Improvements in or connected with Adjustable Handle Bars for Velocipedes and like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Adjustable Handle Bars for
Velocipedes and like Vehicles.
We, JOHN MONEY, of 30, Shakespeare Road, Herne Hill, and WILLIAM CLARK,
of 50, Parfitt Road, Bermondsey, both in the County of London, Mechanical
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to handle bars for velocipedes and like vehicles, which
are adjustable, in that the laterally extending parts of the bar on opposite sides
of the supporting pillar are divided about centrally and rendered capable of being
placed at any required elevation or folded entirely together, whereby the said
handle bar may be placed to suit the convenience of the rider, or the said handle
bar may be folded together and the space occupied by the machine thereby
economized.
The object of our invention is to provide improved and simple means by which
the parts composing such a handle-bar are adjustably connected to the head of
the handle stem or pillar, and whereby they may be readily loosened for adjust-
ment and speedily and securely fixed in the required position, while the handle
bar so constructed can be cheaply manufactured.
According to our invention we provide the head of the handle-bar pillar or stem
with two cylindrical (generally tubular) projecting parts or studs, which latter
may be carried from a cross-head on the said handle-bar stem.
Each part of the handle bar at its inner end, is provided with a rearwardly
extending tubular socket, adapted to fit onto the cylindrical studs aforesaid, so
that when so placed the two separate parts of the handle-bar can be turned
radially about the studs into any required position.
Around the sockets on the handle bar we provide a clamp piece composed
of two tubular parts to embrace the socket pieces of the handle bar, and these
tubular parts are centrally connected together by a boss, and both the tube parts
and the boss are divided, a clamping screw extending through between the divided
parts.
Upon the parts being placed together, and the handle bar parts being placed
into the required positions the clamping screw is tightened, the divided tubular
parts of the clamp contracted, and the handle-bar parts are thereby rigidly and
immovably held in the required position, and can be re-adjusted by merely
loosening the clamping screw.
In some cases we may longitudinally divide the tubular sockets on the handle
bar parts.
In order to cause the handle bar parts to automatically assume symmetrical
positions, and when such is considered desirable or is required, we fix or form
upon each of the tubular sockets of the handle bar parts, toothed sectors. which
engage together, so that when one of the handle bar parts is turned radially upon

page_text: its stud, the other handle bar part will mechanically assume a similar angle and
position.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or connected with Adjustable Handle Bars for
Velocipedes and like Vehicles.
We, JOIN MONEY, of 30, Shakespeare Road, Herne Hill, and WILLIAM CLARK,
of 50, Parfitt Road, Bermondsey, both in the County of London, Mechanical
Engineers, 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:-
-
This invention refers to handle bars for velocipedes and like vehicles, which
are adjustable, in that the laterally extending parts of the bar on opposite sides
of the supporting pillar are divided about centrally and rendered capable of being
placed at any required elevation or folded entirely together, whereby the said
handle bar may be placed to suit the convenience of the rider, or the said handle
bar may be folded together and the space occupied by the machine thereby
economised.
The object of our invention is to provide an improved and simple construction
by which the parts composing such a handle-bar can be adjustably connected to
the head of the handle stem or pillar, and whereby they may be readily loosened
for adjustment and speedily and securely fixed in the required positions, while
the handle bar so constructed may be cheaply manufactured.
In order that our invention may be readily understood we will describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon Fig. 1 is a
plan view
of a handle bar constructed according to our said invention, Fig. 2 is a front
elevation of same, Fig. 3 is a fron elevation of a fixing or clamping device here-
after described and here shewn detached. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section
taken on the line X Y of Fig. 1 and drawn to a larger scale than that figure.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the central portion of a handle bar similar to that
shewn in the previous figures, but illustrating an example where the movable
parts of the handle bar are connected by toothed sectors to cause each part to
mechanically assume annular angles with respect to the handle bar stem.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts on the several figures of the
drawings.
According to our invention, we provide the upper end of the handle-bar pillar
or stem A, Figs. 2 and 4, with two fixed cylindrical projecting parts or studs A¹ A¹,
which latter we generally make tubular from considerations of weight. These
studs A¹ A¹ are fixed to and carried by a cross-head A2, Figs. 1 and 4, upon the
handle bar stem A, the studs being at a short distance apart and extending at
about right angles with the axis of the stem A; one of the studs A' is clearly
shewn at Fig. 4.
The handle bar we form in two parts B B¹ each part on its inner end being
provided with a rearwardly extending tubular socket B2 B32 at about right angles
therewith each of such sockets B2 B2 being adapted to fit onto one of the

