Improvements in Handle Bars for Cycles or the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1899 -Accepted, 8th Apr., 1803
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Handle Bars for Cycles or the like.
We, ALBERT ALDAM, of The Maples, Lenton Boulevard, Lace Manufacturer,
and JOSEPH WHITE, of 38, St. Mary's Gate, Lace Warehouse Manager, both in
the City of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in handle bars for cycles or like
vehicles, and it has for its main object the construction of such handle bars so
as to absorb and thus reduce the amount of vibration, communicated to the hands
and arms of the rider.
In carrying out this invention we form the transverse position of the handle
bar either at the junction with the stalk, or at any intermediate point between
the junction with the stalk and each handle, with a hinged pivotted, knuckle,
or like joint, the said joint being placed so that the handles may be moved
downwards about the said joint.
In connection with each joint is a stop or stops, to prevent the handles from
being raised above their normal position, or the joint itself may be so formed
as to give this result. Each handle is also held in its normal position, that is,
the highest position allowed by the joints, by a suitable spring or india-rubber
buffer, which thus provides a yielding support to take the weight put on the
handles by the rider, whilst at the same time the handles are held perfectly rigid
if the rider pulls at them.
The spring or buffer employed in connection with each joint may be of any
suitable form, and may be arranged in any convenient manner, for example.
We may employ a flat spring, one end of which is connected to the stalk or the
fixed portion of the transverse part of the bar, the other free end of which bears
on the underside of the movable part, or a spring of this description may be
placed inside the tubular member referred to.
We may in some cases employ a coiled compression spring or india-rubber
buffer or cushion, which is placed between the underside of the movable part of
the handle bar, and a bracket secured to the fixed part. Or the movable part
of the handle may be provided with an arm which is acted upon by a spring or
india-rubber buffer or cushion placed parallel to the fixed part. In some cases
where india-rubber buffers are employed, we may form both the fixed and mov-
able part with an arm, and place the buffer which may be spherical or of other
convenient form, between the two ends of the arms, cups or recesses being formed
therein, to partially receive the buffer and hold it in position.
A coiler spring placed axially with the axis of the joint may also be employed.
one end being connected to the fixed part and the other to the movable part of
the handle bar.
If preferred each spring may be so arranged that it may be moved out of
engagement with the movable part of the handle bar, and the latter may then
be turned down so that in the case of a bicycle for example, less room may be
required for storage.

page_text: In an alternative arrangement, instead of employing a hinged or pivotted
joint, we form the stalk with a transverse part of suitable length so that the
whole forms a T piece, and into each end of the transverse part, we socket the
inner ends of the outer bent parts of the handle bar, on which the handles are
secured. ****
A
".
In this case the socketed parts rotate axially within the transverse part of the
Tpiece, and by reason of the outer ends of the handle bar being bent till the
handles are at an angle with the socketed parts, the said axial rotation will allow
the handles to rise and fall.
In this case we employ stops on the fixed and movable parts to limit the up-
ward movement of the handles, or form the socketed part to engage with a stud
within or a pin placed diametrically across the socket.
The handles may in this case be held in their normal position against the
weight applied thereto by the rider, by a coiled spring placed within the socketed
part, one end of which is secured to the fixed part and the other end to the
movable part. Instead of a coiled spring we may employ a flat steel or other
suitably shaped bar in section, which is arranged so as to form a torsional spring,
or we may employ any of the springs or buffers described in reference to the
hinged or pivotted joint.
If preferred the transverse movable part of the handle bar may be formed in
one piece, and carried right through the transverse socket on the stalk. In this
case only one stop and one spring is required.
Provision may be made for adjusting the springs or buffers in order to adapt
them to the requirements of different riders.
otal th: 10+1
1909
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
wprovements in Handle Bars for Cycles or the like.
We, ALBERT ALDAM, of The Maples, Lenton Boulevard, Lace Manufacturer,
and JOSEPH WHITE, of 38, St. Mary's Gate, Lace Warehouse Manager, both in
the City of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement; -
Our invention relates to improvements in handle bars for cycles or like vehicles,
and it has for its object to provide a handle bar that will absorb, and thus
reduce the amount of vibration communicated to the hands and arms of the rider.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, and
Fig. 2 a plan partly in section, of a handle bar constructed according to our
invention.
Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line X X of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4-5 and 6 are views showing details of construction.
Like letters indicate like parts, throughout the drawings.
According to our invention, at the top of the stem A, which is of the ordi-
nary form, we secure a transverse tubular part 3 of a suitable length, which
forms a rigid middle part to the handle bar, and sockets for the two outer parts.
Into the ends of the middle part B are socketed the two inner ends C¹ C¹, of
the outer independent parts C C of the handle bar, to which latter the handles D D

page_text: are secured.
The parts CC may be bent into any suitable form, and the outer
ends dropped if preferred.
With this arrangement the inner socketed ends C¹ C₁ of the two parts C C,
rotates axially within the fixed sockets or part B, and by reason of the outer
ends of the said parts C C being bent at an angle to the socketed parts C₁ C³,
the axial rotation of the latter will allow the handles D D to describe an arc
and thus rise and fall.
The handles 1 ) are held in their normal position in which they are shown,
against the weight applied thereto by the rider, by a spring E which is prefer-
ably placed as shown within the ends CC of the two movable parts C C of
the handle bar.
This spring E is preferably held at or near the middle of the length, by a
sleeve or disc F provided with an opening F (see Fig. 5) to receive the said
spring, this disc F is secured within the fixed part B. The two ends of the
spring E also engage with corresponding discs G G within the socketed ends C¹ C¹
of the parts C C. The latter may also be prevented from being withdrawn
from their sockets or the part B, by screws G₁ G passing through the disc G G
and the ends of the springs E respectively as shown.
In the drawings a flat torsional spring is shown, but we may use any suitable
form of spring, the middle part of which is connected to the fixed part B, and
its ends to the socketed movable parts C¹, in the same manner as the spring
shown. Or in some cases two independent springs may be employed. Different
means may also be employed for fastening the springs, to that shown in the
drawings.
In order to limit the movement of the parts C¹¹ within the fixed part B,
the disc in the middle of the fixed part B, which is shown detached in Figs. 5
and 6, is provided with extensions 12 F2 and the ends of the parts C¹ Care
preferably strengthened by a liner and are also cut away as shown at C2 in Fig. 4,
which is an end view of one of the parts C₁. The extensions F2 12 enter the
gaps C2 C2 in the ends of the two parts C C and the extent of these gaps thus
determines the amplitude of the movement of the handles D.
Normally the handles D are held in their extreme upper position and hard
up against their respective stops, by the spring E, so that when the rider pulls
at them they are perfectly rigid and do not give. When however the weight of
the rider is placed on the handles, the strength of the spring is so adjusted that
the handles will move downwards relatively to the frame as the wheel passes
over obstructions, and will thus absorb shocks or vibration that would, with a
rigid handle bar, be communicated to the rider.
The construction of the handle-bar is such as to immediately stop all move-
ment or vibration of the handles relatively to the frame, immediately the cause
is removed. This result is obtained by employing a rigid stop to which each
independent movable part C C is returned by the spring as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is;-
1. In a handle-bar for cycles or the like the combination with a fixed middle
part such as B of two outer independent parts such as CC rotatable in or upon
the middle part substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a handle-bar for cycles or the like the combination with a fixed middle
part such as B of two outer parts such as CC rotatable in or upon the middle
part and a spring or springs connected to the fixed and movable parts respec-
tively substantially as described.
3. In a handle-bar for cycles or the like the combination with a fixed middle
part such as B of two outer parts such as CC socketed into the middle part
and a spring within the socketed parts which is connected to the fixed and
movable parts respectively substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a handle-bar for cycles or the like the combination with a fixed middle
part such as B of two outer parts such as CC socketed into the middle part a
spring such as E within the socketed parts and discs such as F G G within
the fixed and movable parts respectively to which the spring is attached sub-
stantially as described.
5. In a handle-bar for cycles or the like the combination with a fixed middle
part such as B of two outer parts such as CC socketed into the middle part a
spring such as E within the socketed parts discs such as F G G within the
fixed and movable parts respectively to which the spring is attached and exten-
sions such as F2 on the disc in the fixed part to engage with the ends of the
movable parts substantially as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete handle-
bar for cycles substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
1000
ALBERT ALDAM.
JOSEPH WHITE.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.