Handlebar adjusting device

A device for changing drop-style handlebars between a downward or racing position and a touring or general use position, comprising a coupler including two mutually rotatable members, attached respectively to a free or gripping part of a handlebar and to a central part of the handlebar which is secured to a steering post.

The present invention relates to bicycles and the like and to the 
adjustment of handlebars between a position suitable for sport or racing 
uses and a position suitable for touring or general bicycling uses. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Popular, lightweight bicycles, especially those fitted with ten-speed 
transmissions and intended for racing or sport uses, are equipped with 
drop or racing handlebars that emerge from a steering post transverse to 
the front wheel of the bicycle, eventually bending so as to be generally 
parallel to the front wheel with the grips extending rearward. The 
handlebar has free end portions on opposite sides of the post on which 
grips are located below the point of attachment of the handlebars to the 
steering post of the bicycle, with the free end portions disposed in 
vertical planes generally parallel to the front wheel of the bicycle. This 
configuration permits the rider to bend over in a crouching position while 
riding and to apply his maximum force and effort to the pedals thereby 
maximizing his speed. 
With the handlebar grips located below the point of attachment to the 
steering post, however, a bicycle is not suited for general touring or 
traveling uses since the rider is bent over and cannot comfortably observe 
his surroundings or carry on conversation with fellow cyclers. Bicycles 
produced for touring uses generally have the grips of the handlebars 
located in horizontal planes transverse to the front wheel of the bicycle 
and located at least as high as the point of attachment of the handlebars 
to the steering post of the bicycle. 
Although a rider might acquire both a racing and a touring bicycle so as to 
be equipped for either use, it is not economical to do so and numerous 
inventors have disclosed means for adjusting the handlebars of a single 
bicycle between the racing and touring positions. 
The simplest constructions provide for the rotation of the handlebars on an 
axis transverse to the plane of the front wheel of the bicycle. This 
rotation is generally easy since most handlebars are attached to the 
bicycle steering post with a compression clamp that need only be loosened 
to permit the rotation. See U.S. Pat. No. 689,217. Modern racing and 
touring bicycles generally have brakes activated by cable-connected levers 
attached to the free end portions of the handlebars. Rotating the 
handlebars about the axis of the steering post clamp reverses the action 
of the brake levers thereby creating a potential for inadvertently 
applying the brakes unless the levers are modified. See U.S. Pat. No. 
3,803,937. Other inventions for changing the position of the gripping 
parts of the handlebar to make bicycles collapsible for shipping have 
involved rotation plus disassembly of the handlebar, all of which is 
inconvenient, time-consuming and requires the use of tools. See U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,481,218. 
Yet other inventors have disclosed means of adjusting the position of 
bicycle handlebar grips by providing for rotation of the bars about axes 
generally parallel to the front wheel of the bicycle and very close to the 
frame of the bicycle. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 575,746, 583,105 and 603,995. 
While these inventions may overcome the problem with the reversal of the 
action of the hand brake levers, all suffer from the disadvantage that the 
distances of the handlebars from each other and from the bicycle frame 
vary widely according to the horizontal position of the handlebar grips. 
Thus, in the drop or racing position, the handlebars can be undesirably 
far apart if a comfortable spacing in the touring position is provided. 
More modern disclosures of adjustable handlebar inventions involve 
complicated multiple joints and/or complex machined parts resulting in 
high cost, expensive modification of an existing bicycle and/or relatively 
long times in making adjustments of the handlebar positions. U.S. Pat. No. 
1,595,557 discloses a construction which permits rapid adjustment of the 
handlebar position by the use of spring-release pawl mechanisms. But those 
mechanisms require relatively expensive machined parts and do not permit 
simple modification of the existing handlebars for use as part of the 
invention. The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,436 to Dodge, 
provides for great variations in the location of the handlebar grips, but 
only with expensive modification of the existing handlebars, including the 
replacement of the existing handlebar steering post with an entirely 
different support means. Furthermore, except possibly for an adjustment of 
the angle of the gripping parts of the handlbar with respect to a vertical 
supporting member, adjustment of the Dodge handlebar is time-consuming and 
requires the use of tools. 
