Improvements in and relating to the Handle Bars of Velocipedes, also applicable to other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb.. 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Handle Bars of Velocipedes,
also applicable to other purposes.
We, WALTER PARKES, Engineer, of 75, Oxford Street, Reading, in the County
of Berks, and JAMES DIXON, Engineer, of 21, York Place, Leeds, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to the handle bars by which the steering
of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes is effected, and it has for its object a
novel method of construction by which such handle bars when not in use can be
folded into a small compass.
Supposing that the invention is to be applied to a bicycle, in which the handle
bar is attached to the head of the fork, we fix upon such head a T-piece having a
short transverse piece which we make tubular. We fit into each of the ends of
this tubular piece a bar also preferably tubular the outer end of which carries a
handle of the ordinary kind the bar being bent more or less backward and downward
in the usual way.
We hinge the handle bars to the transverse tubular T-piece in the following
way. Into or upon the inner end of the handle bar we fix or form a projecting
stud or pin which when the handle is extended for use fits freely but closely into
the end of the transverse tubular T-piece, the projecting pin or stud being of such
length as to hold the handle bar firmly in its place, when inserted into the end of
the transverse tube. In the onter end of the pin or stud we form a horizontal joint
upon which is jointed and turns the end of a cylindrical piece which also fits freely
into the transverse tubular piece, so that when this cylindrical piece and the fixed
stud upon the handle bar are opened out into line with each other and inserted
into the tubular piece, the latter forms together with the handle bar a sufficiently
rigid continuous bar, by which steering can be effected in the ordinary way.
In order to hold the two parts together in the position described we attach to
the end of the cylindrical piece one end of a helical spring the other end of which,
at a sufficient distance in the tubular piece, is attached to the latter by a cross pin
or other equivalent means. When it is desired to fold back the handle bar (when
not in use), the latter is drawn out end ways, extending the spring sufficiently to
expose the horizontal joint and allow the handle bar to be turned back at right
angles or nearly so to its position when extended.
When the handle bar is again extended, the elasticity of the spring draws the
cylindrical piece, the joint, and the pin or stud upon the handle bar, into the
tubular T-piece, and no joint or projection of any kind is in this arrangement
visible.
Instead of the arrangement described each end of the spring may be attached
to one of the cylindrical pieces, so that the two handle bars are drawn together
when extended, and held in position by a single spring.
We make a guide in each end of the tubular T-piece to prevent the handle bars
from turning in the tube, such guide consisting preferably of a longitudinal slot
near the end of the tube upon its lower side, through which slot a screw or stud is
passed and screwed into the sliding cylindrical piece, preventing the latter from
turning round, and if required limiting its movement so that it cannot be drawn
completely out of the tubular T-piece.
The outer end of the joint upon the handle bar is preferably made square and
projecting somewhat, so that the latter is held in its closed or turned-in position by
the elasticity of the spring, until it is partly opened out when the joint is at once
drawn into the tube and held there as described.
In order to more surely resist the action of torsion upon the joint, we sometimes

page_text: make the cylindrical sliding piece of considerable length, and we provide it with a
longitudinal feather or key which fits in a longitudinal slot in the tubular T-piece.
This slot extends to the end of the tube in order that the feather may be passed
into it, and the end of the tube preferably strengthened by a metal ring fixed
round its end. This ring may project somewhat beyond the end of the tube, so
that the end of the handle bar when extended enters, by the action of the spring,
for a short distance into it, and additional rigidity is thus obtained.
The ring may be open at one side and provided with lugs, which can be drawn
together by a screw or bolt passing through them, so as to contract the ring and
the end of the tube round which it fits, as may be desired, and reduce the possibility
of shake or play in the handle.
In order that the brake lever upon one of the handle bars may be automatically
connected with the upper end of the vertical brake spindle carried by the fork,
when the handle bar is opened out, and disconnected when it is closed, we form
upon the upper end of the spindle a hole or eye into which the end of the brake
lever enters sufficiently far to connect them securely. When therefore the handle
bar is drawn out for the purpose of folding it as described, the end of the lever is
withdrawn from the eye and disconnected so that the handle bar can be folded
back, and when the bar is again unfolded and straightened for use the end of the
lever comes to the proper position opposite the eye into which it enters auto-
matically when the spring draws the handle bar into its proper position as above
described.
