Improvements in the Construction of Adjustable Handle-bars for Bicycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Adjustable Handle-bars for
Bicycles.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 77, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Chartered
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
communicated to me from abroad by the Sanger Handle-Bar and Plating Com-
pany, located in the City and County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,
United States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide simple, economical handle-bars for
bicycles, having grip-members adjustable to various angles and also to utilize
shank-expanders as paris of said handle-bars, and to these ends the said invention
consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, all as
hereinafter more specifically set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Description of the drawings:
Figure 1 represents an elevation of a portion of said handle-bar partly in section,
as indicated by line 1-1 in Figure 4.
Figures 2 and 3 detail views respectively indicated by lines 2-2 and 3–3 in
said Figure 4, and
Figure a plan view partly in horizontal section, as indicated by line 4-4 in
Figure 1.
Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates a metallic angular shell con-
stituting a hollow head having a depending stem b to which is brazed a iube B,
herein shown, as having longitudinal kerfs c at intervals circumferentially of its
lower end. The head-stem and tube in rigid union therewith constitute the
shank of the improved handle-bar designed for vertically adjustable connection
with the steering-fork shank of a bicycle.
The depending tubular portion B of the handle-bar shank, as herein shown,
is provided with a bushing C made fast therein to constitute a bearing for a rod I)
that extends through the aforesaid head, and the lower end of this rod has screw-
thread connection with a conical block or shell E engaging the kerfed end of
said shank to constitute an expander for the same. The upper end of the rod
is squared to accommodate a wrench, and an upper outer flange d on the head A
surrounds this end of said rod to form a socket for the wrench. By means of
collars e, f, fast on the rod above and below bushing C, the rod is held against
other than rotary movement, this movement operating to effect vertical adjustment
of the expander E with which it has screw-thread connection.
Gear-toothed rounded inner ends g, h, of handle-bar grip-members G, H, are
arranged on pivot-bolts I, J, within head A to mesh with each other and the
toothed faces of these grip-member extremities are peripherally grooved to afford
clearance for the expander-adjusting rod above specified.
That portion of pivot-bolt J engaging one side of head A and the grip-member H
is preferably eccentric as herein shown and by rotary adjustment of this bolt
compensation is had for lost motion that may otherwise exist between the meshing
toothed ends of both grip-members. A lug of the pivot-bolt J is engagable with
any one of a series of radial notches in an adjacent side of the head A and thus
said bolt is held in rotatory adjustment for the purpose specified.
That side of the head having the notches is shown provided with a socket for
the head of pivot-bolt J, and the other pivot-bolt I bears against a side of the

page_text: toothed end of grip-member G, this latter bolt being provided with feather m
for which a notch is formed in said head, the engagement of the feather and
notch being shown in Figure 3.
The toothed end of grip-member G has that side thereof furthest from the head
of bolt I provided with a circular series of radial wedge-ribs, and this ribbed
surface meshes with a similar surface on a disk K made fast in the handle-bar
head, by pins shown in Figure 2, or by other means that may be found
satisfactory. It is also practical to provide the toothed-end of grip-member H
with a circular series of radial wedge-ribs and have the surface thus formed
mesh with a similar surface provided in the aforesaid head.
Washers P and clamp-nuts L engage the aforesaid pivot-bolts outside the head
of the handle-bar, and by loosening the nut on bolt I, in the 'construction and
arrangement of parts shown, there will ordinarily be sufficient slack to permit
disengagement of the wedge-rib surfaces so that the grip-members G, H, may be
readily adjusted on their axes to various angles, although it may also require
loosening of the nut on bolt J at times. Adjustment having been effected,
tightening of the loosened nut or nuts will cause locking together of the wedge-
rib surfaces, above specified, to maintain the grip-members at the desired angle,
the handle-bar being then rigid at all points.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. A bicycle handle-bar comprising a hollow head provided with a depending
tubular shank longitudinally kerfed at intervals circumferentially of its lower
end, a conical expander engaging the kerfed end of the shank, a rod that being in
screw-thread connection with the expander extends up through said head, grip-
members having rounded toothed-ends in pivotally adjustable connection with the
aforesaid head to mesh with each other therein, and means for maintaining
pivotal adjustment of the grip-members, the toothed faces of these grip-members
being peripherally grooved to afford clearance for the expander-adjusting rod.
2. A bicycle handle-bar comprising a hollow head provided with a depending
shank, grip-members having rounded toothed ends arranged on pivot-bolts within
the head to mesh with each other, one of these pivot-bolts being partially eccentric,
and a lug on the eccentric pivot-bolt, engagable with any one of a series of radial
notches in a side of said head.
3. A bicycle handle-bar comprising a hollow head provided with a depending
shank and pivot-bolts, grip-members having rounded toothed ends on the pivot-
bolts within the head and in mesh with each other, a series of radial wedge-ribs
on a side of a toothed end of a grip-member, a disk made fast in said head and
having a wedge-ribbed surface in mesh with that on one of said grip-members,
and clamp-nuts engaging said pivot-bolts.
4. A bicycle handle-bar comprising a hollow head provided with a depending
shank, a pair of grip-members having rounded toothed ends meshed with each
other in the head, a pivot-bolt that constitutes the support for one of the grip-
members and has an eccentric portion provided with a lug engagable with any
one of a series of radial notches in a side of said head, another pivot-bolt con-
stituting the support for the other grip-member, and provided with a feather
engaging a head-notch, a series of radial wedge-ribs on a side of the toothed-end
of at least one grip-member, an opposing series of radial wedge-ribs provided in
the head, and clamp-nuts run on the pivot-bolts outside the aforesaid head.
1
101
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.