An Adjustable Handle Bar for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Adjustable Handle Bar for Cycles and the like.
I, ARCHIBALD WILLIAM MCMURDO, of MacArthur Street, Dunoon, in the County
of Argyle, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
1
This invention relates to an adjustable handle bar for cycles and the like and has
for its object to provide a handle bar which may be adjusted to various heights or
angles by the rider whilst running so as to suit the various grades of the road.
One arrangement of my invention is as follows:-I form or provide the top end of
the steering rod or tube with an adjustable sleeve or socket into which is placed the
handle bar proper; said bar being provided or formed with a suitably shaped track
having two or more notches or recesses formed in it into which the tongue or end of
a spring actuated lever may be engaged; said lever being pivotted to the sleeve or
socket.
If desired I may provide a pin and groove arrangement for preventing lateral move-
ment of the handle bar.
Or I may form or provide the handle bar with a collar or disc baving two or more
horizontal parallel, or tapered holes into which the point of a spring actuated pin
and lever arrangement would engage.
Or I may adjustably connect the bar and socket by means of one or more friction
cones and binding screw arrangement.
Or I may cause the steering tube or rod to be capable of an up and down motion
in the steering post of top tube of the fork; said rod and tube being connected
together by means of slots and a cottar pin or its equivalent between the top side of
which and the bar would be placed a spiral or other spring for raising purposes;
the bar being lowered by the rider pressing it down there being a binding screw
arrangement having an actuating hand wheel or lever provided for retaining the
bar in any desired position. Or if desired in lieu of the binding screw arrangement
I might provide a snap catch arrangement.
Each or any of the foregoing arrangements may be used in conjunction with
each other.
Also in accordance with my invention may provide the handles with suitable
bayonet or other joints so as to allow the said handles being placed in any desired '
position by the rider without dismounting so as to suit the height of same.
Also in accordance with my invention I may provide or form the brake actuating
lever mechanism with a ball and socket connection or its equivalent for a front
wheel brake, also I may employ an adjustable sleeve and pin arrangement so as to
enable the variations of the height of the handle bar being allowed for.
Suitable means may also be provided for enabling a back wheel or other existing
form of brake to be adjusted so as to allow of the alterations in the height of the
handle bar.
Thi thi. 021 1. of Doomben 1805

page_text: vie Handle Bar for Cycles and the like.
I, ARCHIBALD WILLIAM MCMURDO of McArthur Street, Dunoon, in the County
of Argyle, North Britain, 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 an adjustable handle bar for cycles and the like and has
for its object to provide a handle bar which may be adjusted to various heights and
angles by the rider whilst running, so as to suit the various grades of the road.
One arrangement of my invention is as follows :-I form or provide the top end of
the steering rod or tube with an adjustable sleeve or socket into which is placed the
handle bar proper; said bar being provided or formed with a suitable shaped track
having two or more notches or recesses formed in it, into which the tongue or end of
a spring actuated lever may be engaged; said lever being pivotted to the sleeve or
socket.
Or I may form or provide the handle bar with a collar or disc having two or more
horizontal parallel, or tapered holes into which the point of a spring actuated pin
arrangement may engage.
Or I may adjustably connect the bar and socket by means of a binding screw
arrangement.
Or I may cause the steering tube or rod to be capable of an up and down motion
in the steering post or top tube of the fork; said rod and tube being connected
together by means of slots and a cottar pin or its equivalent between the top side of
which and the bar would be placed a spiral or other spring for raising purposes;
the bar being lowered by the rider pressing it down, there being a binding screw
arrangement having an actuating hand-wheel or lever provided for retaining the bar
in any desired position. Or if desired, in lieu of the binding screw arrangement, I
may provide a snap catch arrangement.
Each or any of the foregoing arrangements may be used in conjunction with one
another.
Also in accordance with my invention I may provide the handles with suitable
bayonet joints or other joints so as to allow the said handles being placed in any
desired position by the rider, without dismounting, to suit the height of the frame.
That my invention may be well understood I refer to the annexed three sheets of
drawings in which
Figures 1 and 2 represent elevations in part section of the locking mechanism of
my bar.
Figure 3 is an elevation of locking mechanism.
Figure 4 is an end elevation in part section of Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are side elevations showing different main positions of bar.
Figure 7 is side sectional elevation of handle and side elevation of head.
Figure 8 is side elevation of handle and head.
Figure 9 is plan of handle-bar showing one of the handles partly turned.
Figure 10 is the plan of Figure 2.
Figure 11 is the elevation of handle-bar representing it as inserted in the head of
the cycle.
Figure 12 is back elevation in part section,
Figure 13 is elevation of fork and steering post.
Figures 14 and 15 are plans of gripping arrangement.
To carry out my invention I provide near the centre of the bar a collar a Figure 1.
This collar is provided with four or more holes as shown in b. b. Figure 7. The bar

