Improvements in or relating to Brake Devices for Safety Bicycles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Brake Devices for Safety Bicycles.
I, THOMAS DUTTON TEMPLER SPARROW of 191 High Road Chiswick, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to brake devices for safety bicycles, that is bicycles
having the two wheels in the same line and approximately of the same size, or in
the case of what are known as the Facile and Geared Ordinary bicycles in which
the front wheel is the driver and usually larger than the trailing wheel.
With bicycles of this description it is customary to apply the brake to the
periphery of one of the wheels and in some cases a band brake is employed upon a
drum upon the hub of the wheel; instead of this arrangement I employ a skid or
shoe which is arranged to be pressed in contact with the ground by the hand or
foot of the rider operating through any suitable mechanism. The skid may be
pivotted to any convenient portion of the frame-work preferably at or near the
bottom or crank axle bracket and is arranged either to be pressed on to the ground
or to be forced or allowed to run underneath one of the wheels of the vehicle
preferably the back one. Where the skid does not run under the wheel a
convenient arrangement is to pivot the arm which carries the shoe or skid some-
where near the bottom bracket and to connect to the other end of this arm or lever
a chain, wire or equivalent device the other end of which may be secured or jointed
to a hand or foot lever or device. By this means when the hand or foot device is
operated the skid is pressed firmly on to the ground and being placed between the
two wheels of the machine and directly under the chief weight of the machine and
rider it will be appreciated that a heavy pull can be secured upon the ground.
Where it is desired that the skid should run under the wheel I prefer to pivot it
at or near the centre of the said wheel and when so arranged it will run under the
wheel of its own accord when it is allowed to touch the ground, sufficient space
being preferably left between the skid and the wheel to prevent the heat of the
skid from damaging the wheel. With this arrangement the brake may
automatically apply itself and can be pulled off by any convenient means to be
operated by the band or foot of the rider.
In any case the brake may be applied or released by the operation of a
spring.
Where the brake is applied by the foot the brake itself may be pivotted as
above described and a connecting rod wire chain etc. secured to the other end of
its arm or lever and a second arm or lever may be pivotted upon the frame, so that
when the foot depresses one end of it the other rises and draws up the leading end
of the brake arm and applies the skid to the ground.
Where the brake is pivotted at the centre of the back wheel and is intended to
raise the wheel off the ground it may be made in two parts or sections and engage
the ground upon each side of the wheel the two parts being connected or not as
desired. The skid or shoe may be made of any desired shape size and materials
but preferably the leading end is formed with a gentle curve so as to rise easily
from the road and prevent digging into it.
Dated this 18th dow of December 1801
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in or relating to Brake Devices for Safety Bicycles.
I, THOMAS DUTTON TEMPLER SPARROW of 191 High Road, Chiswick, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman 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 hy the following statement :-
This invention relates to brake devices for safety bicycles, that is bicycles
having the two wheels in the same line and approximately of the same size, or in
the case of what are known as the Facile and Geared Ordinary bicycles in which
the front wheel is the driver and usually larger than the trailing wheel.
With bicycles of this description it is customary to apply the brake to the
periphery of one of the wheels and in some cases a band brake is employed upon a
drum upon the hub of the wheel; instead of these arrangements I employ a skid
or shoe which is arranged to be pressed into contact with the ground by the hand
or foot of the rider operating through any suitable mechanism. The skid may be
pivotted to any convenient portion of the frame-work preferably at or near the
bottom or crank axle bracket and is arranged either to be pressed on to the ground
or to be forced or allowed to run underueath one of the wheels of the vehicle
preferably the back one. Where the skid does not run under the wheel a con-
venient arrangement is to pivot the arm which carries the shoe or skid somewhere
near the bottom bracket, and to connect to the other end of this arm or lever a
chain, wire or equivalent device the other end of which may be secured or jointed
to a hand or foot lever or device. By this meaus when the hand or foot device is
operated the skid is pressed firmly on to the ground and being placed between the
two wheels of the machine and directly under the chief weight of the machine and
rider a heavy pull can be secured upon the ground.
Where it is desired that the skid should run under the wheel I prefer to pivot it
at or near the centre of the said wheel and when so arranged it will run under the
wheel of its own accord when it is allowed to touch the ground, sufficient space
being preferably left between the skid and the wheel to prevent the heat of the
skid from damaging the wheel. With this arrangement the brake may automatically
apply itself and can be pulled off by any convenient means to be operated by the
haud or foot of the rider.
In any case the brake may be applied or released by the operation of a spring.
