Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
Date of Application, 15th dept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Vehicles.
I, HERBERT TANNER, of 1, Devonshire Road, South Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
The chief object of this invention is to provide improved means whereby a
brake can be applied to the wheel or wheels of a bicycle, tricycle, or other vehicle
from the steering bar or handle, or other similar part of the said vehicle. For
this purpose I employ arrangements of the following character:
-
I provide at the steering bar or handle a lever or other device similar to what
is already in use for applying a brake to the front wheel of the bicycle or other
vehicle, and I connect this lever or other actuating device by other levers, links,
rods, chains, cords, pulleys or otherwise to the brake which I prefer to arrange
in connection with the hind wheel of vehicle. The brake proper may be
arranged so as to be applied directly to the tyre of the wheel but I prefer to
mount a brake sheave or pulley on the hub of the wheel, and to apply thereto
a suitable brake strap which can be tightened on the said brake pulley by means
of the aforesaid levers, links, rods, chains, cords, pulleys, and so forth actuated
by the lever or other device aforesaid connected with the steering bar or handle
and operated by the hand of the rider.
Instead of a brake composed of a brake-sheave or pulley and a brake strap
surrounding such sheave or pulley externally, the sheave or pulley may be made
hollow, and the strap in the form of a ring or otherwise placed inside the hollow
sheave or pulley and expanded or otherwise caused to exert friction against the
internal surface thereof by the action of the aforesaid levers, links, rods, chains,
cords, pulleys, and so forth actuated as above described.
The abovementioned levers, links, or other devices for actuating the brake are
preferably so arranged that they come under the frame work of the vehicle so as
to be quite out of the way of the rider; and the various fulcra for the levers or
pulleys may either be secured permanently to the appropriate parts of the frame-
work by brazing, screwing, rivetting or otherwise; or they may be secured thereto
by clamps or other suitable devices which enable them to be removed from or
applied to the frame-work at pleasure; and these clamps or other devices may
be variously shaped and adapted so that they can be readily applied to the frames
of existing vehicles as well as to those of new ones.
The 12th dow of September 1897

page_text: Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Vehicles.
I, HERBERT TANNER, of 1, Devonshire Road, South Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 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:-
The chief object of this invention is to provide improved means whereby a brake.
can be applied to the wheel or wheels of a bicycle, tricycle, or other vehicle from
the steering bar or handle, or other similar part of the said vehicle. For this
purpose I employ arrangements of the kind illustrated in the accompanying three
sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of the steering bar 1 of a
bicycle with a hand brake-lever 2 and connecting rod 3 applied thereto. Figure 2
is a sectional elevation. taken on line U-U of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view
of the corner of the bicycle frame formed by the junction of the steering spindle
tube 4 and the diagonal or down tube 5, with a bell-crank lever pivotted thereto
at 7 for transmitting the movements of the rod 3 to the connecting rod 8.
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on the lines V-V and W-W respec-
tively of Figure 3. Figure 6 is a side view, partly in section, of the corner of the
bicycle frame formed by the junction of the lower main tube 5* the diagonal or
down tube 5 and the chain stays 10, with mechanism for operating a brake applied
to the hind wheel, similar to that described in the specification of a patent granted
to me bearing date the 15th day of October, 1896 No. 22,930, and illustrated in
Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings accompanying that specification. Figure 7 is
a sectional view taken on the line X-X of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a plan view
of part of Figure 6. Figure 9 is a side view of the rear corner of the bicycle
frame formed by the junction of the back fork 10* with the chain stays 10 and
carrying the rear axle 42 showing an internal brake pulley 36 mounted on the
hub 38 of the rear wheel, and devices for tightening or loosening the brake-strap
or ring therein somewhat similar to those described in the aforesaid specification
No. 22,930 of 1896 with reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11 of the drawings accom-
panying that specification. Figure 10 is a sectional elevation taken on the.
line Y-Y of Figure 9, but showing parts to the left of that line in elevation.
Figure 11 is a plan corresponding to Figure 9, Figure 12 is a sectional side view
of the same corner of a bicycle frame as that shown in Figure 6, but with apparatus
connected thereto for applying a brake to the sides of the rim part of the tyre
of the wheel-Figure 13 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 12, but with
the tyre of the wheel in section, and Figure 14 is a sectional elevation taken on the
line Z-Z of Figures 12 and 13.
Figures 1 and 2 are drawn to a smaller scale than the other figures of the
drawings.
I provide at the steering bar or handle 1 a lever 2 pivotted thereto at 2* or other
device similar to what is already in use for applying a brake to the front wheel
of the bicycle or other vehicle, and I connect this lever or other actuating device
by other levers, links, rods, chains, cords, pulleys or otherwise,, as for example
by means of the rod 3, lever 6, rod 8, levers 9 and 31, and rod 33, to the brake
which I prefer to arrange in connection with the hind wheel of the machine. The
brake proper may be arranged so as to be applied directly to the tyre of the wheel
by the action of the rod 8 on the lever 9 and mechanism such as is described is the
aforesaid specification No. 22,930 of 1896 and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of
the drawings accompanying that specification. But I prefer to mount a brake

page_text: sheave or pulley on the hub of the wheel, and to apply thereto a suitable brake
strap which can be tightened on the said brake pulley by means of the rod 8,
levers 9 and 31 and rod 33, as described in the aforesaid specification and illustrated
in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the drawings accompanying that specification.
