Improvements in the Means of Fastening and Unfastening Sliding Seats of Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
νι Αμμαναίοι, και πάλη του
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of Fastening and Unfastening Sliding
Seats of Vehicles.
1, WILLIAM THOMAS, trading as Edwin Richards and Sons, of Portway Works,
Wednesbury in the County of Stafford, Spring and Axle Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object to improve the means of fastening sliding seats
of vehicles in any desired position and unfastening them to adinit of their being
slid backwards or forwards into any other desired position.
The scat is fastened in position, according to this invention, by means of a pair
of bolts carried in suitable guides fixed to the underside of the seat and normally
pressed outwards towards opposite sides of the vehicle by means of springs, and the
outer ends of the bolts each engage with one of a series of boles formed to receive
it through one of a pair of bars fixed at opposite sides of the vehicle. The inner
ends of the bolts are formed as or provided with racks; and a pinion is placed in
position between the two racks so as to gear with both of them. This pinion
is fixed upon a suitable spindle carried in bearings fixed to the underside of the seat
and provided with a handle at its outer end by which it may be readily turned by
an occupant of the vehicle. As the spindle is turned in one direction, both the
bolts are drawn inwards and disengaged from the holes in the bars, and the seat
may then be slid along into any desired position, and be fastened therein by leaving
the spindle free to turn and thus allowing the reaction of the springs to move the
bolts outwards again and engage their outer ends with holes in the bars.
According to a convenient construction of the fastening appliance, the spindle on
which the pinion aforesaid is mounted is carried in bearings formed in the sides of
a casing which may be conveniently of a length of round tube fitted at its ends into
brackets which are firmly fixed to the underside of the seat. The pinion is fixed
upon the part of the spindle which is within the case. The bolts are each formed
with a collar which is a sliding fit within the case, and which when the bolts are
pressed outwards is stopped against the inside of the corresponding bracket; and
the inner end of each portion of a bolt which is within the case is formed with teeth
constituting it a toothed rack. The rack of one of the bolts is geared with the
underside of the pinion which is within the case, and the rack of the other bolt is
geared with the upper side of the pinion. The middle portion of the case is fitted
with an interior tube or sleeve which in effect reduces the diameter of that part of
the case, and the portion of each bolt which is inwards from the collar thereof is
turned to a diameter which makes it a sliding fit within the portion of reduced
diameter of the case. A spiral spring is placed around each bolt, and is compressed
between the collar thereof and the abutment formed by the corresponding end of
the internal sleeve. The bolts are drawn inwards by turning a knob or handle on
the spindle which carries the pinion, and are moved outwards again by the springs
when the handle is released.
When a case with an internal sleeve is used as above described, and the inner
ends of the bolts made to be a sliding fit within the sleeve, it is convenient to form the
racks of the bolts by cutting down a portion of the plain cylindrical end of each

page_text: bolt so as to leave a portion shaped in section as a segment of a circle, and then
cutting the teeth across the flat surface of such part.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Means of Fastening and Unfastening Sliding
Seats of Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, trading as Edwin Richards and Sons, of Portway Works,
Wednesbury in the County of Stafford, Spring and Axle Manufacturer, 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 has for its object to improve the means of fastening sliding seats
of vehicles in any desired position and unfastening them to admit of their being slid
backwards or forwards into any other desired position.
The seat is fastened in position, according to this invention, by means of a pair
of bolts carried in suitable guides fixed to the underside of the seat and normally
pressed outwards towards opposite sides of the vehicle by means of springs, and the
outer ends of the bolts each engage with one of a series of holes formed to receive
it in one of a pair of bars fixed at opposite sides of the vehicle. The inner ends of
the bolts are formed as or provided with racks; and a pinion is placed in position
between the two racks so as to gear with both of them. This pinion is formed with
or fixed upon a suitable spindle carried in bearings fixed to the underside of the
seat and provided with a handle at its outer end by which it may be readily turned
by an occupant of the vehicle. As the spindle is turned in one direction, both the
bolts are drawn inwards and disengaged from the holes in the bars, and the seat
may then be slid along into any desired position, and be fastened therein by leaving
the spindle free to turn and thus allowing the reaction of the springs to move the
bolts outwards again and engage their outer ends with holes in the bars.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
a convenient application thereof by the aid of the accompanying drawings, of
which
Figure 1 is a front view of a sliding seat of a vehicle shewing the means by which
it is mounted and the means by which it is fixed in any desired position along the
supporting guides.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the underside of the seat and of the parts attached
thereto.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, drawn to a large size, through the middle
portion of the fastening appliance, and shews, also in section, a portion of the
seat; and
Figure 4 is a transverse section, also drawn to a large size, through the centre of
the fastening appliance and through a portion of the seat.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, A is the seat, B the sides of the vehicle,
C wooden ledges fixed against the sides of the vehicle and supporting metallic
guides a. The guides a are formed with V-shaped projections b. Metallic
runners D are fixed to the underside of the seat, one at each corner thereof,
as shewn, and are formed with V-shaped grooves which fit upon the corresponding
projections of the guide bars and slide therealong as the seat is moved forwards or
backwards. A strip of metal bar c is fixed along the upper portion of the inner
face of each ledge C, and each strip has a number of holes formed therethrough
which are continued for some distance into the corresponding, ledge....The inner

