Pneumatic Springs for Velocipede Saddles and Steering Handles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Pneumatic Springs for Velocipede Saddles and Steering Handles.
I, FREDERICK JOHN ESMOND, of No. 28 Victoria Street Westminster, in the
County of London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to pneumatic springs for supporting the saddles and steering
handles of velocipedes, so as to lessen shock and vibration.
For this purpose, I make a hollow cushion of caoutchouc or other suitable
impervious material, of spherical or approximately spherical form, with a central
tube of the like material connecting the upper to the lower part. I inflate this
cushion and place it between a concave seat below which is fixed on the framing of
the velocipede, and a corresponding concave cover above which is attached to the
saddle or to the bearing in which the stem of the steering handle turas. Through
the central tube of the cushion passes a rod or tube free to slide in the tube below,
this rod or tube having a pin working in a slotted hole of the tube below. Thus
the stem of the steering handle, while it can slide up and down as it oscillates on
the cushion, can cause the steering fork to turn with it, and when the cushion is
used to support the saddle, this pin forms a stop to prevent the saddle from rising
too high in its oscillations.
Dated this 26th day of May 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Pneumatic Springs for Velocipede Saddles and Steering Handles.
I, FREDERICK JOHN ESMOND, of No. 28 Victoria Street, Westminster, in the
County of London, Electrical 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:
My invention relates to pneumatic springs for supporting the saddles and steering
handles of velocipedes, these springs being so arranged that the saddle support and
the steering handles provided with them can be applied to an existing velocipede
without alteration of the framing, as I shall describe, referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure is a side elevation of a bicycle with my invention applied thereto;
Fig. 2 is a section of a pneumatic spring according to my invention for a saddle
support;
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line X X of Fig. 2, and
Figure 4 is a section of a modification of spring, and the connections for the
steering handles.
Referring first to Figures 2 and 3, the transverse tube B which forms part of

page_text: the saddle support is attached to an inner tube A which is free to slide within a
second tube C'and this tube can be introduced into the tube D forming part of
the frame of the velocipede.
Between a cup a fixed on A and a cup c I place a ball H of caoutchouc or other
suitable impervious material, this ball having an inner partition E enclosing a cavity
which surrounds the tube A.
The inner partition E is furnished with a ring e, for the purpose of preventing
the inner partition E from collapsing in the centre when the ball is inflated.
The interior of the ball at its ends is fitted to the tube A in such a manner as to
permit free movement, and these end parts may be lined with metal, or a rubber
sleeve may extend through the ball, for the purpose of protecting the inner
surfaces of the ends of the ball from wear, this rubber sleeve being removeable
when worn.
The annular space between the outer wall H and the inner partition E is charged
with compressed air through a suitable check valve F.
The separation of the tubes A and C is prevented by stopping the ends of the
tubes with fixed plugs a¹ and c', and passing a bolt from a through a hole in c¹ and
securing it by nuts G, thus allowing the inner tube A to move up and down within C
but not farther upwards than is permitted by the nuts at G. The steering handle B
Figure 4 is similarly mounted, being fixed on an inner tube A which slides within
a second tube C that can be inserted in the tube D which is connected to the
steering fork. The tube A is prevented from turning within the tube C by
passing a transverse pin k, which is fixed in the the tube C, through a slot in the
tube A for permitting vertical play.
In both cases the relative turning of the tube A within C may be prevented by
indenting them as shewn in Figure 3, so that A presents an inwardly projecting rib
sliding in a groove of C.
According to the modification shewn in Figure 4, I make the pneumatic spring
in the form of an annular tube like a pneumatic tyre of small diameter having the
internal caoutchouc tube protected by a suitable cover, or I may use a single tube.
The valve for inflation may pass through the lower cup c.
A spring such as the ball shown in Figure 2 may be used instead of the ring for
the steering handle, and the ring form of spring may be used instead of the ball
for the saddle support.
As the cross tube B, the inner tube A, its surrounding tube C and the pneumatic
spring H form as it were one piece, which can be inserted into existing tubes forming
parts of the framing of a velocipede, no material alteration of the framing is required
for their application.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I
make no general claim for supporting the saddles or the steering handles of
velocipedes on pneumatic or other springs, but what I claim is :-
In combination with the steering handle or the saddle support of a velocipede a
tube attached thereto and fitted to slide in a second tube which is inserted or fixed
in a tube that forms part of the framing, and a pneumatic cushion interposed
between cups fixed on the two tubes first mentioned, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of March 1907
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.