Improvements in Adjustable Handle-bars for Cycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Handle-bars for Cycles.
We, JOHN WILLIAM PATTINSON, of 51, Bridge Street, WALTER HEWITT, of
Heapham Road, and GEORGE CHARLES WILSON, of 4, Lewis Street, all in Gains-
borough, in the County of Lincolnshire, Cycle Manufacturer, Watchmaker and
Cycle Fitter respectively, 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 an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles, tricycles, and
other manual, or mechanically propelled velocipedes, the ends of which are
adapted to be easily and quickly raised and lowered to any angle between the
highest and lowest position, for the purpose of accomodating change of posture
of the rider, for convenience in pacing, or mounting steep gradients, or sitting
erect for quiet pleasure, the objects of our said invention being, that both ends
of the said handle-bar may be always firm and rigid in whatever position placed,
and that the same may be easily transferred from one position to another without
the rider leaving the machine.
In order that our said invention and the manner of operating the same, and
the particulars of an alternative method of construction, may be fully understood,
we have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, of which,
Fig. 1 is a front or back elevation of the steering head of a cycle according to
our invention, the handle-bars of which are shortened or partly broken away for
convenience of space in the drawings.
Fig. 2 is a like view with the front (as relates to Fig. 1) and removable plate
taken away.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view, while Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line A B of Fig. 1, while Fig. 6 illustrates
an alternative method of construction hereinafter explained.
In carrying our invention into effect we cast or otherwise produce the steering
head A of a cycle of any suitable metal or combination of metals or alloy, which
may vary in shape and configuration according to the type of machine to which
it may be fitted or applied, but for cycles generally, we prefer to adopt that
shewn, the said head being in the form of a hollow chamber, having two vertical
faces B and B¹, hereinafter referred to as the back-plate and front-plate respec-
tively, the former of which is formed integrally with a boss C, from which
diverges a rim D, which forms the top, sides, and bottom of the said chamber,
and upon or within the said rim, projections a a¹ and 6 are formed, in which are
provided internally threaded holes c and d respectively, for the reception of
screws e, for securing in position the detachable front plate B as at Fig. 1, and
to preserve the rigidity of B1 we provide upon this a lip B2, which when B' is
so fixed engages with a recess B3 in D (Fig. 2). The lower portion of B and
the rim D have connected thereto, or are extended to form a short tube E, to
which is brazed or otherwise fixed a tube F, adapted to be connected to the
steering rod of the machine in the usual way.

page_text: The handle (according to our invention) is formed in two parts G and G¹,
which may be of tubing in the usual way, but for the purposes of our invention
we compress the inner end of these so as to form, or braze or otherwise connect
the said inner ends, to solid portions G2 and G³ respectively, and the said por-
tions G2 and G³ we pass inwardly into the chamber A through apertures f and fl
formed in the sides of D, the said portions G3 G3 having formed in their inner
ends, slots H and H' respectively, which engage with studs g and g¹ formed upon
opposite sides of a collar J, having a central internally threaded passage through
which extends a threaded shaft K, passing upwardly therefrom through the
boss C, and has connected and fixed upon its upper end a head provided with
a milled-edged disc L, the lower end of the shaft K passing idly through a hole
in the frame D, into and through the tube E, and is retained in connection with,
but capable of revolving freely in a plate M, fixed by the means of a screw N,
the said plate M being in fixed connection with the tube F.
The inner ends G2 and G³ of the handle bars G and G¹ are fulcrummed upon
screw bolts P and P¹ respectively, which are first passed through holes in the
back plate B, and eventually through holes in the front plate B¹, and
receive nuts R R¹, which serve the double purpose of retaining the said bolts in
position, and further securing the stability of the front plate B¹. The manner
of operation is as follows.