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an 
inexpensive and rapid means by which the handlebars of a bicycle or the 
like may be adjusted between racing or drop positions and touring 
positions. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The objects of this invention are accomplished in the preferred embodiment 
of the invention by providing a coupler having cooperating, releasably 
locking members inserted in a juncture in the handlebar at a chosen 
location displaced towards the free end or gripping portion of the 
handlebar from the place of attachment of the handlebar to the steering 
post of the bicycle. The coupler members may be made of a suitable 
material, such as metal or thermoplastic, and attached to an existing 
handlebar or may be an integral part of a handlebar as originally 
fabricated. The members of the coupler when in the released condition 
permit the rotation of the handlebar gripping portion on an axis 
transverse to the axis of the central handlebar portion. A desired 
position of the handlebar gripping portion is selectably fixed by clamping 
the members of the coupler tightly together in the locking condition. The 
original drop or racing position, the touring position, a collapsed 
position or any of numerous intermediate or extended positions of the 
handlebars may be maintained with the coupler members clamped in the 
locking condition.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a bicycle 10 of the 
ten-speed type, having a steering column or post 12 and handlebars 14. 
Handlebars 14 would conventionally be a unitary member, but for the 
reasons explained below, they comprise three portions: a central portion 
16, and opposite end portions 18 and 20. When handlebars 14 are attached 
to the steering post, end portions 18,20 include straight sections 22,24 
transverse to the plane of the front wheel of the bicycle (not shown), 
curved or bent portions 26,28, and free end or gripping portions 30,32 on 
which hand grips 34 are mounted. Curved portions 26,28 and gripping 
portions 30,32 lie in planes generally parallel to the bicycle's front 
wheel. Manual brake levers 36 for moving brake cables 38 are attached to 
end portions 18,20 in a conventional manner. Central portion 16 is clamped 
on post 12 by a conventional clamp 37. 
Handlebar end portions 18,20 are movably attached to central portion 16 by 
means of couplers 40,42 which are preferably identical. Couplers 40,42 
enable end portions 18,20 to be moved between the standard racing position 
shown in solid lines, and any of numerous other positions including the 
raised or touring positions shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. 
Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, coupler 42 comprises a first coupler member 44 
attached to central handlebar portion 16, a second coupler member 46 
attached to end handlebar portion 20, and a clamping or retaining means in 
the form of a screw assembly 48 including a connecting means such as a 
threaded bolt or screw 50 having a head 54 (shown in FIG. 3), screw 50 
engaging a knob or nut 52. Knob 52 is shown in FIG. 2 as having a concave 
top whereas in FIG. 3 the knob is shown in an alternative hollow, 
lightweight configuration requiring less meterial. Coupler members 44,46 
are provided with connecting means which are shown as locking means in the 
form of mutually engageable mating faces 56,58, these faces having 
identically equally spaced teeth or projections 60,62 and alternating 
grooves 64,66 extending radially from aligned axes C--C. Members 44,46 
have coaxial bores 68,70 for receiving bolt 50. The clockwise rotation of 
screw assembly 48 clamps members 44,46 together by urging the teeth of the 
respective coupler members into the corresponding grooves of the other 
coupler member. Coupler members 44 and 46 must be securely attached to the 
handlebar portions 16 and 20, respectively, to avoid rotation of the 
coupler members about the handlebar portions. Particularly in the case of 
thermoplastics, this can be done by molding the coupler members to the 
adjacent end portions of handlebar sections 16 and 20 and 16 and 18 and 
inserting pin means engaging the coupler members and handlebar portions, 
such as self-tapping screws 72,74 in members 44 and 46 and handlebar 
portions 16 and 20, respectively. Screws 72,74 engage previously drilled 
holes (not shown) in handlebar portions 16 and 20. Alternatively, 
adhesives or other mechanical securing means could be used. The coupler 
members could be fabricated from metal, in which case brazing or welding 
techniques could be used to affix the members to the handlebar sections. 
