An Adjustable Handle Bar for Cycles and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Adjustable Handle Bar for Cycles and like Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM JOHN FERGUS, of 1, York Terrace, Shettleston, near Glasgow,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to the handle bars of cycles and like vehicles and it has
for its object to so construct such handle bars that they may be readily raised or
lowered according to the circumstances under which the vehicle is being used
without the rider requiring to come off the machine.
For light driving on a level road a high handle bar is preferably used and for
heavy driving such as going up a hill a low handle bar is most suitable.
In carrying out my invention I attach to each end of the straight steering bar
of the machine a hollow tee piece or the like. Into the part of the tee piece at
right angles to the steering bar is fitted one end of a short U shaped tube one leg
of which is preferably made longer than the other. To the long end of this tube
is attached the ordinary bone or other cycle handle. The short end is so fitted in
the tee piece as to be readily turned therein when desired. By turning the
U shaped tube in the tee piece the handle is either raised or lowered.
In order to retain the Ủ shaped tube in either the raised or lowered position, I
insert in the short leg thereof, and at right angles thereto, where it passes through
the tee piece a small spring piston or the like which works in a suitable guide.
One end of this piston enters into one or the other of two holes drilled in the tee
piece. When the end of the piston is in the one hole the U shaped tube and
handle are locked in the raised position and when it is in the other hole they
are locked in the lowered position. A small plate or other spring serves to force
the piston outwards into the hole in the tee piece.
When it is desired to raise or lower the handle it is necessary to unlock it by
withdrawing the end of the spring piston from the hole in the tee piece. This
is accomplished by means of a small thumb lever which is fulcrumed to the end
of the sort leg of the U shaped tube. One end of this lever is connected to the
piston in such a manner that when pressure is applied to its other end by means
of the thumb, the end of the piston is withdrawn from the hole in the tee piece
and the tube and handle may be turned until the end of the piston is brought
opposite the other hole in the tee piece when the action of the spring causes it
to enter therein and thus lock the handle in the new position.
The piston spring in place of being connected directly to the piston may be
connected to the thumb lever and through it actuate the piston.
Dated this 10th day of November 1897.

page_text: An Adjustable Handle Bar for Cycles and like Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM JOHN FERGUS, of 1, York Terrace, Shettleston, near Glasgow,
Engineer, 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 bars of cycles and like vehicles and it has
for its object to so construct such handle bars that the handles can be readily
raised or lowered, according to the circumstances under which the vehicle is
being used, without the rider requiring to come off the machine.
For light driving on a level road high handles are preferably used and for
heavy driving, such as going up a hill or when racing or going against the wind
low handles are desirable.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the handle bar of a cycle with adjustable handles as
made in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the mechanism for locking the handles
in position. The handle is in the down position.
Fig. 3 is a similar view but showing the locking piston or bolt retracted and
the handle in the up position.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line Fig. 2 looking in the direction of
the arrow.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same parts.
In carrying out my invention I fit in or attach to each end of the steering bar
or handle bar a of the machine a hollow tee-piece b. Into the head of each tee-
piece, which forms a socket and which is at right angles to the handle bar a. is
movably fitted one end of a short and bent tube of a U shape with one leg
longer than the other. Fitted on or secured to the long leg of the U tube is the
usual felt, bone, or other handle d which is gripped by the rider. The tubes c
are held in position, within the tee-pieces b, by means of the collars j, j¹. The
collar is screwed on the end of the tube c.
The handles are so fitted in place (as shown) as to be capable of turning easily
within the tee-pieces.
The left hand handle Fig. 1 is shown in the up position whilst the right hand
handle in the same figure is shown in the down position. The dotted lines at
indicate the position of the handle as it appears when it is half-way between the
up and down positions.
In order to retain the handles in either the raised or lowered position I fit in
the short leg of each handle, at the part where it passes through the tee-piece, a
small locking bolt or piston e which works in a tubular guide f fitted within the
tube c.
The locking bolt e is slotted at its lower end and has fitted within it, by
means of a slot and pin connection g, one end of a lever h which is fulcrumed
upon a pin h¹ passed through a disc or plate i fitted rigidly within the outer end
of the tube c. The pin h', as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 4, passes, for the pur-
pose of locking the disc in place, right through the disc and the end of the tube c.
The lever which works in a slot 2 in the disc i is acted upon, by a spring k
whose one end passes through a hole in the lever and whose other end is fitted
in a hole in the disc, in such manner that the lever constantly tends to force the

page_text: piston outwards. Holes and m are made in the top and bottom of each tee-
piece for the reception of the bolts e.
With this arrangement, when it is desired to lock both handles in the up or
elevated position, as shown on the left hand side of Fig. 1, the tubes c are turned
round within the tee-piece sockets & until the locking bolts e of the handles are
opposite the holes made in the under side of each tee-piece when the spring
bolts e at once enter the holes and lock the handles in place. When it is desired
to lower the handles into the down or depressed position the locking bolts e are
withdrawn from the holes I, by operating the levers h, and the handles are then
turned round to the down position, as indicated in full lines at the right hand
side of Fig. 1, when the bolts are allowed to lock themselves into the holes m at
the upperside of the tee-picces b.
The locking device locks the handles in either the up or down position very
securely.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I consider novel and desire to claim is: :—
Adjustable handles for the handle bars of cycles and other like vehicles con-
structed and arranged substantially as herein before described with reference to
the drawings annexed.