Improvements in Adjustable Handle-bars for Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Handle-bars for Cycles.
We, JOHN WILLIAM PATTINSON, of 51, Bridge Street, WALTER HEWITT, of
Heapham Road, and GEORGE CHARLES WILSON, of 4, Lewis Street, all in Gains-
borough, in the County of Lincolnshire, Cycle Manufacturer, Watchmaker, and
Cycle Fitter, respectively, 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:---
Our invention relates to an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles, tricycles, and
other manual, or mechanically propelled velocipedes, the ends of which are adapted
to be easily and quickly raised and lowered to any angle between the highest and
lowest position, for the purposes of accomodating change of posture of the rider,
for convenience in pacing, or mounting steep gradients or sitting erect for quiet
pleasure, the objects of our said invention being, that both ends of the said handle-
bai may be always firm and rigid in whatever position placed, and that the same
may be easily transferred from one position to another without the der leaving the
machine.
In order that the general construction and salient features of our invention, and
the manner in which the same operates may be fully understood, reference is
hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings, in which..
Fig 1 is a back elevation (or that which would be facing the rider when in use)
of the steering head of a cycle according to our invention, the handle bars of which
are shewn shortened or broken away for convenience in the drawings.
Fig. 2 is a like view of the opposite or front of Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a plan of same with a portion of the crown or cover of the head
removed for the purpose of showing the manner in which the inner ends of the
two members of the handle-bar are connected to each other.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the said head similar to Fig. 1 but with the handle
bars, the fulcrum and coupling bolts, and the adjusting nut, and fixing plate of
same removed, Figs. 5 and 6 being detached perspective views of the said
adjusting nut and coupling bolt respectively
Fig. 7 is a curtailed elevation similar to Fig 1, from which a portion of the
front has been removed to further illustrate the manner of connecting the inner
ends of handle-bar.
We carry our invention into effect, by casting or otherwise constructing of any
suitable metal, or combination of metals a steering head A of a cycle, the shape,
size, and configuration of which may vary according to the type of machine upon
which it may be used, but we prefer to employ the shape and configuration shewn,
or substantially so for cycles generally, the said head being hollow, so as to permit
the presence of the webbed or narrowed ends B and 13 of the members C and C¹.
constituting the handle-bar of the machine, suitable openings 1 being formed in
the sides of A capable of permitting the rise and fall movements of C and C¹ as
hereinafter explained.
The said webs or ends B and B have each a slot such as a (Fig 7) with both of
which engages a bolt E (Fig 6), the said bolt having for preference a
Square

page_text: shoulder to prevent its turning in the slot in B, a hole c being formed in the
back of A to permit the passage and insertion of the head d of the said bolt, and
when the latter is in position, engaging with the slots in B and B the said hole c
may be covered and hidden by a fancy plate or shield, Buch for instance as that
indicated by dotted outline at e Fig. 2
The ends B and 131 are fulcrummed upon bolts, rivets, screws or pins FF,
passing through holes y g', formed in ears or projections f and f¹ upon A, caused
by the existence of the openings DD, the said bolts, pins, or the like F and F after
passing through corresponding holes in B and 13', receive nuts, cotter-pins, or other
equivalent retaining devices, or these may be arranged to screw into the internally
threaded holes g and g¹ in the back face of A, as may be found most convenient,
from which it will be clearly understood that if an up and down motion be imparted
to the bolt E, a like but extended up and down movement would be imparted
to the handle-ends of C and C¹.
Within the back or inner face of the head A. a vertical slot G is formed, through
which protrudes the threaded end of the bolt E; as suggested by dotted outline
of the latter in Fig 4, the length of the said slot being the extent of the up and
down travel of the said bolt, and'at éach'side of the said 'slot G is a serrated, toothed,
or otherwise notched, or undulatory surface hh, formed integrally with, or screwed,
rivetted, or otherwise fixed upon the said back face of A, and upon this said
protruding end of the bolt E is mounted loosely a preferably rectangular washer H,
(Fig. 5) having upon its under or inner face a serrated, toothed, or otherwise
undulatory surface 1, adapted to engage or mesh with the surfaces hh on A,
suitable guides m m being formed or provided at the outer sides of h h within which
the said washer H may slide vertically with and upon the bolt E. Upon the
threaded end of E is screwed any suitable form of nut or other device, the screwing
home of which may cause the surface of the washer H to engage firmly with the
surfaces hh, and bind and fix the bolt E in any desired position within the range
of the slot G, and such fixation of E would consequently fix and retain the
members CC in any desired position within the range of their movements,
fulcrummed upon the bolts FF, such extent of their movements being substantially
that indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus enabling the rider to instantly lower
his handles for the purposes of racing, or to assist him or her in propelling the
machine when mounting a gradient, or to raise them when desiring to sit erect and
quietly coast his or her machine when upon a decline, and such movements of
and C may be easily effected by either sex without any material effort on the part
of the rider, and without him or her having to alight fiom, or stay the progress of,
the machine.
The said fixing nut or device may conveniently be in the form of a circular or
polygonal plate J (Figs. 1 and 3) the edge or edges of which may be milled to
afford a better gup for the hand. Or in lieu of such a plate we may provide a
butter-fly or other similar thumb nut, such as that shewn by dotted outline at J¹
in Fig. 3. Or in lieu of either of these devices we may provide a hexagon or
octagon nut adapted to receive a spanner Or a circular or other shaped nut may
be employed having a handle permanently attached thereto.
By means of the improved cycle head according to our invention, a lady or
gentleman rider may arrange the position or elevation of the hand ends of the
members CC forming the handle-bar of his or her or their machine as may be most
convenient for their especial pleasure of riding, and this without the need of any
exertion or the use of a special tool, and whatever may be the position in which
the rider may desire to place the said members or handles, the same may be
instantly fixed in that position or changed to another by the mere manipulation of
the nut J or its equivalent, the members C and C¹ being always rendered perfectly
and absolutely rigid in whatever position they may be placed, by the mere tighten-
ing of J or its equivalent, this operating to cause the ends B and B₁ to be firmly
gripped by, and held between, the head 7 of the bolt E and the inner surface of the
back face of A, as shewn in Fig. 3.

page_text: The said head A with its adjustable handle-bar has brazed or otherwise
connected thereto, or formed integially therewith a solid or hollow extended
portion K, by means of which the said head may be attached to the steering rod of
the machine in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1st. In an improved adjustable handle-bar for bicycles, tricycles, and like
manually or mechanically piopelled velocipedes, the employment of such a handle-
bar formed in two parts, the inner ends of which are fulcrummed within a hollow
steering head, and connected by a threaded bolt engaging loosely with both, the
said bolt being adapted to rise and fall within the said head, with means for
arresting and nxing the said bolt in any desired position within the limit of its
travel, the whole combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth and shewn by the appended drawings.
2nd. In an improved adjustable handle bar for velocipedes, the combination of
a hollow head A, and handle-bar formed in two parts C and C₁, the inner ends of
which B and B are fulcrummed within A at points E and F, and connected
together by a threaded bolt E, engaging with slots in each, and passing through a
vertical slot in the head A, the said head having at either side of , serrated,
notched or otherwise undulatory surfaces hh, and guides mm, the said bolt E also
carrying a washer H adapted to slide within the said guides, and having a serrated
notched or otherwise undulatory surface 2, adapted to mesh with the surfaces hh
on A, by the tightening of a plate, nut, or its equivalent J, screwed upon the
bolt E, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
A
.
11
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.