Improvements in Bicycle Brakes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
We, GEORGE MAY, and JOSEPH EDWARD BUTTERWORTII, both of 35, Whittall
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Cycle Fitters, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object dispensing with the exposed spring usually
employed in bicycle brakes and substituting a self-adjusting and dust proof
brake.
To accomplish this we employ an outer tube into which we insert two spiral
springs and a plunger rod which is held in position by a thumb screw inserted
through a ratchetted slot on the outer tube; thus when adjusting the height of
the handle bar the brake rod being telescopic adjusts itself to the required
position.
On the top of the plunger rod above the outer tube we form a boss head in
which we form a sinking as a concealed joint for the collar end of the lever and
secure it by a pin.
In the bottom of the outer tube we insert the brake guide, fitting it underneath
the lower spiral spring in the tube, a slot being cut in the back of the tube
to allow of the working of the brake guide, which slot we cover by a steel plate
carried by the brake guide, so as to make the brake dust proof.
DL: 01 dor of Tune 1897
HENRY F. TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Bicycle Brakes.
We, GEORGE MAY, and JOSEPH EDWARD BUTTERWORTII, both of 35, Whittall
Street, Birmingham, Cycle Fitters, do hereby declare the nature of this
the same
invention and in what manner
is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
Our invention has for its object dispensing with the exposed spring usually
employed in bicycle brakes and substituting concealed springs, the adjustment
of the length of the brake rod being self acting that is to say, by the action of
a spring when released, and without the use of tools.
To accomplish this we employ an outer tube into which we insert two spiral
springs and a plunger rod which is held in position by a thumbscrew inserted
through a ratchetted slot on the outer tube.

page_text: On the top of the plunger rod above the outer tube we form a bosshead in
which we form a sinking as a concealed joint for the collar end of of the lever and
secure it by a pin.
In the bottom of the outer tube. we insert the brake guide fitting it underneath
the bottom spiral spring in the tube, a slot being cut in the back of the tube
to allow of the working of the brake guide, which slot we cover by a steel plate
carried by the brake guide so as to make the brake dust proof.
We will now more fully describe our invention by the aid of the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the back of one of our brake
rods.
Fig. 2 is a view shewing the inside of the brake and the position of the brake
guide in relation thereto.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of same.
Fig. 4 is a view of the brake guide.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the boss head.
a is an outer tube into which we insert the spiral spring c and the inner tube
or plunger b the spiral spring having a seating upon the disc or cross bar d
in the outer tube a and bearing upon the inserted end of the plunger, or passing
up it as shewn in Fig. 2 and bearing upon the stop piece e.
f is the ratchetted slot formed with the circular ratchets f¹ through this
ratchetted slot passes the shank of the thumbscrew g, screwed into the plunger b
as shewn in Fig. 2. The thumbscrew g is shouldered at g¹, so that when screwed
down as shewn in Fig. 2 the shoulder g¹ will enter into a circular ratchet f¹ and
thus the plunger will be held firmly in position resisting the pressure of the
spiral spring c, and loosening the thumbscrew will raise its shoulder g¹ free
from the ratchet f¹ when the pressure of the spring c at the end of the rod,
not being resisted will cause the spring c to raise the plunger b to any desired
extent, as for instance as shewn in Fig. 3, when the thumbscrew being tightened
the rod will again be securely held. By this adjusting arrangement the length
of the brake rod can be adjusted exactly to the length desired, which is not the
case in any existing arrangements, where the adjusting arrangement can only be
effected at certain points upon the outer tube.
On the top of the plunger rod 6 we form a sinking h¹ on the boss head, h and
having laid therein the collar end of the ordinary brake lever (see Fig. 1) we
insert a screw pin j into the tapped hole (see Fig. 5) the head of the screw pin j
thus concealing the joint.
At the bottom of the outer tube a of the brake guide is the brake springs,
and underneath this brake spring s we insert the front portion k, of the brake
guide Fig. 4, by passing it edgeways through the slot m at the bottom of the brake
rod and turning it into the position shewn in Fig. 2 and then clipping the two
portions of the brake guide k and n onto the forked pillar o as shewn in Fig. 4.
The slot m, Fig. 1 being covered by a plate p (see Fig. 3,) attached to, carried
by, or placed above the front portion of the brake guide to exclude the dust.
Or a tubular piece or band r Fig. 2 may be placed round the tube a covering
the slot m for the same purpose.
The action of the brake is similar to that of an ordinary bicycle brake but the
action is brought about by the concealed springs, bearing upon the projecting
arm k of the brake guide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
(1) In the construction of bicycle brakes the combination of an outer tube and
an inner plunger rod held in position by a thumbscrew or pin inserted through
a ratchetted slot in the outer tube, the plunger rod being caused to rise by the
action of a spring within the outer tube."

page_text: (2) Attaching the brake lever to the lever rod by a joint constructed substantially
as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 5.
(3) In bicycle brakes attaching the brake rod and brake guide to one another
by inserting a projection from the brake guide through a slot in the outer tube
an into the brake rod below a second spring within the outer tube and covering
the said slot by means of a shield band or tube.
(4) In bicycle brakes the combination of a rod or plunger carrying an adjusting
screw pin and an outer tube which tube has a ratchetted slot through which
the adjusting screw pin works and a brake guide passing through a slot in the
outer tube and provided with a shield or covering for the said slot.
1000
HENRY F. TALBOT,
30, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicants.