Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycle-wheels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brakes for Cycle-wheels.
A communication from BRUNO IMANUEL EGER, of 8, Maternistrasse, Dresden-
Altstadt, Saxony, German Empire, Merchant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I. Mech. E., and Chartered Patent Agent, 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 present cycle-wheel brake is particularly remarkable for two features, viz.
(1) it is not applied to the indiarubber tyre surrounding the wheel, but acts on
the inside of the rim or felloe of the wheel, and (2) the pressure is exerted and
the necessary friction produced, not by means of a block or shoe, but by means of
friction-rollers. The spoon-shaped brake-shoes when hitherto used even in con-
nection with solid tyres have proved unsatisfactory in wet weather, but when
applied to hollow tyres, they are not only ineffective, but may become harmful, as
they not inconsiderably contribute to the wear of the tyre. If the brake be
applied slightly there forms underneath the brake-shoe a kind of fold or recess in
the indiarubber tube, and as the material thus yields to the pressure, the brake-
action remains practically without effect; while in exerting strong and sudden
pressure the tube may be cut open, or caused to burst by inner pressure. There
have also been devised brakes which were to be applied to the hubs of cycle-wheels,
but every specialist knows how deficient these have been found in many respects:
The various drawbacks connected with the cycle-wheel brakes hitherto constructed
are effectively removed by the arrangement forming the subject of this invention,
and which consists in utilizing ordinary friction-rollers as brakes acting upon the
inner surface of the felloe. It will, by the way, be remembered that the attempts
made to use spoon-shaped brake-shoes acting on the inside of the wheel have also
failed to produce a satisfactory result and such brake-shoes therefore the inventor
hereby expressly disclaims.
One or any number of friction-rollers may be employed according to requirements,
and they may be pressed against the felloe of the wheel by means of any suitable
arrangement of links and levers operated either by hand or by the foot of the
rider; or the friction rollers may be pressed against the wheel by means of springs,
in which case the brake, unless operated, would constantly remain in contact with
the wheel, while in operating the spring by hand the brake would be set out of
operation and the wheel released. The motion of the friction-rollers against the
wheel may be either rectilinear or oscillating.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a diagram of the improved brake, a being the steering-bar or fork of
the cycle, and b the felloe or rim of the wheel. The friction-roller c is pivotted at
Where two friction-rollers c
the end of a bar d adjustably secured to the fork a.
are used, the bar or rod d may assume the shape of a fork or yoke, the arms of
which embrace the wheel and are each provided with a roller as will be more
fully described further on.
Figure 2 shows a friction-roller c pivotted to a lever e which is itself pivotted to
the main fork of the machine. With this single or one-armed lever e engages a
rod or bar d¹, whereby the lever together with its roller may be brought closer to
or moved away from the felloe of the wheel. In this case also two rollers may be
employed instead of one, if preferred, the rod d¹ being fork-shaped.

page_text: A particularly fitting construction of a friction-roller c is illustrated by Figures 3
and 4. To the end of the rod d (or lever e) there is secured by means of nuts ca
pin c¹, serving as a rotating pivot or spindle for the roller c. The roller itself is
preferably provided on its circumference with an indiarubber ring c³ or covered
with some other yielding material. To obtain a more powerful brake-action, the
rotation of the roller c may be checked by increasing the frictional resistance. As
shown in Figures 3 and 4, this is effected in the present instance by means of
convex discs c, which may be expanded by tightening the nuts against the head
of the pin c when, the discs c will exercise a yielding pressure upon the ring
surrounding the roller c.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the motion of the roller c is checked by
means of a spiral spring e placed around the spindle c¹ and pressing against the.
head of this spindle. I do not however confine myself to these devices for checking
the roller c as any means or brake-mechanism which will check or retard the motion
of the rollers, if this be at all necessary, may be employed without departure from
the principle of the invention.
The figures now to be described are illustrative of some of what are considered
the best methods of applying this improved frictional brake to cycle-wheels.
