Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
We, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, Managing Director, and JOHN HOLT, Works
Manager, of J. B. Brooks and Company Limited, of Great Charles Street,
in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to cycle saddles and has for its object mounting the seat
in such a manner that the same is capable of a cross-oscillatory or lateral swing-
ing action, when in use.
According to the said invention, the seat is suspended at one end, by means of
a pair of pivoted, obliquely disposed and converging links having separated joints,
from a bracing yoke, mounted upon a spring or springs or mounted direct upon
or formed at one with a supporting bottom framing with the approaching and
the widely separated ends of the said links, being respectively jointed (in the
direction of the major axis of the saddle) to the said yoke and to brackets formed
upon the stretcher members of the seat, or otherwise suitable affixed to the back
plate.
Thus in carrying out one form of the said invention, the seat leather is carried
by a pair of fixed stretcher frames, with their back end parts having or being
formed with hangers or downward bracket extensions, to which the lower ends of
a pair of converging links are respectively jointed in such a manner as to be
capable of turning or oscillating in the direction of the minor axis of the saddle,
whilst the top ends of the said links approach to within a short distance of one
another and are likewise jointed to the middle part of a bracing yoke supported
by, and made fast to the upper and free ends of a pair of separated and upright
spiral or like springs resting upon the bottom supporting or boss-clamped-frame
of the structure.
The front ends of the stretcher frames are suitably connected to the front part
of the saddle and is supported in one form by a single coiled spring interposed
between the fore end of the bottom frame and the said front part of the saddle.
This front spring admits of cross flexure movement in lending itself to the require-
ments of the back oscillating or swinging action.
When the saddle is connected to a cycle and is in use, the rider, in pedalling,
sets up a cross-oscillatory or lateral swaying action combined with a rising and
falling movement giving freedom to the side of the legs, and allowing of a longer
and more free reach in pedalling.
Both the yoke piece and the front of the stretcher or either of them may be
supported by the ends of springs of the levering type instead of upon pillar
springs, whilst by increasing or decreasing the distance between the joint connec-
tions of the suspension links and the yoke, the degree or extent of the cross oscil-
lation of the seat may be adjusted or varied as required. Further, the lower ends
of the rocking links may be connected to hangers depending from the back plate
of the saddle instead of from the stretcher frames.

page_text: In another form of our invention when the saddle is not supported upon springs,
then we mount the back yoke upon or formed at one with, the supporting bottom
framing of the saddle, with the front end jointedly connected to the front part of
the saddle.
As a still further form the front of the saddle may be mounted upon links
alike to those of the back, as aforesaid.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1898.
improvements in Cycle Saddles.
We, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, Managing Director, and JOHN HOLT, Works
Manager, of J. B. Brooks and Company Limited, of Great Charles Street,
in the City of Birmingham, 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 relates to cycle saddles and has for its object, to support the
seat in such a manner that the same is capable of a compound cross-oscillatory
and laterally traversing action, when in use, thereby facilitating pedalling and is,
in part, an amplification or development of the invention described in the Speci-
fication of our Letters Patent dated the 1st day of December 1897 No. 28299.
According to the present invention, the seat is suspended at one end, by means
of a pair of transversely rocking and obliquely disposed links, separately jointed
to a bracing yoke or bracket mounted either upon a suitably supported spring
or springs, or carried directly upon, or formed at one with the members of a
base framing or support, with the converging or approaching ends of the said
links being jointed (in the direction of the major axis of the saddle) to the said
yoke and their lower and separated ends to brackets formed upon or attached to
the seat-stretcher members of the seat or other suitable connections.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a cross-oscillating cycle
saddles constructed according to one form of our invention, in which the back
part is connected, through the medium of a pair of obliquely-disposed and separ-
ately jointed links adapted to rock transversely to the length of the saddle, to a
yoke supported by a pair of pillar springs carried by a base framing, whilst the
front is supported upon another coiled spring which acts as a
conforming or adapting itself to the compound cross rocking and lateral traverse
yielding joint in
movements made by the seat when the saddle is being ridden. In this view, the
front part of the saddle is shown in full elevation, whilst at the rear part, one
side is broken away, and the yoke and both of the joints of the oblique link are
shown in section.
Figure 2 represents an underside plan of the said saddle, with the joints of one
of the suspension links in section.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of the said saddle.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the drawings.
In carrying out this form of the said invention the seat leather a is distended
by a pair of fixed stretcher members b, with their back end parts having or being
formed with hangers or downward bracket-like extensions b¹, to which the lower

