US400343A - Velocipede-brake - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. B. JEFFERY.

VBLOGIPEDE BRAKE.

No. 4Qo,s43. Pawn-pad Mar. 26, 1889. l-gf nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn cV (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2r T. B. JEFPBRY. VBLOGIPEDB BBAKE.

No. 400,343. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

N. PETERS, Pnmumuguphm wumngmn. 0.1;

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIIOB'IAS I. JEFFERY, OF RAVENSIVOOD, ILLINOIS.

`vE| oc|PEDE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,343, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed June 14,1888. Serial No. 277,036. (No model.)

To all whom it m/ry cancel-71,:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. J EFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen'ts in vVelocipede-Brakes, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle-head and portion of the drivewheel, showing myimproved brake attachedto the head, the position of the brake-shoe being out of contact with the wheel. Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing t-hesame parts with't-he brake-shoe in contact with the wheel.

- Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a modified VFigs. 1 and 2.

form of the brake-operatin g mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar elevation showing another modified form of the brake-Operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan of the forms shown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 6 is a plan of the form shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan showing a modified form of the brake-handle applied to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of a modification of the connection of the brake-shoe to its lever.

A is the drive-wheel.

B is the head.

C is the brake-shoe, which in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the terminal of the lever C', which is pivoted to the head, and in forms shown in Figs. 3 and et is an independent piece pivoted to the lever C'.

I will first describe the formsshown in The lever C is a bell-crank lever pivoted to the head, at the lower end thereof, immediately above the fork, being` in that respect similar to the common form of bicycle-brakes. At the upper end, instead of having the brake-level' engaging it, as in the customary form, it is connected at d' by the link D' to the link D, which is pivoted to the head at d. The sum of the lengths of these two links D and D' should be slightly greater than the distance between their pivots d and d', respectively, when the brake is in closestcontact with the wheel; but said sum should be suffioiently greater than said distance so that the pivot dl, which Connects the two links, cannot be depressed below a straight line between the pivots d d'. In this form the brake-handle is most conveniently located at or near the pivot dm, and that pivot may itself be produced laterally to form the handle. Itis immaterial upon which of the links D D' the handle is Secured; but it is illustrated as Secured to the link D near the pivot dl. An obvious modification of this construction consists in forming the pivot d as a rock-shaft, of which the link D then becomes a lever-arm, and in providing` said rock-shaft with a second leVer-arm, D2, at a convenient position to serve as a handle. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 7. In either construction the brake is operated by depressing the junctionof the links D D', Whether that is accomplished by rocking the rock-shaft pivot of the link D or directly depressing the pivot dl. 4

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the action is substantially the same, the position of the several pivots only being changed, the leverarm D10 of the bell-crank lever D10 D11 corresponding in function perfectly to the link D' in Figs. 1 and 2. This form, however, is particularly adapted to be used with the ordinary form of horizontal brake-lever shown in Fig. 6, such brake-lever engaging the upper end of the arm D11 in the same manner as in the customary construction it engages the upper end of the direct brake, and by pushing that upper end outward depresses the brake. In this construction the sum of the lengths of the link D' and the arm D10 should be slightly greater than the distance between the pivots d' and d, said pivots corresponding precisely to the similarly lettered pivots in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a roller, E, is substituted for the link D, and the form of the lever O is changed, so that the track e of the roller E upon the upper edge of said le- Ver makes nearly a right angle with a line through the pivots cl dm, and the sum of the lengths of the radius of the roller E and the lever-arm D10 is very slightly greater than the distance from the pivot d10 to the track e when the brake-shoe is in closest contact with the wheel. It will be noticed that the action of this form is substantially the same as that of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and in all of these forms the purpose of the construction adopted is to reach the maximum eftective- IOO ness of pressure applied to the brake-handle, for the purpose of producing pressure upon the wheel by means of the brake-shoe at the instant of contact of the brake-shoe and the wheel, so that very slight pressure by the hand of the operator upon the handle Will suflice to apply a powerful pressure to the wheel. In order to obtain this result, it Will be noticed that it is necessary in all these constructions to employ, besides the lever which carries the brake-shoe, an auxiliary lever pivoted on the head and in the same vertical plane, and communicating pressure to the brake-carrying lever by means of an intermediate piece which is connected to or in contact with said lever, so that the distance traced from the pivot of the said auxiliary lever through the point of connection of said intermediate piece With said lever to its connection or contact With the brake-carrying lever shall be slightly greater than the direct distance from the pivot of the auxiliary lever on the head to the contact of the intermediate piece With the brake-carrying lever When the brake is on the Wheel.

The brake-shoe in all these Constructions may be either rigid With the lever C or pivoted to it. The advantage of pivoting it is that it may readily adjust itself to the Wheel, and thereby obtain more complete contact with it as it is pressed upon it; but in order that it may not hav'e any tendency to dig its rear end into the rubber tire I prefer to interpose between it and the lever O the springs c' cl, one before and one behind its pivot. The Spring cl should either be stronger or farther from its pivot than the Spring c', in order that the tendency of the shoe shall be to press by its forward end, rather than its rear end, upon the tire, but so that as pressure is applied suifieiently to cause the spring cl to yield it may .come down onto the tire throughout its entire length. The advantage of the rear spring, c', is, that it permits the shoe to be so hung that in its normal. position throughout almost its entirc length it shall contact with the tirc when first brought into contact With it, and yet shall not be in danger of digging into it at the rear end. Instead of this spring, there may be employed a positive stop to check the action of the Spring cm at a position such that the desired amount of contact of the shoe With the tire may be obtained. Such a stop is illustratcd in Fig. 8, consisting of the protuberance c from the under side of the lever (l.`

I claim- 1. In a Veloeipede, in combination with the wheel and the head, the brake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever, also pivoted to the head, and an interniediate piece pivoted to said auxiliary lever and actuating the brakecarrying lever, the distance from the pivot of the auxiliary lever to the contact of said intermediate piece With the brake-carrying lever, When the brake-shoe is in closest contact With the Wheel, being nearly equal to the sum of the distances from the pivot of said auxiliary lever on the head to the pivot to said lever of the intermediate piece and the distance from the last-named pivot to the contact of the intermediate piece With the brake-carrying lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination With the Wheel and the head, the brake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever, also pivoted to the head, and a link connecting said auxiliary lever to the brake-carrying lever, the sum of the lengths of said link and the auxiliary lever being slightly greater than the distance between their pivots to said brake-carrying lever and head, respectively, When the brakeshoe is in contact With the wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a velocipede, in combination With the wheel and the head, the brake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever, also pivoted to the head, the brake-carrying lever having an upwardly-exte n cl in g arm, and a link connect-cd from said arm to the auxiliarylever, the sum of the lengths of said links and auxiliary lever being slightly greater th an the distance from the pivot of the auxiliary lever on the head to the pivot of the link to the brake-carrying leverwhen the brake-shoe is in contact With the Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a velocipede, in combination With the head and the Wheel, the brake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and the brake-shoe pivoted to said lever, and a spring reacting between the shoe and the lever forward of the pivot of the shoe to force the shoe toward the Wheel, and. a stop to limit such movement of the shoe about its pivot, suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a velocipcdc, in combination With the Wheel and the head, the'brake-carrying lever having the brake-shoe pivoted to it and provided With two springs, one in front and one behind its pivot, reacting between it and the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hercunto set my hand, in the presence of two Witnesses, at Chicago, this 11th day of June, 1888.

TIIOS. l. JEFFERY.

XVitnesses:

(lims. S. BURToN, E. F. BURTON.

IOO

IIO

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