page_text: edge of each guide bar a projects a short distance, as shewn, beyond the
corresponding strip c, and each runner is formed with a hook d which passes
under the projecting portion of the corresponding guide bar to prevent the seat
being lifted up.
Two bolts E are mounted to the underside of the seat, their inner ends being
guided within a fixed case F and their outer ends being guided through fixed
guides G. When the bolts are in their outward position, as shewn, their outer ends
are each within one of the holes formed through the corresponding bar c, and the
seat is thus securely retained in any position into which it may have been moved;
but if the bolts are drawn inwards and their outer ends thus withdrawn from the
holes, the seat may be moved along into any other desired position.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the case F consists of a metal tube e, the open
ends of which are fitted into and secured by caps or brackets H which are fixed to
the underside of the seat. The bolts E pass through central openings formed
through the caps.
The portion of each bolt which is within the case is formed with
a collar which is a sliding fit within the case, and with a portion g of such diameter
as to allow proper room for a spiral spring h to be placed around it. The middle
portion of the case is reduced, conveniently by brazing therein an internal tube or
sleeve, to a diameter which makes the portions g of the bolts a sliding fit therein,
and provides a shoulder at each end thereof. Each spiral spring his compressed
between one of the collars fand the abutment formed by the corresponding end of
the internal tube i, and thus the bolts are normally pressed outwards, the collars
limiting their outward movement by coming against the caps H. The inner end of
each bolt is formed or provided with a toothed rack k, the teeth of one of which are
downwards and the other upwards. A pinion 1, which is conveniently formed with
a spindle m by which it is operated, is mounted in position between the racks so as
to gear with them both. The spindle m is carried in a sleeve or bracket K which
is fixed to the underside of the seat. The outer or forward end of the spindle is
formed or provided with a handle or knob n by which it may be turned, and this
handle projects conveniently beyond the front edge of the seat for ready
inanipulation by an occupant of the vehicle. The spindle is conveniently prevented
from moving end ways by carrying a reduced portion o thereof through a bearing p
formed in the side of the case F and screwing a nut r on the end thereof. The
bolts are drawn inwards by turning the handle n, and are automatically moved
outwards again by the springs when the handle is released.
The toothed racks are conveniently formed, as shewu, as extensions of the inner
ends of the cylindrical portions g of the bolts, each rack being shaped in transverse
section as a segment of a circle of which the curved portion or back is formed as a
continuation of a portion of the cylindrical surface of the portion g of the
corresponding bolt.
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. For the purpose of fastening and unfastening the sliding seat of a vehicle, a
pair of bolts mounted to the seat and normally pressed outwards by spring pressure
to engage with holes formed in portions fixed to the body of the vehicle, in
combination with rack and pinion gear by means of which the bolts may be drawn
inwards to disengage their outer ends from the holes aforesaid, substantially as
described.
2. For the purpose of fastening and unfastening the sliding seat of a vehicle, a
pair of bolts mounted to the seat and normally pressed outwards by spring pressure
to engage with holes formed in portions fixed to the body of the vehicle, and
provided each with a toothed rack at its inner end, the racks overlapping one
another with a space between, and the teeth of each rack projecting in a direction
towards the teeth of the other rack, in combination with a toothed pinion carried
by the seat and gearing with the teeth of both the racks, and with means by which

page_text: the pinion may be turned axially to operate the racks in a direction to draw
inwards the bolts and disengage their outer ends from the holes aforesaid,
substantially as described.
3. The combination of a case fixed to the sliding seat of a vehicle, of bolts having
their inner ends adapted to slide within such case, of spiral springs within such case
and surrounding the bolts, of toothed racks at the inner ends of the bolts, and of a
pinion engaging with the racks and capable of being operated by a suitable handle
or knob, all substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
4. The case F carried by caps H fixed to the sliding seat of a vehicle, in
combination with bolts, springs, toothed racks and pinion, all substantially as
described for the purpose set forth.
5. The case F having the middle portion reduced to form an abutment at each
end, in combination with bolts and springs, and means for moving the bolts inwards
against the pressure of the springs, all substantially as described for the purpose
set forth.
6. The improvements in the means of fastening and unfastening sliding seats of
vehicles substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 30th day of April 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.