Improvements in or relating to Adjustment Devices applicable to the Seat Pillars or Handle Bars of Cycles and for other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
PROVIDIONAL DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Adjustment Devices applicable to the
Seat Pillars or Handle Bars of Cycles and for other purposes.
We, ANDREW Ross, of 21, Lower Belgrave Street, Buckingham Palace Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and HENRY BAYLY SKINNER, 15, Copthall
Avenue, in the County of Middlesex, Secretary to a public company, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to adjustment devices which may be used for various
purposes, but we will describe it as applied to the seat pillar and handle bar of a
cycle.
In carrying out the invention as applied to a seat pillar of a cycle, we form
inside the frame tube a screw-thread or series of rings or equivalent providing
alternate projections and recesses, but conveniently a screw-thread mutilated so
as to present channels parallel with the axis of the tube. The saddle pillar or
other supporting device is provided with a corresponding thread or equivalent and
channels. By this arrangement it will be appreciated that by placing the pro-
jecting or thread portions of the one part so as to engage with the channels of the
other, the two can be moved longitudinally or telescopically to any desired extent,
and by then turning them across so that the various threads or equivalent engage
longitudinal movement will be prevented.
In order to prevent the parts from turning and thus becoming disengaged we
provide one of them, preferably the stem, with a washer or collar adapted to slide
upon it. This washer is provided with lugs or equivalent which enter the channels
in the tube portion or member of the joint, so that when the washer is slipped
into the position which it occupies when the joint is fixed, its lugs lock the two
parts together so that they cannot escape, and the joint for the time being is a
fixture.
This washer can be secured in various ways, for example a nut may run upon
the stem thread, and by turning this down with the fingers on top of the washer,
the latter will be sufficiently firmly held; an incidental advantage of employing
the nut is that it can serve as a cap to close any of the parts, and prevent the
entrance of moisture or dirt, for which purpose it may if desired be provided
with a
leather or other packing. Another way of securing the washer against
accidental displacement is to make it a sufficiently firm fit upon the stem, and yet
another way is to provide it with one or more spring friction grips, which would
effect the same purpose. A. cam or other kind of grip may be used to engage
with the thread of the stem, or many other devices may be employed for this
purpose.
In the case of the handle bar the fastening is substantially identical to that
already described, the lugs or equivalent of the washer serving to secure the
handle bar in its proper relation to the steering fork. If the channels are suitably
placed it will be appreciated that while the handle bar can be fixed in its ordinary
position across the machine, it can also be fixed in another position in which it

page_text: lies in the longitudinal axis of the machine, thus providing all the advantages
incidental to such an arrangement without extra expense or complication.
Although we have described what we consider to be the most satisfactory arrange-
ment for carrying out the invention we wish it to be understood that the details
may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of this invention.
As an instance of this, instead of the previously described washer we may employ
either in the stem or in the tube or both a spring locking device, which, when
the parts are properly engaged would also engage with one or more of the channels,
and thus lock the parts in position just as in the case of the washer. Other means
for accomplishing the same thing may readily be devised.
Dated this 6th day of November 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Adjustment Devices applicable to the
Seat Pillars or Handle Bars of Cycles and for other purposes.
We, ANDREW Ross, of 21, Lower Belgrave Street, Buckingham Palace Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and HENRY BAYLY SKINNER, of 15, Copthall
Avenue, in the County of Middlesex, Secretary to a public company, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to adjustment devices which may be used for various
purposes but by way of example we will describe it as applied to the handle bar
and seat pillar of a cycle.
In carrying out the invention as applied to a handle bar or seat pillar of a
cycle we form inside the frame tube a screw thread or series of rings or equivalent
providing alternate projections and recesses, but conveniently a screw-thread
interrupted or mutilated so as to present channels parallel with the axis of the
tube. The stem or pillar or other supporting device is provided with a corre-
sponding thread or equivalent and channels. By this arrangement it will be
appreciated that by placing the projecting or thread portions of the one part so
ag to engage with the channels of the other, the two can be moved longitudinally
or telescopically to any desired extent, and by then turning them across so that
the various threads or equivalent engage, longitudinal movement will be prevented.
In order to prevent the parts from turning and thus becoming disengaged we
provided one of them, preferably the stem, with a washer or collar adapted to slide
upon it. This washer is provided with lugs or equivalent which enter the channels
in the tube portion or member of the joint, so that when the washer is slipped
into the position which it occupies when the joint is fixed, its lugs lock the two
parts together so that they cannot escape, and the joint for the time being is a
fixture.
This washer can be secured in various ways, for example a nut may run upon
the stem thread, and by turning this down with the fingers on top of the washer,
the latter will be sufficiently firmly held. An incidental advantage of employing
the nut is that it can serve as a cap to close any of the parts, and prevent the
entrance of moisture or dirt, for which purpose it may, if desired, by provided
with a leather or other packing. Another way of securing the washer against
accidental displacement is to make it a sufficiently firm fit upon the stem, and yet

