Brakes

During 1904, Frederick George Heath (Heath Hydraulic Brake Co., Ltd.), Redditch, England devised and fitted a hydraulic (water/glycerine) brake system to a cycle using a handlebar lever and piston. He obtained patent GB190403651A for “Improvements in hydraulic actuated brakes for cycles and motors”, as well as subsequently for improved flexible rubber hydraulic pipes.

In 1908, Ernest Walter Weight of Bristol, England devised and fitted a four-wheel hydraulic (oil) braking system to a motor car. He patented it in Great Britain (GB190800241A) in December 1908, later in Europe and the USA and then exhibited it at the 1909 London Motor Show. His brother, William Herbert Weight improved the patent (GB190921122A) and both were assigned to the Weight Patent Automobile Brake Ltd. of 23 Bridge Street, Bristol when it was established in 1909/10. The company, which had a factory at Luckwell Lane, Bristol, installed a four-wheel hydraulic braking system on a Metallurgique chassis, fitted with a Hill and Boll body, which was exhibited at the November 1910 London Motor Show. Although more cars had the brake system installed and the company advertised heavily, it disappeared without achieving the success it deserved.

Malcolm Loughead (who later changed the spelling of his name to Lockheed) invented hydraulic brakes, which he patented in 1917.^[2][3] "Lockheed" is a common term for brake fluid in France.

Fred Duesenberg used Lockheed Corporation hydraulic brakes on his 1914 racing cars^[4] and his car company, Duesenberg, was the first to use the technology on the Duesenberg Model A in 1921.

Knox Motors Company of Springfield, MA was equipping its tractors with hydraulic brakes, beginning in 1915.^[5]

The technology was carried forward in automotive use and eventually led to the introduction of the self-energizing hydraulic drum brake system (Edward Bishop Boughton, London England, June 28, 1927) which is still in use today.

Construction