Improvements in Velocipedes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1895-Accepted 27th Apr.; 1895
Improvements in Velocipedes.
I, EDWARD CHARLES FREDERICK OTTO of No. 7 York. Grove Peckham in
the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention refers to ordinary safety bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
which I so construct as to permit the rider to change the position of the saddle or
seat of the machine and to allow of fixing the same while riding in such positions
as may be most suited for the varying conditions of road and for fast or slow riding.
In machines as constructed up to the present date, the rider has, in order to get
more weight or power upon the pedals (and consequently upon the cranks, in the
case of a rotary machine) to either stoop or else pull on the handles. Now both
these methods are extremely uncomfortable to the rider and also injurious to the
spine and chest, in addition to which neither method affords. any great advantage
as far as concerns the application of more power on the pedals. In the first
mentioned method of riding a great amount of the rider's weight is lost by leaning
on the handle bar and in the second method, nearly the entire resistance, when
going uphill is transferred to the spine as the pull on the handle bar has to be
resisted by the spine as aforesaid.
Now according to my invention I make the saddle or seat to move at desire,
and preferably more or less in the arc of a circle, the centre of which radius is
at or about in the centre of the crank axle or other similar point so as to enable
the rider to propel the machine with the least possible effort and the greatest
amount of comfort.
According to one modification the pillar of the saddle is pivotted to a point on
the crank case or lower bracket a little above the centre of the crank axle the
upper horizontal tube of the frame, supposing it be a so-called diamond frame,
being made forked and inside the forks I provide a more or less curved rack or
racks or their equivalents into which gear one or more catch or catches or other
correspondingly formed parts which by means of a spring or springs takes or take
into such racks, levers or other equivalents being provided for releasing such
catches when desired and capable of being actuated either from the front or from
behind. A sliding sleeve may be conveniently slipped on to a lever at the back
and such sleeve may by a strap or the like be attached to some part of the rider's
body so that he may by band or by a forward movement of the body release the
catch or catches and permit the saddle pillar to be swung or moved to the desired
position. The rider then resumes his ordinary position and the catch or catches
takes or take into the rack. The sliding sleeve easily slips off the lever when the
rider dismounts or he may by slightly leaning backwards remove it by hand before
he dismounts. It is evident that instead of using a pivotted pillar, the upper
horizontal tube of the frame, or the seat pillar itself, may serve as or have a slide
on which the saddle can slide. Or instead thereof the invention may be applied to
the saddle itself so as to render it applicable to practically any existing machine.
In any case it will most probably be found preferable to cause the saddle to move
nearer to the crank axle as the saddle is canted forward, because the more the
rider is brought over his work, the less weight comes on the saddle and con-
sequently the spring or springs under the saddle raise it proportionally, the fixing,
disengagement and re-fixing in position of the saddle being provided for.
In order to equalize the tread of the rider upon the pedals, especially when
suddenly changing from one position to another, the driving wheel and its. pulley

page_text: are connected elastically that is to say a strong spring is wound or otherwise fixed
round the axle and constantly holds a stop or lug on the pulley up against another
stop on the hub of the wheel in such manner that under ordinary circumstances
the hub and the pulley move together but on any sudden strain being communi-
cated to the pulley, the latter moves to a certain extent independently of the wheel.
It follows however that the wheel immediately, so to speak, "catches up" the
pulley by the action of the spring. The pulley may conveniently be made in the
form of a drum so as to keep dust and wet from the spring. By this means
the vibration and strain on the rider's feet will be diminished.
Dated this 22nd day of August. 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
I, EDWARD CHARLES FREDERICK OTTO of No. 7 York Grove Peckham in
the County of Surrey 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 refers to ordinary safety bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
and consists in so constructing them as to permit the rider to change the position
of the saddle or seat and to admit of fixing the same even while riding in such
positions as may be most suited for the varying conditions of road, and for fast or
slow riding.
In machines as generally constructed up till now if the rider wants to put more
weight or power upon the pedals and crank he must either stoop or else pull on the
handles. Now both these methods are extremely uncomfortable to the rider and
also injurious to the spine and chest, nor do these methods afford any material
increase of power on the pedals. By the first method a great part of the rider's
weight is lost by leaning on the handle bar, and by the second method nearly the
whole resistance is when going uphill transferred to the spine which has thus to
resist the pull on the handle bar.