The folding joint described is applicable not only to the handle bars of bicycles
and other velocipedes but to other purposes where it is required that a bar or
handle ordinarily fixed in a determined rigid position, shall be capable of being
quickly and easily turned down out of the way when not in use, as for instance for
the handle of a mowing machine, or of a truck, or for the leg of a table, and many
other purposes.
In a modified method of turning out of the way the handle bar of a bicycle or
other velocipede, we hinge the bar at its centre to a horizontal joint at the upper
end of the head of the fork, so that it can be turned either into the usual
transverse horizontal position when being used, or into a position vertical or nearly
so, when not in use. A pin or catch is provided by which the handle bar can be
safely and firmly fixed when in its transverse horizontal position.
We are aware that the handle bars of bicycles and other velocipedes have been
made to fold for the purpose of economizing space when not in use; but by our
invention, such folding is very simply, quickly, and easily, accomplished, the
appearance of the handle bar is not injured, and the brake is automatically con-
nected and disconnected without trouble and without the possibility of becoming
disconnected accidentally.
Dated this 30th day of April 1891.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Handle Bars of Velocipedes,
also applicable to other purposes.
We, WALTER PARKES, Engineer, of 75, Oxford Street, Reading, in the County
of Berks, and JAMES DIXON, Engineer, of 21, York Place, Leeds, in the County
of York, 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 and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
This invention relates more especially to the handle bars by which the steering
of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes is effected, and it has for its object, a
novel method of construction by which such handle bars when not in use can be
folded into a small compass.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of the invention, Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, illustrate the invention applied to the handle bar
of a bicycle or other velocipede, Figure 1 being a plan shewing the handle bar
open, Figure 2 the same closed, Figures 3 and 4 side and front views respectively
shewing the connection with the brake spindle, Figure 5 being a vertical section
through a handle bar, Figure 6 a similar horizontal section, Figure 7 a view from
below shewing the guides, and Figure 8 a view from above shewing the handles
closed. Figures 10 and 11 are respectively sections through a handle bar and
through the improved joint and guide, and Figure 9 is a front view of a modification
in which fixed collars are shewn upon the ends of the tube. Figures 12 and 13 are
respectively views of the improved joint closed and opened, and applied to the
handle of a mowing machine, or a similar purpose.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures.
Supposing that the invention is to be applied to a bicycle, a, a, are the handle
bars and is a T-piece attached to the head of the fork of the velocipede and having
the transverse tubular piece c to which the handle bar is attached, the latter being
bent more or less backward and downward in the usual way as shewn in Figures 1
and 2 and 3. The two parts of the handle bar are hinged to the transverse
tubular T-piece c in the following way. Into or upon the inner end of the bar we
fix or form a projecting stud or pin d, which when the handle is extended for use
fits into the end of the tube c, the pin or stud being of sufficient length to hold the
handle bar firmly in its place. In the outer end of the pin d we make a horizontal
joint e upon which is jointed and turns the end of a cylindrical piece f which also
fits freely into the tube c, so that when the piece and the pin d are opened out
into line with each other and inserted into the tube e as shewn in Figures 1, 5, 6,
and 7, the tube c forms together with the handle bar a, a sufficiently rigid
continuous bar, by which steering can be effected in the usual way.
In order to hold the parts together in the position described, one end of a helical
spring 9 is attached to the end of the cylindrical piece f, the other end of the
spring 9 being similarly attached to the other cylindrical piece f which is jointed
as described above, to the pin d upon the other handle bar a.
When it is desired to fold back the handles (when not in use) the bars a, a, are
drawn out endways, extending the spring 9 sufficiently to expose the joints e, e, and
allow the handle bars a, a, to be turned back at right angles or nearly so, as shewn
in Figures 2 and 8. When the handle bars a, a, are again extended, the elasticity
of the spring 9 draws the cylindrical pieces f, f, the joints e, e, and the pins or
studs d, d, upon the handle bars a, a, into the tubular T-piece c, and no joint or
projection of any kind is in this arrangement visible.
