# The Kelly Handlebar Co



## filmonger (Aug 16, 2014)

Not sure if this has been posted before or not - Interesting to see a picture of Mr Kelly! If you have any other information on the Kelly handlebar co it might be useful to others researching their bars. 

Looks like he Formed the company in 1896  ( _these two are from The Wheel in 189_6 )










Here is a small article from the Referee 1897 about The Kelly Handlebar Co.













1908 kelly Bar ad from the bicycling world of that same year


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## Nick-theCut (Aug 16, 2014)




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## carlitos60 (Aug 16, 2014)

*Great Info!!*

Any Info on the Style that Bricycle Just SOLD???

Seems Very Odd Model!!


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## filmonger (Aug 19, 2014)

*Mr Kelly*

Looks like Mr Kelly had a few companies.... Here is what little I can find on his bio.         Yes - Carlitos I bought Brians Bars.....Seems that if you find bars that have an end-cap rather than a bolt they are manufactured before 1900 - so his fit the bill for my 1903 Recycle











William Eldred Kelly, the president and general manager of the company, has by his personal energy built up for his organization a large and
lucrative business, which he controls. He was born at Emporium, Pa., in 1861, the son of Andrew E. Kelly, a native of New York State, and of Lorinda T. Lyman, his ancestry on both sides being American for several generations—on his father's side several generations back, being Irish and German, while his mother's descent goes back to Lord John Lyman of London.
Mr. Kelly was educated at Emporium and Towanda, Pa., began his business career in Cleveland in 1879 in electrical and mechanical manufacturing. He invented, made and sold approximately two million "Kelly handle-bars" for bicycles, being vice- president and manager of The Kelly Handle-Bar Company, from which he is now retired. He invented many specialties in adjustable tools, toys, games, tires, pumps, floating reamers, boring tools, line bars, engine cylinder tools, etc.
Mr. Kelly is a member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Credit Men's Association, Manufacturers' Association, the Industrial Association of Cleveland, and other business organizations, and of Bigelow Lodge, F. & A. M.

pres. and gen. mgr. The Kelly Reamer Co.; formerly vice pres. The Kelly Handle-Bar Co.; joint proprietor and mgr. The E. A. Hewett Co.; pres. and mgr. The W. E. Kelly Mnfg. Co.; pres. and mgr. The Safety Handle-Bar Co.; pres. and mgr. The Modern Toy & Novelty Co.; master mechanic and supt. of The Clark Cash Register Co., and many other manufacturing plants in Cleveland for the past thirty-four years; member Masonic order, Biglow Lodge, No. 243, Chamber of Industry, past treas. and senior warden of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church; member Superintendent’s and Foreman’s Club; mechanic and patentor of many mechanical and electrical devices, Kelly Handle-Bars, etc.

*He also had the Kelly tool company in 1908 and that became the Kelly Reamer Co. in 1909*





THE KELLY REAMER COMPANY 
THE great objective of all industry is Production, and that manufacturing enterprise is most efficient which is able to combine the best qualitative with the largest quantitative production, compared with cost and overhead expense. Such results both in quality and quantity of output depend in a very large measure on the tools used.
Therefore an enterprise such as that of The Kelly Reamer Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, is a valuable promoter of the country's industries. This company began ciS <3. small Ohio corporation, organized in 1908 as The Kelly Tool Company, with an initial capital of $5,000, by William E. Kelly and associates. The name was changed in 1909 to The Kelly Reamer Company, under the same management, and the capital was in-creased to $25,000, and is now $30,000, all paid in. The officers now are William E. Kelly, president; W. A. Calhoon, vice-president; PI. J. Wilke, treasurer; and Oliver H. Root, secretary.
The company's factory, which is located opposite the Erie Passenger Depot, at the east approach of the new High Level Bridge, is completely equipped for the most effective prosecution of the business. The company manufactures production tools for all purposes, making specialties of adjustable production tools for engine, pump, automobile, Government and other general manufacturing purposes. All the tools for the Liberty aeroplane engines sent "over there" were made by this company, also shrapnel and high- explosive shell tools for the Government. The
business from its start has rapidly expanded by reason of the well-sustained excellence of the company's products, which are in active demand at home and abroad. The company has forty domestic and foreign agencies, including Burton, Griffiths & Company, London, and Burton Fils, Paris.