Where the brake is applied by the foot the brake itself may be pivotted as above
described and a connecting rod wire chain etc. secured to the other end of its arm
or lever and a second arm or lever may be pivotted upon the frame, so that when
the foot depresses one end of it the other rises and draws up the leading end of the
brake arm and applies the skid to the ground.
Where the brake is pivotted at the centre of the back wheel and is intended to
raise the wheel off the ground it may be made in two parts or sections and engage
the ground upon each side of the wheel the two parts being connected or not as
desired. The skid or shoe may be made of any desired shape size and materials
but preferably the leading end is formed with a gentle curve so as to rise easily fromi
the road and prevent digging into it.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are side elevations of portions of a safety bicycle showing
the application of the brake in different ways, Figure 5 showing a smaller part of
the machine with another application of the brake.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The letter A is used to indicate any portion of the frame to which the various

page_text: the frame A at the point B¹ which may with advantage, though not necessarily
be concentric with the crank axle in the bottom bracket. C is a rod, chain, link,
or other device by which the brake B is connected with the operating mechanism
which in Figure 1 is situated at the handle bar of the machine, any suitable inter-
mediate mechanism such for example as the bell-crank lever D being adopted as
required. The brake when in operation would assume the position indicated in full
lines in the drawing and when out of operation would take the position indicated
in dotted lines, and as the brake would be in the centre line of the vehicle it
would be between the cranks and would not interfere with the cranks or the rider's
feet. Any convenient arrangement of spring E may be employed for lifting the
brake out of contact with the ground when not in use. The operation of the
brake will be clearly understood from the drawing; it rests upon the ground and
drags thereon, and in order to utilize as much as possible the full weight of both.
machine and rider it may with advantage be placed nearer the back wheel than the
front one.
In Figure 2 the operation of the brake is exactly the same as before, but it is
arranged for operation by the foot of the rider through the lever F and link G.
If preferred the lever F and link G may be dispensed with and a rod or equivalent H
may be employed to give a direct push.
In Figure 3 the brake is operated from the handle bar being pivotted as before
and applied through the intervention of the pivotted arm I to which the cable or
equivalent C is connected. The advantage of this arrangement is that by suitably
curving the working faces of I and B and appropriately pivotting 1 and B, the
arm when brought into contact with the brake B at the part B forces the
brake into contact with the ground and will hold there with merely sufficient
pressure from the hand of the rider to counteract the vibration and effect of the
spring E, thus relieving the rider of the chief strain of the application of the
brake.
In Figure 4 the brake is arranged so that the shoe B³ slips underneath the road
wheel J and raises it from the ground. In this case the brake B is pivotted at or
near the axis J¹ of the wheel J and applies itself automatically as soon as allowed
to come into contact with the ground. Any convenient arrangement of levers may
be employed for releasing it as for example the foot plunger K carried in a suitable
bracket L and connected by the link M with the lever N and link C with the
brake shoe B³. A spring may be placed where convenient say at E and
having a tendency to apply the brake which would be held off by depressing the
plunger K, any convenient spring or other catch holding the brake in the off
position so that all that is necessary is to release this catch and the brake will
automatically apply itself. Or the mechanism may be arranged so that the spring
keeps the brake off, the latter being applied by the foot or hand of the rider in any
convenient manner. Instead of the shoe B³ fitting exactly underneath the wheel J
the shoe may be divided into two, one on each side of the wheel, the operation
being the same.
In Figure 5 the application of the brake is the same as in the earlier figures,
but it is shown to be operated by the foot of the rider by a foot plunger K as in
Figure 4, a spring E being employed to lift it clear of the ground. In this case all
links, levers, etc. are dispensed with, the application being direct as indicated.
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
1 claim is :-
1. An improved brake for safety bicycles constructed and operating substantially
as described.
2. In a safety bicycle the employment of a brake acting upon the road between
the road wheels.
3. In a safety bicycle operating a brake of the nature described by the foot of
the rider.

page_text: 4. The combination with a safety bicycle of a brake which bears upon the
ground and is placed between the wheels so as to utilize the weight of the rider.
5. In a safety bicycle a brake of the nature described and adapted to pass
between the wheel and the road lifting the former out of contact with the latter,
and also out of contact with the brake.
6. In a safety bicycle the combination with one of the road wheels of a brake
such as B B pivotted at or near the centre of the road wheel and adapted to pass
between the wheel and road and lift the wheel out of contact with the road and
brake substantially as, described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a safety bicycle the combination with a brake such as B of an arm such
as I substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
THOS. D. T. SPARROW.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.
Dated this 18th day of October
THOS. D. T. SPARROW.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.