FIG. 4 shows a coupler 142 according to another embodiment of the 
invention. Coupler 142 is composed of a first coupler member 144 and a 
second coupler member 146, attached respectively to handlebar sections 16 
and 20. Coupler members 144 and 146 differ from previously described 
members 44 and 46 in that they are assemblies of elements designed to 
mechanically lock the coupler members on the handlebar sections. Thus, 
coupler member 144 is comprised of sections 148,150 which have cooperating 
generally semi-cylindrical surfaces 152,154 configured to wrap around and 
engage central handlebar section 16. A pair of threaded bolts 56 extend 
through aligned bores in sections 148,150, and nuts 158 engage the 
threaded ends of the bolts. When nuts 158 are tightened on bolts 156, 
sections 148,150 are drawn tightly together to lock coupler member 144 on 
handlebar section 16. Coupler member 146 is similarly constructed with 
sections 160,162, which are locked onto handlebar section 20 upon the 
tightening of nuts 166 on bolts 164. To prevent rotation of members 144 
and 146 on handlebar portions 20 and 16, respectively, the members and 
handlebar portions are pinned together by self-tapping screws 172 and 174 
inserted in members 144 and 146 to engage previously drilled holes (not 
shown) in handlebar portions 16 and 20. Coupler members 144,146 are 
clamped and released under the action of screw assembly 48 as in the 
previously described embodiment. The mating faces 168,170 of coupler 
members 144,146 are shown as being flat; however, they could be roughened, 
configured, or provided with intermediate elements to provide the desired 
locking effect when the members 144,146 are clamped together for the 
purpose of releasably locking the handlebar sections in some desired 
relationship. 
FIG. 5 shows a coupler 242 according to still another embodiment of the 
invention. Coupler 242 comprises a first coupler member 244 fabricated as 
an integral part of central handlebar portion 16. Second coupler member 
246 comprises a second coupler member 246 fabricated as an integral part 
of handlebar end portion 20. The clamping means is composed of screw 
assembly 48 including a threaded bolt 50 having a head 54, bolt 50 
engaging knob or nut 52 as described with the embodiment of the invention 
depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. Members 244,246 are provided with connecting 
means in the form of locking means in the mutually engageable mating faces 
256,258, these faces having the identically equally spaced projections 
260,262 and alternating grooves 264,266 extending radially from the axis 
of bolt 50 which passes through co-axial bores 268,270 in members 244,246, 
respectively. Members 244,246 are clamped together by screw assembly 48 by 
urging the teeth of the respective coupler members into the corresponding 
grooves of the other coupler member. 
FIG. 6 shows one member 302 of a pair of like, cooperating members attached 
to adjacent handlebar portions to form a coupler. Member 302 has an 
attachment portion 304 adapted in cross section to slide snugly within a 
hollow handlebar portion 306 which is shown in partial section. Member 302 
is restrained from rotating within handlebar portion 306 by two fasteners 
308, such as rivets, passing through holes 310 in attachment portion 304 
and coaxially aligned holes 312 in handlebar portion 20. Member 302 has a 
shoulder 313 limiting the depth of insertion in handlebar portion 306 and 
a face 314 seen in plan view in FIG. 6, configured with alternating radial 
projections 316 and grooves 318 for use with a similarly configured member 
(not shown) as connecting or locking means. The members are clamped 
together by a connecting or clamping means such as that shown in FIG. 3, 
and member 302 has a hole 320 for receiving bolt 50 (shown in FIG. 3) as 
part of the clamping means. 