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## bricycle (Aug 19, 2014)

carlitos60 said:


> Any Info on the Style that Bricycle Just SOLD???
> 
> Seems Very Odd Model!!




...well I'm quite odd, so that only makes sense...


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## filmonger (Aug 21, 2014)

*1900 Kelly Patent*

Here is the Kelly handle-bar 1900 Patent....





No. 64|,||8. Patntd 1an. 9, 1900. w. E. KELLY. 

HANDLE BAR. 

(Application med Aug. 12, m99 

(No Model.) 

Darren STATES PATENT OFFICE. 

WILLIAM E. KELLY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD' B. 

WEED, TRUSTEE, 

OF SAME PLACE. 

HANmat-Lama SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,118, dated January.. 9, lQO. Application nea August 12, 1899. serai No. 726,979. (Numtel.) 

.To all whom t may concern: 

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement `in Handle-Bars, of` which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 

The object of the invention is to provide a handle-bar construction which will permit the easy adjustment of the handles to any desired height and of so securely locking the handlebar sections in the positions to which they are moved that the mere loosening of a nut or bolt will not permit them to be movedout of such position. 

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out definitely in i the claims. 

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the middle part of the handle-bar embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view in the plane indicated by 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a side view of the upper end of the handle-bar stem. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention in the plane indicated by 5 5 of Fig. 3. sectional view when the expansible bolt has been moved endwise, so as to permit the handle-bar sections to be turned. Fig. 7 is a similar sectional view when the expansible bolt is removed. Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the inner ends of the two handle-bar sections. Fig. lO is a perspective view of the upper end of the handle-bar stem. Fig-1l is a perspective view of the angular sleeve which forms'a part of the expansible bolt, and Fig. 12 is the expanding plug of said bolt. 

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the stem which supports the handle-barV sections B and O and through which they may be attached to the bicycle. This stem has two parallel vertical ears a, and these ears have the angular apertures a. An angular expansible bolt D passes through and fits both of these apertures, wherefore the turning of the bolt in said apertures is impossi-r The inner ends b and c of the handleble. 

Fig. 6 is a similar bar sections are of disk-like form and they lie in contact with each other between said ears a. These handle-bar ends have the angular apertures h and c', through which the expansible bolt D passes, the angularity of these apertures being due to the serrations b2 c2, which are of such shape and depth that any of them may fit over the corners of the angular expansible bolt D. These serrations do not preferably extend entirely across the apertures, but are formed in the inner periphery of the inwardly-projecting flanges b5 e8. It is obvious from the foregoing statement that the angular expansible bolt cannot turn in theaperturesin the ears and that the handle-'bar sections cannot turn on the bolt when the parts are in the relative position shown in Fig. 5, andl this is the position in which they will be found when the parts are locked up. the handle-bar sections may be turned up or down without enti-rely removing the angular bolt, it is necessary that said bolt be movable endwise a short distance. In order that this endwise movement may be easy, the bolt cannot normally fit tightly in the aperturesin the ears oruin the handle-bar sections. It is therefore made expansible-that is to say, normally its diameter is small enough to permit it to be moved easily in said apertures, but it is capable of being expanded so as to t them tightly, and thereby take up all lost motion and prevent all rattling of the parts. 

The expansible bolt which I employ is one which may be expanded most in those parts which liein the apertures in the handle-bar sections, and this is desirable because in use these apertures are subject to the most wear and enlarge most rapidly. Since the ends of the handle-bar sections lie between the ears on the stem, the bolt is constructed so its middle part may be expanded most. The expansible bolt, as shown, includes a square sleeve D, having a longitudinally-extended bore, which is tapered and reduced in diameter at d' about midway between the ends of the bolt. This sleeve has also a head clwhich prevents it from being drawn through the aperture in one of the ears. A plug d3 passes through this sleeve, and its projecting smaller end @Z7 is screw-threaded to receive the nut d4. 

