Improvements in the Adjustment of Handle-bars for Cycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Adjustment of Handle-bars for Cycles.
I, BERNARD GALBOIS BOULAYE, of 6 Fountain Street, Manchester, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to the handle-bars of bicycles, tricycles, and the like
machines, and have for object the variable adjustment of the handle-bar in such a
manner as to enable the same to take up less room in a lateral direction for storage
or like purposes, than at present obtains.
The stem of an ordinary machine handle-bar is made to slide in or upon the
front tube of the framing, and is fixed in the required position by means of a split
collar and bolt, or set screws, or similar means; but in one arrangement of this my
present invention, I form the tube referred to with two slots or openings, one slot
being at a circumferential distance from the other equal to a quarter of the tube
circle; and in the stem carrying the handle bar I form another slot or opening in
such a position that, when the stem is made to slide on the tube and adjusted to
bring the handle-bar at right angles with the plane of the machine, the slot or
opening in the stem will come opposite one of the slots in the machine tube.
Attached to the stem by means of a hinge, or otherwise conveniently arranged,
1 form a spring catch, block, or other device, of any suitable material, which may
enter and pass through the slot in the stem and into the corresponding slot in the
tube of the machine, and thus prevent the handle bar and stem from being turned.
This spring catch, block, or device, may be provided with a lock to enable the
position of the handle-bar to be under the control of the rider. When the machine
is desired to take up less space, the handle-bar is released from its working position
and turned through a right angle, when the second slot in the tube will come
opposite the one in the stem, and the spring catch, block, or device, may again
enter, and the parts be locked in the second position in which the handle-bar lies
in the direction of the framing, and the machine may consequently be left in a more
compact form for stowage when not in use.
In lieu of a spring or other catch and lock, pins, screws, bolts, or other devices
for locking the handle-bar in the two pre-determined positions may be employed,
and other variations in detail may be made, such as the method of sliding the
handle stem into position, together with the number, shape, and arrangement
of the locking devices, without departing from the peculiar character of the
invention.
Dated this 20th day of July 1896.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64 Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.

page_text: I, BERNARD GALBOIS BOULAYE, of 6 Fountain Street, Manchester, Merchant,.
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:-
The improvements relate to the handle-bars of bicycles, tricycles and the like
machines, and have for object the variable adjustment of the handle bar in such a
manner as to enable the same to take up less room in a lateral position for storage
or like purposes than at present obtains.
The stem of an ordinary machine handle-bar is made to slide in or upon the
front or steering tube of the framing, and is fixed in the required position by
means of a split collar and bolt, or set screws, or similar means; but in one
arrangement of this my present invention I form the stem referred to with slots or
openings, one slut or set of slots being at a circumferential distance from the other
slot or set equal to a quarter of the tube circle; and in the steering or other tube
carrying this handle-bar sten i form other slots or openings in such position that
when the stem is made to slide on the tube, and adjusted to bring the handle-bar
at right angles with the plane of the machine, or parallel thereto, as the case may
be, one set of the slots or openings in the stem will come opposite to or coincide with
the slots or openings in the tube.
Attached to the tube by suitable means, I form a catch, block or other device
of any suitable material, having projections which may enter and pass through the
slots or other openings in the tube, and into the corresponding slots or openings in
the stem, or vice versa, and thus prevent the handle bar and stem from being turned
independently of the steering tube. This catch, block or other device may be
provided with a lock to enable the position of the handle-bar to be under the
control of the rider.
When the machine is desired to take up less space, the handle-bar is released
from its working position, and turned through a right angle, when the second set
of slots in the stem will come opposite the slots or openings in the tube, and the
catch, block or other device may again enter, and the parts be locked in the second
position in which the handle-bar lies in the direction of the framing, and the
machine may consequently be left in a more compact form for storage when not
in use.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, with the aid
of the accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed
by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a sectional plan, and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation of one form of
stem locking apparatus according to my improvements shown connected to the
front or steering tube of a bicycle.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fore part of a bicycle on a smaller scale, showing the
handle-bar in the two positions in which it may be secured, and
Fig. 4 is an elevation of part of a bicycle on a larger scale than Fig. 3, and
showing one arrangement of attachment of the locking or securing apparatus of
Figs. 1 and 2.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a is the bicycle framing, and 6 the steering or front tube in which is supported
the stem c of the handle bar d. e are holes formed in the stem c, which holes may

page_text: extend to any suitable distance along the length of such stem for regulating the
height of the handle-bar, but wherever a hole occurs in the stem for adjustment of
the handle-bar in one position, a corresponding hole for the other position appears
at the same level, and at a circumferencial distance from the first equal to a quarter
of the tube circle.
f is a casing for one form of mechanism for locking the stem in either position,
according to my improvements (and which may also be employed as a support for
a lamp as shown) a sliding block g being loosely fitted within such casing and
provided with projections g which, on the block being moved forward, pass
through openings in the tube b and screw cap h into the holes e of the stem c, and
so effect the locking of the parts. This block 7 which is slotted for the passage
of the brake rod k, may have motion given to it in various ways, but in the example
shown a fixed piece m is tapped to receive the screw 1, which, on being turned by
means of a key, travels horizontally, and takes with it the block g to which it is.
loosely attached.
As a reverse arrangement, the locking mechanism may be attached to and
caused to move round with the handle-bar stem, and the double set of holes-for
the two positions of the handle-bar-formed in the supporting tube. Also in lieu
of the sliding block and screw shown and described, a spring or other catch or
lock, pins, bolts or other devices for locking the handle-bar in the two pre-
determined positions may be employed, and other variations in detail may be
made, such as the method of sliding the handle-bar stein into position, together
with the number, shape, and arrangement of the locking devices, without departing
from the peculiar character of the invention.
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. In the adjustment of handle-bars for cycles, a locking mechanism attached to
the steering handle socket, and having a projection or projections which take into
a hole or holes in the handle-bar stem to secure the stem in two positions at right
angles to each other, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein shown
and described.
2. In the adjustment of handle-bars for cycles, a locking mechanism attached to
the handle-bar stem, and having a projection or projections which take into a
hole or holes in the steering handle socket to secure the stem in two positions at
right angles to each other, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein
described.
Dated his 10th 3
1007
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.