Improvements in Connecting the Seats or Saddles of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes to the Bodies of the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Connecting the Seats or Saddles of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes to the Bodies of the same.
We, WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, trading as The Quadrant Tricycle
Company, of Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Velocipede
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to connect the seats of bicycles tricycles and
other velocipedes to the bodies of the same by an elastic connection capable of
adjustment so as to suit riders of different weights.
To the adjustable seat post which is adjusted in the fixed socket of the framing as is
well understood we fix at right angles two cross pins or axes one of the said axes
being at the top of the seat post and the other preferably about three inches below
the former. On each end of each of the said axes a short Hat bar or link turns. The
other ends of these links are jointed to vertical bars which bars extend a short distance
above their junction with the links. The said vertical bars have at top horizontal
arms to which the seat or saddle is fixed by screws or otherwise. The said vertical
bars in rising and falling are always preserved parallel to the adjustable seat post
by which they are carried.
The said vertical bars and consequently the seat or saddle are pressed upwards by
means of a coiled spring the top of which is connected by an adjusting screw to the
top of the seat post the bottom of the said spring being fixed to a cross pin connecting
the middles of the lower pair of links.
When there is no rider on the saddle or seat it takes its highest position. When
the rider seats himself his weight operating through the saddle vertical bars and
lower pair of links puts the spring into a state of tension the said spring lengthening
more or less according to the weight of the rider. As the vehicle travels the tremulous
motion communicated to it by the asperities of the road is not transmitted or is
transmitted only to a limited extent to the saddle and rider the spring by its rapi
elongations and contractions neutralising to a great extent the uneven motion of the
vehicle.
By means of the adjusting screw referred to the action of the spring can be
regulated. Where however an accurate adjustment having a long range is desired wi
prefer to effect it in the following manner. We extend backwards the upper pair of
links orwe connectwith them an arm and on the extended links or arm we place a sliding
piece capable of being fixed on any part of the said arm either by a set screw.or
ly working on a screw. The upper end of the coiled spring is connected to the said
sliding piece and the lower end is fixed to the seat post at about the level of the lower
pair of links.
By fixing the sliding piece nearer to or further from the centre of
motion the resistance of the spring may be diminished or increased so as to suit the
vehicle for use by persons of very different weights and in order to facilitate the
adjustment of the spring with nicety the arm or arms on which the sliding piece slides
may be graduated or have a divided scale.

page_text: QUALETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Connecting the Seats or Saddles of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes to the Bodies of the same.
We, WALTER Jonx JoyD and WILLIAM PRIEST, trading as The Quadrant Tricycle
Company, of Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Velocipede
Manufacturers. do hereby declare the nature of our invention and the manner in
which the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
"
Our invention has for its object to connect the seats of bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes to the bodies of the same by an elastic connection capable of adjustment
so as to suit riders of different weights.
To the adjustable seat post which is adjusted in the fixed socket of the framing
ns is well understood we fix at right angles two cross pins or axes one of the said axes
being at the top of the seat post and the other preferably about three inches below
the former. On each end of each of the said axes a short flat bar or link turns.
The other ends of these links are jointed to vertical bars which bars extend a short
distance above their junction with the links. The said vertical bars have at top
horizontal arms to which the seat or saddle is fixed by screws or otherwise. Or the
tops of the vertical bars are directly connected to the spring frame of the saddle.
The saidvertical bars in risingand fallingare always preserved parallel to the adjustable
seat post by which they are carried.
The said vertical bars and consequently the seat or saddle are pressed upwards
by means of one or more coiled springs the tops of which are connected by an arm
and adjusting screw to the top of the seat post, the bottom of the said 'springs being
connected to the bottoms of the vertical bars.
When there is no rider on the saddle of seat it takes its highest position. When
the rider seats himself his weight operating through the saddle and vertical bars puts
the spring or springs into a state of tension the said springs lengthening more or less
according to the weight of the rider. As the vehicle travels the tremulous motion
communicated to it by the asperities of the road is not transmitted or is transmitted
only to a limited extent to the saddle and rider, the spring or springs by its or their
rapid elongations and contractions neutralizing to a great extent the uneven motion of
the vehicle.
