Improved Brake Apparatus for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improved Brake Apparatus for Cycles.
I, ARTHUR RALPH RICARDO, of Foxoak, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to a construction of apparatus constituting a simple
attachment to a cycle frame such that when secured to the machine frame and
suitably connected to the brake proper it will enable the latter to be readily
applied or released by simply turning a small handle or hand wheel.
My improved attachment is constructed with a light but sufficiently strong
frame comprising a couple of bracket-like parts (hereinafter called brackets) con-
stituting supports or bearings, a nut guide, and a part adapted to fit against and
be, by straps and screws or equivalent means, clipped or secured to the frame of
a cycle. The brackets carry a brake actuating screw on which is fixed a pinion
and one bracket carries also a spindle furnished with a handle or hand wheel for
rotating it and with a pinion in gear with that on the screw. Thus, by turning
the handle or hand wheel, the screw can be rotated about its own axis-it is,
however, prevented from moving endwise-on it there is mounted a nut,
which is caused to travel along the screw when the latter is rotated, but is pre-
vented from itself rotating by means of a lateral projection that travels in a slot
whose sides constitute the guide before referred to. The nut is, by any con-
venient and suitable means, connected to the brake proper, which may be a rim
brake of any appropriate description. Thus it will be understood that as the
handle or hand wheel is rotated one way or the other the nut will be caused to
travel along the screw so as to move the brake proper into or out of operative
position.
The details of construction are susceptible of modification.

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to a 'construction of apparatus constituting a simple
attachment to a cycle frame such that when secured to the machine frame and
suitably connected to the brake proper it will enable the latter to be readily
applied or released by simply turning a small handle or hand wheel.
My improved attachment is constructed with a light but sufficiently strong
frame comprising a couple of bracket-like parts (hereinafter called brackets) con-
stituting supports or bearings, a nut guide, and a part adapted to fit against and
be, by straps and screws or equivalent means, clipped or secured to the frame of
a cycle. The brackets carry a brake actuating screw on which is fixed a pinion,
and one bracket carries also a spindle furnished with a handle or hand wheel for
rotating it and with a pinion in gear with that on the screw. Thus, but turning
the handle or hand wheel, the screw can be rotated about its own axis-it is,
however, prevented from moving endwise. On the screw there is mounted a nut,
which is caused to travel along the screw when the latter is rotated,' but is pre-
vented from itself rotating by means of a lateral projection that travels in a slot
whose sides constitute the guide before referred to. The nut is, by any con-
venient and suitable means, connected to the brake proper, which may be a rim
brake of any appropriate description. Thus it will be understood that as the
handle or hand wheel is rotated one way or the other the nut will be caused to
travel along the screw so as to move the brake proper into or out of operative
position.
The details of construction are susceptible of modification.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in side elevation, the front portion
of a cycle provided with brake actuating mechanism constructed according to
this invention combined with a rim brake.
Fig. 2 is a front view, Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4 a side elevation of the brake
actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 1 but drawn to a larger scale.
1 is a light but strong metal frame provided with upper and lower brackets 2
and 3, a vertical slot 4, and a transverse part 5 adapted to fit against the handle
bar A of a bicycle to which it can be firmly clamped by straps 6 secured to
the part 5 by screws 7, the lower part of the frame being recessed at 1° so as to
fit against the steering post B and prevent lateral movement of the frame. The
bracket 2 is or may be formed in one piece with the frame 1; the bracket 3
may conveniently be fixed to the frame 1 by screws as shown. 8 is a screw
mounted to rotate in the brackets 2 and 3 but not to move endways therein. This
screw 8 is provided at its upper end with a pinion 9 in gear with a
wheel 10 fixed to a spindle 11 which is mounted in a sleeve bearing 12 carried
toothed
by the bracket 2 and is provided with a handle 13 by which it and the tootlied
wheels and screw can be rotated. On the screw 8 is a nut 14 which is prevented
from rotating, when the screw is rotated, by an extension 14 which projects into
the slot 4 in the frame 1. This nut 14 is provided with lateral extensions 14
which are suitably connected to the brake apparatus proper which may be of any
suitable construction.
In Fig. 1 the improved brake actuating mechanism is shown combined with a
novel construction of rim brake which is not herein separately claimed as form-
ing part of the present invention and in respect of which I intend to obtain
separate Letters Patent. Figs. 5 and 6 show this improved rim brake respectively
in end elevation and plan and to a larger scale than in Fig. 1.
The rim brake apparatus shown in these figures, comprises two plates 15 pro-
vided with clamping strips 16 and screws 17 by which they can be firmly secured
to the inner sides of the two legs Cof the front wheel fork. To the centre portion of
each plate 15 is pivoted one end of an arm 18 the other end of which is jointed
by a pin 19 to one of the lower ends of a' stirrup 20 which is of such a size as to
allow the tyre and rim of a cycle wheel to pass easily therethrough. On each
of the pins 19 by which one of the arms 18 is jointed to the stirrup 20, is pivoted

page_text: a plate 21 to which is fixed a brake block 21ª of suitable material, for example
leather, arranged to act against the rim D of the wheel as shown in Fig. 1, the
plate 21 being arranged to work between limiting stops 21b on the corresponding
arm 18. The stirrup 20 is connected to the brake actuating mechanism herein-
above described by a rod 22 that is screwed at its lower end through an enlarged
part or nut 20% on the stirrup 20 and at its upper end through a nut 23 provided
with two lateral extensions 23ª that are connected by screw threaded rods 24 with
the lateral extensions 14 of the nut 14 on the screw 8 (Figs. 1 to 4). The screw
threads on the upper and lower portions of the rod 22 are preferably made right
and left handed so that the distance between the nuts 20 and 23 can be readily
varied to adapt the brake apparatus to machines of different sizes.
With the apparatus described, to apply the brake the handle 13 is turned so as
to rotate the screw 8 in a direction to raise the nut 14 and attached parts 24, 23,
22, 20, 18, and 21 and so force the brake blocks 21ª against the wheel rim D.
To take off the brake, the handle is turned in the reverse direction so as to move.
the brake blocks 21ª away from the wheel rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In brake apparatus for a cycle, an attachment comprising a frame provided
with brackets, a nut guide, and a part adapted to fit against and be secured to a
convenient part of a cycle, a screw mounted to rotate in the said bracket but not
to move endways and provided with a pinion and with a nut arranged to work
in the said guide and connected to the brake apparatus proper, and a second
toothed wheel that is fixed to a 'spindle and handle or hand wheel carried by one
of the said brackets and is in gear with the first mentioned pinion, the arrange-
ment being such that the brake proper can be readily applied or released by
rotating the said handle or hand wheel, substantially as described.
2. In brake apparatus for cycles, the improved brake actuating mechanism
constructed, aranged and operating substantially as herein before described with
reference to and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
Datod thin 1641
Ulated thin 1641
-day
I
March 1839.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.