AN IMPROVED BRAKE FOR PERAMBULATORS OR OTHER HAND PROPELLED CARRIAGES
Year: 1885

page_text: Carriages..
I JOHN MAIN of 37 Geneva Road Brixton in the county of Surrey, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED BRAKE FOR
PERAMBULATORS OR OTHER HAND PROPELLED CARRIAGES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of applying brake power to perambulators etc,
to prevent accidents caused by their running off down an incline when left without
an attendant. It consists of an iron rod or bar suspended underneath the
perambulator by two levers one near each end of the bar. These levers are jointed
to swing independantly a short distance allowing the iron rod or bar to be pulled
to or recede from the tyre of the wheel; the distance it recedes being limited by a
stop. The ends of the bar may or may not be fitted with spoons to press against
the tyres. A spring is attached to the bar to pull it off the wheels, and against the
stops a chain, rod, or cord is attached to the bar at the other side to pull the break
bar against the wheels. The cord may be pulled direct by being attached to a
round bolt sliding vertically and having a series of slots at the side to turn the
bolt head into as in an ordinary bolt for a door or it may be wound round a pulley
mounted on a plate fixed to the back of the carriage. The pulley has attached to
it a ratchet wheel which turns with it by a lever handle, and a pawl stops the
running back of the pulley until the pawl is lifted out of the ratchet wheel.
The brake may be made automatic by fixing the spring to pull the brake on to
the wheels and attaching the cord to the handle of the perambulator to be wound
up by the handle or pulled by being attached to a spring lever which when kept
pressed to the handle pulls the cord and draws the brake off the wheels.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brake for Perambulators or other Hand Propelled
Carriages.
I JOHN MAIN of 37, Geneva Road Brixton London, 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 :-
This invention relates to a method of applying brake power to perambulators &c,
to prevent accidents caused by their running off down an incline when left without
an attendant.-It consists of an iron rod or bar suspended underneath the
perambulator by two levers one near each end of the bar, these levers are jointed
to swing independently a short distance allowing the iron rod or har to be pulled
to or recede from the tyre of the wheel; the distance it recedes being limited by a
stop. The ends of the bar may or may not be fitted with spoons to press against
the tyres. A spring is attached to the bar to pull it off the wheels and against the
stops. A chain rod or cord is attached to the bar at the other side to pull the
brake bar against the wheels.-The cord may be pulled direct by being attached
to a round bolt sliding vertically and having a series of slots at the side to turn
the bolt head into as in an ordinary bolt for a door, or it may be wound on a
pulley mounted on a plate fixed to the back of the carriage. The pulley has
attached to it a ratchet wheel which turns with it by a lever handle and a pawl
stops the running back of the pulley until the pawl is lifted out of the ratchet
wheel:
The brake may be made automatic by fixing the spring to pull the brake on to
the wheels, and attaching the cord to the handle of the perambulator to be wound
up by the bandle or pulled by being attached to a spring lover which when kept
pressed to the handle pulls the cord and draws the brake off the wheels.
The drawings attached to the Specification shew one of the methods of carrying
the invention into effect.-Fig. 1. is the side elevation, Fig. 2 the end elevation &
Fig. 3 the plan, in the following description the same letters refer as far as possible
to the same parts; In each of the views A is the body of the perambulator
B & C the front & back wheels, D is the brake-rod which is carried by two
links E & F, which are pivotted to the well or under side of the body of the
perambulator, these links can swing independently of one another so that a uniform
pressure is produced on each wheel by the brake rod when it is pulled in contact
by a cord applied at the centre of the rod.-G is the cord by which this pressure
is applied, the other end of the cord passes round a guide pulley H, up to a
tightening or winch pulley K, by turning which the cord is tightened.-Attached
to this pulley is a handle for turning it and a ratchet wheel fitted with a pawl to
keep the brake on, by releasing the pawl the brake is drawn off automatically by
a spring L, stops M. M. Fig. 2 being placed to prevent the links moving back
beyond the required distance.

page_text: 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.) A Brake for perambulators or other hand propelled vehicles as described in
the aforementioned drawings & specifications.
(2.) In brakes for perambulators a combination of a brake rod with two
supporting links or slings swinging independently of each other substantially as
herein before described.
(3.) In brakes for perambulators a combined pulley and ratchet gear for
tightening the brake substantially as herein before described.