page_text: is inserted in the head c. on the top of which is mounted a plunger d. This plunger
is driven into the hole b. Figure 7. by the spring e. The knob f. is screwed through
the slot g. into the plunger d. The slot g. regulates the travel of the plunger. The
plunger is released from the disc a. by the rider drawing the knob f. back and thereby
allowing the handle-bar to be adjusted to any desired position and at the same time
the plunger will automaticly engage in the next hole or stop in the disc a.
h. is a
small collar placed at one side of the head on the bar and secured to the same by a
small pin or screw I. The object of this collar is to keep the head in position against
the disc a.
Figure 2. is a modification of Figure 1. d. is a snap catch which engages in four
or more notches in collar a. as shown at c. c. c. Figure 8. and is kept in position by
spring e. Figure 2. To release the catch the thumb piece is depressed by the-
rider thus freeing it from collar o.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a further modification of Figure 1. A small tube a..
Figure 4 is brazed or otherwise fixed into centre of the bar. Into this tube a screw b.
which is actuated by the hand wheel c. through the slot in the head d. depresses
a cap e. the undersides of which are milled or notched and engage on the milled or
notched parts ff. of the head d. Figure 3. thus securely binding the bar and
head and thereby giving a larger range of adjustment. The hand-wheel c. can be
screwed out of the head and the bar turned half round. The screw can then be
reinserted and thus forms a bar for a lady's cycle as in Figure 6. The previous.
positions are shown in Figure 5.
Figures 1 and 2. are capable of similar convertion from a gentleman's to a lady's
cycle bar.
Figures 7 and 8 show my reversible handle in section and side elevation..
The adjustment as shown in both drawings is at right angles to the stem of the
cycle and this particular position gains what is termed a "Rational" bar. To attain
the droop position the handles are twisted outwardly half round as shown partly
turned at a. Figure 9. the bar at the same time being lowered.
This reversible handle consists of a short tube 6 61 Figure 7. This tube has a
sharp turn at c.
There is a slot d. in the tube b¹ b' somewhat resembling that of a bayonet only
without an opening at the end of the tube bb. Into this slot d. is inserted the
point of a stud e. The object of this stud is to regulate the travel of the handle
and also to keep it from drawing out of the bar. At the open end of the bar where
the handle b¹¹ is inserted there may be a small ferrule f f. placed in bar tube..
Both ferrule ff. and bar tube have a slot h. Figure 8. Round the end of the bar
is a split collar I. into the lugs of which is inserted a bolt with locknut J. The
object of this split collar is to take up the wear of the handle.
The head on the steering tube carrying the plunger or its modifications are
adjustable, that is, it is split and provided with one or two lugs fitted with screws.
to bind the said lugs together as shown at k. on Figures 7. 8. 9. 10.
In the further carrying out of my invention I employ any ordinary steering
tube as shown at Figure 13. into which I braze or otherwise attach a cottar or
feather a.
The stem of the handle-bar 1 make rather longer than the ordinary stem
and is provided with a slot b. b. Figure 12.
At the bottom of this stem two small pieces of metal c. c. are brazed or other-
wise attached to form the seat into which I screw a stud d. A spiral spring e. is
placed inside the tube before brazing or otherwise fixing in pieces c. c. The tube is
then inserted into the steering post when the spring e. will come in contact with
cottar or feather a. The bar is then forced down until the seat or hole for the
stud d. appears opposite the hole f. Figure 11. and the corresponding hole f
Figure 13. The steering post during this operation will be at right angles to the
frame of the cycle. The stud d. is now inserted through the holes f. f. and screwed
up thus locking the bar into the steering post and preventing it from rising higher
than the cottar or feather a. Figure 13. In the working of this bar while the cycle.
is standing or in motion the rider may lower the bar by slackning the hand-wheel a.

page_text: Figure 15. or the lever b. Figure 14. which are on the steering post at c. Figure 11.
The rider then pushes the bar down to the desired depth and tightens the screw
or lever. To raise the bar, a. or b. is slackned and the spring e. Figure 12. auto-
maticaly raises it, thus forming an adjustable sliding handle-bar while the cycle is
in motion and at the same time connecting the bar and steering post by the slot
and cottar or feather arrangement, thus it will easily be understood that the steering
will in no way be affected. The grip Figure 14. consists of small lever b. the end
of which forms an eccentric c. which acts on the end of the ring or grip at d.
the eccentric has attained its full diameter at e. it may be turned still further
but the diameter does not increase past e. and in this way preventing it from flying
back.
When
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1st. An adjustable cycle handle-bar as provided with the particular locking
mechanism as described and shown in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. Reversible cycle handles or holding pieces operating in conjunction with a
cycle bar as described and shown in Figures 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
3rd. A cycle handle bar capable of a rising and falling adjustment while in motion
with a suitable gripping mechanism as for the purpose berein before described and
shown with reference to Figures 11. 12. 13. 14 and 15 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 95th day of Santambar 1806