Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
We, JAMES BATES GOODWIN, of 41 Gower Street, Merchant, and WILLIAM
STOCKTON, of 4 Thavies Inn, China Agent, both in the County of London, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in velocipedes and has reference more
particularly to an improved construction of handle bar capable of being folded
so as to facilitate packing and transport, and to enable the machine to be passed
through narrow spaces when desired.
To this end the halves or arms of the handle bar are pivoted at the centre
thereof in such a manner tlrat they can be turned or folded down by the side of
the steering head and means are provided whereby the said parts can be rigidly
connected in their raised or working position and can be disconnected without
difficulty to enable them to be turned down.
According to a convenient arrangement the tubular T-piece in which the
halves of the handle bar and its stem are usually secured has its horizontal
portion, which receives the halves of the handle bar, divided into two parts which
are pivoted to the portion which receives the stem and have their ends arranged
to abut when the handles are in the normal or working position. A rigid con-
nection between these two parts is secured by a bolt carried in one of them and
adapted to enter the other when the two are in alignment, and to engage therein
say by a bayonet joint connection. For this latter purpose the bolt may have a
pin or projection on its extremity, and the part which it enters may be grooved
or otherwise formed internally to receive the said pin or projection, the bolt
being arranged to be moved longitudinally to enter the said part, and then
partially rotated round its own axis to cause the pin or projection to engage.
The bolt may be operated, and be locked in its engaged position, by any suitable
means such for example as a pin thereon projecting through a bayonet slot in
the T-piece, this pin carrying a clamping nut or other device for fixing it in
the slot when desired.
According to another arrangement one of the horizontal portions of the T-piece
may carry a sliding piece or sleeve on its outer surface adapted to be pushed
sufficiently far over the other portion to form the required connection, and any
suitable means such as a spring bolt, a clamping screw, a sheath, or a bayonet
joint arrangement may be provided for securing or locking the said sliding
piece firmly to the portion of the T-piece which it is caused to overlap. Obviously
the sliding piece or sleeve will require to be cut away, to allow it to pass the
portion of the T-piece which carries the stem of the handle bar. Any suitable
handle or device may be provided on the sliding portion to enable it to be
operated.

page_text: JAMES BATES GOODWIN, of 41 Gower Street, Merchant; and WILLIAM
STOCKTON, of 4 Thavies Inn, China Agent, both in the County of London, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in velocipedes and has reference more
particularly to an improved construction of handle bar capable of being folded
so as to facilitate packing and transport, and to enable the velocipede to be passed
through narrow spaces when desired.
To this end the halves or arms of the handle bar are pivoted at the centre
thereof in such a manner that they can be turned or folded down by the side of
the steering head and means are provided whereby the said parts can be rigidly
connected in their raised or working position and can be disconnected without
difficulty to enable them to be turned down.
According to our invention the tubular T-piece in which the halves of the
handle bar and its stem are usually secured has its horizontal portion, which
receives the halves of the handle bar, divided into two parts which are pivoted
to the portion which receives the stem and have their ends arranged to abut when
the handles are in the normal position. A rigid connection between these two
parts is secured by a bolt carried in one of them and adapted to enter the other
when the two are in alignment, and to engage therein say by a bayonet joint
connection.
The bolt may be locked in its engaged position, by any suitable means such for
example as a pin thereon projecting through a bayonet slot in the T-piece,
this pin carrying a clamping nut or other device for fixing it in the slot when
desired.
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying
drawings in which"
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the central portion of one arrangement
of handle bar having my improvements applied thereto, shewing the parts of
the handle bar in the position they occupy when in use.
Figure 3 is a vertical section showing the parts in the positions they occupy
when turned or folded down.
a and al are the horizontal portions of the T-piece which receive the halves bb1
of the handle bar. a is the portion of the T-piece which receives the vertical
stem 62 and to which the portions a a¹ are secured by hinge pins a³. c is the
bolt by which the rigid connection between the parts a a¹ is secured, this bolt
being fitted to slide in the part. a and being adapted to enter the part al, c¹ is
a pin or projection on the end of the bolt c by which the bolt is locked in the
part a', and d is an internal groove along which the projection c¹ travels when
the bolt is pushed into the said part a When the bolt is com-
pletely home, the projection clears the end of the groove and is caused
by turning the bolt to pass behind the edge e of the thicker portion of the wall
of the part a. This edge e may have a slight inclination to cause the pin in
turning to jam tightly and draw the parts a a¹ rigidly together.
f is the pin on the bolt for locking the said bolt in its engaged position, and g
is the bayonet slot in the part a of the T-piece, through which the pin f projects

page_text: this slot being termed a bayonet slot on account of its having a portion g¹at
right angles to the main portion thereof. f is the clamping nut by tightening
up which the bolt can be securely fixed in the portion g of the slot.
h is a spiral spring which I find it advantageous to provide in some cases in
connection with the bolt, this spring being so arranged, by being compressed and
twisted, that it tends both to force the bolt outward and to turn it on its axis as
far as the pin f and slot y will allow. In other words the spring tends to keep
the pin falways in the portion g¹ of the slot. At one end the spring is secured
to a pin h fixed into the portion of the handle bar, while at the other end
its extremity is inserted into a hole in the end of the bolt c as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 3.1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A hinged or jointed handle bar for velocipedes, provided with an internal
longitudinal bolt substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
2. In a handle bar of the kind referred to in the preceding claim the means
for fixing the bolt in its engaged position, comprising the pin and clamping nut
on the bolt and the bayonet slot in the handle bar substantially as described.
3. Our improved handle bar for velocipedes constructed substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of September 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.