Improvements in Adjustable Handle Bars and Handles for Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1896-Accepted, 20th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Handle Bars and Handles for
Velocipedes.
I, THOMAS HOWARD BURTON, of No. 27 East 23rd Street, Chicago, in the
County of Cook, State of Illinois and United States of America, Manufacturer,
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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved form of handle bar
adapted to be rotated into any desired position to adjust the elevation of
the handles, and, furthermore, to provide means whereby the angular position
of the handles with relation to the handle bar may be changed so that the position
of the handles within the hands need not be varied upon the adjustment of the
handle bar.
To these ends my invention comprises, in its preferred form, a center locking
bearing in which the handle bar may be rotated, a locking device for maintaining
the handle bar in an adjusted position, and lever mechanism to operate said
locking device, having an operating handle or thumb-piece placed within reach
of one hand of the rider as it rests upon the handle. The handles are pivoted
upon the extremities of the handle bar preferably between their extremities, a
friction bearing being preferably provided between each of the handles and the
handle bar to maintain the handles in position after adjustment.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the handle bar;
Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the adjustable handles;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the middle portion of the handle bar and the
locking mechanism;
Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the bar and locking mechanism, on
line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an end view of the central locking bearing;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the locking mechanism;
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of my invention;
Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view, partially in elevation, of the device
shown in Fig. 8, the handle bar having been turned through an angle of
90 degrees;
Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. 9.
Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.
The handle bar is rotatably mounted within the center locking bearing a which
is adapted to be supported within the steering head of the bicycle. A collar 6 is
secured to the handle bar by a screw b¹ passing through the same and the handle
bar. Said collar abuts one end of the bearing and the rounded end of a cap
made fast upon the bearing as shown in Fig. 3, whereby lateral movement of the
handle bar is prevented. A number of tapered recesses are provided in the right-
hand end of the center locking bearing with which tapered pins cc, supported
upon the collar d, are adapted to engage. The collar d is rotated with and
longitudinally-movable upon the handle bar, a lever extending from a pin d',
which pin passes diametrically across the collar d and through slots parallel in the
handle bar to a point near the right-hand handle and provided thereat with an

page_text: operating thumb-piece e, upon the actuation whereof the collar d is withdrawn,
whereupon the pins c c are removed from their engagement with the recesses in
the locking bearing, permitting the rotation of the handle bar. In the device
illustrated, eight equidistant tapered recesses are provided in the center locking
bearing, while four tapered pins are supported upon the collar d adapted to engage
with four of said recesses at a time. The handle bar is capable of being rotatably
adjusted by steps of an eighth of a revolution. After the pins have been with-
drawn and the bar adjusted to the proper position, the thumb-piece e is released,
whereupon a retractile spring f, secured at one end to the shank of the screw b¹
and at the other to pin d', readvances the collar d until the pins mounted thereon
are brought into engagement with the corresponding recesses in the center locking
bearing. To prevent lost motion between the handle bar and its bearing and to
remove the bearing strain from the collar d, which should be of light construction,
I interpose between said bearing and collar a heavy supplemental collar, fixed
with relation to the handle bar, containing four recesses with which the four
tapered pins engage, said recesses being slightly out of alignment with and
symmetrically disposed with relation to those in the opposing end of the locking
bearing, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the lost motion between a pin and one
set of its engaging recesses being prevented by its neighbouring pins and their
engaging recesses, between which the tendency is to produce lost motion in an
opposite direction.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I pivotally mount the handles upon the ends of the
handle bar, the pivotal points being preferably located between the extremities of
the handles. The handles are provided with good frictional engagement with the
handle bar at their pivotal points, whereby the handles, after having been adjusted,
are maintained in position.
In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have shown a center locking bearing having the same
general characteristics of the form previously shown, a modification being made in
the locking device.
A wedge-shaped locking plate g, rotatable with the handle bar, is adapted to
engage with a pair of diametrically-disposed slots in the locking bearing, a number
of these slots being provided to permit of the adjustment of the handle bar. Two
retractile springs ff are attached at the ends of the locking plate to normally
preserve the even engagement thereof with the locking bearing. The locking
plate may be withdrawn from its engagement with the center locking bearing to
rotatably adjust the handle bar by the actuation of the lever uniting the same with
the operating thumb-piece.
The locking plate does not wholly enter the slots in the locking bearing, each
end of the locking plate engaging one wall of the slot in the handle bar and the
opposite wall of the engaging slot in the locking bearing, whereby the wear between
the engaging parts is compensated for and lost motion between the handle bar and
locking bearing is prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a bicycle, the combination of a handle bar, with handles pivotally mounted
upon the ends thereof, and means for maintaining said handles in adjusted positions,
substantially as described.
2. In a bicycle, the combination of a handle bar, with handles pivotally mounted
between their extremities upon the ends thereof, and having frictional engagement
therewith, substantially as described.
3. In a bicycle, the combination of a rotatable handle bar, a locking portion for
securing said bar in a rotated position, a thumb-piece or handle provided upon the
handle bar, and connecting mechanism between said thumb-piece and locking
device within said handle bar for actuating the locking portion, substantially as
described.

page_text: 4. In a bicycle handle bar, the combination of a center locking bearing within
which the handle bar may be rotated and in which a series of recesses are providel,
with a collar adapted to rotate with said handle bar and to be longitudinally move.l
thereon, locking pins disposed upon said collar adapted to engage with and to be
disengaged from said recesses, and lever mechanism for moving sait collar
longitudinally, substantially as described.
5. In a bicycle handle bar, the combination of a center locking bearing within
which the handle bar is adapted to be rotated, said locking bearing having a series
of recesses, with a collar adapted to rotate with said handle bar and to be longi-
tudinally moved thereon, a locking pin or pins disposed upon said collar adapted to
engage with and to be disengaged from said recesses, lever mechanism adapted to
move said collar, a supplemental collar fixed with relation to the handle bar
interposed between the collar carrying the locking pin or pins and the contiguous
end of the center locking bearing, said collar being adapted to engage said locking
pin or pins, substantially as described.
6. In a bicycle, the combination with a rotatable handle bar, of handles pivotally
mounted upon the ends of said bar, a locking device for maintaining said handle
bar in an adjusted position, and a thumb-piece or handle situated near one of the
handles and in convenient position to be reached by the hand of the rider as it rests
upon the handle, whereby the locking device may be released and the bar adjusted
in position, substantially as described.
7. In a bicycle, the combination with a post or stem, of a handle bar bent or
curved in one plane and rotatively mounted on said post, means for securing the
bar and post together after adjustment, and adjustable handles pivoted to the ends
of said bar and adapted to be held in an adjusted position, substantially as
described.
8. In a bicycle, the combination with a locking bearing, of a handle bar rotatively
mounted within the same, a locking plate adapted to engage said handle bar and
locking bearing, and means for actuating said plate, substantially as described.
9. In a bicycle, the combination with a locking bearing, of a handle bar rotatively
mourted within the same, a locking plate adapted to engage said handle bar and
slots in the opposing end of said locking bearing, and means for actuating said
locking plate, substantially as described.
10. In a bicycle, the combination with a locking bearing, of a handle bar rotatively
mounted therein, a wedge-shaped locking plate diametrically-disposed within the
handle bar adapted to engage with the handle bar and with wedge-shaped slots.
provided in the opposing end of the locking bearing, and means for actuating said
locking plate, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of May 1896.
THOMAS HOWARD BURTON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.