Instead of a brake composed of a brake-sheave or pulley and a brake-strap
surrounding such sheave or pulley externally, the sheave or pulley 36. may be
made hollow, as shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 of the drawings accompanying this
present specification, and the strap 35 in the form of a split ring or otherwise,
placed inside the hollow sheave or pulley 36, and expanded or otherwise caused to
exert friction against the internal circumferential surface thereof by the action
of the aforesaid levers, links, rods, chains, cords and so forth actuated from the
steering bar as above described. For example one end of the split ring 35 may
be pin-jointed at 39 to a plate 40, through a hole in which the axle 42 passes, and
which plate can be clamped firmly to the prolongation or cheek 41 of the chain-
stay 10, the other end of the split ring 35 being left free to be acted upon by
a pin 43 on a lever 34 pivotted at 34* and having pin-jointed to it at 34 one end
of the rod 33.
It will now be understood that when the brake lever 2 on the steering bar 1 is
drawn up, the rod 3 is drawn up thereby operating lever 6, rod 8, levers 9
and 31, rod 33 and lever 34 the pin 43 of which will press upon the free end of
the split ring 35 tending to expand the said ring and causing it to be pressed
against the internal circumferential surface of the hollow sheave or pulley 36
so as to apply frictional resistance thereto and thereby to retard or stop the wheel
to the hub of which it is applied. The split ring 35 is preferably made slightly
smaller than the internal diameter of the sheave or pulley 36, so that when not
expanded by the action of the lever 34 it contracts and exerts no frictional action
on the sheave or pulley.
When the brake lever 2 is released the spring 23 returns all the operating parts
to their normal positions.
..
In the arrangement shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, brake blocks or shoes 44
are applied to the rim part 45 of the tyre by means of the levers, rods and so
forth connected with the steering bar 1 as above described, in the following
manner; Brackets 46 are secured adjustably to plates 46* fixed to the chain
stays 10 by means of clamps 47 or otherwise. To these brackets are pivotted at 48
the brake blocks 44 having levers 49 connected to them. To the free ends of these
levers are pivotted rods 50 connected to a cross-head 51 adjustably connected by
a screwed coupling 52 to the lever 9.
When the brake handle 2 is raised the rod 3, lever 6, rod 8 and lever 9 are
operated as before explained, the cross head 51 and rods 50 are drawn to the left
in Figures 12 and 13; this causes the brake blocks 44 to turn on their pivots 48
and to press against the sides of the rim part 45 of the tyre of the wheel so as to
apply friction thereto to retard or stop the wheel.
It will be understood that the faces of the plates 46* against which the bases
of the brackets 46 are pressed and secured by the clamping nuts 46** be parallel
to the central plane of the vehicle so that in the event of the wheel axle being
drawn back in order to tighten up the driving chain the brackets 46 with their
brake blocks or shoes 44 can be moved back also, so as to retain their proper
positions relatively to the wheel tyre.
The levers, and rods for actuating the brakes, are preferably so arranged that
they come under the frame-work of the vehicle so as to be quite out of the way
of the rider; and the various fulcra for the levers or their equivalents may either
be secured permanently to the appropriate parts of the framework by brazing,
screwing, rivetting or otherwise; or they may be secured thereto by clamps or
other suitable devices which enable them to be removed from or applied to the
framework at pleasure; and these clamps or other devices may be variously shaped
and adapted so that they can be readily applied to the frames of existing vehicles
as well as to those of new ones.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood
that I am aware that it is not novel to apply a brake to the wheel of a bicycle
or other carriage from the steering bar or handle, and that I make no claim
generally to devices for effecting that object; but I declare that what I do
claim is:
First. Mechanism for applying a brake to the hind wheel or wheels of a bicycle,
tricycle or other vehicle from the steering bar or handle, or other similar part of
such vehicle, such mechanism consisting of rods and levers or other equivalent
mechanical devices applied to the framework of the vehicle in such manner as to
be entirely out of the way of the rider, substantially as described.
Second. The arrangement of mechanism for operating a brake in connection with
the hind wheel or wheels of a bicycle, tricycle or other vehicle from the steering
. bar or handle which consists of a lever 1 or other equivalent device, a rod 3
passing down the front of the steering tube 4, a lever 6 at the junction of the
steering tube 4 with the diagonal or down tube 5, a rod 8 passing under the
diagonal or down tube, a lever 9 at the junction of the said diagonal or down
tube with the lower main tube 5* and the chain stays 10, and mechanism connecting
the said lever 9 with the brake gear, combined and operating substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
Third. Brake apparatus for bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles which consists
of a hollow sheave or pulley mounted on the hub of the wheel, an internal ex-
pansible split ring within such hollow sheave or pulley and devices for expanding
the said ring so as to press it against the internal circumferential surface of the
hollow sheave or pulley, such expanding devices being operated from the steering
bar or handle, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 11 in-
clusive of the drawings.
Fourth. The employment of brake actuating mechanism of the kind herein
described, in connection with brakes applied to the tyres of vehicle wheels, whether
such brakes be applied to the tread or outer part of the tyre or to the inner or rim
part thereof, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1898.
H. TANNER,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.