When was the coaster brake invented

It is one of the most informative I have come across. I am still searching for the origins of the "Bendix" brake and how it replaced the Morrow brake. Both were manufactured by the Eclipse Machine Company as far as I know but I wonder how the Bendix brake came to prominence.

What is the need of actuator that is fixed to frame if jamming mechanism is used. I think what you call an actuator is called a clutch in coaster brake terminology. It is not fixed to the frame.

Pedaling forward locks it onto the wheel making the wheel turn. Pedaling backwards releases it and drives it into the brake pads that rub on the drum.

With neutral pedal it floats and is neither connected to the wheel or the brake pads. The bike can coast. Figure 1. The Phantom and the Penny Farthing Bicycles in the s.

During the s the safety bicycle underwent many technological improvements. In fact, the invention of the coaster brake was preceded by a number of bicycle innovations in the s and s. These included the refinement of the safety frame, adjustable spoke wheels, pneumatic tires, freewheels, sprockets and chain drive systems for transferring power from the pedals to the rear wheel.

Most of these inventions took place in a relatively short period of time. Along with others, it was a nephew of John Starley—the inventor of the modern bicycle wheel—that over several years came up with a bicycle that looks familiar even today.

This was called the Rover Safety Bicycle figure 2. Figure 2. My invention relates to brake mechanism for bicycles or like vehicles; and its primary object is to provide novel and effective means for applying braking friction directly to the hub of the driving-wheel of the bicycle in contradistinction to employing a brake-shoe adapted to contact with the wheel-tire, which latter means of braking has been found objectionable, if not impracticable, with wheels equipped with pneumatic tires or other tires the material of which is easily abraded by the wearing contact of a brake-shoe therewith.

US Patent Office a. Figure 4. Alexander Morrow Patent, Figure 5. A Classic Bicycle Photo Archive. Accessed During the s bicycles enjoyed a surge in popularity, especially among women, that was a direct consequence of easier to use bicycles that included coaster brakes. Many of their bicycles featured coaster brakes, the newest technology of the time. The Wright Brothers produced their own version of the coaster brake McCullough , which appeared extensively in their bicycle advertising.

This group of innovators took to a fire road near Pine Mountain which is in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California. They created both a downhill race and a new breed of bicycles Penn, The course and the race were eventually given the name of Repack.

Initially, they took old balloon tire pound bicycles to ride down Pine Mountain. The Schwinn Excelsior was the model of choice due to its sturdy frame and heavy weight.

This was a general term that was used by the riders for all Schwinn models called motorbikes or autocycles figure 7. Most of these bicycles came with coaster brakes. Use this Artifact Card to share this great find with others.

From historic images to vivid descriptions, a record of rich detail is bundled inside a single card. Bicycle Coaster Brake, Add to Set Contact us About this Share Summary Early bicycles with ineffective brakes led to runaway cycles that imperiled the rider and pedestrians. Artifact Bicycle brake. Keywords Vehicle brakes Bicycles Bicycling. Location Not on exhibit to the public.

Other internal parts are generally not available for purchase, please don't waste our time by asking! The list below links to information on single-speed and two-speed coaster brakes. Internal-gear coaster-brake hubs with three or more speeds are covered on our internal-gear hub pages. Thanks to Steve Birmingham and Henry Brunelle for their assistance.

Reports of the demise of this Web site are greatly exaggerated! We at sheldonbrown. Harris Cyclery has closed, but we keep going. Keep visiting the site for new and updated articles, and news about possible new affilations. A coaster brake is a special rear hub for a bicycle, which performs two functions: It allows the bicycle to roll without forcing the pedals to turn.

This is the "coaster" part. It is similar in function to a freewheel , but uses a different sort of mechanism to accomplish it.

It is also a brake, operated by turning the pedals backwards. Pro: Con: Coaster brakes work just as well in the rain as they do in dry conditions. Coaster brakes generally require less maintenance than any other type of brake.

There are no cables running from the handlebars, giving a tidy and simple appearance. An internal-gear hub can include a coaster brake, providing both gearing and rear-wheel braking. Coaster brakes often cause skidding, resulting in excessive tire wear.

Coaster brakes are prone to overheating and fading when used in mountainous areas. Too many bikes are equipped with only a coaster brake, so there's no back-up system in the event of brake failure. Cinch it tightly around the chainstay -- John Allen] The attachment of the reaction arm to the chainstay is vitally important. The reaction arm is usually the place where the make and model of the hub are embossed.

Tip: If you come upon a bike that has been ridden this way, you will see the reaction arm out of position, and may be inclined to remove the wheel to adjust it.

This is often not only unnecessary, but sometimes nearly impossible! Though there are differences in detail, all coaster brakes are fundamentally similar. Different manufacturers use different names for some of the parts. I'll try to use terminology as generic as possible: The chain sprocket is attached to the "driver" usually by a snap ring though some older models used threaded sprockets with lockrings similar to those of a fixed-gear hub.

The driver has a coarse thread which is screwed into the brake cone. The brake cone fits loosely over the axle. It typically has conical projections at each end.

The brake shoes are curved to match the curvature of the inside of the hub shell, and they have tapered inside edges. These tapered ends fit against the brake cone on the right, and the left side bearing cone on the left. The left bearing cone will have some sort of projection that will make it impossible for the brake shoes to rotate around it. The retarder spring comes in many different forms for different brands of brakes, but it always serves the same purpose: it keeps the brake cone from spinning too freely with the driver.

If there isn't something resisting motion of the brake cone, the driver threads wouldn't be able to move it back and forth..

There's basically only one adjustment to be made on a single-speed coaster brake, the adjustment of the bearing cones. This adjustment can usually be made without even removing the wheel from the bike.

There's a square end on one end of the axle. The right cone is fixed to the axle; the left cone, as usual, is attached to the reaction arm. Any coaster brake that has a square end on the axle is intended to be adjusted this way. Using a larger hub sprocket lower gear will permit faster acceleration, easier hill climbing and stronger braking. Using a smaller hub sprocket higher gear will permit you to go faster without having to pedal faster just harder!