page_text: another way is to provide it with one or more spring friction grips, which would
effect the same purpose.
In the case of the handle-bar the lugs or equivalent of the washer serve to secure
the handle-bar in its proper relation to the steering fork. If the channels are
suitably placed it will be appreciated that while the handle-bar can be fixed in
its ordinary position across the machine, it can also be fixed in another position
in which it lies in the longitudinal plane of the machine, thus providing all the
advantages incidental to such an arrangement without extra expense or complica-
tion.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section showing a handle-bar stem secured
according to this invention in a socket at the head of the steering fork stem;
And Figures 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of a nut, sliding collar and
socket, respectively, employed in the construction illustrated by Figure 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the head tube forming part of the frame; B is the tubular steering-fork
stem, received within the head tube having a socket C (Figure 3) fixed in its
upper end. In the bore of the socket C (or in the bore of the tubular fork stem B
which could constitute the socket if one were not separately made and fixed within
it) is a screw thread portions of which are removed so that threaded projections C¹
alternate with plain channels C upon the interior of the socket.
The handle bar stem D) is provided with an external screw thread corresponding
with the internal screw thread of the socket C and, like the latter, having portions
removed so that threaded projections D1 alternate with channels D2 extending
parallel with the length of the stem.
In Figure 1 the handle-bar stem D is shown as being so placed in relation to
the socket C that the threaded projections D' on the former, engage the threaded
projections C¹ of the latter so that the channels C² D³ in socket and stem respectively
are in alignment with each other.
Any convenient locking device is employed according to this invention to
prevent the relative rotation of the parts C and D about their common axis so
long as it is desired to keep them thus engaged. In the drawings the locking
device shown consists of a collar or washer E (Figures 1 and 3) encircling the
stem D and adapted to slide endwise along it; this collar has spring lugs El
extending from it, lying in the channels D2 of the stem D, against the bottoms
of which they bear with sufficient force to prevent accidental displacement of the
collar; these lugs El enter, when the collar is slid along the stem D into the
position in which it is shown in Figure 1, the channels C2 of the socket C in such
a manner as to occupy these interruptions in the threads of both socket and stem
so that the latter cannot be rotated until the collar is moved upward along the
stem.
In the construction illustrated there is also a nut F with a milled edge, threaded
upon the stem D above the collar E and adapted to be screwed down on to the
top of the collar E to hold the latter securely in place in the socket C, but instead
of this nut there could be small spring detents on the edge of the socket to snap
over the edges of the collar E when pushed home into it, and retain it securely
against accidental displacement.
In Figure 1 the handle bar stem is shown in such a position in the frame that
the handle bar extends athwart the machine; but if the stem D be turned
through 90° the threaded projections D¹ upon it will come out of engagement with
the particular projections C¹ with which they are now engaged and will re-
engage in similar fashion with the projections with which they next come in
contact, 90° further round the socket, thus bringing the handle bar into the
position in which it is shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, that is to say, in the
longitudinal plane of the machine.
The nut F can be furnished with an annular flange F¹ such as is shown by
chain lines in Figure 1, with an annular packing or lining F to prevent the

page_text: access of moisture or dirt to the annular space A³ in the head tube having the
top and bottom bearing loops A A5 and balls at its ends.
A further device for securing the collar or washer E against accidental dis-
placement is a cam grip, that is to say the well-known device of a friction cam
pivoted between lugs on the collar E and having a surface slightly eccentric to its
pivot, to bear on the bottom of the adjacent channel 12 in the bar D.
Although we have described what we consider to be the most satisfactory
arrangement for carrying out the invention we wish it to be understood that the
details may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of this
invention.
It is not necessary that the projections CD¹ and channels C2 D2 should be
disposed in lines parallel with the axis of the socket C or stem or pillar D; for
example, they might extend in helical lines having considerable pitch in propor-
tion to the bore of the socket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim 1s:-
1. An adjustment device comprising a stem or pillar with an interrupted thread
and a similarly-threaded socket in which the stem or pillar may be adjusted end-
wiec and retained in different positions.
2. In a cycle the combination of a stem or pillar and a socket each provided
with an interrupted thread for the purpose described.
3. In an adjustment device the combination with a stem or pillar and socket
encircling it having interrupted threads of a sliding piece such as E having spring
or other lugs extending into the interruptions of the thread for preventing relative
rotation of the parts with or without a nut F.
4. In a cycle an adjustment device with the projections and recesses described
so disposed that the parts engage when the liandle bar is athwart and also when
it is lengthwise of the machine.
5. The complete adjustment device substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of Santambor 1808