Improvements in and relating to Bicycle Brakes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
Improvements in and relating to Bicycle Brakes.
I, EDWARD DUNNING ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
at 301, T Street, North-west, in the City of Washington and District of Columbia,
United States of America (employee of the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission), 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:
My invention relates to bicycle brakes, and it has reference to the particular class
of such brakes which are employed to operate upon the rear wheel.
For various reasons, a brake which operates upon the rear wheel is usually
considered preferable to one which operates upon the front wheel, but owing to the
usual construction of brakes of this character, the operating element of which is often
attached to the handle bars, thus necessitating a multiplicity of parts, such devices
are rendered impracticable, because they are cumbersome, are apt to become loose
where their various parts are connected, and are more or less an interference to the
rider's movements. Moreover, in view of the present designs upon which handle-
bars are constructed, a brake cannot be conveniently attached to them.
The brake which I have devised obviates all the above faults, because it is simple,
is so constructed as to be readily attached to a portion of the bicycle frame where it
is least exposed, and at the same time is within reach of the rider's hand.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a view of a section of a bicycle frame with part of the rear wheel,
showing my brake in position;
Figure 2 shows a preferable form of brake hanger;
Figure 3 shows a modified form of the brake hanger, and
Figures 4 and 5 show certain details of the invention.
Upon the pair of uprights of the bicycle frame which extend from the saddle post
to the rear wheel axle, and in operative contiguity to the periphery of said wheel,
a brake-shoe 1, is mounted. Said brake-shoe is shaped like the ordinary brake-
shoe for bicycles, and is provided with the usual upwardly extending perforated
ear a¹.
Adjustably secured to clamps 2, comprising two sections having securing bolts b b¹,
is a cross-bar or hanger 3, the ends of which are flattened and are provided with
longitudinally extending slots c c¹.
Said rod is provided with downwardly extending ears d d¹, between which and to
which the brake-shoe is pivotally connected, being fulcrumed at its rear end a on
the pin or bolt e which passes through said ears d d¹.
Above the projections or ears d d¹ and rigidly secured at one of its ends to the
cross-bar 3 is a flat spring 4, which projects forward and is in contact with the ear a¹
of the brake-shoe. Said ear is cut away to receive the free end of the spring, the
normal tendency of which is thus to raise the brake-shoe out of contact with the
periphery of the wheel.
By means of the slots c c¹ which, as has been described, are situated in the
flattened ends of the cross-bar, and the bolt 6¹ which passes through each of them,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the bar carrying the brake-shoe is made adjustable laterally, so that it is thus
possible to always arrange the brake-shoe to operate squarely upon the periphery of
the wheel. It is also possible to adjust the brake-shoe toward or away from the
wheel by means of said bolts 61, which, with the bolts b, are adapted to secure the
clamp 2 to the uprights of the frame.
Pivoted at one end in the perforated ear a³ of the brake-shoe is a telescopic
connecting rod 5, the sections of which are secured together by a binding screw f,
by which means said rod is made adjustable to any desired length. In order to bring
the rod closer to the uprights of the frame, the ear a¹ in which said rod is pivoted at
one end may be situated nearer to the point where said brake-shoe is fulcrumed.
Connected at one of its ends to the upper end of said connecting rod is a lever 6,
fulcrumed near its center and extending beneath the horizontal bar of the bicycle
frame. Said lever is so shaped as to pass around the upright Z of the frame, thus
avoiding interference with the same. Its free end is provided with the usual hand
grip.
The supports to which the lever 6 is fulcrumed consists of a clamp 7 comprising
two portions g g¹ secured together and clamped to the frame by a bolt h. "Below
said bolt another bolt i extends through the portions of the clamp and forms a fulcrum
for the lever.
I have described what I consider the preferable form of the device for securing the
brake-shoe to the uprights of the frame, but in Figure 3 is shown another form of the
hanger. It consists of a cross-bar 8 similar to the cross-bar 3 already described
except that its ends are threaded instead of slotted and flattened. Clamps for
receiving the ends of the said hanger are secured to the uprights by means of a
bolt which passes through and binds together the sections of each clamp. A
perforation 1 of each of the clamp-sections receives one of the threaded ends of the
cross bar, which is provided with binding nuts m m¹ situated on either side of the
clamp. As already intimated, the means for pivoting the brake-shoe and for
mounting the flat spring which actuates the shoe, may be substantially the same in
respect of this cross-bar as the corresponding parts in the cross-bar 3.
It may be found desirable to substitute for the spring herein described, a spring of
another form and adapted to operate differently or in a different position; I therefore
do not wish to be limited to the spring herein shown and described.
The brake herein-described is not only simple in construction, inexpensive and
effective in its operation, but owing to its proximity to the seat of the rider, may be
quickly and easily grasped. Its value as a brake to be used by the rear rider on a
bicycle of the tandem pattern will be recognized.
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 :-
1. The combination with a safety bicycle, of a hand-operative brake apparatus
consisting of a brake-shoe adapted to operate upon the rear wheel of said bicycle, an
operating lever, and suitable means for causing them to move in unison, the said lever
being situated close to the seat of the bicycle and fulcrumed so as to adapt it to
receive force in an upward and substantially vertical direction, substantially as
.described.
2. The combination with a safety bicycle, of a hand-operative brake apparatus
consisting of a brake shoe adapted to operate upon the rear wheel of said bicycle, a
horizontal operating lever fulcrumed upon and beneath the horizontal bar of said
bicycle frame, and suitable means for causing them to move in unison, the said lever
being situated close to the seat of the bicycle and adapted to receive force in an
upward and substantially vertical direction, substantially as described.
3. In a brake for a safety bicycle, a support secured to the frame of said bicycle,
a brake-shoe pivoted thereto and having a perforated ear on its free end, an operating
lever suitably connected to said ear, situated close to the seat of the bicycle and
fulcrumed to receive force in an upward and substantially vertical direction, and a

page_text: flat retractile spring for the brake shoe secured to the support at one of its ends and
having its free end in operative contact with the ear on said brake-shoe, substantially
as described.
Deted this 25th day of I
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.