Improvements in Means for Supporting Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 11th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Supporting Cycle Saddles.
We, JOHN ADOLPHUS SHEPHERD, of High Cross, Tottenham, in the County of
Middlesex, Coach Builder, and ALFRED LAISTER SHEPHERD, of West Cliff Studio,
Southend, in the County of Essex, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in means for supporting the
saddle of a bicycle or other cycle whereby such saddle can be depressed from its
normal height into a position convenient for mounting, and can be held in that
position until the rider has mounted and obtained his or her balance, after which
the saddle can be allowed to rise, into a convenient position for riding and become
automatically locked or held in the raised position.
According thereto the saddle pillar or equivalent part of the machine (herein-
after called the saddle pillar) for carrying the saddle, is made capable of being
depressed against the action of an elastic or yielding body which serves to after-
wards raise it and in conjunction with such saddle pillar there is provided a
locking or holding device (hereinafter called a holding device) which can be
moved into a position to release the saddle pillar and permit it to be depressed,
which can be caused to hold the pillar and saddle in the depressed position until
the latter is mounted, and then to automatically release the said saddle pillar and
permit it to rise, either step by step, or all at once as may be desired, and to lock
it in the raised position by a jamming, clamping or gripping action brought about
by the tendency of the pillar to move downward.
A saddle support to act in the manner described can be constructed in various
forms.
In one arrangement, for this purpose according to this invention the saddle
support comprises a saddle pillar which may be of any suitable shape at its upper
end, for example, approximately tee, ell, or the like, to admit of a cycle saddle
being easily attached thereto. This pillar is mounted to slide endways in a tube
containing a coiled spring upon which it bears and is prevented from turning in
the said tube, as by a pin which is fixed to the tube and extends through longi-
tudinal slots in the pillar. The tube is of a size adapted to fit the saddle pillar
tube of a bicycle or other cycle and to be adjusted endways therein and fixed in
position by a set screw like the ordinary saddle pillars heretofore used. It is
provided at its upper end with a pair of lugs between which is pivoted an eccentric
holding device that will permit the saddle pillar to rise under the action of the
spring but will prevent it descending except to the small extent necessary to bring
the said device automatically into action. This device comprises, in one example,
a plate the periphery of which at the part adjacent to the pillar, is made eccentric
+144

page_text: to the centre of motion and is preferably toothed, roughened or serrated and is
normally pressed against a toothed, roughened or serrated surface on the adjacent
side of the saddle pin by a suitable spring or springs. The plate is also formed at
its lower part with a tooth or projection that is adapted, when the saddle pin is
sufficiently depressed, to be forced against the action of the said spring or springs.
into engagement with a suitably formed abutment, or one of a series of abutments,
on the saddle pillar and to then hold down the said pillar. The arrangement is
such that upon depressing the outer end of the eccentric locking device against
the action of the spring or springs, the saddle can be depressed from its normal
position against the action of the coiled spring in the tube into a position con-
venient for mounting and in which the tooth or projection on the locking device
can be engaged with the abutment, or one of them, on the saddle pillar and auto-
matically hold this pillar and the saddle carried thereby in their depressed posi-
tions until the saddle is mounted. When this is done the weight of the rider will
depress the saddle pillar to a slight extent and permit the spring or springs of
the holding device to automatically withdraw the tooth or projection from the saddle
pillar and force the eccentric surface of such device against the same. The rider
by then relieving to a suitable extent his or her weight on the saddle, can permit
it and the saddle pillar to be forced upward by the coiled spring past the locking
device, the eccentrically arranged periphery of which will permit the saddle pillar
to move upward but will upon slight downward movement of the said pin be
drawn automatically into action to firmly jam and hold the saddle and pillar in
the raised position. By relieving the weight on the saddle only slightly and
momentarily, the pillar and saddle can be caused to rise in an intermittent or step
by step manner and through a small extent at a time. Or by suitably relieving
the weight on the saddle, as by standing on the cranks, the seat may, if desired, be
allowed to rise to its full height at one movement.
