improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left 15th Jan.
1900-Accented 17th Fali
1900
improvements in Brakes for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
I, EDWARD JOIN COTTON MANICO, of 38, Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone, in the
County of Essex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to brakes suitable for bicycles and other vehicles,
the object being to provide simple means whereby such vehicles may be efficiently
controlled even on declivities.
I provide a vehicle such as a bicycle with two connected brake blocks or equiva-
lents, one to act upon the front wheel, the other upon the back wheel.
The arrangement is such that both can be controlled by one handle, and that
when it is actuated to apply the brakes, the rearward brake will come into
operation before the forward brake.
I construct and arrange a brake in such wise that the brake block or equivalent
is applied by the action of a spring, but is normally held off by the power of a
superior spring.
Brakes according to my invention may be variously constructed and arranged.
In one arrangement, there is provided in front of the rear wheel below the
level of the centre, a brake block or friction rubber in connection with which a
sufficiently strong spring is so arranged that when not overpowered it will press
the brake block or friction rubber against the wheel. Above the front wheel
there is a brake of the plunger type, normally kept off by the action of a spring,
as well understood, this spring being more powerful than that which tends to
apply the rearward brake.
By a suitable flexible or other connection, the rearward brake is so connected to
the brake-operating handle that when it is actuated as usual to apply the brake
in opposition to the spring whereby the front brake is normally kept off, the
rearward brake will be gradually released so as to be applied by its spring, and
by continued movement of the handle, the front brake will be applied to the
front wheel.
Should the connection stretch or break, the rearward brake would be applied
in an automatic manner by its spring.
In one construction, the brake block or friction rubber for the rearward wheel
is secured to a block hanger in a usual way.
A spring of sufficient strength (which may be either of steel or indiarubber) is
so arranged that when free it will press the block or rubber against the wheel; a
strong flexible wire cord or equivalent, not liable to stretch, is connected to an
eye provided in the block hanger and is carried under the frame and upward to a
small pulley provided at the side of the steering socket of the front wheel, and is
coupled either to the short end of the ordinary brake lever, or to the push rod
of the front brake.
The length of the flexible connection is adjusted so that, as already stated,

page_text: upon the brake lever handle being grasped by the hand in the ordinary way,
the rearward brake will be first applied."
In another arrangement, I make the brake hanger which carries the rubber in
the form of a steel spring and connect it to the front brake by means of a cord
connection.
Tyre brakes, rim brakes, disc brakes and band brakes may be constructed and
arranged to operate in accordance with my invention, which can be readily and
cheaply applied to existing vehicles.
1, EDWARD JOHN COTTON MANICO, of 38, Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone, in the
County of Essex, 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 has reference to brakes suitable for bicycles and other vehicles,
the object being to provide simple means whereby such vehicles may be efficiently
controlled even on declivities.
I provide a vehicle such as a bicycle with two connected brake blocks or equiva-
lents, one to act upon the front wheel the other upon the. back wheel. The
arrangement is such that both can be controlled by one handle and that when
it is actuated to apply the brakes, the rearward brake will come into operation
before the forward brake.
I construct and arrange a brake in suchwise that the brake block or equivalent
is applied by the action of a spring, but is normally held off by the power of a
superior spring.
Tyre brakes, rim brakes, disc brakes and band brakes can be variously con-
structed and arranged to operate in accordance with my invention, which can be
readily and cheaply applied to existing vehicles.
Fig. 1 is a part side elevation of a bicycle provided with one construction of
brake according to this invention.
In this arrangement, there is provided in front of the rear wheel 1 below the
level of the centre thereof, a brake block or friction rubber 2 (hereinafter called
the brake block) in connection with which a sufficiently strong spring 3 is so
arranged that when not overpowered it will press the brake block against the
tyre 4 of the wheel. Above the front wheel 5 there is a brake 6 of the plunger
type, normally kept off by the action of a spring 7, as well understood, this spring
being more powerful than that, viz. 3, which tends to apply the rearward brake.
By a suitable flexible or other connection the rearward brake is so connected to
the brake-operating handle 9 that when the latter is actuated as usual to apply
the brake 6 in opposition to the spring 7, the rearward brake will be gradually
released so as to be applied by its spring, and by continued movement of the said
handle, the front brake 6 will be applied to the front wheel 5. Should the con-
nection 8 stretch or break, the rearward brake would be applied in an automatic
manner by its spring.