Figures 6 and 7 show a brake in which the rollers exercising the brake-action
are pressed against the felloe of the wheel constantly by means of a spring, so
that to release the wheel it is necessary for the cyclist to act upon the spring
during his ride, and for this purpose there is provided a special locking-device of
which Figures 8 and are detailed views on an enlarged scale.
The friction-rollers are arranged (as has been suggested before in reference to
Figure 1) upon the ends of the arms of a fork terminating the rod or bar which is
adjustably fitted to the ordinary steering-fork of a cycle. As shown in Figure 7
the rollers c are thus situated outside the plane of the spokes, while occupying such
a position that when raised they bear on the felloe of the wheel. The rod d is
constantly retained in a raised position by the spring f so that the brake remains
in operation of its own accord unless purposely released. For the operation of the
said spring, the brake-lever g is arranged to engage the upper end of d, the said
lever extending, like that of the ordinary spoon-shaped brake, along one arm of
the handle-bar. By pressing the external brake-lever arm against the handle-bar,
the rod d together with the rollers ċ may be lowered, and consequently the brake
set out of operation; but to retain it in this position the arrangement employed
(which may also serve for adjusting the pressure of the brake) is as follows,
With the handle bar h is connected by means of a suitable bracket a lever i with
the groove or slot of which engages a pin connected with the lever g and provided
with small rollers g'. When the lever i is turned up into the dotted position
Figure 8, it having then passed the dead point, will retain the brake-lever g in the
raised position, thereby releasing the brake. When however the lever i is allowed
to descend, the slot still affords sufficient space to enable, if necessary, the said
lever to work still further downwards, thereby also further lowering the lever
and increasing the pressure of the brake. In riding upon sloping or uneven ground
therefore this arrangement enables the brake action to be varied at will by simply
moving the lever i up and down with the hand.
Figures 10 and 11 show a brake provided with swinging rollers of the type shown
in Figure 2 and adapted to be applied as brakes to the felloe of the wheel much
in the same way as an ordinary brake. The rod i assumes the shape of a fork at
its lower end, so as to be able to engage both levers e at the same time. These
levers e differ from those shown in Figure 2 in the feature that they are not single
but double armed, and are pivotted at e' upon a pin or spindle which a bracket e
connects with the cycle fork. A spring f¹ here only serves to keep the
friction rollers out of contact with the wheel while the brake should remain out
of operation.
Figures 12 and 13 represent a brake of the improved construction adapted to be
operated through the medium of a pedal. In these figures a double-brake is shown,

page_text: which may as required be operated by one or both feet of the rider. Or it may
be convenient in such cases to provide one side of the machine with a brake
operated by hand and the other side with one operated by the foot.
The latter mechanism would consist of a lever k provided with a roller c at its
front end, adapted to oscillate about a pin k¹ and carrying a pedal k³ at its rear
end. By operating this pedal the roller c will he brought into contact with the
wheel in an obvious manner.
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 correspondent, I declare that what I claim is,―
1. A cycle brake in which the brake-action is produced by pressing one or more
friction-rollers such as c oscillating or otherwise adjustably arranged within the
circumference of the wheel against the inner surface of the felloe or rim.
2. A cycle brake of the construction characterized in the first claim in which the
friction rollers (c) whatever their number are pressed against the felloe or rim of
the wheel by springs.
3. A retaining and adjusting device for cycle-brakes of the construction charac-
terized in the first claim consisting of a hand lever such as i arranged on the handle-
bar h and engaging by means of a slide groove or slot with the brake-lever proper (9)
the said lever in one position retaining the lever 9 in place after it has passed the
dead point while in the reverse position, it enables the said brake-lever g to be
further operated in order to obtain a more powerful brake action.
4. A cycle-brake of the construction characterized in the first claim in which one
or more friction-rollers (c) are operated by the foot of the rider through the medium
of a lever such as k, and
5. In a cycle brake the arrangement of springs such as c and brake or check
devices such as c' applied to the friction rollers (c) for the purpose of stopping or
retarding their rotation so as to increase the effect of the brake-action substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.