page_text: cylindrical studs A' A' aforesaid, and when so placed the two separate parts B B
of the handle bar can be turned radially about the studs A' A' into any required
position, two positions of the bars being shewn at Fig. 2, one by the full lines
and another by the dotted lines, but it should be understood that the bars B B
can be turned into any intermediate positions required, adjusted in height to the
fraction of an inch and there securely fixed by the means we will now describe.
Around the sockets B2 B2 on the handle bar we provide a clamp piece C shewn
in plan at Fig. 1 and detached at Fig. 3. This clamp piece C has two cylindrical
parts CC (Fig. 3) to externally embrace the socket pieces B B² of the handle
bar parts B B, these tubular parts being connected by a bridge part C2; the
part and the adjacent walls of the tubular parts C Care horizontally divided,
and a bolt D passes freely through the upper section of the part C and is tapped
into the lower section of the same part.
Upon the parts being placed together as shewn, and the handle bar parts being
placed into the required angular positions, the clamping bolt D is tightened,
and the divided tubular parts of the clamp C contracted, the handle bar parts B Bi
being thereby rigidly and immovably held in the required positions. The parts B B¹
can be re-adjusted by merely loosening the clamping bolt D.
The sockets B2 B2 are retained upon the studs A₁ A¹ against end movement,
by securing a washer E as shewn upon the end of each of the studs. One of the
washers E has been removed in the drawing at Fig. 2.
In some cases we may longitudinally slit or divide the tubular sockets B² B³
at these parts which are within the tubular parts of the clamp C, although we
do not generally find this to be absolutely necessary.
In order to cause the handle-bar parts B B¹ to automatically assume symmetri-
cal angular positions, when such is desirable or is required, we fix or form upon
each of the tubular sockets B2 B2 of the handle bar parts B B a toothed sector F,
as shewn at Fig. 5; the teeth of these sectors F F engage together so that when
one of the handle-bar parts, say that marked B, is turned radially upon its stud,
the other handle-bar part B will mechanically assume a similar angle and
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. In adjustable handle-bars for velocipedes aud like vehicles, providing two fixe:]
cylindrical studs upon the upper part of the handle bar stem, projecting at about
right angles thereto, a handle-bar divided into two parts transversely, a projecting
tubular socket on the inner end of each handle-bar part at about right angles
thereto, each socket to respectively take over one of the fixed studs aforesaid and
be capable of being adjusted radially thereon, in combination with a clamp
device to take over both of the projecting ends of the sockets of the handle-bar
parts, the clamp device being divided horizontally between the sockets, and a bolt
to draw the divided part of the clamp together, and thereby grip and hold the
handle-bar parts in any required angular position, substantially as set forth.
2. An adjustable handle-bar for velocipedes and like vehicles, divided trans-
versely into two parts, having a projecting tubular socket on the inner end of each
part, to respectively take over two fixed studs projecting at about right angles
from the upper part of the handle bar pillar or stem, the handle bar parts being
capable of radial movement about the studs, and a clamp device externally
embracing the projecting sockets of the handle bar parts divided between the
sockets, and capable of being contracted thereon by a bolt to fix the handle-bar
parts in any desired position, in combination with a toothed sector on the adjacent
sides of each socket of the handle-bar parts, the teeth of the sectors engaging
to mechanically ensure similar angular positions of the handle-bar parts, sub-
stantially as described.

page_text: 3. The construction and arrangement of parts composing our improved adjust-
able handle bar all combined and acting, as and for the purposes described and
illustrated with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds,
Agents for the Applicants.