In order, however, that IOO It has a tapered portion d5, which engages with the tapered part of the bore of the sleeve. The removal of this plug from the sleeve is prevented, but its endwise movement is permitted by means of a pin d6, which is driven through holes in the sleeve and through a large hole d8 extending across the plug. The sleeve is rendered expansible by the two longitudinal slits dg, which extend from opposite ends some distance past the middle of said sleeve. It is obvious, therefore, that by tightening up the nut and drawing the expansionplug into the sleeve the diameter of said sleeve is expanded and made to fit tightly in the apertures through which it passes. In Figs. 1l and 6 it will be noticed that the corners or angles of the square sleeve are cut away in an annular row by the grooves d10, said grooves being of such a depth that 'the diameter of the sleeve measured diagonally through the sleeve is less than the internal diameter of the notched anges on the handle-bar sections.'


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## filmonger (Aug 21, 2014)

When it is desired to change the position of the handle-bar sections, the nut d4 is loosened, the plug cl'is pushed endwise in the sleeve, thereby permitting the sleeve to contract, and then the sleeve is pushed end wise into the position substantially as shown in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that the notched ange c3 on the handle-bar section C is in the same plane with the annular row of grooves d10 in the sleeve D, and that therefore this handle-bar section may be turned about the axis of the expansion-bolt and raised or lowered asy desired. It willalso be seen that the end of the square sleeve D has been moved past the serrated ange b3 in the other handle-bar section B, and that therefore it may in like manner be turned to raise or lower it as desired. When these handle-bar sections have been placed at the desired elevation, the sleeve is pushed into the position shown in Fig. 5, its corners engaging with the serrations 13202. When in this position, any substantial movement of the handle-bar sections up or down is prevented, although there will be a slight jarring move-ment of said parts and a rattling of all the parts together. To prevent this, the nut is now tightened up, thereby drawing the expansion-plug into the sleeve D, which is thereby expanded so as to tightly fit the apertures in the ears and in the handle-bar sections. i 

One of the chief merits of this invention as compared with others belonging to the same class is that the mere loosening of the tightening-nut does not render the handle-bar ca-V pable of being moved up or down. On the contrary, the bodily endwise movement of the sleeve in the apertures must take place before any such movement of the handle-bar sections is possible. This removes an element of danger to the riders of bicycles to which this handle-bar may be connected. 

Having described my invention, I claiml. In an adjustable handle-bar, the combination of the stem having the angularlyfapertured ears, with two handle-bar sections having angularly-apertured inner ends, an angularly-expansible bolt which passes through the apertures in said ears and ends of the handle-bar sections, and means whereby said bolt may be expanded most in those parts which lie in the apertures in the handle-bar sections, substantially as specified. 

2. In an adjustable handle-bar, the combination'of the stem having the angularly-apertured ears, and two handle-bar sections hava ing disk-shaped inner ends which are provided with angular apertures, with an expansible bolt passing through said apertures and consisting of an angular sleeve which is longitudinally slitted and has a bore which is reduced in diameter near its middle, a plug passa ing through said sleeve and having a coperating tapered part, and means for moving said plug endwise to expandl said sleeve, substan tially 'asspecified. 

3. In a handle-bar, the combination of a stem having angularly-apertured ears, two handle-bar sections each having a dislcshaped inner end which is provided with an aperture havin-g an inwardly projecting serrated iange, with an angular expansible bolt which passes through the apertures in said ears and handle-bar ends, and is capable of endwise movement thereinsaid angular expansible bolt having an annular row of grooves in its corners, substantially as specified. 

4. In an adjustable handle-bar, the combi nation of the stem having angularly-apertured ears, and two handle-bar sections having disk-shaped inner ends which are provided with apertures and have in said apertures, projecting serrated flan ges, with an expa-nsible locking-bolt which consists of an angular sleeve which is slitted longitudinally and has a head at one end and has a bore with a tapered part near its middle, a plug in said sleeve having a coperating tapered part, its smaller end being projected beyond the sleeve and screw-threaded, a pin passing through a hole of large diameter in the plug and being secured to the sleeve, and a nut which screws onto the threaded end of said plug, substantially as specified. 

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 

WILLIAM E. KELLY. 

Witnesses: 

E. L. THURsToN, PHrLIP E. KNowL’roN


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## filmonger (Aug 21, 2014)

Might be interesting if we can fig out the different kind of bars he used to offer.....

Here is one called the No 3 special






Just like this Ad...


