Improved Brake Mechanism for Cycles and other Light Road Vehicles."
Year: 1897

page_text: 66
Improved Brake Mechanism for Cycles and other Light Road
Vehicles."
I, RICHARD FELLOWS, of Victoria Street, West Bromwich, in the county of
Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved brake mechanism for cycles and other light road
vehicles and has for its object efficiency, neatness, durability, and cheapness in
manufacture.
Hitherto cycle brakes have been fitted to impinge against the tired periphery of
the front wheel and, in the case of pneumatic tired peripheries, have been found
extremely objectionable, inasmuch as by their constant application the grit picked
up from the road is ground into the surface of the rubber, the said rubber conse-
quently becoming worn, and the cross-sectional figure of the tire damaged.
Now the purpose of this invention is to apply certain mechanism hereinafter
described to any one of the rotary parts of either of the wheel centres, or to the
pedal crank axis working within the bottom bracket of the framing. The mechanism
consists essentially of an encircling resilient metallic coil comprising a number of
spirals fitted to either of the rotary parts as aforesaid.
One of the terminals of this resilient coil is attached rigidly to a member of the
cycle frame, and is practically carried by it, whilst the other terminal is connected
by a rod, or its equivalent, and a lever or arm to the brake lever, by which latter, the
brake is applied. The inside bore of this resilient coil is of such a size as to clear
the rotating part it encircles and when in its normal position, and supported by the
framing, there is no frictional contact between the resilient coil and the said rotary.
member but, on the brake lever being operated by the rider through the connected
mechanism, the said coil is contracted in diameter, which causes the inside bore to
gradually grip upon the rotary part and act in the manner of a brake. Immediately
the pressure from the brake rod is relieved the resilient coil automatically opens out
and faces the rotating part, and also returns the brake lever to its normal position.
The size of the resilient coil depends entirely upon the rotary part of the cycle to which
it is applied but, generally speaking, one about two inches in diameter, and com-
prising five or six wraps, would be found sufficient for the purpose. In its application
to one of the wheels it would encircle a part of the hub, but when applied to the
bottom bracket axis would encircle the latter and be held by an extension of the
foaming.

page_text: If necessary, two or more of these resilient coils may be used, but that would
depend upon the construction of the rotary part to which the invention is applied.
Dated this 12th day of January, 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.
of 11, Burlington Chambers. New Street, Birmingham.
Also at Liverpool, London, and Manchester.
Agents for the Applicant.
"Improved Brake Mechanism for Cycles and other Light Road
Vehicles."
I, RICHARD FELLOWS of Victoria Street, West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 brake mechanism for cycles, and has for its object an
improved construction of brake mechanism, more efficient in its action, more durable,
and for the most part concealed.
Cycle brakes which act upon the tires of the wheels are objectionable, inasmuch, as:
their constant application injures the tire surface by grinding in the grit picked up
by the tire from the ground, ripping it up, so that it is felt desirable to fit a brake
mechanism to parts other than the tires.
The purpose of this invention is to apply certain mechanism, hereinafter fully
described, to any one of the rotary parts of the wheel centre, or to the pedal crank
axis working within the bottom bracket axis of the cycle framing. The mechanism
consists essentially of an encircling resilient metallic coil comprising a number of
spirals fitted to either of the rotary parts, as aforesaid, so as to close upon the said
part and come into frictional contact therewith, or with a stationary part carried by
or upon the cycles framing. One of the terminals of this resilient coil is attached to
a member of the cycle framing or to the rotating part, in which latter case the coil is
carried by the said rotating part, whilst the other terminal of the coil is connected to
a lever or arm, or its equivalent, forming part of the mechanism by which the brake
is applied. The inside bore of this resilient coil is of such a size as to clear the part.
it encircles and with which it has frictional contact to form the retarding means, and
its normal position is free and untensioned during the time the cycle is free
running.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings the invention is shown applied to the centre
of the back or driving wheel; the brake operating mechanism, in this case, being the
driving cranks and chain wheel mechanism and the use of a back pedalling action.
In Fig 1 a longitudinal part section and elevation sets forth the brake mechanism in
a practical way, Fig 2 illustrating a side sectional view thereof on the dotted line A,
Fig 1, and Fig 3 a side sectional view on the dotted line B, Fig 1. It will be obvious
that the encircling coil can be either carried by the stationary part and inade to close
upon a rotating one, or be carried by a rotating part and be made to close upon a
stationary part, but as the latter is preferred it has been taken into account in the
illustrations set forth in Figs 1, 2, and 3.
In the Figs of the sheet of drawings a represents the back wheel hub or centre
and c the spindle or axis passing therethrough, the former being the rotary part and
the latter the stationary one. The construction of the hub a is upon ordinary lines
with the exception that upon its chain wheel side, an abutment collar a², and an

