Improvements in Means for Adjusting Parts of Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Adjusting Parts of Cycles.
I, WALTER JOSEPHI GINDER, of The West End Cycle Company, Frederick Street,
in the City of Birmingham, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to means for adjusting, and securing in their adjusted
position, parts of cycles, such as handle bars, seat pillars and brake plunger rods,
also the adjustable elements of the ball bearings of wheel hubs, bottom brackets,
steering heads and the like, and has for its object, to facilitate the adjustment
and subsequent affixing of the said parts.
According to my said invention the part or element to be adjusted is provided
at a convenient part with a series of teeth in the form of a straight or annular
rack, with which a small pinion or toothed wheel mounted on a relatively fixed
part of the cycle engages, so that on the rotation of the said pinion in one direction
or the other, the element carrying the rack is raised or lowered or screwed in or
out, as the case may be, and its position adjusted accordingly, whilst such adjust-
ment is then locked by the screwing up of a nut or nuts on the spindle of the
pinion, as hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 of the said drawings represents an elevation of a safety bicycle, the
seat pillar, handle bars and brake rod, together with the adjustable elements of the
steering head, bottom bracket and hubs are provided with my improved means
for adjusting and locking them.
Figure 2 represents upon an enlarged scale, partly in elevation and partly in
section, the seat pillar of the said bicycle, showing more clearly the arrangement
of the improved means for adjusting and locking the same.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure
wards.
upon the dotted line x, looking down-
Figure 5 represents, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, and upon
an enlarged scale, the means provided for the adjustment of the handle bar stem,
the brake rod and the top bearing ring of the steering or ball head.
Figure 6 is a cross section of Figure 5 upon the dotted lines r¹.
Figure 7 represents, in side elevation, the application of my invention to the
bearings of a front wheel hub.
Figure 8 is an elevation of the adjusting end of the said hub.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, a is the seat pillar, which slides and is adjustable within
the seat pillar lug b, of the framing b, and is provided, upon the rear side with
a series of teeth or with a straight rack a', with which a pinion or toothed wheel c¹,
on the cross clamping pin c, passing through the eyes 62, of the lug, engages and
D 9/1

page_text: by its rotation in one direction or the other, the seat pillar is raised or lowered
accordingly. The rotation of the pin and toothed wheel (which are secured
together by a loose key d, lying in corresponding key ways, ³) is effected by
the application of a spanner or tool to the head c, whilst the clamping of the
parts in their adjusted positions is effected by wringing up a nut es, on the screwed
end of the said pin, which clamps the eyes 62, against the sides of the pinion and
thereby locks the latter immovably, with its teeth in engagement with the rack a¹.
In fitting together the parts, the pinion is placed between the eyes of the seat
lug and the clamping pin passed through the coincident holes in the said parts.
The key-ways in the pinion and pin are next brought coincident also and the
loose key for connecting the pinion is then passed into position endwise.
The handle bar stem e, (see Figures 1 and 5) has a like rack e', with which a
pinion f, mounted in like manner on the clamping bolt f¹, passing through the
eyes g', of the ball head clip g, engages. The adjustment of the vertical position
of the stem and the locking of the same by a nut on the end of the clamping bolt
is effected in like manner as described in connection with the seat pillar.
The telescoping sections h, h², of the brake plunger rod (see Figures 5 and 6)
are also adjusted by the engagement of a pinion i, mounted on a clamping pin 2,
carried in a bearing on the one part, engaging with a rack or series of teeth such
as j, on the other part, with the locking being effected by drawing together the
side or clip cheeks ², of the bearing and causing them to bind upon the pinion
by screwing up a nut 23, on the end of the pin.
The top bearing ring k, of the ball head is provided on its periphery with an
annular series of teeth, with which a pinion m, carried on a pin m', turning in
a bearing lug m³, of the ball head clip y, engages. The ring is adjusted by
rotating the pinion by a screw driver or other tool engaging the head m³, whilst
the locking is performed by binding the parts together by the nut m*, on the
screwed end of the pin.
In the hub shewn in Figures 7 and 8, the adjustable cup or cone element is
toothed at n, whilst the adjusting pinion o, is carried on a pin o¹, passing through
a lug o², attached to, or formed upon the end of the hub body p.
clamping together the parts is marked 03.
The nut for
The application of my invention to bottom bracket bearings, marked q in
Figure is carried out in essentially the same way as described with regard to
wheel hubs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First: In seat pillars, handle bars, brake rods and like adjustable parts of
cycles, providing the same with a straight rack or line of teeth meshing with a
small toothed wheel or adjusting pinion, connected to, and being capable of
rotating with, a clamping pin or equivalent, and mounted between the eyes or
cheeks of a lug or clip, so that by the rotation of the said pin the sliding element
is adjusted and by the screwing up of a nut on the said pin, the adjustment is
locked, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-In the adjustable elements of hub, bottom bracket, ball head and
like bearing parts of cycles, providing the periphery or edge of the same with a
series of teeth meshing with a small toothed wheel or adjusting pinion, the spindle
of which is mounted and turns within a bearing on a relatively fixed part of the
machine, so that by rotating the pinion, the adjustment of the element is effected,
whilst by screwing up a nut on the said spindle, the adjustment is locked, sub-
stantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly: The method of adjusting different parts of cycles by the employ-
ment of a pinion meshing with straight or annular series of teeth, substantially
fas described and set forth.
Fourthly: The method of locking the adjustment of different adjustable parts

page_text: of cycles by clamping or binding the adjusting pinion and thus preventing its
rotating, by the screwing up of a nut on the spindle of the said pinion, substan-
tially as described and set forth.
WALTER JOSEPH GINDER,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant