Improvements in Revolving Brakes for Cycles, specially applicable to Pneumatic and Cushion Tyres.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolving Brakes for Cycles, specially applicable
to Pneumatic and Cushion Tyres.
I JAMES MCHARDY of Zeoffany House, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex,
Scientific Expert, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention, which relates to improvements in revolving cycle brakes especially
applicable to pneumatic and cushion-tyres, is carried out on the principle of a
friction-drive in which the power of the driving wheel is decreased in proportion
to the flattened surface of the said driving wheel and the wheel driven either
separately, or in combination with a direct skid applied in a convenient manner to
the revolving brake.
The said revolving brake may be of the same material as the wheel to which it
is applied or it may be of a solid yielding or elastic material.
The said revolving brake being provided with suitable bearings is attached either
with or without a spring to a plunger.
If the said spring be used and a rigid hood to act both as a mud guard and a
skid be adjusted to the plunger in proximity to the said revolving brake the action
will be such as will cause the revolving brake to retard the wheel upon which it is
pressed in proportion to the force applied and the resistance of the spring which
carries it, but if the pressure be increased the aforesaid hood-skid will also be
applied to the upper surface of the revolving brake with the manifest result that
any desirable brake-power will be at command.
As an equivalent to the said spring construction the following method will be
equally effective.
The revolving brake being rigidly attached to the plunger which in turn is
articulated with the hood-skid at a point between its working surface and a hinge-
fulcrum (say on the crown of a bicycle) the parts may be so adjusted that at a
given compression of the yielding surface of the tyre and revolving brake, the said
hood-skid will come in contact with the said revolving brake and retard its progress
and consequently that of the wheel in proportion to the force applied.
Any effective equivalent to the said hood-skid may be used (as for example
friction bearings on the said revolving brake) the object being to supply a yielding
revolving brake effective in itself for all ordinary purposes but always provided
with an arresting skid which shall automatically come into play in cases of
emergency whenever sufficient force is applied for the purpose.
If the said revolving brake be made on the principle of the pneumatic tyre it
will be provided with a hollow spindle through which it may be readily inflated; if
inflation be unnecessary the brake may be supplied with any suitable spindle either
hollow or solid.
Dated this 13th day of June 1802
CHARLES WILLIAM JULIUS NOLTE,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolving Brakes for Cycles, specially applicable
to Pneumatic and Cushion Tyres.
I, JAMES MCHARDY, Zoffany House, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex,
Scientific Expert, 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 which relates to improvements in revolving cycle brakes, especially
applicable to pneumatic & cushion ty res, is carried out on the principle of a friction
drive in which the power of the driving wheel is decreased in proportion to the
flattened surface of the said driving wheel and the wheel driven either separately
or in conjunction with a direct skid applied to the revolving brake in the manner
hereinafter described.
My invention is specially designed to prevent or avoid the cutting of pneumatic
tyres by small stones, grit &c., picked up by the tyre. In brakes now in use the
pressure of the brake upon the tyre, catches and holds the particles referred to,
whereby the outer cover of the pneumatic tyre is cut or torn and thus seriously
damaged, and in many cases rendered useless. By my invention the roller,
spherical or otherwise, is permitted to revolve but at a speed reduced proportionately
to the pressure of the skid, and the wear & tear of the brake upon the tyre is in
my invention transferred to wear of the roller against the skid.
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood in its details, I will
now refer to the annexed illustrative drawings in which :-
Fig. 1. is a side view of my brake attached to the frame of a cycle, showing the
brake acting on the pneumatic tyre.
Fig. 2. is a perspective view of my brake on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3. is a bottom view of my brake.
A A. are the handles of the machine.
B is the brake rod.
C is the spring thereon.
D is the fork of the rod B.
E is the link on brake rod.
F is the fulcrum.
G is the skid.
His the ball brake.
S is its spindle.
K is the pneumatic tyre.
I is the fork of the machine, and,
M is the jaw for fixing the brake to the machine.
Like letters refer to like parts.
In carrying out my invention, I attach to the frame of a cycle furnished with
pneumatic tyre K a suitable bracket or jaw M, provided with suitable bearings
destined to hold the skid G which fulfils the purpose of acting as a skid or double, 4
action brake, as hereinafter explained.
The frame D. E. carrying the skid G & the roller brake H is made of metal in
a style to suit the general finish of the machine to which the brake is attached.
The skid G is also preferably made of metal but not of necessity, it may be
constructed of leather on a wire frame or in any other convenient manner. When 4
not used the brake is held above the tyre in the manner shown by dotted lines in
Fig. 1. I have here shown the braking gear generally used, but any other suitable
mechanical arrangement may be used for raising and lowering the brake. In
lowering or applying the brake, the rubber ball H, carried on spindle S, is brought
into contact with the tyre K.

page_text: For ordinary purposes I only employ the single rubber brake H, but where extra
power is required, I employ the double brake or skid, by forcing said skid G down
on the rubber brake H. The amount of pressure required is regulated by hand.
The plunger B is of the ordinary kind, either with or without a
spring. It is
obvious that by being able to regulate the brake at will, the required power only
will be used, and any extra friction & consequent wear of material will be
avoided.
.
The rubber ball H may be either solid or hollow & capable of inflation, like a
pneumatic tyre, & its spindle S may be also either solid or hollow. If a pneumatic
ball is required the inflation can take place through a hollow spindle.
It will be obvious that my invention allows of modifications, for instance having
two balls acting at the sides of the tyre & having a common skid.
An equivalent to the skid may be used (as for example friction bearings on the
said revolving brake) the object being to supply a yielding revolving brake,
effective in itself for all ordinary purposes, but always provided with an arresting
skid which shall automatically come into play in cases of emergency whenever
sufficient force is applied for the purpose.
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. For brakes for cycles provided with pneumatic or cushion tyres, the use of an
india rubber ball H either solid, hollow, or inflated, acting in conjunction with a
skid, which latter fulfils the purpose of a double action brake, substantially as
described herein before with reference to the annexed illustrative drawings.
Dated this 7th day of December 1893.
CHARLES WILLIAM JULIUS NOLTE,
Agent for the Applicant.