page_text: In the construction now being described, the brake block 2 is secured to a
block hanger 10-10 made in the form of a bent lever that is hinged to a
bracket 11 secured to the cross bar 12 or other part of the chain stays 13. The
spring 3 is formed of a bent strip of steel having a tail piece bearing on the
brake lever 10" and made of sufficient strength and set to force the brake block 2
against the wheel tyre 4 with the desired pressure when released. The connec-
tion S consists of a strong flexible wire or cord that is not liable to stretch. It
is connected to the arm 10 of the brake hanger or lever by an adjustable eve
bolt 14 and is led upward to and partly around a small pulley 15 provided at the
side of the steering socket 17 of the front wheel 5, its upper end being suitably
connected to the short end of the ordinary brake lever 9, as by an eye screwed
into the said lever end, or by other suitable means. Or the flexible connection 8
may be connected to the push rod 6 of the front brake 6. The length of the
flexible connection 8 is adjusted by means of the eye bolt 14 so that, as already
stated, upon the brake lever handle 9 being grasped by the hand in the ordinary
way, the rearward brake will be first applied.
As will be seen the arrangement is such that upon gripping the long end of the
brake lever 9 in the ordinary way and raising the same, the short end of the said
lever will be depressed, thereby releasing, or partly so, the tension on the con-
necting wire 8 and enabling the spring 3 to apply the brake block 2 to the tyre 4
with greater or less pressure, as may be desired, and afterwards applying the
front brake 6, and upon releasing the hand lever 9, the front brake spring will
automatically act to first take off the front brake and afterwards the rear brake.
Spring applied brakes, either of the tyre, (plunger) type, or rim" type can
be applied on my principle to the front wheel of a bicycle or other vehicle and
worked in conjunction with the rear brake and operated by the ordinary handle.
Fig. 2 shows a modified arrangement in which the brake hanger carrying the
rear brake block 2 is made in the form of a flat steel spring 10 that is fixed to
the cross bar 12 and is held in the off position by the flexible connection S
which is connected to it by the eye bolt 14.
"
"
Fig. 3 shows a more elastic form of spring brake block hanger 10 which is
secured at one end to the cross stay 12 and is formed at the other end with a tail
like projection 10° to receive the adjusting eye bolt for the wire connection.
Fig. 4 shows another arrangement in which the rear brake spring consists of a
coiled compression spring 3 that encircles a spring rod 16 and the action of which
is capable of being adjusted by means of a nut 17. The brake block hanger 10h
may be made either of spring steel or of other flexible material. The spring
rod 16 is jointed to the brake block hanger at 18 and works freely in a guide 19
on the bottom bracket 20. The connecting wire S is attached to the spring
rod 16 by means of an adjustable screw.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement in which the rear brake is arranged to act upon
the rim of the back wheel. In this case the brake block 2, formed of leather or
other suitable material, is arranged to act upon the inner periphery of the wheel
rim 21. The brake block hanger, consisting of a bent lever 10-10, is pivoted
to the chain stay 13 and is forced towards the wheel rim by an adjustable com-
pression spring carried by a spring rod 16 the rear end of which works through
a guide 19 fixed to the chain stay 13, and tlie front end of which beats, under
the action of the spring 3, against the lower arm 10 of the brake block hanger.
By this arrangement the spring can yield and accommodate itself to any uneven-
ness in the wheel rim 21, due to its not running truly, and thus allow of a more
uniform retarding effect being produced upon the wheel than is the case with
the rim brakes heretofore usually employed, and with less destructive action on
the wheel rim than usual. The upper arm 10 of the brake block hanger is
attached, as before, to the flexible connector 8 which is led under the bottom
bracket 20.
A brake block mounted and operated as just described with reference to Fig. 6,

page_text: may be provided at each side of the rear wheel so as to act upon the inner peri-
phery of the wheel rim 21 at opposite sides thereof. In this case each brake
block hanger 10-10 with its spring 3ª, may be arranged to act independently of
the other, and the upper ends of the hanger arms 10ª be connected together by a
compensating yoke 22 (see Figs 5 and 6), or its equivalent, which is provided with
an adjustable eye bolt 14 for connection to the wire connection 8 by which the
rear brake is connected to the short end of the ordinary front brake lever as
hereinbefore described with reference to Fig 1.
Fig. 7 shows a modified construction of rear rim brake wherein the brake
block 2 is arranged above the chain stay 13 instead of below it, as in Fig. 5, and
the lower arm 10 of the hanger or lever is connected to the wire connection 8.
The rear brake in each of the modified constructions hereinbefore described
acts in the same manner as that described with reference to Fig. 1.
From the foregoing description it will be obvious that brakes according to this
invention can be variously constructed and arranged.
In each case should the wire or other connection 8 break, the rear brake will be
automatically and immediately applied to the rear wheel in a safe way so as to
bring the machine to rest. With the arrangements shown in Figs. 5 and 7,
the rear brake will also be available should the coiled spring 3 break, for being
in compression, such spring will still be available to push the brake block against
the wheel rim. For this reason a coiled spring in compression is more reliable
than a bent plate spring, or a coiled spring in tension, and the arrangements
shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 are for this reason preferable to those shown in Figs. 1,
2 and 3.
The invention is specially suitable for use in connection with bicycles and other
vehicles having what are known as free wheels."
In the case of tyre brakes. as the braking action necessary to retard or stop
the motion of the bicycle or other vehicle is applied to two tyres, instead of one as
heretofore usual, the durability of the tyres will be increased and they will become
worn in a more uniform manner than usual.
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 a bicycle or other vehicle, two connected brakes controlled by one handle,
one of the brakes being adapted to be applied to the front wheel of the vehicle
and the other to the rear wheel, the arrangement being such that when the lever
is operated to apply the brakes, the rear brake will come into operation before
the front one, substantially as described.
2. In a bievele or other vehicle. two connected brakes adapted to be controlled
by one handle, one of the brakes being adapted to be applied to the front wheel
of the vehicle in opposition to a spring and the other being adapted to be
applied to the rear wheel of the vehicle by the action of a second spring that is
weaker than and acts in opposition to the first spring, the arrangement being
such that when the handle is operated to apply the brakes, the rear brake will
come into operation before the front one, and when the handle is released, both
brakes will be taken off by the spring of the front brake, substantially as
described.
3. In a bicycle or other vehicle, the combination with an ordinary plunger
brake having a lifting spring and a controlling handle for the front wheel of the
vehicle, of a rear brake having a spring adapted to apply such brake to the rear
wheel of the vehicle. and a flexible connection between the spring operated part
of the rear brake and the brake handle or rod of the front brake and whereby the
rear brake is normally held in its "off" position by the spring of the front brake,
substantially as described.
4. In a bicycle or like vehicle, brake apparatus constructed, arranged and

page_text: operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in
Fig. 1, or modified according to Fig. 2; or to Fig. 3; or to Fig. 4; or to Fig. 5;
or to Fig. 6; or to Fig. 7 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 15th day of January 1900.
For the Applicant,
V. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.