Improvements in Handles and Handle Bars for Steering Velocipedes and like Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1887.
Complete Left, 17th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 20th Sept., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Handles and Handle Bars for Steering Velocipedes
and like Purposes.
I, THOMAS B. JEFFERY, of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois in the United
States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention,
to be as follows:-
The purposes of this invention are as follows:-
First to provide a handle of such form that it shall afford convenient and secure
grasp for the hand in such position that the strength of the thumb may be utilized not
only for grasping but also for turning the handle so that it shall not be necessary
to grasp the handle so firmly by the hand in order to obtain secure hold upon it and
prevent the hand slipping and turning thereon: the shape of the handle being such
that it reinforces the hand in all directions and for the purposes of all the movements
necessary. Second-to provide a handle bar which shall allow space for the move-
ment of the limbs of the rider without curving upward for that purpose as is usual.
The handle is composed of three principal parts and the necessary screws which
unite them viz. a metal skeleton which constitutes the frame work of the handle, and
two cheeks secured upon this skeleton frame, one on the upper side and the other on
the lower side: The cheek on the upper side of the intermediate frame is adapted to
fit into the palm of the hand and will be referred to as the "palm cheek." The cheek
which is secured on the under side is adapted to receive the pressure of the fingers
when the handle is grasped and is called the "finger cheek."
The intermediate frame constitutes a diaphragm which extends horizontally beyond
the cheeks forming a flange, while in front of the position of the cheeks it is expanded
into a bell shaped or trumpet shaped guard through which, in one form, the handle-bar
is inserted. The interior part of the intermediate frame or diaphragm is formed into
a clamp in which between the cheeks the handle bar is secured. The bows of the
yokes which constitute the clamp constitute the most convenient point of securement
for the cheeks which are fastened to the frame by screws entering said bows. The
handle-bar which is preferably tubular has apertures into which the ends of these
screws protrude and said apertures are made somewhat larger than the screws, so that

page_text: if the handle is turned on the bar the ends of said screws within these apertures in the
bar will form stops to limit such movement of the handle on the bar according to the
amount of play which the screws obtain in said apertures. This permits the handle to
be slightly adjusted on the bar to suit the hand of the operator, but the clamps may be
and are preferably set so tightly that such variation of position is not liable to be
caused by accident nor except by the application of considerable force.
The forms of the several parts of the handle have specific functions. The bell-shaped
guard at the forward end reinforces the thumb and index finger and prevents the
hand from slipping forward on the handle. The upper cheek fills the hollow of the
palm of the hand and reinforces the entire hand tending to prevent slipping in all
directions. The lower or finger cheek causes the fingers in grasping it to be arranged
in slightly curved position forming a hollow between the first and fourth fingers and
so reinforcing the grasp of the hand in a manner which makes it tend to prevent the
hand slipping either back or forward. The curves of the cheeks which perform these
functions are convex outward, that is, the palm cheek is convex upward, and the
finger-cheek is convex downward. The flange formed by the projection of the inter-
mediate frame beyond the cheeks forms a rest for the base of the thumb and at the
same time forms a stop for the ends of the fingers underneath it, thus further prevent-
ing the hand from slipping around on the handle either way, also by affording bearing
for the muscular part of the hand toward the wrist it enables the operator with less
expenditure of force in grasping, to operate it by the muscles of the arm, by rolling
the wrist or flexing the elbow or shoulder. Seen from the inner side the flange
presents the form of a double circumflex curve pointing downward at the forward part
and upward at the rear, thus agreeing with the curve of the hand to the base of the
wrist when engaged in grasping. At the forward end it curves quite abruptly down-
ward and at the same time curves toward the bell shaped guard at the front in whose
surface it gradually blends. This gives it a form adapted to receive the thumb as it is
flexed downward and around the neck which joins the bell shaped forward guard to
the main body of the handle. The general form of the body is ovoidal but it is shaped
upward at the rear point which thus extends up slightly behind the fleshy part of the
hand toward the wrist and reinforces it. This handle may be attached to the bar at
the side as well as at the front only slight changes being necessary to adapt it to either
position.