Now according to my invention I make the saddle or seat to move as desired in
the arc of a circle the centre of which is at or about in the centre of the crank axle
and by preference a little above and behind the centre of the crank axle, whereby
the rider is enabled to propel the machine with the least possible effort and the
greatest amount of comfort whether on the level or uphill or downhill. A spring
may be provided which tends to move the saddle forwards. In order to equalize
the tread of the rider upon the pedals especially when changing from one position
to another for going uphill, the driving wheel and its pulley are connected
elastically, a spring being wound round the hollow axle or hub of the pulley one
end of the spring being fixed to that hub and the other end fixed to the external
hub or boss of the wheel. The hollow axle or hub of the pulley rotates on the
fixed inner or ball bearing axle and stops are provided, one on the pulley hub and
another on the wheel hub whereby under ordinary circumstances the wheel and the
pulley move together but on any sudden strain being communicated to the pulley
the latter moves to a certain extent independently of the wheel. The spring causes
the wheel immediately to catch up the pulley. Means are provided for adjusting the
tension of the spring.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic side view of a
so-called safety bicycle constructed with my improvements when in the act of
going downhill and Figure 1ª when going uphill,

page_text: Figure 2 18 side view partly in section of the seat fixing and shifting
arrangement, Figure 3 a sectional plan view of same,
Figure 4 a side view of the lower attachment of the seat pillar tube, Figure 5 a
transverse section of same,
Figure 6 a plan section of the hub of the driving road wheel and
Figure 7 a plan partly in section shewing another form of spring.
Figure 2 is a side view and Figure 3ª a vertical cross section of a modified seat
shifting and fixing arrangement.
The seat pillar tube A is pivoted to a point on the lower bracket B by preference
a little above and behind the centre of the crank axle C, so that the seat or saddle
can move in an arc struck from about this point. The upper horizontal tube D
is forked where the seat pillar tube A passes through it (or vice versa the latter
might be forked and pass over the tube D). On the inside of the fork are provided
one or two curved racks D', into which falls the double toothed catch E. The
spring F serves to hold the same in position. The lever H is pivoted to the top
of the seat pillar I and is by the screwed rod G adjustably connected to the
double catch E. The lever H is by preference at the end provided with sleeve H¹
which by a strap or cord may be connected to some part of the rider's body
so that he may by hand or by a forward movement of the body release the catch E
and shift the seat pillar I and tube A into the desired position. In fact the rider
when bending forward in ascending a hill will thus unconsciously release the catch
and when the best position has been obtained he will resume his ordinary position
and compel the catch to take into the racks D'. The injurious and unsightly
stooping of the rider thus becomes needless and in fact impossible. The sleeve H¹
easily slips off the lever H when the rider dismounts or it may be removed by
hand. The lever H and the parts connected thereto may be arranged at the front
part of the saddle if desired instead of at the rear as here shewn. A spring may
be applied at the pivoting point of the tube A or at any other convenient part
thereof for the purpose of giving the tube a tendency to move forward thus
assisting the rider in assuming a forward position and counteracting the tendency
of the rider to move backward by his own weight; this spring may be placed on
the pivot of the tube A.
Instead of the tube A being made to pivot on its lower end it may as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3 be fixed; the seat pillar I is then formed with a tooth rack D¹
formed as an arc struck from the same point as the racks D₁ described with
reference to Figure 1. The rack may suitably be made single in this case, formed
on the top of the hollow square arc D upon which the saddle carrier sleeve E¹ is
by screws E clamped so as to be movable thereon. E is a pawl which is actuated
by the handle H¹.
The outer part K of the road wheel hub which has the flanges K' for the wheel
spokes is tubular and fits over and can turn on that part L* which carries the
sprocket wheel Q and contains the ball bearing cups M or other bearing for
the spindle N. The helical spring O is at one end fixed in one of the several
holes in the inner flange (K*) forming part of the outer part K of the hub, and
at the other end by means of a recess L° to the inner part L which carries the
sprocket wheel Q. The cones P and L' contain metal rings X which form there-
with adjustable bearings at the ends of the hub K which serve to keep the outer
hub in proper position on the inner one similar to the usual pedal bearing
arrangement.
