Apparatus for Securing anu Rods of Bicycles and other Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Apparatus for Securing anu
Rods of Bicycles and other Wheeled Vehicles.
I, WALDEMAR SCHROETER, Manufacturer, of Delitzsch, Germany, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention and in what manner the same may be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to facilitate the removal of the handle-bar or steering
rod in case of accident, without interfering with the ordinary use of the said bar.
In the following description, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings,
which represent a handle-bar attachment embodying my invention.
The middle part of the handle bar is supported by the head A of the vehicle, and
secured in this bearing by a pair of locking rings a, a. The latter are adapted to turn
on the bearing of the handle-bar, and have a side opening b for the introduction of
the said bar. On the ring a is formed a short lever d and a spring arm e, the latter
serving for the attachment of a strong spring f which tends to open the locking rings,
that is, to release the handle bar, so that the latter may be lifted out of its bearing.
For locking and unlocking the rings or releasing the handle-bar, I employ the following
device. The locking ring a' has a nose m against which rests the extremity n of the
releasing lever o situated underneath the handle-bar. If the lever o is actuated by the
thigh or in any other manner, the nose m of the locking ring becomes free, the spring f
is allowed to act, so as to turn the rings the required angle, and the handle bar may now
be lifted out of its bearing.
By means of the lever d the rings are turned back into their locking position, and
the extremity n of the lever o is again placed in contact with the nose m of the ring.
To prevent the unintended disengagement of the handle bar by accidentally knocking
against the levers, 1 employ a safety pendulous lever p, which has its fulcrum atq
and carries a small weight adapted to maintain the lever always in a vertical
position.
Under normal circumstances, that is to say, when the head or fork of the vehicle is
in a vertical position, the stud is of the safety lever is situated under the extremity of
the releasing lever o and prevents the latter from moving, so that the handle-bar cannot
be released. As soon as the vehicle slants forward, as indicated by dotted lines, the

page_text: safety lever p alters its position, so that the stud to of the same no longer retains the
lever and the handle bar may be released without hindrance.
The entire contrivance, with or without safety lever p, may be applied to various
wheeled vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same may be performed, I declare that I claim:
:
1. In wheeled vehicles, an appliance for securing the handle-bar or steering-rod to
the head piece A, comprising locking-rings a, a actuated by spring fand held in their
locking position until the lever o has been disengaged.
2. The combination of the head piece a and handle-bar or steering rod of a wheeled
vehicle, with locking rings a, a', a spring fadapted to turn the said levers into their
releasing position, and a lever o adapted to maintain the rings in their locking
position.
3. For preventing the accidental disengagement of the lever o, the application of a
pendulous safety lever p having a stud which will only release the lever o, when the
head piece of the wheeled vehicle leaves its vertical position.
The whole substantially as described and illustrated.