By means of the adjusting screw referred to the action of ile spring can be
regulated.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation a safety
bicycle to the body of which the seat or saddle is connected by an adjustable elastic
connection constructed according to our invention; Figure 2 represents in side elevation
and Figures 3 and 4 represent elevations of opposite ends, the adjustable elastic con-
nection detached drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings
a is the cylindrical seat post of the saddle adjustable in the fixed socket of the
framing of the bicycle (see Figure 1) by means of the spring clip e as usual. The seat
or saddle / is not connected directly to the seat post a but is connected by means of
an adjustable elastic connection constructed as follows;.c, e are two parallel bars the
upper ends of which are secured to the spring. frame or support of the saddle or
seat but we do not confine ourselves to any particular way of connecting the bars 6, 6
to the seat or saddle or to any particular kind of saddle support. The said vertical
bars are jointed by means of the two pairs of links and g, g to the seat
post the said seat post being provided with cross axes a², to the ends of, which
the pairs of links f, gare jointed. The vertical bars e, e in rising and falling are
always preserved parallel to the adjustable seat bar a to which they are connected
by means of the pairs of links f. f and g. g.
The vertical bars e, e and saddle carried by them are pressed upwards by the strong
coiled supporting" springs' h, "h by means of which springs the rider and the seat or

page_text: saddle and connecting parts are supported and balanced as hereinafter described.
The bottoms of the said supporting springs are connected to the bottoms of the
vertical bars, and the said springs are connected at top to the adjustable seat
post a through the horizontal arm adjusting screw and cross piece / having eyes
at its ends, to which eyes the tops of the springs are hooked as best seen in Figure 3.
The middle of the cross piece is made into a screw box min which the adjusting
séréw works. The head of the adjusting screw is pressed to its seat on the end
of the horizontal arm on the seat post by the coiled springs h, h so that while the
said screw is capable of being rotated it is prevented from rising and falling. The
result of this arrangement is that when the head of the screw is turned in one or
other direction by a spanner the screw box m of the cross piece rises or falls upon
the said screw and the tension of the coiled springs h, h can be adjusted with great
nicety to suit riders of different weights; that is the springs can be so regulated as to
balance the weight of the rider, the saddle and connecting parts.
When there is no rider on the saddled it takes its highest position being raised and
supported by the adjusted springs h, h. When the rider seats himself on the saddle
the said saddle and the vertical bars e, e descend taking the dotted position indicated
in Figure 2 and the weight of the rider operating through the vertical rods c, e puts
the springs, h into a state of tension, the said springs lengthening more or less
according to the weight of the rider.
By the use of the adjustable elastic connection for the seai or saddle described and
illustrated the tremulous motion communicated to the vehicle by the asperities of
the road on which it is travelling is not transmitted or is transmitted only to a limited
extent to the saddle and rider the springs he, h by their rapid elongation and con-
traction neutralizing to a great extent the uneven motion of the vehicle.
For the purpose of enabling seat posts of different diameters to be readily secured in
the tubular socket 7 of the bicycle frame we use with the seat post a split or elastic
collar of the kind represented in elevation section and plan in Figure and marked p.
The said split or elastic collar is placed on the seat post below the boss of the
lower crossing axis and the mouth of the said elastic collar is cupped to fit on the
lower part of the said boss. The collar is adjusted in the tubular socket
the proper height and the adjusted seat post is fixed in the said socket and the
said collar fixed on the seat post by closing the clip (see Figure 1) by its screw
pin.
to
Instead of using the supporting coiled springs as described and illustrated a single
coiled spring may be used. In this case the single spring may be secured to a cross
piece at the bottom of the two bars c. e and at top to a short arm projecting from the
middle of the cross piece ; or three or more coiled springs may be used and in place
of coiled springs india rubber springs may be used.
Our invention may be applied to tricycles and other velocipedes where the saddle or
seat is supported after the manner in which the seat or saddle of a safety bicycle or
tricycle is supported.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that we
claim as our invention.
An adjustable elastic connection for connecting the seats or saddles to the bodies of
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes consisting essentially of two vertical parallel
bars carrying at their upper ends the seat or saddle and jointed by links to the seat
post the weight of the rider and the seat or saddle and its connections being supported
and balanced by a coiled or other spring or springs the tension of which is adjusted to
the weight of the rider for the purpose and substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Fourteenth day of December 1889.
WALTER JOHN LLOYD.
WILLIAM PRIEST.