Improvements in or relating to Handle-bars for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Handle-bars for Cycles and other
Vehicles.
We, ERNEST HENRY JONES, Pneumatic Tyre Manufacturer, and GEORGE
WATERS TARVER, Engineer, both of 136 Great Saffron Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, 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 handle-bars for cycles and other vehicles, its object
being to render them readily adjustable, whilst the machine is being ridden, to
bring the handles to a position convenient to the user and retain them securely
therein under the stresses which come upon them in service.
According to this invention the handle-bar is made in two parts, one for each
handle, each part being hinged at the inner end, that is to say the end opposite to
its handle, to a head suited for retention in or at the upper end of the steering-
tube of either new or existing cycles, or the equivalent part of other vehicles;
these inner ends of the halves of the handle-bar are geared together by an adjusting-
device in operative connection with both the halves of the handle-bar and provided
either in the head or on the steering tube so that by its operation both the handles
may be turned up or down about their pivots or hinges through equal angles to.the
extent desired. Conveniently a screw or worm adjusting device is employed
because of its power and ease of adjustment but this invention is not limited to the
use of this particular class of adjusting-device; it is understood that the gearing
is in all cases so arranged that both halves of the bar move simultaneously up or
simultaneously down.
Preferably clamping or locking devices are employed in combination with the
adjusting-device of the handle-bars to lock it in the positions to which it is
adjusted; but this locking or clamping apparatus may if desired be dispensed
with.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example several
arrangements of apparatus according to this invention,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section, partly in elevation, of a head such as is
herein before referred to and the inner or hinge ends of the two halves of the
handle-bar together with worm adjusting-gear carried by the head; .
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is an elevation of an alternative construction in which the two halves
of the handle-bar are adjustable by a right and left-handed screw carried upon
them;
Figures 4 and 5 are views similar respectively to Figures 1 and 2, of another
alternative construction; and
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, of a further modification, in which the
adjusting devices are upon the stem of the head.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 and 2 A is the head which in the examples
illustrated is tubular and T-shaped, the stem A' of the T being made of any form
which will enable it to be engaged firmly with the upper end of the steering tube.
B B are taper pins which are screwed into the opposite ends of the transverse
portion A of the head and form pivots which the two portions C C₁ of the divided
handle-bar encircle and turn about; the parts C2 C3 of the halves C C¹ respectively,
are spherical and of such diameter as to fit the interior of the transverse tubular

page_text: portion A of the head A. Each of these spherical portions is provided with a
rack C. D is a vertical worm to which is fixed a large milled head D'; it turns
in bearings in the axial line of the head A so as to gear with the rack C on each
of the spherical parts C2 C3 and is retained in place by a plug A³ through which
its lower end D2 passes and in which that end is retained by a nut D³ or other
means capable of preventing end wise movement; if desired, packing rings such
as E can be inserted between the upper side of the plug A3 and the shoulder D
on the spindle of the worm D to adjust it end wise as may be desired.
The worm D is preferably tapered, as shown, from one end to the other the
milled head being fixed upon the larger upper end; by having it tapered it will
take up, if lowered end wise any wear between it and the racks C, so as to prevent
backlash and rattling. K is a clamping-nut with an arm K', to clamp or lock the
worm D after the desired adjustment thereof has been effected.
Similar clamping devices or their equivalent may be employed in any of the
constructions according to this invention.
In the alternative construction illustrated in Figure 3 the parts C C¹ of the
handle-bar are provided with arms C respectively; in the outer ends of these
arms nuts C are pivoted to receive the opposite ends of a reversely threaded
screw F, to the middle portion of which is fixed a milled head F; A are
projections from the socket A between which the milled head F¹ is retained, the
projections being so formed as to allow the screw F the necessary freedom of
movement in a direction at right angles to its own axis.
It will be seen that by rotating the milled head F¹ the screw F will be turned,
and as it is not free to move end wise, owing to the retention of the bead Fi
between the lugs A, the opposite ends of the screw will draw the arms C towards
each other or move them apart to raise or lower respectively the parts C C¹ of the
handle-bar.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the worm D is horizontal and
reversely threaded at its opposite ends as shown, to gear with the racks C formed
upon the upper surface of each of the spherical portions C2 C3, its milled head D¹
being fixed at the middle of its length, and the worm being prevented from shifting
end wise by a portion A' of the head A, in which it turns in bearing-slots and
which encloses the worm and allows only the milled head D¹ to project through a
slot A in the said part A³.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 6 racks on the spherical portions C Ca
of the halves of the handle-bar are dispensed with; instead the part A' of the
head A, is screw-threaded externally as at A', and receives an internally screw-
threaded nut G, with a milled head G'. The nut is channelled at G³, to receive a
collar H, within which the nut can turn. J J are short links, each pivoted at one
end to the collar H, and at its other end to one or other of the halves C C¹ of the
handle-bar. By screwing the nut G up or down on the screw-threaded portion A
of the spindle, the collar H will be correspondingly raised or lowered, and will
cause the links to turn the parts C C¹ of the handle-bar up or down about their
pivot-pins B B¹.
The axes of the pivots B B¹ may in some of the inodifications be oblique to the
handle-bar if desired, and need not be parallel to each other.
It is not essential that spherical parts C3 C3 should be employed at the hinge
ends of the halves C C₁ of the handle-bar, for any other convenient shape
preferably fitting a correspondingly-shaped tube or socket of the head can be
adopted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A handle-bar in two pieces capable of immediate adjustment by a screw or
equivalent device operating both parts simultaneously to an equal extent
substantially as described

page_text: 2. A handle-bar in two parts adjustable by screw or worm gear substantially as-
and for the purpose described.
3. The combination with a handle-bar in two parts of a screw or worm adjusting-
gear therefor, and a clamping device to lock the adjusting gear.
4. In apparatus for adjusting handle-bars, a taper adjustable worm for the
purpose described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improvements in:
or relating to handle-bars substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1
and 2, or Figure 3, or Figures 4 and 5, or Figure 6 of the accompanying.
drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1896.
ERNEST HENRY JONES.
GEORGE WATERS TARVER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.