Improvements in Cycle Brakes.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIF
TION.
Improvements in Cycle Brakes.
ANDREW KING Broad Bridge Street Peterborough Cycle Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of cycle brakes and
has more particular reference to the coupling or connection between the brake
block or its equivalent, and the means used for actuating the same, the object of
the present invention being the provision of means by which the length of the
coupling or connection above referred to will vary according to the position of the
handle bar without requiring any separate adjustinent.
According to this invention as applied to a brake block having a sliding motion
to and from the wheel, the brake block is actuated by a screw or cam which is
rotated from the handle bar by means of a lever, movable handles or by other
similar means. The coupling or connection between the scrow or cam actuating
the brake block, and the part receiving the rotating movement from the lever or
other means, consists of at least two pieces which are so coupled that they rotate
together but are free to slide longitudinally with regard to each other.
When this arrangement is applied to a hinged brake block the connection
between the screw and the brake block is correspondingly modified.
The connections between the actuating lever or other mechanism and the brake
block or its equivalent may be wholly or partly within the handle bar and steering
head.
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Nottingham, Patent Agent.
Improvements in Cycle Brakes.
ANDREW KING of Broad Bridge Street Peterborough Cycle 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 following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in and applicable to cycle brakes and has
ANDREW KING of Broad Bridge Street Peterborough Cycle 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 following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in and applicable to cycle brakes and has

page_text: particular reference to improvements in and relating to the means for coupling or
connecting the brake shoo or its equivalent with the brake lever or its equivalent,
the object of the present invention being the production of a coupling or connection
which will allow of the position of the handle bar being adjusted without a separate
adjustment of the coupling or connection.
According to this invention the conpling is in two parts one of which is connected
to the brake lever or its equivalent while the other part is connected to a cam,
screw, or similar mechanism for actuating the brake block or its equivalent and the
two parts of the coupling are so connected that they can be rotated together while
one part can slide on, or in the other.
The brake may be actuated by a lever, a rotating or hinged handle, and it may be
outside, inside, or partly insido and partly outside the handle bar and front head
of the cycle.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section showing
the improved brake mechanism and Fig. 2 is a part plan of the handle bar showing
the means for actuating the brake.
The improved brake mechanism may be applied to any ordinary built cycle, the
handle bar stem a being adjustable in the front head and fixed therein by any of the
well known means. In the arrangement shown the handle bar b is fitted with a
bearing for the upper end of a squaro rod at which forms part of the coupling.
The rod is rounded to rotate in the bearing and under the same is fitted with a
lever d which is connected by a link e to a lever f which is pivotted at g to a bracket
on the handle bar.
The brake shoe m is pivotted at n to a bracket which is secured as shown to
the fork crown and carries a cylinder k. To the brake shoe m there is pivottedly.
connected a rod o to the upper end of which is attached a cam piece p, the said cam
by means of a spring being held in contact with a similarly shape cam which is
attached to a tube t which forms the second part of the coupling rod and is large
enough to admit of the upper part of the coupling a sliding therein.
With the arrangement herein described the motion given to the brake lover f by
the rider is communicated to the lever d by which the two parts a¹ and t of the
coupling rod are rotated. This turns the cam r which forces down the camp and
applies the brake to the wheel. When the pressure is released from the lever the
spring s lifts up the brake shoe m and forces the cam p on to the cam r which is
thereby rotated the strength of the spring s and inclination of the faces of the
cams p and r being designed to allow of this being done, or the spring is made
strong enough to raise the shoo and its action in turning the cam r is assisted by
an additional spring which may be connected to the rod e and bracket c or may be
arranged in any other convenient manner.
Now when the handle is moved vortically in a machine fitted with the improved
brake herein described, the rod a slides, in the tube 4, and as the nction of the
brake depends upon the rotation of the coupling rods there is no necessity for
rigidly connecting the two parts of the same, and therefor the position of the
handle bar can be adjusted without having to separately adjust the length of the
brake coupling rod.
The brake herein described may be actuated by other mechanical means than
those herein described. Instead of the lever d, a toothed pinion may be fitted to
the rod and the link c may be fitted with teeth to act as a rack. The handles
may also be fitted to rotate on the handle bar and be coupled to the rod a¹ by a
flexible shaft and with this arrangement the parts may be fitted inside the handle a
bar and steering head.
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 :-
In a cycle brake, connecting the brake lever or its equivalent, to the brake shoe &
or its equivalent, by means of a coupling rod in two pieces which are fitted to rotate

page_text: together and slide one on, or in, the other substantially as herein described for the
purposes set forth.
W. H. POTTER,
Nottingham, Patent Agent.