page_text: ends c¹, of a pair of converging links c, are respectively jointed in such a manner
as to be capable of turning or swinging in the direction of the minor axis of the
saddle, whilst the top ends 2, of the said links approach to within a short dis-
tance of one another but are separately jointed to the middle part of a bracing
yoke d, supported by and made fast to the upper and free ends c¹ of a pair of
separated and upright spiral or like springs e, resting upon the bottom support-
ing or boss-clamped-frame f of the structure.
The front ends 63 of the stretcher frames are suitably connected to the ten-
sion y, at the front part of the saddle and are supported by a single coiled
spring h, interposed between the fore end of the bottom frame and the
bracket gl, of the said tension. This front spring acts as a joint which admits
of cross flexure movement in lending itself to the requirements of the cross oscil-
lating or swinging action.
The joints of the lower ends of the transversely swinging links constitute shift-
ing fulcra about which the seat or the rear part thereof, makes a compound move-
ment in both a cross-oscillating and transverse traversing directions, so that when
the saddle is connected to a cycle and its seat is caused by the downward stroko
of the rider's leg in pedalling, to incline transversely, the edge of the depressed
side of the seat is relatively much nearer to the longitudinal axis of the fixed
base frame than the edge of the elevated side, from which it results that the legs
have greater freedom and a longer and freer reach in pedalling is admitted.
Both the yoke piece and the front of the stretchers or either of them may be
supported by the ends of springs of the levering type instead of upon pillar
springs, whilst by increasing or decreasing the distance between the joint con-
nections of the suspension links and the yoke, the degree or extent of the cross
oscillation of the seat may be adjusted or varied as required. Further, the lower
ends of the rocking links may be connected to hangers depending from the back
plate of the saddle instead of from the stretcher frames.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation (with the seat, back plate and peak plate
in section) of another form of oscillating cycle saddle constructed in accordance
with our invention, with the yoke piece to which the upper ends of the oblique
suspension links are jointed, being supported directly by the base or attachment
framing, without the interposition of springs.
Figure 5 is an underside plan of the said saddle.
Figure 6 is a view showing the upper joint of one of the rear suspension links,
and the joint about which the front of the saddle rocks, in section.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of Figure 6 upon the dotted liner, showing the
construction of the said front joint.
Figure 8 represents a back elevation of the saddle, but with the joints of the
links in section, and with the parts shown in the positions they assume when the
seat is rocked in one direction.
Figure 9 is another back elevation of the said saddle but showing the parts in
their normal positions.
In the said Figures 4 to 9, the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts, a being the seat leather, which is distended by seat stretcher bars b, con-
nected at their rear ends to the back plate a¹ and at their front ends to the
tension device g, with parts of the same, near the rear ends, being extended into
hanging brackets b', to which the lower and widely separated ends c¹, of a pair of
obliquely disposed suspension links c, such as in the first-described arrangement,
are jointed in such a manner as to admit of them rocking transversely to, or in a
direction at right angles to, the length of the seat. 2 are the upper and con-
verging ends of the said links, which are separately jointed to a fixed bracket d,
supported in an elevated position with respect to the lower ends of the brackets b¹,
by means of the arms or upturned rear ends f¹ of a springless attachment or base
framing f, the forward ends of the members of which terminate in a connec-
tion supporting a rigid vertical post f*, whose summit f³, is cross-jointed
at f, to the fore part of the seat stretcher members b, immediately rearwards of

page_text: the tension the arrangement being such that when the saddle is being ridden it
nakes a compound cross oscillatory and lateral traversing movement upon the
transversely swinging suspension links at the back and upon the joint at the
summit of the post or upright support f, at the front.
Instead of employing a yoke or separate elevated bracket as described, the
upper ends of the swinging links may be directly but separately jointed to suit-
ably elevated parts of the base framing.
The front of the saddle may be mounted upon links alike to those of the back.
Instead of supporting the saddle upon three springs, one at the front and other
two at the rear disposed side by side or transversely to the seat, we may dispose
the rear springs one behind the other in the longer direction of the seat, with
the links swinging between them, so that the pressure coming upon the back part
of the seat is equally distributed over the two springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
:
First In cycle saddles having cross-oscillating seats; swinging the rear end,
or either end, of the seat upon or from the separated lower parts of a pair of
transversely rocking links, independently pivoted to, and swinging from, the base
frame, or an elevated yoke or bracket carried by the base frame, or by springs
connected with the base frame, substantially for the purpose herein described and
set forth.
Secondly In cycle saddles having cross-oscillating scats, swinging the back
portion of the seat upon or from the separated lower ends of a pair of transversely
rocking links, independently pivoted to, and swinging from, a yoke carried by a
pair of pillar coiled or other springs, with the front of the said seat being mounted
upon a single spring which acts as a joint, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and set forth in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Thirdly In cycle saddles having cross-oscillating seats, swinging the back
portion of the seat upon or from the separated lower ends of a pair of trans-
versely rocking links, independently pivoted to, and swinging from, an elevated
yoke or bracket connected with the base framing, whilst the front of the said seat
is cross jointed to a post or upright, substantially as and for the purpose described
and set forth in Figures 4 to 9.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1899.