Sturdy folding bicycle

Improved components are provided for a bicycle which is powered by pedals, motor, or engine. Such bicycle can be folding or non-folding. The two components are 1) lever-locked handlebars mounted upon a sturdy steering column and 2) a sturdy offset seat column which can be height-adjustable. Included is a handle bar assembly having a pair of foldable handle bars mounted to a center section, which is mounted in turn on a steering column. Each of the handle bars has a cam mounted thereto with a lever attached to the cam, so that when each handle bar is pivoted up to its extended operating position, a lever and cam are pivoted so that the cam overlaps the center section in close proximity, holding each handle bar in such extended position. Pulling the levers out of their respective pockets and pivoting them and their cams in the reverse directions, releases the respective handlebars so that they can fold downwardly toward the steering column in a compact manner. The seat column is offset in order that it may fold around the steering column when used in a folding bicycle and the steering column, with folded handle bars, can fold toward and, e.g., over such seat column. The offset nature of the seat column also permits axial movement of seat column segments which can be fixed at desired elevations for a height-adjustable seat column.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring in more detail to the drawings, a folding bicycle, which has components that fold in the same plane, is shown in drawings of the prior art, FIGS. 1,2 and 3 and more fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,138, which is incorporated herein by reference. That is, the folding bicycle 10 of FIG. 1 has folding handle bars 12 , which are best shown in FIGS. 6,7 and 8 of such patent. In this reference, the handle bars 30 and 32 , pivot respectively on pins 38 and 40 , mounted in the holder 28 and lock into the extended operational position by spring latch means 42 , having handle 45 , as shown in such FIGS. 6,7 and 8 . Sometimes however, under downward pressure of one or more of the handle bars, the spring latch means can slip out of its socket causing such handle bar to suddenly fold downwardly, which can unbalance rider and bicycle. The present invention intends to provide a more secure locking mechanism for its handle bars, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 , wherein handle bars 22 and 24 are lever locked in the extended position, as shown in such Figures. That is, handle bar 22 is secured by cam 26 , attached to lever 52 , which extends into aperture 54 , while cam 28 has lever 56 , which extends into aperture 58 so to lock handle bars 22 and 24 in the extended position as shown or indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5 . Levers 52 and 56 are flexed under spring tension to snap into their respective apertures 54 and 58 , as indicated in FIG. 5 . The cams 26 and 28 are oblong in the closed position so as to extend over the junction of handle bar with the center section 23 , which cams, however, disengage with such section 23 when the lever and cam are pivoted away therefrom, as shown by the pivoting of cam 28 and lever 56 in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9 . The above pivoting action allows the handle 24 (as well as handle 22 ) to pivot downwardly, on hinge pin 25 , per FIGS. 6,7 and 9 , close to the steering column in a compact position. The center section 23 is open underneath to permit pivoting of the handle bars 22 and 24 thereunder, as indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7 . The relative positions of the respective cams is best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , wherein cam 26 is engaged and cam 28 is disengaged to allow folding of the handle bar 24 as shown. As shown in FIG. 9 , cam 26 is secured to handle bar 22 by a threaded bolt 31 , which passes through fastener 32 , which includes two washers 27 and a threaded nut 29 . this is but an example of how cams 26 and 28 can be fastened to their respective handle bars 22 and 24 , as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 9 . A secondary advantage of the lever-locked handle bars of the invention, is that the levers 52 and 56 (of FIGS. 4 - 9 ) can, when closed, be used to carry shopping bags 60 , having handles 62 , as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 hereof. Finally, another improvement is provided for the bicycle 10 of FIG. 1 wherein the gooseneck's seating column 15 , which has had a tendency to wobble in use, is replaced by the more sturdy seat column 30 , shown in FIG. 10 , which has offset segments 66 and 68 , joined by offset coupler 70 , as shown in FIG. 10 . Note that the offset segment 68 in FIG. 10 extends through the offset coupler 70 and can move axially up and down therein and be fixed, e.g., by set screws 72 at a desired position. Likewise, the lower offset segment 66 can move axially through clamp 67 and be fixed by clamp screw 69 at a desired elevation. Thus the offset seat column 30 of the invention is readily height adjustable. The lever-locked handle bars and/or the telescoping seat column embodiments of the invention can be employed on various cycles, including bicycles with the advantages noted above. Thus one or both of the above novel components can be employed on a bicycle such as shown in FIG. 1 and folded in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 hereof. In such case the pedals desirably fold to provide the compact package shown in such FIGS. 2 and 3 . In the case where both steering column 12 and seat column 15 of bicycle 10 are replaced with the improved embodiments thereof described above, one will have the improved folding bicycle 50 shown, e.g., in FIG. 11 , with the lever-locked handle bar assembly 20 on sturdy steering column 55 and with sturdy offset seat column 30 . Where the bicycle of the invention folds in the manner of FIGS. 1,2 and 3 hereof, it can employ hinging of the respective components of such bicycle, as disclosed in the above-cited patent which, as noted above, is incorporated herein by reference. For example, folding of the steering column 55 at hinge 57 and folding of seat column 30 on a spaced pair of pivot arms, e.g., pivot arm 31 , are shown in FIG. 11 . The hinge 57 is restrained by locking member or thumb screw 61 and the pivot arm 37 is restrained by locking member 39 , per FIG. 11 . Again the improved bicycle 50 , e.g., of FIG. 11 , will fold into a compact package in a manner similar to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 hereof. The folding bicycle of the invention, e.g., per FIG. 11 , can have various sized wheels and various sized lever-locked handle bars. Also such bicycle can employ various sized sprockets, gear shifting means and braking systems, within the scope of the present invention. An advantage of the inventive seat column is that it has a double telescoping ability and can readily adapt for use by a tall or short rider by a quick axial adjustment of one or both offset segments of the seat column 30 . As for the lever-locked handle bar assembly, several advantages are apparent. That is, the levers provide a high mechanical advantage in pivoting the cams and holding them in place. Also the ends of the levers have a snap action feel as they click into the locking position so the rider knows they are locked. Further the so-locked levers can securely hold bags of groceries or other items per FIGS. 11 and 12 , the weight of which only augments the locking action of such levers in their mating apertures. Also, having the ends of the levers snap into place in their respective apertures, with or without shopping bags loaded thereon, insures against inadvertent unlocking of such levers. As discussed above, the invention relates to lever-locked handle bars on a sturdy steering column and/or an offset height-adjustable seat column for a cycle of two or more wheels, which includes a bicycle foldable or not, powered by pedals and/or powered by an engine or motor, as desired, within the scope of the invention.