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## carlitos60 (Aug 21, 2014)

filmonger said:


> Might be interesting if we can fig out the different kind of bars he used to offer.....
> 
> Here is one called the No 3 special
> 
> ...




That is What I Meant "Odd"!!  The Usual Bars Look Like the 1 on the Ladies Bike or Close to That!!!!

Great Info!!!!

Love Those Kelly Bars!!!!


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## bricycle (Aug 21, 2014)

Will, thanks for all the great info!


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## OldRider (Aug 21, 2014)

I might be alone in this but I'm not a huge fan of Kelly bars......


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## filmonger (Aug 25, 2014)

Just a few pictures of bars and gear...






On a 1910 Peirce from Daves site









on an 1895 Wolf


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## filmonger (Aug 30, 2014)

*Kelly Bar Models*

Kelly seemed to rely on three splitter models and one Reversible model - he offered two stems. 


*In 1908 Kelly made three styles of divided bars - The No 3…. 1 inch Stem - 18 inches wide ( 20 inches when level ) They sold for $2.30*





*The No 4  - Racing Bar 2 1/2 inch forward extension - 23 inches wide  ( 25 inches wide when level ) They sold for $2.50 in 1908….They claim these were for racing & club men*





*The No 5 - California. ! inch forward Extension - 20 inches wide ( 22 inches when level ) They sold for $2.30 in 1908… These were the Bar that was used by the Masses!*





*The No 7 - Reversible Bars…… These could be changed from a drop to an upright position held by a friction clip.*

22 1/2 inches wide - 1 inch forward stem - $2.30  (in 1908)

22 1/2 Inches wide - 2 1/2 Inch forward stem - $2.5  (in 1908)





1 inch & 2 1/2 inch forward stems





Side by Side


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## filmonger (Oct 31, 2014)

*Dangler Stove & Mfg Co buys Kelly*

Change of ownership - Kelly retains a VP position.


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## bricycle (Oct 31, 2014)

I dig the baby kelly's.... gotta get my baby tillers with them for a play date....


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## filmonger (Dec 23, 2014)

Kelly argues the bar Diameter question - this is from the Cycle age trade and review 1900


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## filmonger (Dec 23, 2014)

This Model was introduced in 1900 - from the Cycle Age and trade review 1900


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## filmonger (Jul 31, 2015)

From the Bicycling World & Motorcycle Review 1914... New Kelly bars added to their line


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## filmonger (Jan 24, 2016)

1899 Patent







no. 622,490. Patented Apr. 4, I899. 

w. E. KELLY. HANDLE BAR FOB BIGYCLES. (Application filed Dec. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 

Fly 1. Pg. 2, E1343 ,W/TNESSES: 1N VEN R. 

ZQW 67% Q24 W ATTORNEY. 

UNITED, STATES PATENT Eric. 

-WILLIAM E. KELLY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO KATHERINE .I. WEED, OF SAME PLACE. 

HANDLE-BAR FOR BICYCLES. 

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,490, dated April 4., 1899. 

Application filed December 27,- 1898. Serial No. 700,338- (N'o model.) 

To (tZZ whom it may concern: 

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. KELLY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handle-Bars for Bicycles, of which the following is a speci fication. 

This invention relates to handle-bars for bicycles; and it consists in the new constructions and combinations, substantially ashereinafter described,aud pointed out in the claim. 

The nature and operation of the invention will fully appear from the subjoined description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View of the handle-bar stem. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the eyes of the bars in place ready to be secured therein. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the bars and the stem secured together by a bolt and nut. I Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the eyes ofthe handle-bars. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the handle-bar joint, showing a bolt with a cam-lever as a substitute for the nut for fastening the bolt. Fig. 0 is a face or side view of the same. 

A is a handle-bar stem having the eyes a a spread apart at the top at a slight angle from the perpendicular line, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This is to enable the bars to be placed in between them from above. On the inside face of each eye is a segment of a circular row of radial corrugations c c. 

B B are the handle-bars, having eyes I) b. 

On one side of'said eyes is made a continuousrow of radial corrugations e e, surrounding the holes. 

