Abstract:
The head cap of a bicycle headset is configured with a shoulder sized to releasably receive an uncrimped bottle crown to cover a headset adjustment bolt in a decorative fashion.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   Bicycle headsets permit steering rotation of a bicycle fork with respect to a bicycle frame. The bicycle headset includes a headset adjustment bolt, which is usually visible directly in front of a rider. 
   SUMMARY 
   A head cap for a bicycle headset is provided. The head cap includes a boss, a pressure surface, an annular recess, a shoulder, and a bolt head recess. The boss has a boss diameter sized to fit within an opening of a bicycle stem. The pressure surface is located above the boss and has a pressure diameter sized to engage with a top of the bicycle stem. The annular recess is located above the pressure surface and has a recess diameter that is less than the pressure diameter. The shoulder is located above the annular recess and has a shoulder diameter that is greater than the recess diameter. The shoulder diameter is sized such that an uncrimped bottle crown sized to cap a bottle fits over the shoulder. In this way, the shoulder securely holds the uncrimped bottle crown in place without additional fastening. The bolt head recess is located interior and sufficiently below an upper surface of the shoulder. As such, a bolt head of a headset adjustment bolt fits below the uncrimped bottle crown fit over the shoulder. The bolt head recess is sized to prevent complete admittance of such a bolt head through the head cap so that the headset adjustment bolt forces the pressure surface against the bicycle stem when the headset adjustment bolt is tightened. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a headset of a bicycle, with a head cap, uncrimped bottle crown, and a headset adjusting bolt shown in projected position and other parts broken away. 
       FIG. 2  is a side-elevational view of the uncrimped bottle crown of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side-elevational view of the head cap of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the head cap of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the head cap of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The part of the bicycle frame with which the crown-holding cap of this invention is utilized is generally indicated at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The part of the bicycle frame which is illustrated includes top tube  12  and head tube  14 . In diamond framed bicycle structure, the top tube extends from the head tube to the seat post. In other types of the bicycle frame structures, the top tube  12  is absent, but is not necessary for utilization of this invention. The head tube  14  is generally upright, but with slight rearward slope to provide camber for the steering fork post. The steering fork carries the front wheel and extending upward as part of the steering fork is the steering fork post. The steering fork post extends up through head tube  14 . There are upper and lower headset bearings to rotatably support the fork post in the head tube. Upper headset bearing race  18  is seen. 
   Spacer  20  engages on the top of the upper headset bearing race  18 . With the stem clamp bolts  24  and  26  loose, adjustment of loading on the headset bearings is accomplished by pulling up on fork tube  16  with respect to pressing down on the stem. The stem pushes down through spacer  20  onto the upper headset bearing race  18 . 
   This adjustment is obtained by means of star nut  32 . Star nut  32  engages on the interior of fork tube  16 . Star nut  32  has a threaded hole  34  therein. Headset adjustment bolt  36  engages in threaded hole  34 . The adjustment bolt  36  engages down through the head cap  38 . The head cap  38  is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 . When adjustment is complete, stem  22  is clamped around the fork tube  16  by clamp bolts  24  and  26  to lock the bearing adjustment. The forward end of the stem  22  carries handle bar structure  26 , which is clamped in position by means of clamp bolts  28  and  30 . 
   Head cap  38 , which engages on the top of stem  22 , is a figure of revolution around a central axis. At the center there is a bolt hole  40  configured to pass the adjustment bolt  36 . The bottom of head cap  38  has a boss  42  engaged in the opening in the top of the stem  22  which receives the fork tube  16 . Above the boss is a pressure surface  44  which engages on the top of stem  22 . Thus, the head cap is held centered over the opening in the stem which receives the fork tube  16 . The pressure surface  44  is under face  46 . 
   Looking at the head cap  38  from the top, there is a bolt head recess  48 , which receives the head of adjustment bolt  36 . With the tightening of the adjustment bolt, it can be seen that the stem  22  is forced downward and the fork tube  16  is pulled up. This increases the loading on the headset bearings. When the proper bearing loading is achieved, the clamp bolts  24  and  26  are tightened so that it maintains this position. 
   Above the face  46 , there is an annular recess  50  (see  FIG. 3 ), and above the annular recess is a shoulder  52 . The upper part of the shoulder  52  has a rounded shoulder transition  54  to the top surface  56 . The upper exterior of the head cap  38  is about the same configuration as a bottle, which is to be closed by a bottle crown. 
   An uncrimped bottle crown  58  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Its skirt is more open than after crimping. Its skirt has a plurality of indentations  60  which are formed during manufacture to aid in the subsequent crimping when used to close a beverage bottle. The uncrimped bottle crown  58  is configured such that it will engage on the head cap  38  and be fairly strongly engaged thereon without crimping. The uncrimped bottle crown  58  seals against water, dirt and other types of contaminants. In addition, the uncrimped bottle crown  58  serves as a decor item. Since the bottle crown  58  is not crimped in place, it may be removed for headset adjustment or for replacement by another uncrimped bottle crown of other decor. 
   This invention has been described in its presently preferred embodiment, and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.