The spring can be wound to the proper tension and held therein by introducing
the one end in one of the several holes which the inuer flange K* of outer hub K
contains allowing at the same time the stop stud or check Q to drop into a
suitable recess L³ in the hub of the sprocket wheel as shown in Figure 7 by means
of which the movement of outer hub K upon the inner one L is limited.
The spring O can be released and the parts K and L fixed together by simply
tightening up the bearing P on the inner hub L. Under ordinary circumstances

page_text: the hub and the pulley move together but on any sudden strain being communi-
cated to the sprocket wheel Q the latter while the spring is being partially wound up
moves to a certain extent independently of the road wheel whereupon the road
wheel and spring recover their normal position when the cranks have obtained
a favourable leverage or position for propulsion. The road wheel thus immediately
overtakes the sprocket wheel by the action of the spring O. By this construction
the vibration and strain on the rider's feet will also be diminished.
In the modification Fig. 7 a flat spiral spring O is wound round the inner hub L,
one bent end of the spring being held in the slot L' of said hub, and the other bent
end being held in the slot K2 in the outer hub K.
Fig. 8 is a part sectional side view illustrating another mode of releasing and
fixing in position the pivoted seat pillar tube viz. by pneumatic means. To the
pivoted seat pillar tube A is fixed a cylinder G resting in a cup fixed to the seat
pillar tube A, leather packed piston G¹ the piston rod G³ of which abuts against
the underside of a projection E' on the double toothed catch E. From the
underside of the piston G¹ a small pipe partly flexible G³ and G³, and partly
metallic, Gʻ, and Ġ, is led along the frame part D, the steering fork and the
steering handle to a cylinder H fixed thereto and provided with cupleather packed
piston H pistou rod H³ with knob H¹. A volute spring H is placed under the
piston. These parts are shown more clearly in the enlarged sectional view Fig. 9.
U is a pressing knob with a square stem (or a round stem with one or more flats
filed thereon) working through a round hole in the bottom of the cylinder and
having a valve U which normally is depressed by a spring U₁ against a leather
or india rubber washer U thus preventing the escape of the air pumped by the
cylinder H into the cylinder G.
When the piston H2 is depressed one or more times by the thumb or hand of the
rider pressing against the knob H¹ the air is forced through the valve U³ into
the cylinder G, thus lifting its piston rod G' against the projection E¹ and raising
the catch E out of gear with the tooth racks D'. The rider can then by the
movement of his body aided by the spring A² or otherwise place the seat in
the desired position. Then by pressing upon the knob U the valve U2 is raised
from its seat U* and the compressed air in the cylinder G and the pipe will escape
through the openings round the square spindle of the valve and the piston G' and
the catch E will drop and be forced down by the spring F Fig. 2 thus fixing the
saddle in position. The valve U³ is a flat strip of gold beater's skin attached to
the lower socket part of the cylinder in the manner used in air pumps and prevents
the return of air into the cylinder H.
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 :-
In velocipedes the application and use of:
1. A shifting saddle or seat which can at the will of the rider assume any
desired or the most advantageous position in an arc struck from a fixed centre
at or near or preferably just above and behind the centre of the crank axle and
become fixed in such position substantially as set forth.
2. A seat pillar tube pivoted on a fixed centre at or near or preferably just
above and behind the centre of the crank axle in combination with suitable means
for shifting the position of the seat pillar tube and for fixing it in the new position
substantially as set forth.
3. A fixed seat pillar tube provided with a seat pillar upon which latter the
saddle or seat can move in an arc as firstly claimed in combination with suitable
means for shifting the saddle or seat and for fixing it in the new position substan-
tially as set forth.
4. The means described and shown for fixing the seat or saddle in the desired
osition automatically or otherwise substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. The driving wheel hub with spring attachment, and means for regulating the
same, for the purpose of assisting uphill travelling and softening the tread substan-
tially as set forth.
6. The construction of wheel hub with spring attachment and bearing rings
which can be adjusted by the cones and nut and by means of the latter if desired
rendered solid with the inner hub substantially as set forth.
7. The shifting saddle or seat constructions described and shown.
Dated this 8th day of 1905
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.