Improvements in Brakes for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I WILLIAM GEORGE DUNN of 43 Birdhurst Rise, South Croydon, Surrey,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention provides an improvement in the application of brakes to the
wheels of cycles or other vehicles and consists of the introduction of a small
intermediate wheel or roller of rubber or other suitable material between the wheel
to which the brake is to be applied and the ordinary brake.
In the ordinary safety cycle the brake is usually attached in front of the steering
column in such a way that the spoon or face of the brake rests immediately over
the front wheel so that when the rider desires to apply the brake he operates the
handle and the brake is at once brought into full contact with the wheel rendering
accidents from a too sudden stoppage liable.
The improved brake, the subject of this invention, obviates this danger. Iu
applying this invention to an ordinary safety cycle, the ordinary brake would be
fixed with the spoon or face of the brake about 3 or 4 inches from the face of the
front wheel, and the intermediate wheel before referred to, which would be 2
or 3 inches in diameter, would be placed between the front wheel and the face of
the brake. It could conveniently be attached by a small fork bracket to the fork
crown of the machine or in any other convenient manner. The intermediate wheel
would be kept free from the front wheel by means of a spring or other suitable
means.
In applying the brake, the rider by operating the ordinary handle would bring
the spoon or face of the brake down ou to the intermediate wheel bringing this
down in turn on to the wheel which it was desired to control. When the two
wheels come into contact the small wheel immediately begins to revolve and
continues to do so until the machine is brought to a standstill. By this means the
brake is applied much more gradually than by the ordinary method, while the wear
and tear of the tyre is considerably lessened, and the danger of puncture or cutting
is also avoided.
This invention may be applied to all classes of cycles and other vehicles, and
the intermediate or controlling wheel may be attached to the brake rod or fixed in
any suitable and convenient manner. The size of the intermediate wheel may be
varied as required.
Dated this 25th day of October 1905.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM GEORGE DUNN of 43 Birdhurst Rise, South Croydon, Surrey,
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 provides an improvement in the application of brakes to the
wheels of cycles or other vehicles and consists of the introduction of a small
intermediate wheel or roller of rubber or other suitable material between the wheel
to which the brake is to be applied and the ordinary brake.
In the ordinary safety cycle the brake is usually attached in front of the steering
column in such a way that the spoon or face of the brake rests immediately over
the front wheel so that when the rider desires to apply the brake he operates the
handle and the brake is at once brought into fall contact with the wheel, rendering
accidents from a too sudden stoppage liable. The improved brake, the subject of
this invention, obviates this danger.
The better to explain my meaning reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1. is a side elevation
Fig. 2. is a front view of one form of my invention, and
Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of an alternative form.
In applying this invention to an ordinary safety cycle, the ordinary brake would
be fixed with the spoon or face of the brake about 3 or 4 inches from the face of
the front wheel, and the intermediate wheel before referred to, which would be 2
or 3 inches in diameter or any convenient size would be placed between the front
wheel and the face of the brake.
The spoon is shown dotted at A. in Figs. 1 and 2. In the full lines, however,
the same action and purpose as the spoon are obtained by a cross bar B. with a
facing C. of leather or other suitable material or solid metal may be used. This
brake bears upon the rims D. D. of the intermediate wheel.
This wheel could be conveniently attached by a small fork bracket to the fork
crown of the machine or in any other convenient manner. Two side links E. E.
are shown in the drawing and a side spring E¹ keeps the wheel raised until depressed
by the spoon A. or its equivalent B. In applying the brake the rider by operating
the ordinary handle would bring the spoon or face of the brake down on to the
intermediate wheel bringing this down in turn on to the wheel which it was desired
to control. When the two wheels come into contact the small wheel immediately
begins to revolve and continues to do so until the machine is brought to a standstill.
By this means the brake is applied much more gradually than by the ordinary
method, while the wear and tear on the tyre is considerably lessened, and the
danger of puncture or cutting is also avoided.
In the alternative plan, Figs. 3 and 4, the intermediate wheel has two flanges, one
of which F. is detachable to renew the rubber or other rolling face G. and to
admit of detaching the wheel from the brake to renew the wearing pieces H.
which may be leather metal or other desirable material.
It will be seen that the brake acting portion H is continued to embrace the
rims of the intermediate wheel although with good clearance, as shown in Fig. 3.
which is a side elevation with the flange of rim F. removed. It will be seen that
when the pieces H. are put into position and the rim F. mutted up, that they are
held in position without the need of other fastening.
On account of the special form of brake pieces, the wheel is carried without
side links, and the brake rod may be guided by a rigid fork J. as shown, which is

page_text: attached to the head of the machine, much the same in fact as now in use for the
ordinary spoon brake.
This invention may be applied to all classes of cycles and other vehicles, and the
intermediate or controlling wheel may be attached to the brake rod or fixed in any
suitable and convenient manner. The size of the intermediate wheel may be
varied as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The use of an intermediate wheel between the brake block proper and the
main wheel, whereby abrasion of the surface of the said wheel is prevented an.!
the wearing surface is transferred to a portion of the intermediate wheel aforesaid,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
2. The construction or combination of the parts forming a brake, whereby an
intermediate wheel is so mounted that the act of pressing it against the main
wheel causes a retarding effect upon its own revolution, substantially as herein
described and illustrated.
Dated this 14th dor of July 1896
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.