H
The second part of this invention relates to the form of the handle bar. Inasmuch
as the limbs of the rider are inclined from the seat downward and forward the space
for their proper movement may be obtained by bowing the handle bars forward in a
substantially horizontal plane. This form therefore I adopt and it obviates the
necessity for giving the bar an additional bend in order to make it terminate in a proper
position to receive the handles, since the continuance in the direction of the tangent
to the forwardly convex curve brings the ends in the best position to receive the
handles.
I make the handle bar of one piece and its curved form prevents inserting it
through the head and I secure it to the head by letting it into a recess on the front side
of the head, and clamping it therein by means of yokes which embrace the 'bar and
suitable lateral lugs on the head, the ends of said yokes projecting downward and
being joined by clamping bolts by which the bar is firmly clamped onto the head.
The said laterally projecting lugs on the head are preferably made thickened at the
middle, which, on account of the concave front which receives the handle bar, causes
them to be crescent shaped in cross-section. This thickness is thus caused in the plane
of greatest strain-and produces the greatest amount of available strength with the
least weight.
Dated this 31st day of May 1887

page_text: "the palm
the palm of the hand, and for that reason it will be hereafter referred to as
cheek-piece." D is a cheek-piece secured upon the lower side of the frame B and
adapted to receive the pressure of the fingers when the handle is grasped, and for that
reason it will be hereinafter referred to as the "finger cheek-piece." The frame B
comprises a diaphragm to which the cheek pieces are secured, and which extends
horizontally beyond them at the inner side, forming the flange B¹. The part at the
front side of the frame is expanded into a bell-shaped guard B2, through the centre
of which in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the handle bar A is inserted.
The interior part of the frame B is formed into the clamp B³ by means of which the
handle is secured to the handle-bar, said clamp having sufficient spring in the yoke b³,
so that the clamp screw 60 will draw the two parts thereof together upon the handle-
bar inserted. through the bell-shaped guard B2 and entering between the half yokes
of the clamp. The cheek pieces and D are secured to the frame most conveniently
by means of the screws e and d, which enter the bows of the upper and lower halves
respectively of the clamp. The handle bar, which is preferably tubular, has
apertures, a, a, or if solid has one aperture extending vertically through it into which
the ends of the screws c and d protrude, having been screwed entirely through the
yokes of the clamp in which they obtain hold. The holes a, are of somewhat greater
diameter than the screws c, and d, the reason for which will be hereinafter explained. Eis
the head, E¹, E', are cross arms or lateral lugs thereon at the upper end: F, F, are clamps
which secure the handle bar to the head: f, f, are bolts which which effect the
clamping described.
The peculiar merit of the portion of this handle which is grasped by the hand, or
handle proper, depends chiefly upon the form as indicated by reference to the several
curves of its outline as will be now pointed out.
The handle is desired to be grasped in the manner indicated in Fig. 7: the bell-
shaped guard thus reinforces the index finger and the thumb and prevents the hand
from slipping forward on the handle. In this position the palm cheek-piece C fills
the hollow of the palm of the hand and reinforces the entire hand, tending to prevent
slipping in all directions: and in like manner the finger cheek piece D causes the
fingers in grasping the to be arranged in slightly curved position forming a hollow
between the first and fourth fingers so that the said cheek-piece reinforces the grasp
of the hand in a manner which tends to prevent slipping back or forward.
The curves of these cheek-pieces which perform this function are convex outward, that
is to say, the curve of the palm-cheek-piece is convex upward and that of the finger cheek-
piece is convex downward. The flange B' extending horizontally inward beyond the
cheek-pieces affords a rest for the base of the thumb, and at the same time forms a
stop for the ends of the fingers underneath it, whereby the entire hand is reinforced in
such a manner as to prevent the hand from slipping around upon the handle, and by
affording bearing for the muscular part of the hand toward the wrist, permits the
operator, with less expenditure of force in grasping the handle, to operate it by the
use of the muscles of the arm, as either in the rolling of the wrist, or the flexing of
the elbow or shoulder joints, viewed from the inner side in direct elevation, this
flange B' will be seen to curve downward in the portion B10, being at that point convex
upward, and to curve upward in the portion B", being at that point concave upward,
making thereby a double circumflex curve; and this curve, it will be seen, agrees with
the curve of the hand to the base of the wrist when the hand is closed, as in grasping
the handle.
