Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1897
Complote Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
I, ERNEST RICHARD ROYSTON, of 8, Olive Mount, Wavertree, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
of 1896.
This invention has reference to velocipedes, and particularly to bicycles of the
kind in which the frames consist of a rigid part and a spring part, and the saddle
is supported or carried upon the spring portion, that is to say, of the kind set
forth in
a former Specification of Application for Letters Patent No. 11777*
According to the present invention there is used and combined, in connection
with the C shaped and analogous or equivalent springs, set forth in said former
specification, a stay or controlling rod, bar, or cord, extending down from the end
of the spring on or near which the saddle is fixed, to a point at or near the crank
shaft bracket or rigid part of the frame below. This may be in single or double
form, and the springs may also be in double form. This stay (which may be partly
rigid & partly flexible in some cases, or wholly one or the other) is, when in
action, adapted to hold the C or other equivalent spring down in tension, in such
a manner, that when the rider's weight is put upon it, it will not give way under
him, but will just about carry him at that tension or pressure. Then also there is
combined with this stay a spring which acts as a buffer or cushioning spring to the
main spring and rider when the main spring goes back to its normal position
after having been bent or compressed in passing over a hole or recess in the road or
over an obstacle or other projecting part or body.
On or in connection with these parts there is an adjusting device as a screw &
nut, or other equivalent device by which the required tension or pressure is put
upon the main saddle supporting spring, the stay, & the second spring, or any of
them, as desired.
In some cases this stay is provided at a suitable part, say the lower end, (or
the upper end) with a detachable fastener or catch, by which, when it is detached
from the part with which it engages, the tension or strain on the main supporting
spring, & the stay, and frame generally, is removed when the cycle is not being
used. When it is desired to use the machine, it is only necessary to bend down the
main supporting spring, & connect up the stay by the fastener. According to modified
manner of effecting this end, the stay is provided with or has upon it. a lengthening
and shortening device of any suitable kind, by which the length of the stay may be
made shorter or longer quickly & easily, when required.
According to a further part of this invention there is employed in connection
with bicycles of the kind herein referred to, a standard or stay projecting up from
the rigid frame, and of rigid form or construction, of double or single form; and
in connection with this standard or stay-preferably the upper part-the end
of the main supporting spring or springs works, or a bar, projecting part, or slide
works, and serves as guide or support to the spring, to prevent side oscillations or

page_text: movement of the spring, or its moving in any but the required directions. And
this stay or support in some cases also serves to hold the spring in tension or under
strain, as above described, and to limit its movements in the up, or up & down,
directions. Also, in some cases, the movement forward or backward bodily of the
main supporting spring, is controlled by and from this standard or stay, by
connecting up the spring to the stay or standard, or arranging it in connection
therewith, so that while it is free to move up & down, it cannot move backward or
forwards, or only to a small and controlled extent.
Dated th 6th
LA 1 1007
I, ERNEST RICHARD ROYSTON, late of 8, Olive Mount, Wavertree, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, but now of Brookdale, Raby Mere, Bromborough, in
the County of Chester, 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 has reference to velocipedes, and particularly to bicycles of the
kind in which the frames consist of a rigid part and a spring part, and the saddle
is supported or carried upon the spring portion, that is to say, of the kind set
forth in a former Specification of Application for Letters Patent No. 11777*
of 1896.
According to the present invention, there is used and combined, in connection
with the C shaped and analogous or equivalent springs, set forth in said former
specification, a stay or controlling rod, box, or cord, extending down from the end
of the spring on or near which the saddle is fixed, to a point at or near the crank
shaft bracket or rigid part of the frame. This may be in single or double form.
and the springs may also be in double form. This stay (which may be partly
rigid, or partly flexible, in some cases; or wholly one or the other) is, when in
action, adapted to hold the C, or other spring down in tension, in such a manner
that when the rider's weight is put upon it, it will not give way under him, but
will just about carry him at that tension or pressure. Then, also, there is com-
bined with this stay a spring which acts as buffer or cushioning spring to the
main spring and rider, when the main spring goes back to its normal position after
having been bent or compressed in passing over a hole or recess in the road, or
over an obstacle, or other projecting part or body.
