Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles.
I, ALBERT WILLIAMS, of Courtlands, Lympstone, Devon, Butler, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to an improved construction of brake for use with cycles
and provides an arrangement which can be applied by foot.
As applied to ordinary bicycles I propose to fit to the central tube by means of
a clamp or other arrangement a small arm pivoted to the said clamp and carrying
on its end a brake shoe which is adapted to bear upon the rear wheel of the cycle.
The foot lever employed in connection with this is also pivoted to the clamp and
one end projects under the link or arm so that on pressing down the other end of
the lever which is supplied with a foot rest or pedal the arm will be raised and the
brake applied to the tyre. A spring raises the lever and with-draws the brake
when the foot is removed.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is had to
the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 of which is a side elevation of the apparatus
and Fig. 2 is a plan of same with part of the cycle frame in section. A is the
lever which as shown is double consisting of a bar bent round so that two parallel
sides are formed. This form of lever is suitable for strength and lightness but
any other construction may of course be employed. This lever is pivoted at a to
the part B which in the arrangement shown is fitted round the central tube C
of the frame. This part B may consist of a detachable clamp or may be a fix-
ture. To the rear end of B the arm D is pivoted and on the end of this arm the
brake shoe D is carried provided with a rubber or other surface for application
to the tyre E. The smaller end of the lever A engages below the arm so that when
the lever is depressed the arm will be raised and the brake shoe carried in a
slanting direction to the surface of the tyre. Immediately on returning the lever
to its normal position the brake will drop from the tyre.
On the front end of the lever the foot rest or pedal a¹ is fitted allowing the lever
to be actuated by foot. To raise the lever to its normal position on releasing the
spring F is employed fitted to the pin f carried by the front of the clamp B. This
spring is furnished with an extension which bears against the under side of the
cross bar a² and tends to raise the pedal end of the lever.
The drawing shows the brake applied to an ordinary safety bicycle but it is
obvious that it can also be fitted to ladies bicycles and to other forms of cycle
without any essential alteration in the parts. .
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) In an improved brake for use with cycles the combination with a brake shoe
carried on the end of the pivoted arm, of a foot lever engaging with the said arm

page_text: so that on pressing the lever the arm will be raised and the brake applied sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified.
(2) In an improved brake for cycles the combination with a brake shoe and a
pivoted arm carrying the said shoe, of a lever one end of which engages under the
pivoted arm and raises it when the lever is depressed and a spring returning the
lever to normal position substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
(3) The improved brake for use with cycles consisting of a lever formed from
a double bar, a foot rest upon one end of the lever, a spring raising the lever to
normal position, a pivoted arm resting on the lower end of the lever, and a brake
shoe fitted to the said arm all constructed and operating substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 31st day of January 1898
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.