Improvements in or relating to Saddle Supports for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Saddle Supports for Cycles and
the like.
I, ALEXANDER PORTER, of 117, Dalston Lane, Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to saddle supports for cycles and the like, and has for its
object to construct an oil-can which can be carried in the L-pin.
Hitherto a cyclist has usually carried his oil-can in the wallet or bag appended
to his machine, but in the event of the oil-can leaking the wallet and its contents
are liable to be damaged. In the improved arrangement, the oil-can is made in
tubular form of such diameter and length as to slide within and be enclosed by the
horizontal portion of the L-pin which carries the saddle. In order to retain the
oil-can in position, various devices may be employed, such as a bayonet joint, a
screw-thread on the end of the oil-can and a corresponding thread on the interior
of the tube or the end of the oil-can may be provided with a flange or cup-shaped
portion which will closely embrace the outside of the end of the L-pin.
The construction of the oil-can itself may vary as desired, but it is preferably
made as above mentioned of tubular or cylindric shape, with a spout of con-
venient length; the end being made flexible in order to enable the oil to be expelled
in the usual manner. It is obvious that the total length of the oil-can will vary
in accordance with the length of the horizontal portion of the L-pin, into which it
is intended to fit without the spout projecting.
If desired in place of forming upon the oil-can a flange or clip which will engage
the end of the tube the latter may carry this clip into which the oil-can is forced.
If desired a storage tube of oil may be placed within the portion of the L-pin
which slides within the down-tube of the frame; this storage tube being provided
with means such as spring clips or the like, or merely enlarged at one end to
enable it to be held tightly, but removably within the saddle support. This arrange-
ment affords a convenient way of carrying a supply of oil sufficient to last for a
considerable time.
In the above described arrangement for enabling an oil-can to be placed in the
horizontal portion of the saddle support the end of the latter opposite to that in
which the oil-can is inserted may be either left open or closed, as by a cap sprung or
otherwise attached to it.
It is obvious that the details of construction may be considerably varied without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
Dated this 19th day of June 1897.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Saddle Supports for Cycles and
the like.
I, ALEXANDER PORTER, of 117, Dalston Lane, Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, 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 saddle supports for cycles and the like, and has for its
object to construct an oil-can which can be carried in the L-pin, L-tube or other
saddle support.
Hitherto a cyclist has usually carried his oil-can in the wallet or bag appended
to his machine, but in the event of the oil-can leaking the wallet and its contents
are liable to be damaged. In the improved arrangement, the oil-can is made in
tubular form of such diameter and length as to slide within and be enclosed by the
horizontal portion of the L-tube which carries the saddle. In order to retain the
oil-can in position various devices may be employed, such as a bayonet joint, a
screw-thread on the end of the oil-can and a corresponding thread on the interior
of the tube or the end of the oil-can may be provided with a flange or cup-shaped
portion which will closely embrace the outside of the end of the L-tube.
The construction of the oil-can itself may vary as desired, but it is preferably
made as above mentioned of tubular or cylindrical shape, with a spout of con-
venient length; the end being made flexible in order to enable the oil to be
expelled in the usual manner. It is obvious that the total length of the oil-can
will vary in accordance with the length of the horizontal portion of the L-tube,
into which it is intended to fit without the spout projecting.
If desired in place of forming upon the oil-can a flange or clip which will engage
the end of the tube the latter may carry this clip into which the oil-can is forced.
If desired a storage tube of oil may be placed within the portion of the L-tube
which slides within the down-tube of the frame; this storage tube being provided
with means such as spring clips or the like, or merely enlarged at one end to enable
it to be held tightly, but removable within the saddle support. This arrangement
affords a convenient way of carrying a supply of oil sufficient to last for a con-
siderable time.
In the above described arrangement for enabling an oil-can to be placed in the
horizontal portion of the saddle support the end of the latter opposite to that in
which the oil-can is inserted may be either left open or closed, as by a cap sprung or
otherwise attached to it.
It is obvious that the details of the construction may be considerably varied
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shows an improved oil-can constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 shows the three separate members of the same.
Figure 3 shows a saddle support carrying an improved oil-can, and also a storage-
tube for spare oil, part of the saddle support, and the oil-can, being in section.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The improved oil-can comprises a body or oil vessel A, preferably tubular in shape,
and a spout B fitted with a cap C. The body A is provided with a cup-shaped
socket A¹ preferably formed of thin tube, of such diameter that it will closely
embrace the exterior of the horizontal or approximately horizontal portion D of the
L-tube. The end A2 of the body A may conveniently be made of a thin sheet of
metal or other suitable material, flexible, in order that the oil may be expelled by
pressing the end in the usual manner.

page_text: The necessary joints between the body A, the socket A', and the flexible end A8,
are made without soldering or brazing; preferably they are pressed, by means of
steam or other pressure.
At its other extremity the body A is provided with a neck A³ which is internally
screwed to receive the end B' of the spout B. This spout B is preferably made of
metal, cast, or otherwise formed, in one piece, having no joint or seam, and is
screwed at its smaller end B2 to take a screwed cap C, such cap being furnished
with a pin C, which serves to keep the passage in the spout B free from dust in the
usual manner.
A similar vessel, may, if desired, be carried in the vertical portion E, of the
L-tube (Figure 3), and may contain a supply of spare oil. In this case the spout B
is replaced by a screw cap F, and the clip or socket A¹ is preferably made taper so as
to wedge tightly into the interior of the vertical part of the L-tube.
It is obvious that the form of the oil-can and the method of attaching it to the
saddle support may be varied considerably. For instance it may be attached by
means of a bayonet or screw joint or the body of the can itself may be made taper
so as to wedge tightly into the tube, but I prefer the socket to fit on the exterior of
the horizontal portion of the saddle support, because the external diameter of this
tube is more or less constant in all classes of cycles, while the thickness of the tube
and consequently the internal diameter varies to a large extent. If preferred the
socket may be split, or formed so as to be still more adaptable to tubes of varying
external diameters.
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. The combination substantially as described with a cycle saddle support of a
removable oil-can retained within it.
2. An oil-can constructed to engage the saddle support of a cycle.
3. The combination with an oil-can of a socket such as A¹ to frictionally engage
a cycle saddle-support, substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. The complete oil-can substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1
of the accompanying drawings.
5. The complete oil-storage tube with a socket tapered or springing to engage the
interior of a saddle support substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 3
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897.
ALEXANDER PORTER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant..