that above
described.
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) The herein described brake for velocipedes and like vehicles, substantially as
described and shewn.
(2) A brake for velocipedes consisting essentially of a rigid and a loose crank, the
latter being formed integrally with, or attached to, a brake disc, which is caused to
intermittently approach and jam against or recede from, the side of the chain or
sprocket driving wheel, by means of the engagement or disengagement of two
similarly wedge-shaped surfaces, which is effected by means of slots formed in the

page_text: brake disc, through each of which passes a pin, fastenedito a clutch disc, said slots
allowing the brake disc to turn for a short distance independently of the clutch disc,
which turning movement effects the engagement or disengagement of the two wedge-
shaped surfaces, substantially as shewn and described.
(3) In a brake for velocipedes and like vehicles, the brake disc, provided with a
central boss, attached to a loose pedal crank, and provided with wedge-shaped
projections in which are formed slots, substantially as described and shewn."
(4) In combination with a brake disc for velocipedes and like vehicles provided
with a central boss and wedge-shaped projections in which are formed slots, the
pins g,, the undersides of the heads of which, or of nuts which screw thereon, are
inade wedge-shaped, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn.
Dated this 27th day of August 1897.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.