Improvements in Handle-bars for Cycles and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Handle-bars for Cycles and like Vehicles.
I, JOHN THOMAS BOWER, of 60, Brockley Road, Brockley, in the County of
Surrey, Enginer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the handle bars of cycles and perambulators, and con-
sists of means whereby the handle may be turned in its socket, so as to adjust the
handles to suit any person riding the cycle.
It should be understood that this invention constitutes an improvement upon my
British Patent No. 19,755, dated September 7th, 1896, and that I sometimes use
the present invention in combination with the means therein described for rotating
the handle bar in a horizontal plane, so as to enable the machine to be passed
through doorways or the like with facility.
To carry out my present invention as applied to the handle bar of a cycle, I form
integrally with the upper end of the steering pillar, or rigidly attached thereto,
the lower half of a circular clip, adapted to receive and partly enclose the handle
bar. To one side of the lower half of this clip is hinged an upper and corres-
ponding half, the whole, when closed, being adapted to receive and enclose the
handle bar. The upper or hinged half of the clip is brought over and secured to
the fixed half, by means of one or more set screws or the like. The screw will
tighten the hinged half of the clip upon the fixed half and the handle bar will thus
be firmly secured in position, emery cloth being used if necessary to secure an
efficient grip.
The semi-circular recesses in the two halves of the clip should be so made, that
they form together, a slightly smaller ring than that formed by the section of the
handle bar. This will allow the clip to be properly tightened.
All that is necessary, therefore, when the handles require to be raised or lowered,
is to slightly loosen the set screw or screws in the clip, adjust the handles, and again
tighten the screw or screws.
The present invention may be used alone, and without that of my prior Patent
hereinbefore mentioned.
Improvements in Handle-bars for Cycles and like Vehicles.
I, JOHN THOMAS BOWER, of 60, Brockley Road, Brockley, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
[Price 8d.1
•

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the handle bars of cycles and perambulators, and con-
sists of means whereby the handle bar may be turned in its socket, so as to adjust
the handles to suit any person riding the cycle.
To carry out my present invention as applied to the handle bar of a cycle, I form
integrally with the upper end of the steering pillar, or rigidly attached thereto, the
lower half of a circular clip adapted to receive and partly enclose the handle bar.
To one side of the lower half of this clip is hinged an upper and corresponding
half, the whole when closed being adapted to receive and enclose the handle bar.
The upper or
hinged half of the clip is brought over, and secured to the fixed half
by means of one or more set screws or the like. The screw will tighten the hinged
half of the clip upon the fixed half and the handle bar will thus be firmly secured
in position. The semi-circular recesses in the two halves of the clip should be so
made that they form together a slightly smaller ring than that formed by the
section of the handle bar. This will allow the clip to be properly tightened.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I append drawings in
which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation,
Fig. 2 an end elevation, and
Fig. 3 a plan of a clip and part of a handle bar according to my invention.
A indicates the handle bar, and C the vertical steering pillar to the lower end of
which is rigidly fixed the front wheel fork. Formed integrally with the upper
end of the steering pillar C or rigidly attached thereto is the lower half B of a clip,
which has in its upper upper side a semi-circular recess formed. This recess fits
one half of the middle part of the handle bar A. A corresponding upper half B' is
hinged to B at the point and at the other side has a lug 62 which meets with a
corresponding lug 63 formed integrally with the lower half B of the clip. The
upper half B¹ can be tightened down firmly upon the lower half B by means of
one or more screws, which pass through holes in B₁ and screw into a hole or holes
tapped into the lug b².
By adopting this method of attaching the handle bar it is necessary simply to
loosen the screw or screws D to enable the handle bar to be turned in the semi-
circular clips B, B₁ to suit the reach of any rider.
If necessary the semi-circular recesses of the clips, or that part of the handle bar
which engages therewith, can be lined or covered with emery cloth or other material,
such as rubber, which secures greater friction between the two surfaces, and there-
fore more securely locks them together.
It should be understood that this invention constitutes an improvement upon
my British Patent No. 19,755 dated September 7th, 1896, and that I sometimes
use the present invention in combination with the means therein described, for
rotating the handle bar in a horizontal plane so as to enable the machine to be
passed through doorways or the like with facility.
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. The improved method of attaching handle bars adjustably to the steering
pillars of cycles, and like vehicles, substantially as described and shewn with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. A handle bar for cycles and like vehicles which turns in a socket, the upper
half of which is hinged to the lower, and in which the two are clipped together by
one or more screws in such manner as to tightly grip the handle bar, substantially
as described and shewn.
3. A handle bar for cycles and like vehicles which turns in a socket, the upper
half of which is hinged to the lower, emery cloth or other gripping material being

page_text: inserted between the two; and in which the two are clipped together by one or
more screws in such manner as to tightly grip the handle bar, substantially as
described and shewn.
4. For use in cycles and like vehicles the combination of the handle bar A, the
clips B, and B, the latter being attached rigidly to the steering pillar C, the
hinge b, the lugs 62, and 3, and the screw or screws D, substantially as described
and shewn.
Dated this 24th day of December 1897.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.