Suitable means may be provided for adjusting the height to which the saddle
can rise to suit different requirements. In one example, the saddle pillar is for
this purpose provided at its lower end with a screw threaded pin that extends
through the bottom of the tube and is provided with an adjustable nut that bears
against the bottom of the tube and limits the extent of upward movement of the
saddle pillar without interfering with its downward movement.
Instead of employing a separate tube to contain the coiled spring, this spring
may be placed in the ordinary saddle-pillar tube which will then be provided with
a suitable abutment for supporting the said spring, with a holding device of the
kind herein referred to for holding the saddle pillar in a raised position, and with
means for preventing rotation thereof.
If desired the tooth or projection on the holding device may be dispensed with
and the saddle and pillar held in the depressed position by hand during mounting,
but this is not so advantageous an arrangement as that hereinbefore described.
1000
Improvements in Means for Supporting Cycle Saddles.
We, JOIN ADOLPHUS SHEPHERD, of High Cross, Tottenham, in the County of
Middlesex, Coach Builder, and ALFRED LAISTER SHEPHERD, of West Cliff Studio,
Southend, in the County of Essex, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of 50

page_text: 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 improvements in means for supporting the saddle
of a bicycle or other cycle whereby such saddle can be depressed from its normal
height into a position convenient for mounting, and can be held in that position
until the rider has mounted and obtained his or her balance, after which the saddle
can be allowed to rise into a convenient position for riding and become auto-
matically locked or held in the raised position.
According thereto the saddle pillar or equivalent part of the machine (herein-
after called the saddle pillar) for carrying the saddle, is made capable of being
depressed against the action of an elastic or yielding body which serves to after-
wards raise it, and in conjunction with such saddle pillar there is provided a lock-
ing or holding device (hereinafter called a holding device) which can be moved into
a position to release the saddle pillar and permit it to be depressed, which can be
caused to hold the pillar and saddle in the depressed position until the latter is
mounted, and then to automatically release the said saddle pillar and permit it
to rise, either step by step, or all at once as may be desired, and to lock it in the
raised position by a jamming, clamping or gripping action brought about by the
tendency of the pillar to move downward.
A saddle support to act in the manner described can be constructed in various
forms.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows partly in vertical section and partly
in side elevation, one construction of cycle saddle support according to this inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line x x of Fig. 1.
In this arrangement the saddle support comprises a saddle pillar 1 which may
be of any suitable shape at its upper end, for example, approximately tee, ell, or
the like, to admit of a cycle saddle 2 (shown in dotted lines) being easily attached
thereto. It is mounted to slide endways in a tube 3 containing a coiled spring 4
upon which it bears, and is prevented from turning in the said tube by a pin 5
which is fixed to the tube and extends through a longitudinal slot 5" in the pillar.
The tube 3 is of a size adapted to fit the saddle pillar tube 6 (shown in dotted lines)
of a bicycle or other cycle and to be adjusted endways therein and fixed in position
by a set screw like the ordinary saddle pillars heretofore used. It is provided at
its upper end with a pair of lugs 7 between which is pivoted at 8 an eccentric
locking or holding device that will permit the saddle pillar to rise under the action
of the spring 4 but will prevent it descending except to the small extent necessary
to bring the said device automatically into action. This device comprises, in the
example shown, a plate 9 the periphery of which at 9ª is made eccentric to the
centre of motion 8 and is preferably toothed, roughened or serrated and is normally
pressed against a toothed, roughened or serrated surface 1" on the adjacent side of
the saddle pillar 1 by a suitable spring or springs of which two are shown at 10.