Instead of the arrangement described, a separate spring 9 may be used for each
part a of the handle bar, the inner end of the spring y being held by a cross pin or
other fastening (as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13).
A guide is made in each end of the tubular T-piece c, to prevent the handle
bars a, a,
from turning round in the latter, such guide consisting of a longitudinal
slot i at each end of the tube c; (Figures 5, 7, 10, and 11, Figure 10 being a cross
section of the tube c, and Figure 11 a similar section through the tube c and the
joint e) a projection or stud k upon the lower side of the cylindrical pieces, f
fitting and sliding in the slots i, and limiting the movement of the pieces f, f, so that
they cannot be drawn completely out of the tube c.
In order to strengthen the slotted ends of the tube c, they may be provided with
fixed collars 1, 1, Figure 9, and these collars may project beyond the ends of the
tube c as shewn, so that the ends of the handle bars a, enter them for a short
distance, when extended.
In order that the brake lever m upon one of the handle bars a of a bicycle
(Figures 1, 3, and 4) may be automatically connected with the upper end of the
vertical brake spindle k carried by the fork of the velocipede when the handle bar
is opened out, and disconnected when it is closed, the upper end of the brake

page_text: spindle n is formed with a hole or eye into which a stud o at the inner end of the
brake lever m enters sufficiently far to connect them securely.
When the handle bar is drawn out for the purpose of folding it as described, the
studo is withdrawn from the eye in the brake spindle n and disconnected so that
the handle bar can be folded back, and when the bar is again unfolded and
straightened for use the stud o comes to the proper position opposite to the eye,
into which it enters automatically when the spring y draws the handle bar into its
proper position as above described.
The eye may be kept in its place by a nut or pin at the end of the stud o.
The folding joint described is applicable not only to the handle bars of bicycles
and other velocipedes, but to other purposes where it is required that a bar or
handle ordinarily fixed in a determined rigid position, shall be capable of being
quickly and easily turned back out of the way when not in use, as for instance for
the handle of a mowing machine, or of a truck, or for the leg of a table, or for
many other purposes.
Such an application is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 in which a, a', are the
two parts of a tubular bar, one of which a is provided with a projecting stud or
pin d, jointed at e to a moveable piece f which slides in the other part a.
The
spring g is attached at one end to the moveable piece f, and at the other end to a
transverse pin p in the tubular bar a, so that the two parts can either be firmly
held in an extended position as shewn in Figure 13, or drawn out and folded back
at right angles as shewn in Figure 12.
In a modified method of turning out of the way the handle bar of a bicycle or
other velocipede, we hinge the bar at its centre to a horizontal joint at the upper
end of the head of the fork, so that it can be turned either into the usual transverse
horizontal position when being used, or into a position vertical or nearly so, when
not in use.
A pin or catch is provided by which the handle bar can be safely and
firmly fixed when in its transverse horizontal position.
This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, shewing the handle bar in
position for use, and turned up when not in use, respectively.
a is the handle bar, the ends of which carrying the handles are shewn broken off.
b is the head of the fork, and r is a joint near its upper end upon which a corre-
sponding joint upon the handle bar a turns.
s is a pin fitting in holes in the fork and handle bar, by which the latter is
retained in its proper position when in use as shewn in Figure 14.
We are aware that the handle bars of bicycles and other velocipedes have been
made to fold for the purpose of economizing space when not in use but by our
invention such folding is very simply, quickly, and easily, accomplished the appear-
ance of the handle bar is not injured, and the brake is automatically connected and
disconnected without trouble and without the possibility of becoming disconnected
accidentally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved folding joint for the handle bars of bicycles and other
velocipedes and other purposes, consisting of the stud or pin d, joint e, cylindrical
sliding piece f, spring g, and guide i, k, all fitting in the tube c, substantially, as
described and shewn.
2. The method of hinging the handle bar of a velocipede to a horizontal joint
at the upper end of the head of the fork, so that it can be turned into either a
vertical or horizontal position, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of Fahmany 1900
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicants.