or like Velocipedes.
Year: 1885

page_text: or like Velocipedes.
I WILLIAM HILLIARD KNOWLES of 69 Clarendon Road Notting Hill in the
county of Middlesex Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR APPLICABLE TO SPOON BRAKES FOR BICYCLES OR
LIKE VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to so arrange or adapt a spoon brake to a bicycle
or velocipede using such so as to render the application of the same safe, or safer
than the usual spoon brake-that is to say I so arrange the brake that even
when put hard on the spoon is free to yield to irregularities of tyre surface, or
of shock to the wheel, instead of the spoon bearing rigidly on the tyre when the
brake is so applied.
And my invention consists in so adapting or applying a spring between the
brake lever (or device operating the brake) and the brake spoon bearing on
the wheel tyre, that the same when bearing on the wheel can always have a certain
amount of yield or play so as to accomodate itself to irregularity of tyre surface or
of shock to the wheel, and, also especially to provide means for regulating the play
of such spring as may be desired.
In carrying out my invention as applied (say) to a bicycle; I arrange a
fulcrum or pivot attached to and carried by the Stanley or other head, on this
fulcrum I pivot an upwardly projecting bar or lever hereafter called the "brake
lever" which at its upper end engages with a handle or other device for rocking
the same on its pivot or fulcrum and so operating the brake as hereafter described.
This "brake lever" I slot out above its fulcrum and bevel the top of the slot so
that its end forms two arms for the pivot or fulcrum to pass through.
In this space I pivot the end of a bell crank lever carrying the spoon at its
end and which I term the "spoon lever" the short cranked end being suitably
bevelled to abut on the bevelled top of the slot in the brake lever.
On the same pivot or fulcrum I centre a lever above the "spoon lever "which"
I term the "regulator" and which at its end above the spoon on the "spoon lever"
carries a suitable block or abutment.
To the "brake lever" and at a suitable height I secure one end of a flat spring
or springs and I arrange the other end of the same to project downwards and fit -

page_text: or be secured to the abutment of the "regulator" or I can fix a spiral or other
suitable spring or springs between the "brake" and "spoon" levers.
"
I also arrange a thumbscrew or like adjustable stop between the abutment or
end of the "regulator and the top of the "spoon" on the "
spoon lever."
On the "brake handle" being applied it moves the "brake lever" the spring
being directly connected to this, transmits the pressure through the spring to the
regulator" which, subject to its play determined by the previous adjustment of
the beforenamed thumbscrew or adjustable stop transmits such pressure to the
spoon lever" and so to the tyre. Any irregularity of tyre surface or shock will
allow the spoon and the "regulator" to spring back irrespective of the pressure on
the "brake handle" and "brake lever" and so secure safety to the rider.
I do not bind myself to the precise details above set forth.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or Applicable to Spoon Brakes for Bicycles
or like Velocipedes.
I WILLIAM HILLIARD KNOWLES of 69 Clarendon Road, Notting Hill in the
county of Middlesex Schoolinaster 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 object of my invention is to so arrange or adapt spoon brakes to bicycles or
velocipedes using such, as to render the application of the same safer than the usual
spoon brake that is to say—I so arrange the brake that even when applied to
its utmost power the spoon is free to yield in some degree to irregularities of tyre
surface, or of shock to the wheel, instead of the spoon bearing rigidly on the tyre
when the brake is so applied and completely locking it or preventing its revolution,
which in an ordinary bicycle when suddenly applied is apt to throw the rider over
the handle bar.
By my invention when the brake handle is so actuated that the spoon touches
the wheel, there is still a considerable latitude of movement of the brake handle
and consequently of variation in the power to be applied to the spoon, before the
pressure gradually checks the peripheral speed of the wheel so as to at last bring
the same to a standstill and without shock to the rider.
+

page_text: 10 device operawing the brake and the brake spoon bearing on
the wheel tyre, that the same when bearing on the wheel can always have a
certain amount of yield or play so as to accomodate itself to irregularity of tyre
surface or of shock to the wheel and also especially to provide means for regulating
the play of such spring as may be desired.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates my invention as applied to a
bicycle and in the same
Fig. 1 is a side view of the brake "full on."
Fig. 2 is a side view of the brake "off."
Fig. 3 is a plan of the brako.
Fig. 4 is a back view of the fulcrum and joints.
I arrange a fulcrum or pivot A attached to and carried by the " Stanley" or
other head by lugs B B¹ through which it passes and is secured by nuts C C.
On this fulcrum I pivot an upwardly projecting bar or lever D hereafter called
the "brake lever" which at its upper end carries a slot E in which the end of the
brake handle piece" engages as usual.
$6
This "brake lever" I slot out above its fulcrum at F and bevel the top of the
slot as shewn in dotted lines Figs. 1 and 2, so that its end forms two arms G G¹ for.
the pivot or fulcrum A to pass through.
In the space between these arms G G¹ I pivot the end H of a bell crank lever I .
carrying the spoon J at its end and which I term the "spoon lever" the short
cranked end H being suitably bevelled to abut on the bevelled top of the slot F in
the "brake lever" D.
(Instead of the "brake lever" D being partly solid and slotted out at F.I might
make it with spring arms G G and put a pin across them clamped by a nut or
nuts which pin would take the place of the bevel topped slot and form an abut-
ment for the end H of the "spoon lever " I.)
On the same pivot or fulcrum I centre a lever K. above the "spoon lever" I
which I term the "regulator" and which at its end above the spoon J on the
'spoon lever" I carries a suitable block or abutment L.
"
To the "brake lever" D and at a suitable height I secure one end of a flat spring
or springs M and I arrange the other end of the same to project downwards and
press on the "regulator" so to the tyre. R is a spring to help to lift the spoon as
usual.
Irregularity of tyre surface or shock will allow the spoon J and the "regulator" K
to spring back irrespective of the pressure on the "brake handle" and "brake
lever" D and so secure safety to the rider.
I do not bind myself to the precise details set forth as the same may be greatly
varied as regards the shape or arrangement of the various levers and spring (for
instance I may transmit pressure to the spoon J by the elongation or contraction of
spiral in place of flat springs) but in all cases I cause the spoon to be actuated by
a "brake lever" pivoted independently of it and which "brake lever" on being
actuated by the "brake handle" transmits power to the spoon by a spring or
springs interposed between the "brake lever" and the spoon.
My brake can also be applied to other velocipedes than bicycles particularly to
tricycles of the "Challenge" "Gnat" or like "central-driver" type and the details
will of course vary with the type of machine to which it is to be applied.
I am well aware that springs are in general use to "pull off" spoon brakes from
the tyres of velocipedes-and I am also aware that such have been used to put on
the brakes by releasing a catch or trigger.
I am also well aware of a patent granted to one Charles Alfred Guslett No. 5116
of 1884 in which a spring is interposed between the brake handle and the bell
crank carrying at its end the spoon.
In this brake the spring is a helix, tube, (split or otherwise) or rod or rods
in torsion revolving on or about the steering handle of a bicycle carrying at its one
end a thumb piece to twist the same and at the other a tinger to engage in the

page_text: usual slot in the bell crank carrying the spoon. This slot however has two notches
into either of which the finger can engage to lock the spoon either off or on the
wheel..
Though the brake is in this case applied through an elastic medium it is not
applied as in my invention, as, .when "full on," the spoon is locked on the wheel
in place of always being able to yield independently of the motion of the brake
handle as in my invention, where locking of the spoon on the wheel cannot take.
place.
:
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
.
Firstly. Applying spoon brakes to velocipedes in such manner that the pressure
from the "brake handle" to the spoon is transmitted through a spring or springs
acting directly on the spoon, so that the spoon shall be at all times capable of a
certain latitude of motion and unable to absolutely lock the wheel' as described.
Secondly. A spoon brake for velocipedes in which the "brake lever" (such as D)
operated by the "brake handle or operating device is pivoted independently of
the spoon proper and communicates its motion thereto through a spring or springs
so that the, said "brake lever and spoon are free to move independently of each
other as and for the purposes described.
"
Thirdly. In combination with the pivoted "brake lever" D, the spring or
springs M, and the pivoted "spoon lever" I J,-a regulating device such as K-for
regulating the pressure of the spring on the brake spoon as and for the purposes
described.