The purpose of this adaptation is that at all points the thumb shall be fully supported
and reinforced by the flange, so that the muscular action of the grasping shall be
effective to the highest possible degree.
Furthermore it will be seen that the flange at the forward end curves quite abruptly
downward, and has at the forward end, as seen in the plan view, an outline curved
concavely forward and merging in the concaved outline of the bell shaped guard B
This hollow is indicated in the drawings by the letter B and is adapted to receive the
thumb as it is flexed downward and around the neck B", which connects the bell

page_text: shaped flange B' with the body of the frame B, and by means of the concavely rounded
forward portion of the flange B¹, the hand is absolutely prevented from slipping rear-
ward so.long as the thumb is flexed around the neck B
It will be seen that the general form of the body of this handle is ovoidal, but that
it curves upward slightly at the rear end and that the point b, thus extends up slightly
behind the fleshy part of the palm of the hand toward the wrist. By this means it is
adapted to afford support to that part of the hand and to prevent wearying the muscles
unduly when exerting rearward or downward pressure on the handle. This handle
may be attached to the handle-bar at the side as well as at the front. It is shown thus
attached in Figs. 6 & 7. When thus attached it becomes necessary, of course, to
turn the clamp B' around 90 degrees, and it is most convenient to let the handle-bar
enter under the curve B of the flange B', and it is so shown in said figures.
Inasmuch as the limbs of the rider are inclined from the seat downward and forward
the space for their proper movement can be obtained by bowing the handle bars
forward in substantially a horizontal plane as well as by bowing them upward: and
when thus bowed, the ends extended tangentially from the end of the curve are in
proper position for the handles, thus obviating the necessity for an additional bend.
I therefore adopt this form-the bows A¹, A³, being in substantially a horizontal
plane, instead of a vertical as heretofore.-This form also enables me easily to bring
the handles in position at the side of the rider where they may be grasped while
holding the arms in an easier and less fatiguing position than is required when the
handles are much in front. If the bows are made in a plane slightly inclined from
horizontal, as in the drawings the bar may be slightly curved upward at the handles
to bring them more nearly horizontal.
The handle bar is made of one piece throughout, and on account of its curves
could not well be connected to the head by being inserted through it from the side,
but must be applied to it from the front or rear. I form the head with the lateral
arms on lugs E, E, projecting from the upper part and provided on the front side
with a semi-cylindrical hollow e', extending horizontally across the head through the
entire length of both the lugs, E', E'; and into this hollow or groove the handle
bar is placed and secured by the loops or clamps F, F, which are first slipped
onto the handle bars, and then after it is placed in position in the groove e¹, are
passed over the lugs E', E', respectively and tightened by the clamping bolts, f
which connect the lower end of each loop. The necessity of the loops encircling
both the lugs E', and the handle bar, and for the bolts being on the lower side
of the loops, arises from the fact that any projection from the cross arm or lugs E¹,
on the upper side, such as would be necessary in order to secure a clamp other-
wise than by making it encircle the bars and lugs as shown, or the projecting
ends of the loop if bolted together above the bar, would frequently be in the
way of the rider and cause annoyance.
In order to give the lugs E¹, E', the necessary strength in the direction in which
the pressure applied to the handle bar in guiding the machine, acts upon them,
without giving them any greater weight than is unavoidable, I form them thickest in
the horizontal plane of the diameter of the handle bar, and for convenience in
finishing, I make their exterior outline semi-circular, but eccentric to the cavity
in which the handle bar fits, thereby gaining the increased thickness at the desired
point.
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 claim is
1. A handle having a lateral flange as B¹ extending along the entire inner side
from front to rear to support the base of the thumb, substantially as set forth.
2. A handle having a lateral flange extending along its inner side from front to
rear and curved downward at the forward end, substantially as set forth.
