Improvements in Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
I, EDMUND WRIGHT of 61 Lower Ford Street Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to bicycles and similar vehicles and has for its object the
provision of making the handle-bars of such vehicles adjustable at various angles
with their stems and steering posts.
For this purpose I construct the handle-bar-stem with an interiorly tapered.
terminal sleeve at its upper end, through which passes the handle-bar, which is slightly
enlarged, by an outer bush or otherwise, at its central portion, such enlargement.
being tapered to correspond with the interiorly tapered sleeve above mentioned.
Ou the edge nearest the smaller portion of its taper the said sleeve is provided.
with inwardly or outwardly inclined serrations or indentations and the handle-bar
has a recess in which is placed a wedge provided with one or more teeth constructed
to engage with the serrations or indentations on the said sleeve. The said wedge
is adapted to be actuated by means of a screw, transversely between the handle-bar
and sleeve, exerting pressure simultaneously in opposite directions upon the side of
said recess, and upon said serrations. On tightening the screw, the wedge is.
forcibly pressed against the sleeve and handle-bar, retaining the latter at the desired
angle, while on releasing the screw the wedge may easily be moved thus relieving
the pressure and causing disengagement between the tooth or teeth of the latter
and the serrations on the edge of the sleeve, and the angle of the handle-bar (the
latter being now free to rotate) may be altered for re-adjustment in the manner
before described.
Where a brake-lever is attached to the handle-bar it is necessary for the free
rotation of the latter that the collar or device holding the said lever be made
movable by one of its binding screws, and the lever itself made in two parts coupled
together.
December 1906
1, EDMUND WRIGHT of 6, Station Avenue, Hagley Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, (late of 61, Lower Ford Street
Coventry) 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 bicycles and similar vehicles, and has for its object the
provision of making the bandle-bars of such vehicles, in connection with their

page_text: stems and steering posts adjustable to any desired position. It is constructed as
follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a side view of the handle-bar a. which is made to revolve freely in the
terminal sleeve of the stem. b. The stem b. is attached to the steering post c.
(which generally, has longitudinal slots for this purpose) by the clamp d. and holt e.
or by any of the other methods in common use for this purpose, but is free to
revolve in the steering post c. when not so attached. The devices I employ for
interlocking and releasing the handle-bar a. and the stem b. are fully shown in the
following figures, as will be seen in section Figs. 2.4. I make the handle bar a.
taper at its central part, and the terminal. sleeve.of.the.stem.b. to correspond.
Thus I dispense with collars on the handle-bar and all looseness from wear is
eliminated.
The terminal sleeve of the stem b. is provided on its deeper face: with inclined
serrations as at f. Figs. 2. 5 or indentations as at y. Figs. 3. 4. 6. although these
may vary in form. One method of interlocking and releasing the handle bar a.
and stem b. is shown in Fig. 2. in which the bar a is provided with an inwardly
inclined opening or recess h. in which is placed the serrated wedge or actuated by
the headed screw n. On tightening the screw n,the: wedge o.. is3 forcibly drawn
down, pressing the stemib. on to the barra. while the inclined serrations f are
tightly interlocked with those of then wedgero. preventing any possibility of
movement between the two. To release the-handle-bar.a. for a different adjustment
it is only necessary to slacken the screwn and by pressure on its head, push the
wedge o: outward, untila itas serrations are clear of those on the terminal sleeve
at f (as shown by the dotted lines Fig 2). The handle bar a. may then be turned i
in any direction; and again tightened by drawing down the wedge o. as before
described. Another method of interlocking and releasing the handle bar: a. and
stem b.is shown in Figs. 3. 4; 6. In this case the handle barra. is perforated to
receive the cylinder with itswedge shaped projection j. the screwm. being of
somewhat larger diameter in order: to let the cylinder j. pass partially into the
screw-hole as hereinafter:described. Alcavity is also made in the handle bar: a.
(shown in Fig. 4), to admit of cits wedge-shaped projection..
The handle bar a. is shown in Figs. 4. 6. as being interlocked with the stem b.
the screw-m. having been tightened and forced the cylinder y. with its wedge-shaped:
projection upwards into one of the inclined indentations g. To release the handle
bar a. and stem b. it is necessary to slacken the screw m. and force the cylinder j
below the indentations g. as shown in Fig. 35 when the handle barra. will be free to
revolve, but may again be interlocked with the stem b: in any desired-position by
reversing the operation as before described. In this method of fastening, I do not
confine myself to the cylindrical shape 7. as a rectangular shape would answer
equally well, it merely acting as a guide for its projecting wedge. It is. not
necessary that the whole face of the terminal sleeve of the stem b. be serrated or
indented, but'a sufficient portion as shown in Figs. 1. 3. A few of the positions
the handle bar a. may be made to assume, are shown by the dotted lines Fig. 1.
It may be moved upwards or its position at 1. may be altered to 2. while if turned
completely over to 3. and. the stem.b. be partially rotated it will assume the position
shown at 4. These handle bars may be made tubular with solid centres as shown
at Fig. 4. or the centres may be strengthened as shown at Fig. 2. Where a brake
is employed on the vehicle the brake lever may be made to conform to the position
of the handle bar, by temporarily, loosening the collar to which the said lever is
attached; and lengthening or shortening the peudant. rod between the said lever
and brake:
7
Having now particularly described.and.ascertained the nature of my said.inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1. declare that, what I
claim is
:
1. In a bicycle or similar vehicle, the combination of a stem, having a terminal
hollow sleeve interiorly tapering in form, a handle bar provided with a portion

page_text: exteriorly corresponding in form with the interior of said sleeve, a wedge arranged.
to be actuated transversely between handle bar and end of said sleeve and to exert
pressure upon said handle bar and sleeve simultaneously and oppositely in the
direction of their lengths, said handle bar having an opening or recess adapted.
to guide said wedge and devices for operating said wedge substantially as
described.
2. In a bicycle or similar vehicle the combination of a stem having a terminal
sleeve, said sleeve having a tapering interior, and an end or edge provided with a.
succession of serrations or indentations, a handle bar having a tapering portion and
an opening or recess, a wedge provided with one or more teeth constructed to
engage said serrations or indentations, said wedge adapted to be actuated
transversely between handle bar and sleeve, exerting pressure simultaneously in
opposite directions upon the end of said opening or recess and upon said serrations.
or indentations and devices for operating said wedge substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of April 1897.
EDMUND WRIGHT.