Improvements in Handles for Cycles or other Vehicles or Motive Power Machinery.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Handles for Cycles or other Vehicles or Motive
Power Machinery.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM MEADWAY, of 354, Bethnal Green Road, N.E.
Clerk, 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 handles for cycles or the driving or
steering apparatus of motor cars or other motive power, machinery or apparatus
and consists in applying the pneumatic principle to such handles so as to overcome
or diminish the vibration between the same and the operator's hands.
According to my invention I mount upon the bar or tubular support forming the
handle bar of the machine an air-tight bag or cushion of indiarubber leather or
other flexible material. The said tubular support may be of round, square, or
other suitable section and the exterior of the cushion, may be of curved, straight,
corrugated, or other devised shape. I may apply an inner air-tube or bag to the
cushion or the latter may itself form the air-bag, and in some cases I may dispense
with the centre support and form the bandle of an elongated or cylindrical air-bag
attached at one end to the handle bar.
And in order to fully understand my said invention I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of my improved handles, and Fig. 2
is a central transverse section of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4, are details,
Fig. 5 is a section at one end of the handle showing the air-valve connection,
and Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.
Fig. 7 shows a modified construction of handle.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.
a is the handle support which may consist of a tube or a solid bar forming part
of the handle bar. is the outer covering of the air-bag or cushion and c is the
inner air-bag or cushion. The flexible cover b is attached to the central support a
by means of the wires of vulcanised rubber or any other suitable material
around which ends of the cover are wrapped, and which are held in recesses
formed by the turned over edges of the rings or discs d fitted to the supports a.
The outer ring or disc d is fixed in position by forming it with a tongue di(Fig. 4)
which is caused to engage with a slot a' (Fig. 3) cut in the end of the tube a and
forming a bayonet joint.
For the purpose of inflating or deflating the inner air-bag e or the outer bag
when an inner one is not used, I provide a suitable air-valve, such as shown at e,
(Figs. 5 and 6) which is attached to a cover f, hinged to the outer end of the
tute a and enclosed against the same by a spring or other catch. The air-valve e
is connected by a flexible tube with the air-bag c or a, and when required to
inflate the bag the cover is opened out, as shown in Fig. 6 and the air pump
coupled to the screw connection e³ of the valve. By this means the air-valve is
closed within the tube a when the cover f is shut.
The beaded ends of the cover b may rest against the tube a as shown in
Fig. 1, or against a ring y interposed between them and the said tube, as shown in
Fig. 5.

page_text: The cover is provided with a projection or block f which enters the slot a¹
in the tube a when the cover is closed thus securely locking the disc d to the
tube.
Instead of fixing the handle to the handle bar and inflating by means of a
pump I may
make the handle detachable and inflate by means of the lungs when
it is removed from the bar so that on pressing the handle over the end of the bar,
the required pressure in the air chamber will be obtained.
In the modification shown in Fig. 7 one end only of the air-bag b is attached to
the support a the other end being closed and stretched over the outer end of the
support. In this case the air pump is coupled when inflating to a ring / carried
on an extension d2 of the disc d, which extension as well as the ring are
perforated for the passage of the air through the tube e¹ to the bag c, the air being
cut off and the communication closed by turning the ring upon the extension d²
so as to bring the perforations out of line with one another. It is perferred to
make the connection between the end of the cover band the support a airtight so
that in this case the inner bag c may be dispensed with.
h
The air bag or cushion is inflated after attachment to the central support a
except in the case where the cushion is provided with a separate central tube
which is placed over the support and which may revolve thereon on anti-friction
bearings, or where the central support is dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, I declare that what I claim is,-
(1.) In handles for cycles or other motive power vehicles or apparatus forming
the same of an air-bag or cushion with or without a central support or tube
and recessed rings or discs for attaching the same to the support substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
(2.) In handles for cycles or other vehicles or apparatus the combination of a
central tube or support a a flexible cover provided with wires an inner air-
bag e rings or discs d provided with a tongue d' engaging with a slot a¹ in the
tube a and an air-valve e fixed to the cover hinged to one end of the tube a
and provided with a projection substantially as described and for the purposes
specified.
(3.) The combination with a central tube or support a of a flexible cover b
provided at one end with a wire a ring or disc d formed with an extension d²,
tube e and rings g and substantially as described with reference to Fig. 7 of the
drawings.
(4.) The improvements in handles for cycles and other motive power vehicles or
apparatus substantially as described and shown in the accompanying sheet of
drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1897
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.