From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Patent specification for an actuating mechanism for the brakes of motor vehicles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 147\3\ scan0105 | |
| Date | 20th July 1937 | |
| 1247 NRC{N. R. Chandler} PATENT SPECIFICATION Application Date: July 20, 1937. No. 20017/37. 479,893 Complete Specification Accepted: Feb. 14, 1938. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Actuating Mechanism for the Brakes of Motor-Vehicles We, S. S. CARS LIMITED, a British Company, and WILLIAM MUNGER HEYNES, a British Subject, both of the Company's address, Swallow Road, Holbrook Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire, 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:— This invention relates to mechanical actuating mechanism, for the brakes of a motor-vehicle, of the kind including a floating lever which is connected at or near its ends to actuate, directly or indirectly, the brakes of both sets of wheels, respectively, and is associated with the main control member so as to be actuated thereby at different places, dependent upon the value of the applying force, so as to vary accordingly the distribution of pressure between the brakes of the different sets of wheels. Preferably use is made of a pivotally-mounted lever connected to actuate the rear brakes and connected to one end of the floating lever the other end of which is arranged to actuate the front brakes, the arrangement being such that for an applying force above a predetermined value the ratio of the pressure of the front brakes to that of the rear is greater than the said ratio when the applying force is below the predetermined value. In other words, for an applying force below a predetermined value the distribution between the brakes of the two sets of wheels may be, say, 50% to each set, and for an applying force greater than this predetermined value 70% to the front wheel brakes and 30% to the rear wheel brakes. Our main object is to provide in a very satisfactory way for a varying distribution of the applying forces between the two sets of wheels in predetermined conditions. According to the main feature of the invention, the main control member, for example, a pedal lever, carries a spring-pressed arm through which the floating lever is actuated at one place when the applying force is below the predetermined value, whilst for a greater applying force [Price 1/-] the spring is stressed sufficiently to enable the main control member directly to engage the floating lever, additionally to the engagement therewith of the spring-pressed arm. When the main control member is a pedal lever the spring-pressed arm may be slidingly supported or pivotally mounted upon its heel, stop means being provided for limiting the movement of the arm relatively to the heel in the direction in which it is spring-pressed, thus allowing of the spring being pre-stressed as required. In the accompanying drawing:— Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of one form of mechanical actuating means, for the brakes of a motor-car, according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of another form thereof. The same reference characters are applied to similar parts in the different figures as far as possible. The drawing shows in each figure a main support 10 on which is pivotally mounted the main control member in the form of a pedal lever 11 of which only the heel 12 is fully shown. Pivotally mounted on the support 10 is the lever 13 the fulcrum 14 of which divides the lever equally. One end of the lever is hinged to the rod 15 which is connected in any convenient way so as to distribute the applied pull equally between the brakes of the two rear wheels. The other end of the lever is in these examples pivotally connected to a floating lever 16 the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the rod 17 arranged in any convenient way to distribute the applied pull equally between the brakes of the front wheels. 18 indicates a rod connected approximately to the centre of the floating lever 16 by which an auxiliary brake control, for example, a hand lever, can be used for applying the brakes. In the present instance there is pivotally mounted at 19 on the heel 12 an arm 20 spring-pressed at 21 against a stop 22 formed in or carried by the heel, the arm in Figure 2 having a bent-over part 20a for engaging the stop. The arm is formed with a part-cylindrical or other | ||