The plate 9 is also formed at its lower side with a tooth or projection 9b that is
adapted, when the saddle pillar 1 is sufficiently depressed, to be forced into engage
ment with a suitably formed abutment, or one of a series of abutments 1b, on the
saddle pillar, and to then hold down the said pillar and saddle 2. As will be seen
the arrangement is such that upon depressing the outer end 9° of the eccentric
locking device 9 against the action of the springs 10, the saddle 2 can be depressed
from its normal position against the action of the spring 4 into a position con-
venient for mounting and in which the tooth or projection 9b on the locking
device 9 can be engaged with one of the abutments 1b on the saddle pillar 1 so
as to hold this pillar and the saddle carried thereby in their depressed positions
until the saddle is mounted. When the saddle is afterwards mounted, the weight
of the rider will depress the saddle pillar to a slight extent and permit the spring
or springs 10 to partly rotate the eccentric locking device so as to automatically
withdraw the tooth or projection 9b from the saddle pillar and force the eccentric
surface 9 against the same, the said plate working through a slot 3ª in the upper
end of the tube 3, as shown. The rider by then relieving to a suitable extent his

page_text: or her weight on the saddle, can permit it and the saddle pillar to be forced upward
by the spring 4 past the locking device the eccentric periphery 9* of which will
permit the saddle pillar to move upward but will, upon slight downward move-
ment of the said pillar, be drawn automatically into action to firmly jam and hold
the saddle pillar with saddle in the raised position. By successively relieving the
weight on the saddle only slightly and momentarily, the saddle can be caused to
rise in an intermittent or step by step manner and through a small extent at a
time; or by suitably relieving the weight on the saddle, as by standing on the
pedals, the seat can be allowed to rise to its full height at one movement, as may
be desired.
Suitable means may be provided for adjusting the height to which the saddle
can rise to suit different requirements. In the example shown, the saddle pillar 1
is, for this purpose, provided with a screw threaded pin 11 that extends through
the bottom 3 of the tube 3 and is provided with an adjustable nut 12 that bears
against the bottom of the tube and limits the extent of upward movement of the
saddle pillar without interfering with its downward movement.
Instead of employing a separate tube 3 to contain the coiled spring 4, this spring
may be placed in the ordinary saddle-pillar tube which will then be provided
with a suitable abutment, corresponding to the bottom 3b of the tube 3, to support
the said spring, with an eccentric holding device for holding the saddle pillar 1
in a raised position, and with means for preventing rotation of such pillar. Fig 1
represents such an arrangement, if it be assumed that the tube 3 shows a part of
an ordinary saddle pillar tube.
If desired the tooth or projection 9b on the holding device 9 may be dispensed
with and the saddle and pillar held in the depressed position by hand during
mounting, but this is not so advantageous an arrangement as that hereinbefore
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A cycle saddle support wherein there is provided in connection with a saddle
pillar capable of being depressed against the action of a spring which afterwards
serves to raise it, an eccentric locking or holding device, which can be moved by
hand into a position to release the saddle pillar and permit the same & the saddle
to be depressed, which can be caused to hold the pillar with saddle in the depressed
position until the latter is mounted, and which, upon further depression of the
saddle pillar, caused by the weight of the rider, will automatically release the saddle
pillar and permit it and the saddle, when partly relieved of pressure, to rise either
step by step, or all at once, as may be desired, and will hold the weighted pillar
with saddle in the raised position by a jamming, clamping or gripping action
brought about by the tendency of the pillar to move downward, substantially as
described.
2. In a cycle saddle support, the combination with a saddle pillar mounted to
move endways in a guide and provided with an abutment, and a spring against
the action of which the saddle pillar with saddle can be depressed and which serves
to afterwards raise the said pillar, of an eccentric locking device comprising a
plate pivoted to the guide and formed with a periphery eccentric to its pivot and
adjacent to the said pillar and with a tooth or projection adapted to be, engaged
with the abutment on the pillar when the latter is depressed, and a spring that
serves to normally hold the plate in a position in which its tooth or projection is
away from the pillar and its eccentric periphery is forced against the said pillar so
as to permit the latter to rise but to hold it by a jamming action against descent,
but which will permit of the plate being turned by hand into a position to admit
of the pillar being depressed and then held in the depressed position by the tooth
or projection on such plate, substantially as herein described for the purposes
specified.

page_text: 3. The improved saddle support hereinbefore described with reference to and
shown in the drawings annexed, whether with or without the tooth or pro-
jection 9b
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.