Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
I, CLARENCE K. DAVIS, of 68 E. Market Street, Indianapolis, in the County of
Marion, and State of Indiana, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to bicycle and like brakes in which an elastic roller is
brought into contact with the tire of the wheel and is forced into contact with a
hood of unyielding material within which the roller is mounted.
The diameter of the roller will be reduced, starting from near each end of the
roller and decreasing toward the middle thereby producing a roller which is some-
what spool-shaped, to fit the contour of the tire. The sides of the roller will be
cylindrical between the reduced portions and the ends. The hood will be curved
to fit the cylindrical portions of the sides of the roller and will have parallel ends
at right angles to the top, between which ends the roller will be mounted on a
pin or axle supported by said ends and will contact at all times with the ends of
the hood. The under. side of the hood will be removed to allow unobstructed con-
tact between the roller and the wheel.
The hood will have integral arms which will be fastened to some part of the
cycle, preferably the front fork, by means of clamps. These arms will be jointed
to allow the hood to be lowered to bring the roller into contact with the tire and
springs pressing against the under side of the outer arms will force the hood up
normally out of contact with the tire.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycles and the like.
I, CLARENCE K. DAVIS, of 68, East Market Street, Indianapolis, in the County
of Marion, and the State of Indiana, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 follow-
ing statement:
This invention relates to bicycle and like brakes in which an elastic roller is
brought into contact with the tire of a wheel and is forced by the pressure thus

page_text: exerted upon it, against a hood of some unyielding material within which the
roller is mounted.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like letters of reference
indicate like parts-
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved brake, as applied to bicycles,
the view showing a portion of the frame of the bicycle and part of the rim and
tire of the front wheel; Figure 2, a longitudinal section through the elastic roller
and the hood surrounding the roller; Figure 3, an under-side view of a portion
of the brake; Figure 4, a vertical section on the line 4, 4, of Figure 3; Figure 5,
a detail showing the link-joint for connecting the two parts of the clamp together,
and Figure 6, a modified construction in which the roller normally has end con-
tact only with the hood."
1.
*
A is the front tube of the bicycle frame, B the lower main tube, C the. two
sides of the front fork, D the crown connecting the two sides of the 'front fork
and E the pneumatic tire of a bicycle wheel, all of usual construction.
F is an elastic roller, preferably rubber, having a spool-like shape in which
the ends are of greater diameter than the middle portion. E¹ is a hood within
which the roller is mounted. The ends e, of the hood are parallel and circular in
form, and are a distance apart equal to the length of the roller. A pin e¹
connects these ends of the hood and it is upon this pin that the roller is mounted.
The roller is provided with the bushings f, to take the friction of the elastic
material of the roller off of the spindle on which it rotates. This bushing will
preferably be of metal. The hood E¹ is adjustably secured above the tire of the
bicycle wheel in a manner which will be hereinafter described, but the feature of
greatest importance in this invention is that the roller of elastic material has
primary circumferential contact with the hood or housing and also contact at all
times with the ends of the hood. By this construction when the brake is applied
the rubber is forced into the corner of the hood and great friction thereby obtained
on the instant of the application of the brake. The hood is open along its under
side to allow the roller to contact with the tire when it is brought down to apply-
ing the brake.
In order to increase the friction between the roller and the tire especially when
the tire is wet and more apt than at other times to slip, I provide a series of longi-
tudinal ridges F¹. which produce a corrugated surface around the reduced portion
of the roller.
Gare two arms cast integral with the hood and which terminate at their outer
ends with the integral housing H. The housing H is concave on its underside
and has the arms G, continued across to form lugs or ears g, for a hinge joint.
The opposite ears K of the hinge are integral with clamps M which are secured
to the front forks of the bicycle. The ears 9 and K are united by means of the
pin L in the manner as will be clearly understood from the drawing.
N, are a pair of spiral springs the coils of which are wound around the pin L.
One end of the spring is made to bear against the edge of the housing and the
other end is caught around the ears K whereby the hood E and the roller con-
nected with it are held away from the tire of the bicycle wheel by the springs.
The clamps M are two in number, one for each side of the front fork, and are each
made up of two pieces removably secured to each other. The two parts are joined
together at one place by means of a hook and eye similar in construction to the
joint commonly employed in uniting the links of a link-belt. As shown in
Figure 5, m is the hook and m¹ the post of the eye into which the hook is caught.
The opposite ends are united by the screw. P by means of which the two parts of
the clamp after they have been placed around the side of the front fork, will be
drawn together with sufficient force to hold them in place thereby locking the brake
at the desired height on the said fork.
The ears K have the lugs ¹ on each side which form stops to regulate the move-
ment of the roller.
As the sides C of the front fork are not always the same distance apart I use

page_text: the washers W, on the pin L. I place these washers between the ears 9 and K
when it is necessary to increase the distance between the clamps for a wide fork
and when the fork is a narrow one I place the washers on the outside of both ears.
The ends of the pin are threaded and are held in place by the nuts 7.
In the modified construction shown in Figure 6, the only difference in construc-
tion is that the roller has constant end contact with the hood but does not have
circumferential contact except when it is compressed by pressure against the
bicycle wheel.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. The combination, with a cycle frame, and the wheel of a cycle, of a casing
secured to said frame, said casing being cylindrical in form and having closed ends
and a closed upper portion, a spindle mounted in the ends of said casing, and a
roller of elastic material, as rubber, having an annular recess with outwardly
flaring or tapering sides following the contour of the tire in section, and being
mounted on said spindle snugly between the ends of the casing and in close
proximity to the tire, said roller also fitting at its terminal upper portions snugly
against the upper portion of the casing, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a cycle frame and the wheel of a cycle, of a casing
secured to said frame, said casing being cylindrical in form and having closed
ends, a spindle mounted in the ends of said casing, and a roller of elastic material
as rubber having an annular recess with outwardly flaring or tapering sides, follow-
ing the contour of the tire in section, and being mounted on said spindle snugly
between the ends of the casing and in close proximity to the tire, whereby when
the brake is applied the pressure between the wheel and the brake is instantaneously
transmitted to the casing through the ends of the roller substantially as described.
Dated
CITIS O day of pray 1000.
CLARENCE K. DAVIS.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.
CLARENCE K. DAVIS.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.