Assuming that the shaft K has a right handed thread formed thereon, by
rotating the said shaft in a right handed direction, by means of the milled edged
disc L, the collar J would be thereby caused to rise and travel up the said shaft,
the studs g and q¹ upon which would cause a corresponding rise to be imparted
to the inner ends G³ G³ of the handle-bars G and G', while the reverse movement
of L and K would impart an opposite movement to the said handle-bars, and by
this means the outer ends of the said handle-bars may be lowered and raised until
at the angles shewn by broken lines in Fig. 1 or the dotted outlines of G and G¹
in Fig. 2 or approximately so, the holes f and f' in the rim D being of such
length as to permit this extent of movement, or a greater if desired, by the mere
alteration of the position of the bolts P and P¹, and may be the extension of the
length of the slots g and g¹ in G2 and G³, but in most cases the extent of move-
ment provided and shewn will be ample for the purposes of any rider, and by
reason of the points of contact between the studs gg and the slots H and H
being always the same, whatever may be the position of the bars G and G¹, the
rigidity of the latter is always constant regardless of the angle they may be
placed in, and the simple rotation of the disc L (by either hand of the rider)
being all that is needed to effect the said movements of the handle-bars, the rider
would always find it convenient to operate this without leaving or stopping the
machine.
In order to reduce the surface of frictional contact between the ends G2 and G³
of the handle-bars and the plates B and B¹ as much as possible without reducing
the strength of the whole, we prefer to provide a plane surface upon the track
plate B, whereat contact is made with the arm Ga, while a boss S; and ridge S¹
formed upon B, forms the point of contact between B and the arm G³, and in
precisely the same manner, a plane surface formed upon the front plate B₁ pro-
vides a contact surface for the opposite side of the arm G³, while a boss T and
ridge Tupon B₁ forms a contact surface for the opposite side of the arm G³.
as shewn by the sectional view Fig. 5.
As an alternative arrangement we may find it convenient to dispense with the
collar J upon the threaded shaft K, and the slots Hand H¹ on the ends G'
and G3, for engaging with the studs ggl thereon, and in lieu of these we may
arrange the extremities of the ends G2 and G³ in the form of a sector of a circle,
having upon their peripheries worm-teeth adapted to gear with a square thread
'formed upon the shaft K as at Fio. 6, the rotation of K by the same means
serving to raise and lower the handle-bars G and G¹ in precisely the same manner
as that described.

page_text: It is obvious that the foregoing arrangements although described in connec-
tion with the rod of the steering wheel of a cycle, that the same may be em-
ployed in connection with the handle-bars of the second and following rider or
riders of a tandem cycle, if desired, without departing from the principle in-
volved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
(1) In an improved adjustable handle-bar for bicycles, tricycles, and other
manually or mechanically propelled velocipedes, the herein described method of
forming the said handle-bars in two parts, fulcrummed within a hollow chamber
adapted to form the head of the steering rod, both the said parts being con-
nected to a threaded shaft within the said head, and adapted to be rotated by
a milled disc at the top of same, such rotation of the said shaft serving to place
the said handle bars at any angle within qertain limits, and retain the same
rigid in any position, substantially as herein set forth and shewn.
(2) In an improved adjustable handle-bar for velocipedes, the combination of
a hollow head such as A, B and D), having a detachable enclosing plate such
as B1, the said head having a boss C, carrying a milled edged disc such as L. fixed
upon the upper end of a threaded shaft K, passing down through the said head
and carrying a collar J, having studs and g engaging with slots H and H
in the inner ends G2 and G3 of a divided handle-bar G and G¹, fulcrummed upon
bolts P and P¹, passing through B and B when the latter is fixed in position
by screws e, substantially as herein described and shewn by Fig. 1 to 5 inclusive
of the accompanying drawings.
(3) In an improved adjustable handle-bar for velocipedes as set forth in the
preceding claims, the combination of a hollow head such as A, B and D, having
a detachable enclosing plate such as B¹, the said head having a boss C, carrying
a milled-edged disc L, connected to a vertical square-threaded shaft K, passing
down through the said head, and gearing with worm teeth k upon the ends G³, G³,
of the handle-bars G and G¹, fulcrummed upon bolts P and P¹, passing
through B and B₁, when the latter is fixed in position by screws e, substantially
as herein described and shewn by the drawings more particularly by Fig. 6.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1900
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.