Improved Supporting Posts for the Handle-bars and Saddles of Bicycles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Supporting Posts for the Handle-bars and Saddles of
Bicycles.
1, ROBERT FORBES WINSLOW BEARDSLEY, a citizen of the United States of
America, residing at 163 Randolph Street, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, U.S.A.,
Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide a supporting post for bicycles upon
which to mount either the seat or the handle-bar, said post to have sufficient
vertical elasticity to take up the vibration caused by an uneven roadway.
To such end it consists of certain features of construction which will be
described along with the advantages thereof, and carefully pointed out in the
claims.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the portion of the bicycle frame upon which the
seat is mounted;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the portion bearing the handle-bar;
Figure 3 is a perspective partly in diametrical section of the portion of the
machine containing my improvements; Figure 4 is a side elevation of certain parts
thereof;
Figure 5 is a horizontal section in line 5-5 of Figure 3, and Figure 6 is a
similar section in line 6-6 of Figure 3.
Referring to the drawings, A, is the upright portion of the frame work of the
bicycle in which the seat post is ordinarily clamped, and B, is a supporting post
containing my invention and adapted in this case, to serve as seat post. Figure 3
shows the construction of this post; a being a tubular outer sleeve; b, a stem
preferably square and loosely fitted in a disc, c, secured preferably by brazing to
the bottom of the tube, a; d, a retaining pin which prevents the stem, b, from
being drawn out of the disc, c, and e, a second disc which serves as a washer
sliding freely in the sleeve, a. Between this washer and the disc; c, is confined a
spring,, which serves to give the elasticity sought for in this invention. Above
the washer, e, and preventing it from sliding upward upon the stem, b, is a shoulder
preferably formed by a tube, h, brazed to the stem, which extends upward and
carries the horizontal portion i, of the seat post. The tube, h, is screw-threaded
upon its outside and carries a nut, j, and jam nut k, by means of which the tension
of the spring may be adjusted.
The post thus described is used as an ordinary seat post, the seat being adjusted
upon the horizontal portion, i, and the vertical portion clamped in the bicycle
frame. The seat is free to move vertically against the force of the spring and
the tension of the latter is adjustable without disturbing any of the parts, by means
of the nut, j, and jam nut, k.
The same post can be applied to the handle-bar as seen in Figure 2, to take up
the vibration of the latter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A supporting post for bicycles consisting of the sleeve a, the stem b, guide

page_text: by suitable means in the bottom of the sleeve and provided with a retaining device
to prevent it from being drawn upward out of the same, the head, B, secured to
said stem, the nut j, threaded to the head, B, and the spring, f, held under tension
between the nut and the bottom of the sleeve; substantially as described.
2. In a supporting post for bicycles the combination of the sleeve a, the post B,
having the flat sided stem b, the bottom, c, secured to the lower end of the tube
and fitted to the stem, b, the pin, d, the washer e, fitted to the interior of the tube,
the spring, and the nut, j, threaded to the post; substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of March 1896.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applicant.