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The Catalog of Reminiscence

The Invitation for Cycling by Mr.Gami

Part 85: Yoshigai Kikai Kinzoku in 1964




Here is the catalog of Yoshigai in 1964.
Yoshigai seemed to have translated the catalog of Weinmann into Japanese when they made technical tie-up each other in 1963. It is very useful because we can check various sizes of the brake body, and part number.
Yoshigai Kikai Kinzoku had changed the company name to Yoshigai, has developed various brand continuously as a major company of a few of the domestic parts supplier.

The catalog was offered by Mr. T. N




This is the front cover. You can see the detailed sizes of several parts of side-pull brake in this page. The shape of brake is almost same as present model. It has been used for city bicycle.





This is the side-pull brake that the brand name "DIA-WEINMANN" was stamped. No. 500, No. 730, and No. 810 were prepared in order of bottom size from shoulder. It was used for a lot of domestic sports bicycle.
Katakura Silk which was my first custom made bicycle was equipped with No. 500. Of course, the mark was no longer DIA-WEINMANN.
Even now, No. 730 and No. 810 are on the line-up of Yoshigai (the design was changed a bit).





Two models of the upper side were the lever of flat handlebar and third model was the lever of drop handlebar. No. 131 is a prototype model of the most of epigone products. It was put on the present lineup with side-pull brake.
No. 135 was superior model of No. 131. The fixing method to handlebar was same as a drop-handle lever. Recently, Yoshigai renewed the design of it, add into the lineup again.

No.162 was a drop-handle lever, was equipped with an adjuster and a quick release. The quick release was different to later model. You had to push a red button.





This is the parts diagram of No. 144 which wasn't equipped with adjuster and quick release and No. 162 which was equipped with both devices. The combination of the silver aluminum bracket and the red lever shaft was standard of those days.

Yoshigai had made many kinds of drop-handle lever which were composed of various combinations later (see the 1986 catalog). A number of cyclists who belonged to my generation must have used it.





This is the parts diagram of side-pull brake. No. 44.12 was an optional part for fixing rear brake to a vertical hole of the bridge.

No. 66 was an optional part for using quick release by exchanging with No. 64.





Yoshigai explained excellence of DIA-WEINMANN in this page.
The explanation "No need the Aoridome (Locking tilt)" showed quality of domestic brake of those days. Most of people might not know "Aoridome". This was the small parts which fixed on the brake shoe. It stopped the brake arch tilting in the direction of rotation of wheel when you used a brake.

The Aoridome of a front brake was U shape steel line which hook to front fork. The Aoridome of a rear brake was L shape steel which push back the brake arch. You can see the photo of it from here.

You can see the photo of it from here.





This is so-called "brake holder". You can cramp the brake arches with this tool and fix the wire to the wire anchor easily. Even now, tool maker sell this kind of tool.

inserted by FC2 system