FIG. 7 shows in a sectional view a different embodiment of the clamping 
means shown in FIG. 3. A clamping assembly 448 is depicted in FIG. 7 which 
contains components corresponding to those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 
3. In addition, a surface 450 of a coupler member 444 which is opposed to 
a surface 451 of a knob 452 contains a plurality of sockets 454 disposed 
radially about bolt 50 adapted to receive a blocking member 456. Blocking 
member 456 is retained within a cylinder 458 bored within knob 452 
generally parallel to and offset from bolt 50. Blocking member 456 is 
urged into one of sockets 454 by a coil spring 460 located within cylinder 
458 and pressing at its opposite ends on the cylinder 458 and blocking 
member 456, respectively. Spring 460 surrounds a shaft 462, one end of 
which is attached to the blocking member, the other end of shaft 462 
passing through knob 452 opposite surface 451 via a hole 464 smaller in 
diameter, coaxial and in communication with cylinder 458. A lever 466 is 
attached by a pivot 468 near the end of shaft 462 which projects from hole 
464 so that blocking member 456 may be withdrawn from socekt 454 by 
applying pressure to one end of lever 466 thereby retracting member 456 
and shaft 462 and compressing spring 460. Withdrawal of the blocking 
member from socket 454 permits rotation of knob 452, rotation otherwise 
being prevented by the blocking member. 
FIG. 8 presents a detail view of still another variation of the embodiment 
of FIG. 2, showing in partial cross section a knob 552, a coupler member 
544, handlebar portion 16 and self-tapping screw 72 passing through member 
544 and engaging handlebar portion 16. In FIG. 8, an annulus 574 is 
provided along the lower periphery of knob 552. A surface 576 defines the 
underside of knob 552 opposed to a surface 578 of member 44. Adjacent to 
annulus 574 on the periphery of knob 52 is cut a plurality of notches 580 
adapted to receive an end 582 of a stop 584. Stop 584 is comprised of a 
resilient material such as spring steel with a free end 582 susceptible of 
deflection under pressure and an opposite end attached to coupler member 
544 by self-tapping screw 72. When end 582 is depressed as shown in dashed 
lines of FIG. 8, knob 552 may be rotated, but rotation is otherwise 
prevented by end 582 of stop 584. 
In use, the first coupler members of a pair of couplers (e.g., members 
44,144 or 244 for couplers 42,142 and 242, respectively) attached to the 
central portion of the handlebar 16, remain fixed while the second coupler 
members (e.g., 46,146 or 246 for couplers 42,142 and 242, respectively) 
are capable or rotating along with the handlebar gripping portions (i.e., 
18,20) on the axis of each screw 50 passing through each respective pair 
of coupler members. Screw assembly 48 is employed to adjustably fix the 
location of the rotating or second coupler member with respect to the 
fixed or first member so that the handlebar grips 34 remain fixed in a 
preselected desired position. 
Couplers according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6 can be 
used as accessories to bicycles having conventional handlebars or the 
embodiment shown in FIG. 5 can be original equipment for new handlebars. A 
coupler 42 or 142 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 used as an accessory is installed 
by severing handlebar 14 at a point displaced from the steering post 12, 
such as with a hacksaw, pipe cutter or other appropriate instrument, 
leaving central handlebar portion 16 attached to clamp 37. A pilot hole is 
drilled in the handlebar portions 16 and 20 to receive the self-tapping 
screws, e.g. 72, 74, 172 and 174. One member, e.g., 44, 144, of a coupler, 
e.g., 42, 142, is attached to the central handlebar portion 16 and the 
other member, e.g., 46, 146, is attached to the free end portion 20 of the 
handlebar and the respective self-tapping screws are tightened. When the 
attaching means of FIG. 4 is incorporated in the device, the coupler 
members are attached to the adjacent ends of the handlebar members with a 
simple screwdriver. Assembly of a retaining or clamping means such as one 
of those shown in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8 with the coupler members completes the 
installation. Since the coupler members in these two embodiments fully 
surround the ends of the handlebar sections to which they are attached, 
the rough sawn edges are inaccessible and there is no danger of injury to 
persons using the bicycle or adjusting the handlebars. A coupler, one 
member 302 of which is shown in FIG. 6, is installed in an analogous 
manner, the handlebars being severed and holes 312 being drilled in the 
handlebar portions to align with holes 310 in each coupler member and to 
receive pins 308. The coupler member attachment portions adapted to the 
handlebar cross section are merely inserted into the hollow handlebars, 
the pins attached and a clamping means such as one of those shown in FIGS. 