D is a bolt and nut put through the eyes for clamping and binding by springing the eyes a a firmly to the eyes I) 1). Instead of the nut a cam-lever L may be attached to the bolt for fastening it. This would enable the bolt to be fastened and unfastened much quicker than by the screwing 011 and off of the nut.- 

It will be seen that by this construction the handle-bars may be very easily and quickly changed to either the dropped or upturned or WILLIAM E. KELLY. 

Witnesses: 

LEWIS W. FORD, GEo. W. TIBBITTS.


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## filmonger (Jan 24, 2016)

View attachment 279934 View attachment 279935 View attachment 279936 View attachment 279937 

 



Another Pat from 1899 - Kelly Knock off.....he quite a few issues in this dept.





Dec 27 1997


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## filmonger (Jan 24, 2016)

Dec 27 1897 from the wheel


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## filmonger (May 3, 2016)

1905 Ad


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## filmonger (Mar 14, 2017)




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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

Note the Gold Plated Kelly bars here - this was for the Chicago show.


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

1899 - Note the 523-pound rider who uses the bars.


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

1898


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

Oct 27 1898...

W E Kelly no longer with the company


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

Dec 18 1898....

W E Kelly ( Former Owner of Kelly Handle Bar Co ) starts another Handle Bar Co called Kelly's / Latest...


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

1898- Dec 29th... Kelly's latest   Balck or plain


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

The Other Kelly 1898


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

Jan 1899 - Kelly Bar Co... already ordered - 190,000 Bars


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## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

1899 - again another mention of Black finish on the bars ... I assume this is the Kelly Handle Bar Co


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## filmonger (Nov 13, 2017)

Has anyone seen black finish kelly bars?


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## filmonger (Nov 30, 2017)

Stole this from Jesse.... in his thread W M Kinsman - Kelly bars for tandem


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## filmonger (Jan 6, 2018)

Fire at factory March 24th.... March 27 1899 article The Cycle Age













Rebuilding factory....








Recovery from the fire with 1300 bars a day output...


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## filmonger (Jan 6, 2018)

Kelly Bar Patent 1895 & 1898......infringement


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## filmonger (Jan 6, 2018)

Kelly setting up in Toronto 1900....


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## filmonger (Jan 6, 2018)

Kelly Bar improvements 1900....


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## filmonger (Jan 6, 2018)

Another Patent 1899 - from the Cycle Age.... April 20 1899


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## Uni-Bike Lou (Jan 6, 2018)

Very interesting thread. Thanks for sharing.

Do you know how long the bicycle industry used the Kelly handlebars before they were replace with something else?


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## vincev (Jan 6, 2018)

Cool reading !


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## filmonger (Jan 26, 2018)

Not sure if this is a rebranding or the same bar. Belgian Racing Bars vs Track Racing Bars in their 1914 introduction.



 



 


 

The bars on a Pierce


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## filmonger (Jan 28, 2018)

Wheeled relics early kelly bars....




Explanation from cyclehobo....

Wheeled Relics, ok after looking at your photo more, yes yours are the early style as shown in my attachment, so I think you are ok..that is a bolt we are looking at or part "B" in that exploded diagram of the early Kelly's, so nothing wrong with your bars there. On the the slightly later Kellys with the forward reach there is a nut that has the Kelly name and pat'd information. But on yours, which I have the same set on one of my pre-1900 bikes, the Kelly name and Pat'd info is directly on the vertical part of the bar-stem or part "A" in the photos. That diagram above should give you an idea of all the parts needed for your bars. In these early production years they made a Ladies 18" wide bend, a 18" wide mens Regular, a 20" wide Special, and a 20" wide Racer. A few years later I believed they expanded to a few other models.


Ad from Cyclehobo


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## Blue Streak (Jan 28, 2018)

March 3, 1904 - The Bicycling World


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## filmonger (Feb 15, 2018)

Info on who owns Kelly's patents 1899...based on the confusion of the two companies.


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## filmonger (Mar 10, 2018)

Kelly infringement with Gaylor - From The Cycle Age May 3 1900



 

Kelly Mfg leaves Cleveland - From the Wheel... Aug 1899


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## Bikermaniac (Mar 10, 2018)

Great Info. Thanks!


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## 37ccmflyte (Jun 29, 2020)

Lots of terrific information on Kelly bars in this older thread!   Seems I need a No.5 Kelly bar for my 1902 Pierce so that's good to know what to look for!


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