On or in connection with these parts, there is an adjusting device, as a screw and
nut, or other equivalent device, by which the required tension or pressure is put
upon the main saddle supporting spring, the stay, and the second spring, or any of
them, as desired. In some cases, this stay is provided at a suitable part, say the
lower end (or the upper end), with a detachable fastener or catch, by which, when
it is detached from the part with which it engages, the tension or strain on the main
supporting spring, and the stay, and the frame generally, is removed, when the
cycle is not being used. When it is desired to use the machine, it is only necessary
to bend down the main supporting spring and connect up the stay by the fastener.
According to a modified manner of effecting this end, the stay is provided with,
or has upon it, a lengthening and shortening device of any suitable kind, by
which the length of the stay may be made shorter or longer quickly and easily,
when required.

page_text: According to a further part of this invention, there is employed, in connection
with bicycles of the kind herein referred to, a standard or stay projecting from the
rigid frame, and of rigid form or construction of double or single form, and in
connection with this standard or stay-preferably the upper part-the end of the
main supporting spring or springs, or a bar, projecting part, or slide, works, and
serves as guide or support to the spring, to prevent side oscillations or movement of
the spring, or its moving in any but the required directions. And this stay or
support, in some cases, also serves to hold the spring in tension or under strain, as
above described, and, to limit its movements in the up, or up and down directions.
Also, in some cases, the movement forward and backward, bodily, of the main
supporting spring is controlled by and from this standard or stay, by connecting
up the spring to the stay or standard, or arranging it in connection therewith, so
that, while it is free to move up and down, it cannot move backwards or forwards,
or only to a small and controlled extent.
In the drawings hereto annexed, the invention is illustrated, Figure 1 shews a
complete bicycle in side elevation, provided with improvements under the invention.
Figure 2 is a detail in section, of a part of the bicycle shewn in Figure 1. And
Figure 3 shews a modification under the invention.
Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2. the frame
shewn comprises a rigid tubular portion, consisting of the tubes a between the
front wheel and fork and the crank shaft bracket o, and the fork tubes b between
this bracket and the rear wheel connection at 61 (the fork tubes being carried up
beyond this point in this case); flat springs fixed in the ends of the tubes b,
carried up and forward, as shewn, and carrying the saddle e at their ends: and a
stay between the ends of the spring c and the frame a (or may be b) by which they
-the springs-are controlled or steadied.
In the case shewn, this stay or part comprises two features; namely, it is
adapted to hold the spring c down under a certain degree of tension or stress; and
also, to act as a support and guide to the spring, preventing side or longitudinal
oscillations or movements thereof, or its moving in any but the required directions:
It consists, partly, of a tubular standard d, rigidly fastened at its base to the upper
and lower tubes a a, in any known suitable way; while, at its upper end, it is
provided with a projecting arm, the upper end of which is connected with
the saddle pillar support, cl, on the end of the springs c, by a
rigid link
or connection f, hinged to d¹ and c¹. This link or connection,
obtaining its support from the rigid standard d, prevents the spring c from moving
laterally or longitudinally, that is, in any other direction but the up and down one.
Then, a further connection between the springs c and the standard d is effected by
a rod h, which is connected at one end to the saddle pillar support el, and passes
through a gland or nut i, which screws into the internally threaded neck on the
standard d; and between the underside of this gland, and a collar or nut h¹ on
the end of h, the spring k is provided. This spring, normally, will be in com-
pression, and by screwing the gland i down into the neck 2, more or less, the
strain or compression on the spring k can be varied.
It will thus be seen, that, by means of this tie or stay, a constant tension on the
springs c is obtained. And this tension should be such, that when the rider's
weight is put on the springs, they will not give way under him, but will just about
carry him, while the spring k serves to prevent any sudden jar coming on the
springs c, and hence to the rider-in their return, after they have been in action;
that is to say, after the wheel has passed over an unevenness or projection in the
road, and the different parts, viz., the saddle e, and the frame, resume their normal
relative positions. This controlling means, also, beyond the effect above specified,
prevents the movement up and down of the saddle e when riding, and when
relieving the springs, of the weight of the rider, more or less, in pressing on
the pedals.
