Adjustable handlebar system
First Claim
1. An adjustable handlebar system comprising handlebar means to provide handle grips for a vehicle and being adapted for movement with respect to the vehicle, and at least a pair of unidirectional clutch means, each clutch means being engaged with said handlebar means and each clutch means being connected to a part of the vehicle, the clutch means and handlebar means being interconnected to prevent movement in two opposite directions and to hold the handlebar means immovable in the absence of operation of the clutches, one clutch means being operable to permit infinitely variable movement of the handlebar means in one direction and the other clutch means being operable to permit infinitely variable movement of the handlebar means in the other direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adjustable handlebar system includes handlebar means to provide handle grips for a vehicle that are adapted for movement with respect to the vehicle. At least a pair of unidirectional clutch means control movement of the handlebar means. Each clutch means is engaged with the handlebar means and is connected to a part of the vehicle. The handlebar means and clutch means are interconnected to prevent movement in two opposite directions and to hold the handle grips immovable in the absence of operation of the clutches. One clutch means is operated to permit infinitely variable movement of the handle grips in one direction and the other clutch means is operated to permit infinitely variable movement of the handlebar means in the other direction.
30 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. An adjustable handlebar system comprising handlebar means to provide handle grips for a vehicle and being adapted for movement with respect to the vehicle, and at least a pair of unidirectional clutch means, each clutch means being engaged with said handlebar means and each clutch means being connected to a part of the vehicle, the clutch means and handlebar means being interconnected to prevent movement in two opposite directions and to hold the handlebar means immovable in the absence of operation of the clutches, one clutch means being operable to permit infinitely variable movement of the handlebar means in one direction and the other clutch means being operable to permit infinitely variable movement of the handlebar means in the other direction.
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3. An adjustable handlebar system comprising
a pair of handlebars adapted for gripping at their one ends and connected together at their other ends by a pair of elements having engaged gear portions to which the handlebars are fastened, said elements each being fixed to one of a pair of gear shafts that are rotatably carried by a bracket adapted to be fastened to a vehicle, first unidirectional clutch means on one of said gear shafts to permit rotation of the shaft in one direction but to prevent rotation of the shaft in the other direction and second unidirectional clutch means on the other of said gear shafts to permit rotation of the shaft in said one direction but to prevent rotation of the shaft in the other direction, the engagement of the gears preventing movement of the handlebars without operation of either of the first or second unidirectional clutch means, the operation of said first unidirectional clutch means and the engagement of said gears permitting simultaneous adjustment of the pair of handlebars in one direction and the operation of the second undirectional clutch means and the engagement of the gears permitting adjustment of the handlebars in the other direction.
- 12. In an adjustable handlebar for a bicycle including a handlebar comprising left- and right-hand grip portions and means for mounting the handlebar for adjustable movement of the grip portions upwardly and downwardly relative to the bicycle, the improvement comprising means for controlling the positional movement of said grip portions including unidirectional clutch means interconnecting the handlebar and the means for mounting the handlebar to hold said grip portions in selected positions, and means for releasing said clutch means to permit infinitely variable adjustment of the position of the grip portion relative to the bicycle.
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15. An adjustable handlebar system comprising
a pair of handlebars connected together by a pair of engaged gear surfaces to which the pair of handlebars are fastened, each of said gear surfaces being fixed to gear shafts that are rotatably carried by a bracket adapted for fastening on a vehicle, one unidirectional clutch means being engaged with one gear shaft to permit rotation of the gear shaft in one direction but to prevent rotation of the gear shaft in the other direction and a second unidirectional clutch means being engaged with the other gear shaft to permit rotation of the other gear shaft in said one direction but to prevent rotation of the gear shaft in the other direction, the engagement of the gears preventing movement of the handle grips without operation of either unidirectional clutch means, the operation of said one clutch means and the engagement of the gears permitting simultaneous adjustment of the pair of handlebars in one direction and the operation of the second clutch means and the engagement of the gears permitting simultaneous adjustment of the handlebars in the other direction.
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16. An adjustable handlebar system comprising
a pair of handlebars interconnected through a pair of spur gears, said pair of spur gears being carried on a pair of shafts with parallel central axes that extend through a bracket for a velocipede with the peripheral teeth of said gears being engaged, a pair of unidirectional clutch means, each clutch means being carried about the central axis of one of said shafts with one clutch means interconnecting a part of the bracket and one shaft and the other clutch means interconnecting a part of the bracket and the other shaft, operating tabs for the clutch means, said clutch means and the engagement of the gears preventing movement of the shafts and the handlebars in the absence of operation of the operating tabs, said system including a pair of tab operators, each tab operator being slidably carried adjacent the central axis of one of the shafts and having a portion extending into engagement with the operating tab for the clutch means carried about that shaft so that movement of one tab operator will operate the tab of one clutch and permit simultaneous adjustment of the handlebars in one direction and movement of the other tab operator will operate the other clutch and permit simultaneous adjustment of the handlebars in the other direction.
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17. An adjustable handlebar system comprising
a pair of first and second handlebars, each handlebar being fastened to one of a pair of first and second handlebar shafts, a bracket including first and second walls forming a U-shaped portion to carry said first and second handlebar shafts with said first and second handlebar shafts extending through said first and second walls, and a first and second pair of unidirectional clutch means, said first pair of unidirectional clutch means being carried about the axis of the first handlebar shaft with one of said first pair of clutch means interconnecting said first wall of the bracket and said first handlebar shaft to prevent movement of the first shaft and first handlebar in one direction, and the other of said first pair of clutch means interconnecting the second wall of the bracket and said first handlebar shaft to prevent movement of the first shaft and first handlebar in the other direction, and said second pair of clutch means being carried about the axis of the second handlebar shaft with one of said second pair of clutch means interconnecting said first wall of the bracket and said second handlebar shaft to prevent movement of the second shaft and second handlebar in one direction and said other of the second pair of clutch means interconnecting said second wall means and said second handlebar shaft to prevent movement of the second shaft and second handlebar in the other direction.
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20. An adjustable handlebar system comprising
a pair of handlebars adapted for gripping at their one ends and connected together at their other ends by a pair of elements having engaged gear portions to which the handlebars are fastened, each of said elements being fixed to a gear shaft and being rotatably carried by a bracket adopted for fastening to a bicycle, a first one-way, spring-wrap clutch on one of said gear shafts to permit rotation of the shaft in one direction but to prevent rotation of the shaft in the other direction and a second one-way, spring-wrap clutch on the other shaft to permit rotation of the shaft in said one direction but to prevent rotation of the shaft in the other direction, each of the first and second spring-wrap clutches including an operating tab to disengage the clutch from its associated shaft, the engagement of the gears preventing movement of the handlebars without operation of either the first or second spring-wrap clutches, a lever movably carried by the bracket and adapted to engage the operating tabs of each clutch so that movement of the lever in one direction will result in engagement and operation of the tab of the first spring-wrap clutch and permit simultaneous movement of the handlebars in one direction and movement of the lever in the other direction will result in engagement and operation of the tab of the other clutch and permit simultaneous movement of the handlebars in the other direction.
Specification