Control lever apparatus for speed change devices for bicycles

Abstract

Control lever apparatus for speed change devices for bicycles comprising a pivotal lever for controlling speed change and a shaft rotatably supporting the lever. The shaft is fixed and the lever rotatable and a sound producing mechanism is mounted between the shaft and the lever for producing an audible sound as the lever undergoes rotation. The sound producing mechanism comprises a toothed wheel secured to the shaft and a shoe mounted in a recess in the lever for undergoing relative angular movement with respect to the wheel as the lever is rotated. The shoe is supported in the recess for undergoing limited radial and angular displacement relative to the wheel. The shoe has a plurality of teeth arranged along an annular sector for engagement with the teeth of the wheel. Elastic blades are formed on the shoe and bear against the lever at the recess to yieldably urge the teeth of the shoe and the wheel in engagement. Two levers can be provided at opposite ends of a block which houses the shaft and the block can form part of a mounting device on the tubular element of the body of the bicycle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.