IMPROVEMENTS IN BICYCLES
Year: 1885

page_text: وه
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, BERNARD ESMARCH, of 40, George Street, Balsall Heath, Worcestershire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BICYCLES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement reference-being had to:
the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
My Invention has reference to improvements in bicycles and it is applicable to
all kinds of bicycles whether they be so called "Safety" bicycles or bicycles of
ordinary construction.
Bicycles as now made having a so called "horizontal" handle bar attached to
the top of the fork or steering head and carried across the legs of the rider to
handles at each side for the purposes of steering and holding on to the bicycle or
for applying the break whether such handle bar be cranked, straight or of other
form have been found to be dangerous to the rider in case he should accidentally
be pitched forward off the bicycle as such handle bar then offers an obstruction to
his legs and often causes him to fall upon his head and to be badly hurt. According
to my Invention I dispense with such so called "horizontal" handle bar attached
to the upper end of the fork or steering head of a bicycle and I provide instead
thereof handle bars at the sides of the bicycle attached to or formed with the lower
ends of the fork by means of which the rider can steer and hold on to the bicycle
but which offer no obstruction to the rider in case he should accidentally be pitched
forward off the bicycle. Such "vertical" handle bars also form a ready means of
carrying umbrellas, photographic apparatus, and other luggage.
I proceed with reference to the accompanying drawing to fully describe my
Invention.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a back elevation of a bicycle constructed
according to my Invention.
Attached to or formed with the lower parts of the fork A which spans the
driving wheel B of the bicycle I provide two handle bars C', C³ preferably tubular
and bent to such a shape as to be clear of the pedals D and the rider's legs when
the bicycle is in motion. The handle bars C¹, C are produced upwards at each
side of the bicycle so as to be clear of the rider's legs and so that they can be

page_text: conveniently grasped by the rider's bands and for that purpose they are provided
with handles c¹, c². I prefer to provide handles bent forwards as shewn in my
drawing as they are easily grasped and easily loosed by the hands but if desired
the handles may be bent in any other desired direction and they may be of any
suitable shape. The handle bars C¹, C" may either be formed in a piece with the
fork A or they may be bolted thereto or attached in any other suitable manner.
When my improved handle bars are applied according to my Invention to a so
called "Safety" bicycle their arrangement is similar to that herein before described
with reference to the bicycle shewn on my drawing such alterations only being
required to be made as will adapt the handle bars to the particular "Safety
bicycle to which they are applied. When a break is required it may either be
pivotted to the fork A as shewn at D in Fig. 1. or it may be arranged in any other
suitable manner such arrangement of break forming no part of my Invention.
Umbrellas, photographic apparatus and certain other luggage can be strapped to
the handle bars and readily carried thereby or hooks as d¹, d' may be provided.
and attached thereto on which parcels may conveniently be hung.
If a rider should happen to be pitched forward off a bicycle constructed
according to my Invention he would be able to alight on his feet or at the worst
on his feet and hands as the handle bars C¹, C* form no obstruction to him as do
the so called "horizontal" handle bars now in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in the handle bars for all kinds of bicycles hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, that is to say, providing
at each side of the bicycle a handle bar attached to or formed with the lower
parts of the fork of the driving wheel and bent upwards at the sides of the bicycle
so as to offer no obstruction at the front of the rider for the purpose and
substantially as described and illustrated.