3, 7 and 8 is assembled with the coupler members to complete the 
installation. In this embodiment the sawn edges are exposed and should be 
smoothed as a safety precaution. With any of the accessory embodiments 
shown, it may be desirable to remove a length of handlebar from either the 
central portion 16 or end portion 20 so as to compensate for the length 
added to the handlebar by the insertion of a coupler. When the couplers 
are to be incorporated as original, integral parts of the handlebars, the 
handlebars can be constructed in pieces making the foregoing cutting 
operations unnecessary. 
The handlebar end portions 18,20 are adjusted from an existing position to 
another position by loosening the clamping means which holds the coupler 
members (44,46; 144,146; or 244,246) fixed with respect to each other, 
adjusting the end handlebar portions 18,20 to the desired position and 
tightening the clamping means. While the clamping or retaining means shown 
in the Figures consists of a nut and bolt, that means may take other forms 
such as a spring-loaded pushbutton clamp release, spring-loaded toggle and 
cam release or any other clamping or retaining device allowing the coupler 
members to be unlocked so that one may be rotated with respect to the 
other and then locked together again. 
When a rider wishes to change handlebar position, he releases the clamping 
or retaining means thereby disconnects or unlocking the coupler members, 
e.g., 44,46 (or 144,146; 244,246), rotates grip 34 to the position desired 
and connects or locks said coupler members against rotation by tightening 
the clamping or retaining means. The embodiment of a clamping or retaining 
means shown in FIG. 3 comprises a simple bolt or screw and nut 
arrangement. Nut or knob 52 is rotated loosening bolt 50 thereby unlocking 
the coupler members so they may be mutually rotated. Counter rotation of 
knob 52 locks the coupler members together to prevent undesired rotation. 
If desired, a blocking or stop means may be added to the clamping means 
shown in FIG. 3 to insure that the clamp will not be inadvertently 
loosened as by shocks transmitted from a rough bicycle path surface. Two 
embodiments of stop means that may be used with the clamping or retaining 
means shown in FIG. 3 are depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 7, the stop 
comprises a blocking member 456 inside nut 452 which is urged by a coil 
spring 460 into one of a plurality of sockets 454, radially disposed about 
bolt 50, in coupler member 444. Blocking member 456 when seated in a 
socket prevents the rotation of knob 452. Retraction of blocking member 
456 into knob 452 by pressing or lifting lever 466 on knob 452 must 
precede rotation of the knob. In FIG. 8, a different embodiment of stop 
means is shown. Stop 584 comprises a resilient lever the free end 582 of 
which normally engages one of a plurality of notches 580 cut into the 
periphery of knob 552. Handlebar adjustment with a coupler having this 
embodiment of stop means requires that free end 582 be pressed before and 
during the rotation of knob 52. Other embodiments of stop means can be 
devised by those skilled in the art either with the retaining means 
embodiment shown in FIG. 3 or with other retaining means. Even with a stop 
means present, adjustment of a pair of handlebars from one position to 
another can be accomplished in less than one minute without hand tools 
and, if desired, may be accomplished by an experienced rider without his 
dismounting from or even stopping the bicycle. To achieve this advantage, 
I prefer to mount each coupler so that the knobs or other clamping means 
release elements and stop activating elements are easily accessible to the 
bicycle rider. 
An additional advantage of the use of the couplers is in collapsing the 
handlebars for compact storage or shipment of the bicycle. The couplers 
(40,42; 140,142; or 240,242) permit the handlebars to be rotated and 
clamped in positions relatively close to the frame of the bicycle thereby 
narrowing the space occupied by the bicycle without disassembly of 
handlebars 14 from steering column 12. 
A further advantage of the present invention is that adjustment of the 
handlebar gripping portions 30,32 does not alter the direction of 
operation of the hand brake levers 36. 
The invention has been described in detail with particular emphasis on the 
preferred embodiments. It should be understood that variations and 
modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to 
those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.