An Adjustable Cycle Handle Bar.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Adjustable Cycle Handle Bar.
JOHN HENRY KNIGHT, 78, Clifton Hill, St. John's Wood, London, N.W.
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an adjustment for the handle bars of
bicycles etc., so that the handle bar may be easily raised or lowered at the will of
the rider whilst the machine is being ridden and without dismou.iting, thus enabling
the body (particularly the back) to be rested by a change of position.
For this purpose I make the handle bar tube to slide easily up and down in the
frame, at the same time running in grooves to prevent side motion: attached to
the sliding tube is a gripping arrangement easily operated from the top of the
handle bar, so that when released the handle bars may be moved up and down,
and when gripped at any height will remain fixed in that position.
The gripping arrangement I may construct as follows:-
At the bottom of the handle bar tube I affix a split tube having an eccentric
bore and inside this tube a solid block also of an eccentric shapes that when
turned one way the split tube remains its normal size, but when turned partly
round the eccentric plug acts as a cam on the inside of the split tube and forces it
open; thus gripping the inside of the enveloping tube and preventing the handle
bar from being shifted. The outside of the split tube is covered by an indiarubber
washer of a size to slide freely up and down in the enveloping tube when not
expanded, but when expanded by the eccentric arrangement it is large enough to
bind the two tubes together perfectly. A rod runs up through the handle bar,
connected to the solid eccentric at the bottom and to a trigger or handle at the top
of the handle bar for actuating the arrangement with.
Dated this 30th day of April 1896
J. H. KNIGHT.
1, JOHN HENRY KNIGHT of 78 Clifton Hill, St. John's Wood, in the County
of Middlesex, Agent, 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 the handle bar pillar, and it consists in mounting the
pillar or tube in the stem of the fork or in the frame adapted to carry it so that its
height in the said stem can be varied, and of mechanism for instantly locking and
unlocking the one part with respect to the other, the object being to enable a rider
to adjust the position of the handles i.e. the handle bar while riding and without
dismounting according as necessity or inclination dictates.

page_text: invention as applied to a bicycle:-
Figure 1 is a view in broken sectional elevation of the steering socket of a
bicycle showing the stem of the fork carrying the steering wheel and the pillar
carrying the handle bar, together with the mechanism for locking the one to the
other.
Figures 2 and 3 are plan views-on an enlarged scale-of the underside of the
handle bar pillar.
Figure 4 is a view in broken elevation on an enlarged scale-showing a
modification, and
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse views the former showing a plan of the underside
of the handle bar pillar and the latter being a section on line x-x Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a broken elevation-on an enlarged scale-showing another form my
invention may assume, and
Figures 8 and 9 are views in transverse section showing the action of the locking
eccentric, and
Figure 10 is a view in transverse section showing an alternative method of
guiding the handle bar pillar in the stem of the steering fork.
Throughout the views similar parts are markel with like letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the tubular handle bar pillar A is mounted in
the tubular stem B of the fork adapted to carry the steering wheel so as to be
an eusy sliding fit therein, and it is guided to retain the handle bar in its true
transverse position by means of suitable guides. These may conveniently
take the form of one or more keys, feathers or their equivalents a formed on or
fixed to the pillar A and of one or more grooves, featherways or their equivalents b
either formed in the tubular stem B-in which case it would be made of a stouter
gauge or in a liner B¹ fixed within the said stem as shown in the drawings. As
an alternative construction (see Figure 10) the pillar A or a part of it may be
made of a D or polysided shape and the stem B be made of a corresponding shape
at a portion of its length by means of an insertion or washer 6 or equivalent
device.
The pillar A is locked to the tubular stem B by means of an eccentric device
operated by a rod C passing down through it and guided by a bearing such as a
formed in or fixed to the pillar A.
The rod C is actuated by a lever such as D fixed on its upper end above the top
of the lug a' carrying the transverse handle bar E as shown by Figure 1.
The eccentric device is constructed in the following manner :-The lower end of
the tubular pillar A is split up for a convenient distance in one or more places to
enable it to be expanded. A convenient construction is to split it in two places to
divide it into two halves. In which case the bore of the said split part is made
of an oval shape-the minor axis being at right angles to the divisions as shown by
Figures 2 and 3. On the lower end of the rod C is fixed a cam or double
eccentric F of oval shape in transverse section so that it coincides with the oval
shape of the bore of the pillar A as shown by Figures 1 and 2. By rotating the
said cam or eccentric F by means of the lever D and rod C the split parts of the
tubular pillar A are forced apart as shown by Figure 3, and are thus caused to
grip the tubular stem B at whatever part the lower end of the pillar A happens
to be.
Instead of splitting the lower end of the tubular pillar A a block G (see
Figures 4, 5 and 6) having a tubular extension G' may be brazed or otherwise
fixed to its lower end, the bore of the said tubular extension being of oval shape in
cross section and split vertically at 9 and transversely at g' for about half its
diameter. The cam or eccentric F and the rod C are as before described.
As a further modification (see Figures 7, 8 and 9) the rod C may be mounted
eccentrically in the pillar A by means of suitable bearings such as a³ and on the
said rod are mounted one, two, or more small cams or eccentrics F adapted to pass
through small slots or openings as in the tubular pillar A and bear against the

page_text: interior of the tubular stem B and thus lock the two said parts together. Figure 8
shows the cam or eccentric F in its locking position and Figure 9 shows it in its
unlocked position. By this construction a grip can conveniently be obtained
between the tubular pillar A and the tubular stem B at more than one place.
To prevent the handle bar pillar A from being totally withdrawn from the
stem B when raising the handle bar a cap H is screwed on to the top of the stem B.
above the nut or its equivalent for locking the top cone of the ball bearing head,
and the said cap is preferably recessed to receive a washer such as h which may be
of rubber or other suitable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performel, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) The herein before described combination of parts forming an improved
construction and arrangement of adjustable handle bar whereby the height of the-
said bar can be varied as desired while riding and without dismounting.
(2.) In a velocipele, the combination with the tubular stem of the fork or frame-
carrying the steering wheel, of a pillar adapted to carry the transverse handle bar,
and mounted in the stem of the steering fork so that it has free vertical movement
but no radial movement apart from the said stem, of a locking device carried by
the said pillar and capable of being actuated by the rider without dismounting, as
and for the purpose set forth.
(3.) In a velocipede, the combination with the tubular stem B of the fork.
carrying the eteering wheel, of a pillar such as A adapted to carry the transverse
handle bar and so mounted in the stem of the steering fork that it has free vertical
but no radial movement apart from the said stem, of a locking device carried by
the said pillar and consisting essentially of a split tube forming part of the pillar A.
or attached thereto of a cam or eccentric such as F mounted within the sail split
part of the pillar A of a rod such as C for carrying the said cam or eccentric and
of a lever such as D for actuating the said rod, all combined, arranged, and
operating as and for the purpose set forth.
(4.) In a velocipede, the combination with the tubular stem B of the fork.
carrying the steering wheel, of a pillar such as A. adapted to carry the transverse
handle bar and so mounted in the stem of the steering fork that it has free vertical
but no radial movement apart from the said stem, of a locking device carried by
the said pillar and consisting of one or more cams or eccentrics such as D carried.
by a rod such as C mounted eccentrically in the tubular pillar A and adapted to..
pass through slots or openings such as a in the said pillar and impinge on and
bind the said pillar in the tubular stem B, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 24th day of Nonamber Lone
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,..
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.