Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes.
I, CHARLES THOMAS AUSTEN Railway Approach Lewisham, London,
Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with velocipedes and
refers more particularly to the method of holding or securing the handle bars in
position, the object being to provide a means whereby the disadvantages of the
slot through the thread at the top of the tube, now generally adopted, may be
obviated, which has the effect of reducing its diameter when compressed by the
nut, thereby causing the said nut to strip the thread when strain is brought to bear
upon it.
By my improvements the thread is left whole or not slotted or cut in any
way, the necessary "give" in the tube, when the ball head clip is tightened up
to grip the handle bar stem, takes place below the said screw threaded portion of
the tube.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I preferably adopt the following
plan, viz. I cut or form a slot or series of slots in the tube below the screw
threaded portion at the part where the clip is placed, or the tube may be treated
in such a manner that it will give sufficiently to the pressure or allow it to be
compressed, upon the ball head clip being drawn up or tightened, or I employ
means whereby these results may be obtained.
Dated this 9th day of December 1895
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Velocipedes.
I, CHARLES THOMAS AUSTEN of Railway Approach, Lewisham, London,
Cycle 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with velocipedes and
refers to the method of holding or securing the handle bars in position, but more
particularly to the screw adjustment of the ball head, the object being to provide
a means whereby the disadvantages of the slot through the thread at the top of
the steering tube, now generally adopted, may be obviated, which has the effect
of reducing the diameter of the said tube when compressed by a suitable clip, on
tightening up, thereby causing the nut which adjusts the ball head to strip the thread
when strain is brought to bear upon it.

page_text: By my improvements the thread is left whole or not slotted or cut in any way
except in a manner hereinafter described, the necessary "give" in the tube, when
the ball head clip is tightened up to grip the handle bar stem, taking place below
the said screw threaded portion of the tube.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I preferably adopt the following
plan, viz.
"
I cut or form a slot or series of slots around the tube below the screw threaded
portion and at the part where the clip is placed, the said slot or slots being of a
convenient length, or the tube may be treated in such a manner as to "give
sufficiently to the pressure of the ball head clip when the latter is tightened up,
such as by corrugating the upper portion of the tube at the part embraced by the
said clip.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 shows the lower end of the handle bar stem and the upper part of the
tube projecting from the front forks or steering tube and designed to carry the
handle bars.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on line x, x, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the lower part of the handle bar stem in position and secured by
means of the ball head clip.
Fig. 4 shows four different sections of tubing having various numbers of slots.
Fig. 5 shows a slightly modified form of my invention and Fig. 6 is a plan and a
side elevation of a portion of a tube illustrating a still further modified form of my
invention.
Fig. 7 is a view partly in section of a slightly modified form of clip particularly
suitable for use in connection with this invention.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
views.
As will be seen in the drawings the tube t designed to carry the stems of the
handle-bars is furnished with one, two, three or more slots s' (Figs. 1, 2 and 4),
said slot or slots instead of being carried right up to the top of the tube t, as has
hitherto been the practice, stop below the screw threaded portion p, (Fig. 5) or
only run into same a short distance as in Fig. 1, thus allowing the tube t to be drawn
together or tightened up for gripping the handle bar stem, without reducing the
diameter of the screw threaded portion p, a suitable clip such as the ball head clip c
being used for this purpose, which latter is tightened up by means of the nut n¹, the
nut n being employed for adjusting the head."
In the modified form of my invention, instead of forming slots around the said
tube t for the purpose of allowing it to be tightened on to the stem, I corrugate the
upper portion of the said tube as shown at g (Fig. 6) so that upon pressure being
applied by means of a suitable clipping device, the said corrugated portion is
compressed so as to tightly grip the handle bar stem.
Although any suitable clip may be used in connection with this invention the
one shown in Fig. 7 is more particularly applicable. In this case the clip is
mainly of the usual construction but is cut away or recessed near the top a
sufficient distance down as shown at e so that when tightened up the upper portion
of the clip will not bear against the tube, so as to allow of the pressure being brought
to bear upon a lower part of the slotted tube t than would be possible if the said clip
was not recessed or cut away as shown. The saine result may also be obtained by
reducing the tube t as shown at u Fig. 8.
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 :-
1. The improved method of securing the handle bars of velocipedes by means
of slot or slots & in combination with a suitable clipping device such as ball
head clip c, the whole arranged in such a manner as to prevent the screw threaded

page_text: portion p, designed to carry the adjusting nut n, from being drawn in or reduced
in area, substantially as herein described and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a method of securing the handle bars of velocipedes, the screw threaded
portion p in combination with the special method of forming the slots and the
use of a suitable clip such as c substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings and for the purposes herein
specified.
3. The improved means for securing the handle bars of velocipedes substantially
as herein described and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings and the
modified form described with reference to Fig. 6, the whole combined and arranged
for the purposes specified.
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.