page_text: externally screwed cylindrical extension a³, is formed. Upon this last-named is
mounted and rigidly carried a circular box or hollow part d wherein is disposed an
encircling resilient metal coil e; the box or hollow part d carrying the said coil. The
part d as aforesaid is locked upon the screwed extension a³ by a lock nut a, and its
inner central part is formed into a cylindrical boss 2 upon which is loosely mounted:
the chain wheel f. The circular box or part d is open upon its outer side but
partially closed upon its inner side by the wall do, through which latter is formed
a slot d (shown clearly in Fig 3) for establishing connection between the encircling
coil e, the circular box d, and the chain wheel f. This connection is accomplished
by a pin or peg f2 carried upon the side of the chain wheel, a turned-in end €² of
the encircling coil, and a stop shoulder f³. abounding the slot d of the chain wheel.
The other extremity e³ of the encircling coil engages the rim of the circular box d
by lying in a cut-away part d' thereof, and is thereby connected to the said box.
Thus the encircling coil e, which is carried by the box d, is controlled by the said
box at one extremity, and by the chain wheel at the other extremity.
Mounted upon the spindle or axis c, as aforesaid, and formed in one piece with the
ball bearing cone. c² on the chain wheel side, which may be either adjustable or fixed
upon the said axis, is a circular drum or friction ring g adapted to lie within the
hollow interior of the circular box d, and to be surrounded by the encircling coil e as
aforesaid. The drum or ring is fixedly carried upon the stationary axis. c and forms
the retarding medium to the rotation of the circular box when the encircling coil
closes upon its exterior surface; the latter being accomplished by the backward move-
ment of the chain wheel through a back pedalling movement of the cranks. A
flange g² extends from the drum's periphery outside the box containing the coil to
render the brake mechanisin as dust-proof as possible, but other means than this can
be employed for this purpose.
The action of the brake is as follows:-The driving chain wheel f, which is loose
upon the boss d², drives the box d, and hence the hub through its peg f, abutting
against the shoulder f3 of the slot d, so long as a forward pedalling action is being
effected; the encircling spring being at this time untensioned and running free
round the friction ring g. Immediately a back pedalling action is set up the speed
of the chain wheel fis momentarily checked, which causes the-box d carried by the
hub of the wheel to run slightly in advance and so wind the encircling coil e, which
is further wound on the continued back-pedalling action. This winding up of the
coil reduces its diameter so that its inner face impinges upon the periphery of the
stationary friction ring or drum g, which retards the rotary movement of the said coil
and parts carrying it and forms a brake to the cycle's progress. After the box d has
momentarily over-run the chain wheel of the further back pedalling action causes the
pin or peg 2 to impinge against the terminal e² of the coil and carry it forward within
the slot h, which gives the necessary winding to the said coil. Immediately back
pedalling pressure is released the energy stored up in the encircling coil by its wind-
ing is given out and takes the peg 2 of the chain wheel ƒ back to its forward driving
shoulder 3 of the slot h.
The friction ring may be carried by one of the members of the back fork ends of
a cycle framing, and not form part of the bearing cone, and instead of the encircling
coil being carried by the rotating part of the hub it may be mounted upon the
stationary part and made to close upon the rotating one.
This last-named arrange-
ment must of necessity be applied to the bottom bracket and its axis, but the
method of carrying out the invention is for the most part the same i.e. a closing-in
coil carried by a rotating part, and made to encircle and engage a stationary part, or
form a brake or a coil carried by a stationary part and made to embrace and close
over a rotating part.
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 :-
T
1 L

page_text: part such as a wheel centre, or a spindle, and a stationary cylindrical part such as a
wheel spindle, a bottom bracket, or other extension of the cycle's framing, of an
encircling resilient closing-in coil adapted to be carried by the one part and to close
in upon the other, in order to exert a frictional contact between the said parts
substantially as described.
Second. In brake mechanism of cycles the combination with a wheel hub or
rotating centre and a stationary spindle or axis, of a circular box d carried by a hub a,
an encircling coil e carried within and by the said box, a loosely mounted chain
wheel adapted to engage one extremity of the encircling coil e, and a friction ring
or drum g connected rigidly and carried by a stationary axis c, or to a stationary part
carrying said axis, substantially as described.
Third. In brake mechanism for cycles, the combination with a hub or wheel
contre a and a stationary spindle or axis c of a circular box d carried by a hub a,
provided with a slot h and a cut-away part d+, an encircling coil e carried within and
by the said box, having extremities e², e³, a loosely mounted chain wheelf having a
pin or peg f engaging one of the extremities of the encircling coil and working
within the slot d, and a friction ring or drum g connected rigidly to and carried by a
stationary axis c, or to a stationary part connecting with same, substantially as
described.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street Birmingham.
Also at Liverpool, London and Manchester. Agents for Applicant.