In some cases, as shewn in Figure 2, a spring is interposed between the end of
the spring c, and a base or part, on or connected with the stay d, so as to assist

page_text: substantially in supporting the weight of the rider. This spring, in Figure 2, is
designated, and is of spiral form, interposed between the fitting and the gland i.
When such a spring is used, the springs c may be of relatively light and weak
structure.
The springs c shewn, are fixed in the ends of the fork tubes b, and are of flat
form; and they are, preferably, brought close together, at their upper ends, and
rivetted, or otherwise suitably fastened, to the saddle pillar holder c', they being
of such strength and thickness as, together, will support the weight of the rider,
and of such width as to prevent lateral movement.
In the cycle shewn, which is a woman's pattern or type (but which, of course, can
also be used by men), the upper frame tube a is shewn with a short supplemental
forked portion a², extending from the part where the standard d is secured to it,
to the frame forks b, to which it could be hinged.
In the modification shewn in Figure 3, the stay connecting the spring c with
the frame a is a tension one. In this case, the part m consists of a rod, tube, or
cord, secured to the saddle pillar support c¹, and having at its lower ends an
adjusting device, consisting of an internally threaded socket piece n, fastened
to m, and an externally threaded bolt or pin n¹, screwing into n, and connected
at its lower end with the end of the spring k, the lower end of
which is secured to the bicycle frame a. The joint between
the end of n¹, and the spring k, is of the swivel type, so that the rod n¹ can be
screwed into and out of the socket end, without disconnecting. By this means,
the tension required on the springs e is obtained, and can be adjusted to any degree
desired, by the adjusting device; while the spring k serves to obviate sudden
stoppage or jerking action, of the contrivances or parts when coming back to their
normal position, after having been in action. In the case of a man's type of
bicycle the standard connected with the frame, for preventing lateral or longitudinal
movement of the springs c, may be carried from the front portion of the frame a,
horizontally, and from the lower portion of the frame, as shewn in Figure 1, forming
an angular standard on the frame a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, it is to be stated that the
invention is not restricted to the particular form or construction of springs or
parts shewn in the drawings, nor to the particular type of cycle shewn; but what is
claimed in respect of the herein described invention is:-
1. In a spring frame bicycle of the kind herein referred to, a stay between the
upper part of the spring, and a portion of the frame, by which the action and
movement of said springs are controlled or regulated; substantially as set forth.
2. An improved spring frame safety bicycle, comprising a rigid frame extending
between the front portion and the rear wheel, a spring or springs extending from
the rear part of said rigid portion to a point above and forward of
the rear wheel axle, where the saddle is supported, and a stay between
said saddle or spring and the frame of the bicycle, by which the springs are
normally kept under tension or stress; for the purposes specified.
3. A spring frame bicycle, comprising a rigid portion, and a spring portion
extending up from the back part of the rigid portion, and adapted to carry the rider,
wherein said springs are normally kept under stress or tension, as described,
whereby when the weight of the rider, is placed on, or removed from the saddle,
wholly, or to a considerable extent, the said supporting springs will have no
movement up and down; for the purposes set forth.
4. In a bicycle, comprising a rigid frame portion, and spring portion fixed to
and extending up therefrom, and the upper ends of which carry the saddle, a stay
adapted to keep the spring under a constant tension or stress and, to provide for the
movement of said springs up and down, and also to prevent said springs moving in
other directions; substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. The cycle spring stays and supports, as herein set forth with reference to and
shewn in the drawings.
6. The cycle spring stay, having parts arranged and adapted to operate,
particularly as set forth with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.
7. The cycle spring stay, having parts arranged and adapted to operate,
particularly as set forth with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings.
Dotad the Cal 1000