Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which.
has been communicated to me from abroad by Josephine Caswell Jackman,"
Capitalist, of 931 North Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of
America), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly.
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object to provide a handle bar for bicycles so
constructed and arranged that it may by a simple movement be adjusted in the
vertical plane and locked in position after adjustment without the rider being
required to dismount, which may be swung in the horizontal plane so as to lie
parallel with the front wheel should it be required to lean the bicycle against a
wall or to pass through a narrow passage, or which may be readily removed from
the bicycle should it be required to leave the latter unguarded thereby rendering
the bicycle useless.
With these ends in view I have devised the novel construction of which the"
following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is a Specification,
numbers being used to designate the several parts.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bicycle showing the position of the handle bar when it
has been given a quarter turn in the horizontal plane and is lying approximately in
the plane of the front wheel.
Fig. 2 an elevation, either front or rear, on an enlarged scale, of the handle bar,
steering rod and locking device.
:
Fig. 3 a side elevation corresponding therewith showing in full and dotted lines
different adjustments of the handle bar in the vertical plane and also the disengaged
position of the locking device as when the handle bar is to be swung in the
horizontal plane or removed.
Fig. 4 a section on the line x-x in Fig. 3, and
Fig. 5 is a section on the line y-y in Fig. 4 looking down.
1 denotes the handle bar and 2 the handle bar post which is provided with a
head 3 and an opening 4 and upon its front and rear faces with bevels 5. The.
sides of the head are made flat and lie parallel with each other and are each
provided with sockets 16, preferably placed opposite to each other, 6 denotes a
sleeve which is brazed or otherwise rigidly secured to the handle bar. 7 is a sleeve
shorter than sleeve 6 within which the latter turns and 8 is a shank rigidly secured
to sleeve 7 and adapted to turn in the handle bar post as clearly shown in Fig. 4
in connection with Fig. 1. 9 denotes other sleeves lying outside of sleeve 6 and
contiguous to the ends of sleeve 7, said sleeves 9 being rigidly secured to sleeve 6.
as by rivets or brazing or both as may be preferred. 10 denotes arms extending
radially from sleeves 9 which carry a locking device for locking the handle bar to
the head as for example bolts or latches 11. The special construction of these
bolts or latches is of course not of the essence of my invention. I have shown the
arms as provided with heads 12 having sockets 13 in which the bolts lie, springs 14
being provided to throw the bolts forward so that they will engage the sockets 16
in the opposite sides of head 3 when the bolts or latches register therewith. The
shanks of the bolts extend through the outer ends of heads 12 and are provided
with finger pieces 15 for convenience in manipulation. It will thus be seen that

page_text: the handle bar and sleeves 6 and 9 may be turned together and will carry arms 10
and the bolts or latches.
The operation is as follows: Suppose that it is desired to adjust the handle bar
in the vertical plane, the operator retracts the bolts or latches by means of the
finger pieces and turns the handle bar upward or downward as may be required
locking the handle bar after adjustment by permitting the bolts or latches to engage
the sockets in the head. One side of the bead only is shown and this is shown as
provided with three sockets, thus giving three vertical adjustments to the handle
bar which is ordinarily quite sufficient, but more adjustments may be readily
provided for. Should it be desired to swing the handle bar in the horizontal plane
so that the handle bar will lie approximately in the plane of the front wheel the
operator simply after disengaging the bolts or latches turns the handle bar in either
direction far enough to carry it past head 3. In this position of the parts the
handle bar and shank may be swung in either direction independently of the handle
bar post. This feature of my novel handle bar is of great value, as it enables a
machine to be passed through a narrow opening or doorway or to be leaned against
a wall in which position it will remain stationary, and will furthermore permit a
single machine or a number of machines to be stored in very much less space than
has heretofore been required.
While in the position just referred to, that is the bolts or latches being
disengaged, the handle bar, sleeves and shank may be entirely removed from the
machine by simply lifting them up and withdrawing the shank from the handle
bar post. This feature of construction is valuable in many instances as it enables
a machine or a number of machines to be stored in very small compass, or where
it is necessary to leave a machine unguarded it enables the rider to remove a
portion of the machine essential to its operativeness and carry it with him.
It will be obvious that the handle bar may be readily replaced by inserting the
shank in the opening in the handle bar post the handle bar being turned sufficiently
to carry the bolts or latches out of engagement with the head. The handle bar is
then turned in the vertical plane until the bolts or latches engage sockets in head 3.
Bevels 5 act to make the bolts or latches self acting in turning the handle bar to
place, that is to say, the ends of the bolts or latches engage the bevels, are forced
inward thereby and ride up the bevels and upon the sides of the head into position.
to enter the sockets when brought into alignment therewith. By making the sides
of the heads flat and parallel to each other I insure that the handles will be self
adjusting, that is to say, it is made impossible to lock the handle bar in position
except when the flat sides of the head are engaged by arms 10 so that any
incorrect position of the handle bar relatively to the handle bar post is rendered
impossible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. The combination with a bicycle handle bar post, of a handle bar mounted to
turn or swing freely thereon in a substantially horizontal plane to adapt it to be
turned parallel with the front wheel or to be removed from said post, the said post
having flat side portions or faces and the bar being mounted to turn on its axis and
having arms extending therefrom to engage the side faces of the post to retain the
bar, when in use, in a position parallel with the axis of said wheel.
2. The combination with a bicycle handle bar post having a head provided with
bevels 5 and sockets 16, of a handle bar, a sleeve within which the handle bar may
turn and which is provided with a shank adapted to turn in the handle bar post
and arms extending from the handle bar and carrying spring actuated latches
adapted to be retracted by the bevels and to engage the sockets in the head.
3. The combination with a bicycle handle bar post having a head and an
opening, of a handle bar, a sleeve 7 within which the handle bar may turn and
which is provided with a shank adapted to turn in the opening and to be removed.

page_text: therefrom, sleeves 9 rigidly secured to the handle bar contiguous to the ends of
sleeve 7 and a locking device for locking sleeves 9 to the head, the handle bar
being capable of movement in the vertical and horizontal planes or of removal
when the locking device is disengaged.
Dated this 28th day of December 1895
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.