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US 4,261,449 AGranted
Bicycle pedal actuated brake control and release system
OwnerEdwin E. Fosterinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerEdwin E. Fosterinventor
Estimating the term…
A bicycle having front and rear wheel caliper brakes connected by cables to a plate member rockably mounted on a support rearwardly of the crankshaft; there being a latch arm engaged to said plate and having a cam follower portion for engaging a cam formed on the edge of a disc cam keyed on said crankshaft for mutual interengagement upon back pedaling action whereby said latch arm is translated rearwardly with consequent rocking of said plate member to apply a rearward pulling upon said cables for braking of the bicycle. A drive sprocket is carried upon the opposed end of said crankshaft for limited relative movement with respect thereto, there being an arcuate aperture in said drive sprocket receiving a pin from the adjacent pedal crank, which pin is relatively movable within said aperture so that after braking action said crankshaft may be rotated a predetermined distance prior to engagement of the finger with the forward end of the aperture for consequent concurrent rotation, said predetermined distance being adequate for disengaging said latch arm for brake releasing action. The brake release aspect of this invention may also be used with bicycles having front free wheel systems wherein an arrangement of intermeshing teeth are provided on the drive sprocket and a sleeve to allow for requisite relative movement.
For use with a bicycle having a frame with a hub-forming casing, front and rear wheels supported on said frame, a pedal crank assembly having a crankshaft extending through said hub-forming casing and pedal cranks projecting from each end of the crankshaft, and front and rear wheel caliper brakes, a brake control assembly comprising a disc cam carried on said crankshaft and having at least one cam working surface, rigid support means provided on said bicycle rearwardly of said cam, a plate member swingably mounted in its lower portion upon said support means, there being brake control cables extending from said front and rear caliper brakes, brake cable guide means provided on said support means rearwardly of said crankshaft, said guide means extending forwardly from said support means spacedly above said crankshaft, means provided on said plate member upwardly of its pivotal mounting and rearwardly of said guide means engaging the brake-remote ends of said brake cables passing through the respective guide means, a latch arm extending substantially longitudinally of said bicycle above said crankshaft and being engaged in its rearward portion to the upper rearward portion of said plate member, a cam follower formed on said latch arm in its lower portion for engagement with said cam working surface upon back pedaling action of said crankshaft whereby said latch arm is urged rearwardly to effect rocking of said plate member causing rearward pulling upon said brake cables for bicycle braking action.
For use with a bicycle having a frame, front and rear wheels supported on said frame, a pedal crank assembly having a crankshaft and first and second pedal cranks projecting from opposite ends thereof, a drive sprocket carried on said crankshaft inwardly of said first pedal crank, a driven sprocket engaged upon said rear wheel, a transmission chain interconnecting said drive and driven sprockets, and front and rear wheel caliper brakes, a brake control assembly comprising a disc cam mounted on said crankshaft inwardly of and adjacent said second pedal crank, said disc cam having at least one radially extending cam working surface, support means provided on said bicycle rearwardly of said disc cam, a vertically extending plate pivotally engaged in the lower end portion thereof upon said support means, brake control cables extending from said front and rear wheel brakes, means engaging the brake-remote ends of said brake control cables to said plate member in the upper end portion thereof, a latch arm extending substantially longitudinally of said bicycle and being pivotally engaged in its rearward end portion to the upper rearward end portion of said plate member, said latch arm having a cam follower for engagement with said cam working surface upon rearward rotation of said crankshaft whereby rearward movement is translated to said latch arm for causing rearward rocking of said plate member with commensurate rearward pulling upon said brake cables for effecting bicycle braking action, a brake release assembly provided adjacent said crankshaft remote from the portion thereof mounting said disc cam comprising said drive sprocket being mounted on said crankshaft to permit limited relative movement therebetween, cooperative components provided on said drive sprocket and said first pedal crank for interengagement upon termination of predetermined relative movement therebetween so that consequent rotation will be concurrent, said predetermined extent of relative movement between said drive sprocket and said first pedal crank substantially corresponding to the extent of rearward travel of said latch arm in moving between unbraked and braked condition.
For use with a bicycle having a frame, front and rear wheels supported on said frame, a pedal crank assembly having a crankshaft and first and second pedal cranks at opposite ends thereof, a drive sprocket carried on said crankshaft inwardly of said first pedal crank, a driven sprocket engaged upon said rear wheel, a transmission chain interconnecting said drive and driven sprockets, brake release means permitting of limited relative movement between said drive sprocket and said crankshaft after bicycle braking action whereby said crankshaft may turn prior to resumption of rotation of the rear wheel, said means comprising a sleeve-forming member carried on said crankshaft, said drive sprocket having a central opening for extension therethrough of said sleeve-forming member, circumferentially spaced-apart teeth provided on said sleeve-forming member, said drive sprocket having a circumferentially series of notches projecting inwardly from said central opening for receiving the teeth of said sleeve-forming member, said notches being formed on a greater arc than said teeth, and resilient means uging said teeth toward one of the related notches.
For use with a bicycle having a frame, front and rear wheels supported on said frame, a pedal crank assembly having a crankshaft and first and second pedal cranks projecting from opposite ends thereof, a drive sprocket carried on said crankshaft inwardly of said first pedal crank, a driven sprocket engaged upon said rear wheel, a transmission chain interconnecting said drive and driven sprockets, and front and rear wheel caliper brakes, a brake control assembly comprising a disc cam mounted on said crankshaft upwardly of and adjacent said second pedal crank, said disc cam having at least one radially extending cam working surface, support means provided on said bicycle rearwardly of said disc cam, a vertically extending plate pivotally engaged in the lower end portion thereof upon said support means, brake control cables extending from said front and rear wheel brakes, means engaging the brake-remote ends of said brake control cables to said plate member in the upper end portion thereof, a latch arm extending substantially longitudinally of said bicycle and being pivotally engaged in its rearward end portion to the upper rearward end portion of said plate member, said latch arm having a cam follower for engagement with said cam working surface upon rearward rotation of said crankshaft whereby rearward movement is translated to said latch arm for causing rearward rocking of said plate member with commensurate rearward pulling upon said brake cables for effecting bicycle braking action, brake release means permitting of limited relative movement between the drive sprocket and the crankshaft after bicycle braking action whereby said crankshaft may turn prior to resumption of rotation of the rear wheel, a sleeve-forming member carried on said crankshaft, said drive sprocket having a central opening for extension therethrough of said sleeve-forming member, circumferentially spaced-apart teeth provided on said sleeve-forming member, said drive sprocket having a circumferential series of notches projecting inwardly from said central opening for receiving the teeth on said sleeve-forming member, said notches being formed on a greater arc than said teeth, the relative movement between said drive sprocket and said first pedal crank substantially corresponding to the extent of rearward travel of said latch arm in moving between unbraked and braked condition, and resilient means urging said teeth toward one end of the related notches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.