3.A handle having a lateral flange extending along the inner side from front to
rear and curved upward at the rear part, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 4. A handle having a lateral flange extending along its inner side from front to
rear and curved downward at the front part and upward at the rear part substantially
as set forth.
5. A handle of which the body or portion to be grasped by the hand is in the
general form of an ovoid and which has a flange-like rib or projection extending along
its entire inner side from front to rear, projecting substantially in the plane of the
greatest length and breadth of the ovoidal body, for the purpose of reinforcing the
base of the thumb, substantially as set forth.
6. A handle whose body portion is in general ovoidal in form, but which is
curved upward at the rear part, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7.—A handle of which the body part is in general of ovoidal form, but flattened
and produced laterally at the inner side forming a concavity at the inner part of the
transverse outline of its upper surface, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. A handle whose transverse outline consists of a swell whose convex curves
merge in each other at the outer side and merge in approximating concave curves at
the inner side, substantially as set forth.
9. A handle whose general form is a flattened ovoid, whose convex surfaces merge
in each other at the outer side and at the inner side merge respectively in transversely
concave and approximating surfaces, substantially as set forth.
10. A handle having a flange projecting from the body at the inner side and
merging at the forward end in an expanded or flaring guard as B'.
11. A handle having a flange which projects laterally from its inner side and
which has its upper surface curved downward at the forward part, and has its lower
or forward edge merging in the surface of an expanded or flaring guard, said guard
tapering back and merging in the surface of the body of the handle, substantially as
set forth.
12. A handle of which the body has the general form of a flattened ovoid, but
which merges at the forward part in a flaring or bell shaped guard, substantially as
set forth.
13. A handle comprising the frame B provided with means substantially as shown
for securing it to the handle bar and the cheek-pieces C and D covering the securing
devices, substantially as set forth.
14. A handle bar comprising the frame B, which terminates forwardly in the
flaring or bell-shaped guard B2 through which the handle bar is inserted, and which
has in its medial part suitable devices for securing the handle bar, substantially as
set forth.
15.-In combination with the handle bar, the handle comprising the clamp B³, into
which the handle bar is inserted, said bar and handle being provided with co-operating
stops to limit the turning of the handle on the bar, substantially as set forth.
16. In combination with the handle bar, the handle comprising the clamp B³, a
stop, as the screw set through the bow or yoke of the clamp and entering the handle
bar, said bar having an opening to receive such stop larger than the stop, whereby
the handle may have a limited rocking motion on the bar, substantially as set forth.
17. In combination with the handle frame B, having at its medial part the
clamp B³, the handle bar housed in such clamp and having an aperture a; the cheek
pieces secured to the frame covering the clamp, the screws which effect such secure-
ment entering also the aperture a, and being of less diameter than such aperture ;
whereby they serve the double purpose of securing the cheek pieces and affording a
stop for the rocking movement of the handle on the handle bar, substantially as set
forth.
18. In combination with the head, the handle bar secured thereto, and having the
arms extended thence, first forward and outward, and then rearward, whereby they
are made concave toward the seat, and provided with handles at the ends, substantially
as set forth.
19. In combination with the head, the handle bar secured thereto and having the
arms bowed forward on each side in an approximately horizontal plane and thence

page_text: extending backward approximately parallel and terminating rearward of the transverse
vertical plane of the head, substantially as set forth.
20. The velocipede head provided with cross arms or lugs E', having a semi-
cylindrical hollow in front to receive a round handle bar, and thickened at the rear in
the plane of the horizontal diameter of the bar, substantially as set forth.
21. The velocipede head having cross arms or lugs E', provided with a semi-
cylindrical hollow in front to receive a round handle bar, and having their rear
surfaces curved eccentrically to the said front hollow, substantially as set forth.
22. In combination with the head having the cross arms or lugs E', hollowed in
front; the handle bar located in such hollow and the clamping loop encircling both
the handle bar and the cross arm, and having its ends connected, as by the clamp
bolt, on the under side of the handle bar, substantially as set forth.
THOMAS B. JEFFERY.
By Herbert & Co.,
67, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.
Dated this 17th day of August A.D. 1887.
THOMAS B. JEFFERY.
By Herbert & Co.,
67, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.