Improvements in Brake Appliances for Bicycles, Tricycles, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Appliances for Bicycles, Tricycles, and
the like.
A communication by the firm of FRANKENBURGER AND OTTENSTEIN, of
Nuremberg, Bicycle Manufacturers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The brakes hitherto employed for velocipedes have the drawback that, in order
to keep them acting, they must either be pressed on by the hand throughout the
whole of the time during which it is necessary to apply the brake, or must be
fixed or retained when applied by means of special devices.
The improved brake on the contrary is so arranged, that, when by means of
the brake lever it is applied in the usual manner, and the brake spoon is
merely brought into contact with the india rubber tyre, a vigorous drawing on
of the brake, or of the brake spoon takes place automatically in consequence
of the friction between the brake spoon and the periphery of the wheel. The
brake is further maintained in this position until it is shifted therefrom by the
cyclist.
In order to attain this result, the brake rod is not connected directly with the
brake spoon, but the latter engages in the middle of a hinged lever, one end of
which is attached to the frame of the cycle wheel, and the other end is connected
with the brake spoon. The latter is further suspended from a rod having a fixed
point on the wheel frame.
If now' the brake lever be drawn, the ends of the hinged lever are pressed
apart by means of the brake rod, the brake spoon is thereby pushed forward
and simultaneously turned round its point and thus comes in contact with the
tyre of the wheel.
In consequence of the friction resulting therefrom; the brake spoon is gripped by
the periphery of the wheel and is drawn forward in the direction of the revolution
of the same. The hinged levers are thereby pressed apart The brake spoon is
pressed on the tyre by means of its attachment to the rod, which is fixed to the
wheel frame and is retained automatically in this position until the braking is
completed.
In order to make the pull of the brake elastic, and to allow of its being, if
necessary, limited or regulated by the lever, a spring is inserted between the ends
of the lever, which tends to hold the same together, and the effect of which must
be overcome both on the application as well as during the automatic pressing on of
the brake.
The whole exertion required of the rider during the application of the brake,
when using the above described brake device, consists in regulating the applica-
tion of the same according to requirements, whilst the continuous pressing on of
the brake, which requires considerable exertion, is no longer necessary.
The brake may be applied to cycle wheels of any description, and both to the
front and the back wheels. The same may be also applied to other vehicles.
Dated this 28th day of November 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Appliances for Bicycles, Tricycles, and
the like.
A communication by the firm of FRANKENBURGER & OTTENSTEIN, of
Nuremberg, in the Empire of Germany, Bicycle Manufacturers.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool & 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster & 323, High. Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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 :-
The brakes hitherto employed for velocipedes have the drawback that, in order
to keep them acting, they must either be pressed on by the hand throughout the
whole of the time during which it is necessary to apply the brake, or must be
fixed or retained when applied by means of special devices.
The improved brake shown on the accompanying drawings in Figures 1-3 is,
on the contrary, so arranged, that, when by means of the brake lever a it is applied
in the usual manner, and the brake spoon b is merely brought into contact with the
india rubber tyre c, a vigorous drawing on of the brake, or of the brake spoon, takes
place automatically in consequence of the friction between the brake spoon and the
periphery of the wheel. The brake is further inaintained in this position until it is
shifted therefrom by the cyclist.
In order to attain this result, the brake rod d is not connected directly with the
brake spoon, but engages in the middle of a hinged lever ef, one end of which
is attached at i to the frame of the cycle wheel G and the other end is connected
with the brake spoon. The latter is further suspended from a rod g which is
movably arranged on a fixed point on the wheel frame.
.If now, the brake lever be drawn, the ends of the hinged lever ef are pressed
apart by means of the brake rod d, the brake spoon is thereby pushed forward and
simultaneously turned round its point u and thus comes in contact with the tyre c
of the wheel.
In consequence of the friction resulting therefrom, the brake spoon is gripped by
the periphery of the wheel and is drawn forward in the direction of the revolution
of the same. The hinged levers ef are thereby pressed apart, see. Figure 3. The
brake spoon is pressed on the tyre c by means of its attachment to the rod 9 which
is fixed to the wheel frame and is retained automatically in this position until the
braking is completed.
In order to make the pull of the brake elastic, and to allow of its being, if
necessary, limited or regulated by the lever, a spring k is inserted between the ends
of the lever i and o, which tends to hold the same together, and the effect of which
must be overcome both on the application as well as during the automatic pressing
on of the brake.
The whole exertion required of the rider during the application of the brake,
when using the above described brake device, consists in regulating the application
of the same according to requirements, whilst the continuous pressing on of the
brake, which requires considerable exertion, is no longer necessary.
The brake may be applied to cycle wheels of any description, and both to the
front and the back wheels. The same may also be applied to other vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A brake appliance for bicycles, tricycles and the like, in which the brake
spoon (6), operated by means of a brake lever in combination with an angle

page_text: lever (ef), is movably suspended on a fixed point (u) in such a way that the brake
spoon, when once applied to the wheel tyre, is firmly pressed thereon and cannot
become disengaged automatically.
Th: 20th Jan of Aument 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.