Improvements relating to Handle-bars for Velocipedes and. the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 26th July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Handle-bars for Velocipedes and. the like.
I, WILLIAM CHATER LEA, of 21 & 22 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
My invention relates to handle-bars for velocipedes and the like and has for
its main object to provide improved means whereby such a bar can be readily
adjusted in order to meet the requirements of different riders, or varying con-
ditions, and my said invention comprises the improvements hereinafter set forth.
According to my said invention I so mount the handle-bar in a suitable socket
that it will be free to turn therein and thereby admit of adjustment through a
considerable angle. To enable the handle-bar to be readily changed from a
"dropped" to a "raised" pattern or vice versa I so construct it that it can be
readily withdrawn from the said socket and re-inserted therein in a reverse
direction. For this latter purpose I form the central portion of the handle-bar
which fits into the said socket, of somewhat larger diameter than the remainder,
thus allowing a sufficient clearance to admit of the other parts passing through
the said socket and being easily removed or replaced in position.
To secure the handle-bar firmly in place when inserted in either position and
adjusted to any desired angle, I form in the above mentioned socket a suitable
slot, preferably extending half way round such socket, the edges of which are
preferably raised and toothed or serrated in any convenient manner; and in the
enlarged portion of the handle-bar I form one or more screw-threaded holes into
which, or, when more than one are provided, any one of which, may be screwed
a set-screw, thumb-screw, or the like, by means of which, and a suitably toothed,
serrated or roughened, and curved washer, which is first passed thereon, with
or without a suitable spring washer, the handle-bar may be firmly clamped or
fixed in any position to which it may be adjusted, and it will be seen that by
my arrangement, upon the thumb-screw being loosened the teeth or serrations
upon the socket and the curved washer will slip. over each other whereby
different positions of the handle-bar can be rapidly obtained even whilst the
machine is being ridden, the handle-bar being sufficiently secure for ordinary
steering purposes, and upon tightening the thumb-screw a rigid handle-bar will
be obtained.
My improved adjustable handle-bar is especially applicable to tandem, triplet,
and other cycles adapted for use by more than one rider, and the socket is pro-
vided with a suitable clip by means of which it can be fixed to the T or F-shaped
stem-piece supporting the seat or saddle of the foremost rider, or in the case of
machines for more than two riders, to all of them or the said clip may be secured
to the saddle stalk or pillar, or to a separate one, or to any other convenient point of
attachment

page_text: By an obvious modification the said socket may be secured to the head of the
steering fork stem, and used on any front steering machine.
Dated this 12th day of November 1896.
A. F. SPOONER,
124, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to Handle-bars for Velocipedes and the like.
I, WILLIAM CHATER LEA, of 116 to 120 Golden Lane, (formerly of 21 and
22 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell,) in the County of London, 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:
My invention relates to handle-bars for velocipedes and the like and has for
its main object to provide improved means whereby such a bar can be readily
adjusted in order to meet the requirements of different riders, or varying con-
ditions, and my said invention comprises the improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a front view, and
Figure 2 is a plan view drawn to an enlarged scale, showing my improved
method of adjusting the handle-bar of a velocipede.
Figure 3 is a side view, partly in section, drawn to the same scale as Figure 2,
showing a slight modification hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the handle-bar the central portion a' of which is formed of somewhat larger
diameter than the remainder, and fits into a socket or eye b, the said enlargement
allowing a sufficient clearance to admit of the other curved parts passing through
the said socket and being easily removed or replaced in position. The handle-bar
is so fitted in the socket that it will be free to turn therein and thereby admit
of adjustment through a considerable angle and by withdrawing it from the
said socket and reinserting it therein in a reverse direction the said handle-bar
can be readily changed from a "dropped" to a "raised" pattern or vice versa.
To secure the handle-bar firmly in place when inserted in either position and
adjusted to any desired angle, I form in the socket ba suitable slot b' extending
half way, or other suitable distance, round such socket, and the edges of which
slot are preferably raised and toothed or serrated as shown at 62 or in any other
convenient manner. In the enlarged portion a¹ of the handle-bar a I form,
moreover, one, or when a wider range of adjustment is required, two or more
screw-threaded holes a3. Into either of these holes a set-screw c, or a thumb-
screw or the like, may be screwed and by means of which, and a suitably toothed,
serrated, or roughened, and curved washer d, which is first passed thereon, with
or without a suitable spring-washer e, the handle-bar a may be firmly clamped
or fixed in any position to which it may be adjusted. It will be seen that by
this arrangement, upon the set-screw c being loosened, the teeth or serrations ²
upon the socket b and the curved washer d will slip over each other whereby
different positions of the said handle-bar a can be rapidly obtained even whilst
the machine is being ridden, the handle-bar being sufficiently secure for ordinary
steering purposes, and upon tightening up the set screw c or thumb screw a rigid
handle-bar will be obtained.
The arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 is intended for use upon a tandem
or other multicarrier machine, a clip consisting of a split socket or collar f and

page_text: bolt g (Figure 2) being provided for its attachment to the saddle stem or any
other part or framing of the machine. In the arrangement shown in Figure 3,
which is intended for attachment to an ordinary safety bicycle, a ball race h is
provided on the under-side of the split socket or collar fl.
My improved adjustable handle-bar is especially applicable to tandem, triplet,
and other cycles adapted for use by more than one rider, and is attachable through
the above described clip, either as already mentioned, to the T or F-shaped
stem-piece supporting the seat or saddle of the foremost rider, or in the case of
machines for more than two riders, to all of them, or to the saddle stalk or pillar,
or to a separate one, or to any other convenient point of attachment.
The said socket may be likewise readily secured to the head of the steering
fork stem, and used on any front steering machine.
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. An adjusting device for the handle-bar of a velocipede or the like comprising
a slotted socket having toothed or serrated edges, a correspondingly curved and
toothed or serrated washer, and a set-screw, thumb-screw, or its equivalent
adapted to pass through the said washer and slot and screw into a hole, or one
of a series of holes, formed in the handle-bar with or without a spring washer,
substantially as set forth.
2. The improved adjustable handle-bar constructed substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 26th day of July 1897
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant