Year: 1897

page_text: 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:-
The object of this invention is to obviate the difficulty due to the
height of the seats of cycles hitherto experienced by riders in mounting their
machines. For this purpose according thereto the saddle or saddle seat of a
bicycle or other cycle is adapted to 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, whereupon the seat can be allowed to.
rise into its normal position and become automatically locked in that position.
It is obvious that this invention can be carried out in various ways: for example,
the seat of the saddle alone may be movable, or the saddle-pillar or some other
suitable part of the machine carrying the saddle may be movable, a suitable and
easily operated catch or locking device being provided in each case for releasing
the seat and permitting it to be depressed and for afterwards automatically locking
it in the raised and normal position.
According to one construction, there is inserted into the ordinary saddle-pillar
tube in place of the ordinary saddle-pillar, a tube closed at its lower end and
containing a helical spring on which rests a saddle-pillar or pin that fits in the said
tube and is provided with a spring catch which, when the saddle-pillar is in its
normal position engages with one or both of the said tubes so as to support the
saddle-pillar and also prevent it from turning, but can be easily disengaged from the
tube or tubes so that the saddle can be depressed, in opposition to the action of
the helical spring, into a lower position more convenient for mounting, after which
upon relieving the saddle of downward pressure it will rise and the catch will
become automatically engaged with the tube or tubes and lock the saddle-pillar in
the raised position. A pin carried by the spring containing tube and extending
through a longitudinal slot or slots in the saddle-pillar, serves to prevent turning
movement of the latter.
Instead of employing a separate tube to contain the helical spring as just
described, the spring may be placed in the ordinary saddle-pillar tube, which will
then be provided with a suitable abutment to support the spring and with suitable
means for engaging with the catch and for preventing rotation of the saddle-pillar.
T11 1
T1007

page_text: improvements in or in connection with Saddies for Cycles.
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 and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
The object of this invention is to obviate in an improved manner the difficulty, due
to the height of the seats of cyles, frequently experienced by riders in mounting their
machines. For this purpose according thereto the saddle or saddle seat of a
bicycle or other cycle is adapted to 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, whereupon the saddle or saddle seat
can be allowed to rise into its normal position and become automatically locked in
that position.
The seat of the saddle alone may be movable, or the saddle-pillar or some other
suitable part of the machine carrying the saddle may be movable, a suitable and
easily operated catch or locking device being provided in each case for releasing
the seat and permitting it to be depressed and for afterwards automatically locking
it in the raised and normal position.
dotted lines.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings shows partly in longitudinal
section and partly in side elevation, means whereby the saddle seat can be lowered
and raised to suit requirement, the saddle seat being shown in its raised position;
Fig. 2 is a plan; and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the saddle seat in its lowered
position. In each figure the saddle seat is for the sake of clearness shown in
In this arrangement the saddle comprises a saddle seat 1 of leather or other
suitable material stretched on a metal frame 1" having a practically horizontal
bar 2, and a lower collapsible support comprising pairs of links 4 and 5 that are
jointed at their upper ends to the bar 2, and a pair of connected horizontal fixed
rods 6 that form the base of the saddle and to the respective ends of which the pairs
of links 4 and 5 are jointed and which are provided with a block 7 by which the
saddle can be adjustably mounted upon a saddle pillar 8 which is or may be of the
ordinary kind. Jointed to the front pair of links 4 and the bar 2 is a rod 9 that
extends down through a block 10 pivoted to the horizontal rods 6 and formed with
ratchet shaped teeth. 10" to engage with correspondingly shaped teeth 9ª on the
rod 9 which is provided at the opposite side with a single tooth or projection 9b.
Springs 11 tend to turn the links 4 and 5 into the vertical positions shown, and a
spring 12 that acts upon the rod 9, tends to press the teeth 9* thereon into engage-
ment with those 10" in the block 10. As will be seen the arrangement is such that
assuming the parts to be in the raised positions shown in Fig. 1, then upon lifting
the toothed part 9° of the rod out of engagement with the toothed part 10% of the
block 10 against the action of the spring 12, the saddle support can be collapsed
into the. position shown in Fig. 3 and the saddle seat 1 thus depressed into a
convenient position to be mounted. The parts can then be held in this position
by slightly raising the rod 9 against the action of the spring 12, so as to bring the
tooth 9b into a position in which the latter will abut against the lower end of the
block 10 where it will be held by the action of the springs 11. When the saddle
is mounted, the weight of the rider will depress the support to a further slight
extent sufficient to relieve the pressure of the tooth 9b on the block 10 and permit
the spring 12 to move the rod 9 and force the teeth 9° into engagement with the

page_text: teeth 10. The rider by then relieving to a suitable extent his or her weight on
the saddle seat can permit the collapsible frame to be moved upward by the
springs 11, the teeth 10% on the block 10 permitting the rod 9 to slide upward but
acting by engagement with the teeth 9* on such rod to effectually hold the seat with
attached parts in the raised position. By intermittently relieving the weight on
the saddle only to a slight extent the saddle seat and support can be caused to rise
in an intermittent or step by step manner and through a small distance at a time.
Or the saddle can be allowed to rise to its full height at one movement by suitably
relieving the weight thereon, as by standing on the pedals. In the arrangement
shown, the seat is mounted to move backward and downward, but the arrangement
may be so modified that the seat can move forward and downward.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation and Fig. a plan, showing another arrangement in
which the saddle seat is capable of being depressed. In this case the saddle, the
seat 1 of which is shown in dotted lines as before, is provided with a slotted
inclined bar 9* mounted to slide in the base of the saddle which in this case is a
block 6 fixed to the stationary saddle support 9 and provided with anti-friction
rollers 13 for the bar 9 to move on. The bar 9 is formed with ratchet shaped
teeth 9 into engagement with which one end 14* of a hand lever 14 is normally
pressed by a spring 12. The bar is also formed with recesses 9b (or it may be teeth)
with which projections 14b on the lever 14 can be engaged. 11 is a coiled spring
connected to the lower end of the bar 9 and to the block 6*. 15 are cushioning
springs between the saddle seat and bar.
With this arrangement, upon disengaging the lever 14 by hand, from the
teeth 9, the saddle seat with bar 9* can be depressed against the action of the
spring 11 and held in the depressed position by causing the projections 14b on
the lever to enter the recesses 9b in the bar 9* where they are held by the action of the
spring 11. Upon the saddle being mounted, the further slight depression of the
bar 9 thereby produced, will remove the pressure between the projections 14b and
the recessed parts of the bar and permit the former to be automatically moved into
their inoperative positions by the spring 12, the front end 14ª of the lever 14 being
simultaneously brought into engagement with the teeth 9ª on the bar 9* after which
the saddle seat can be allowed to rise as hereinbefore described, under the action of
the spring 11, the lever 14 serving to hold the bar and seat in the raised position.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing an arrangement in which the saddle pillar
carrying the saddle is made vertically movable." In this arrangement there is
inserted into the ordinary saddle-pillar tube 16 (shown in dotted lines) in place of
the ordinary saddle-pillar, a tube 17 partly closed at its lower end and containing
a coiled spring 11 on which rests a saddle-pillar or pin 18 that may be of any
suitable shape at its upper end, for example approximately tee, ell or the like, to
admit of a cycle saddle (shown in dotted lines) being easily attached thereto. The
saddle pillar 18 fits into the said tube 17 and is provided with a spring catch which,
when the saddle-pillar, is in its normal position, engages with one or both of the
said tubes 16, 17 so as to support the saddle-pillar with saddle, but can be easily
disengaged from the tube or tubes to admit of the saddle being depressed.
spring catch in the example shown, comprises a rod 19 pivoted within the hollow
saddle pillar 18 at 20 and provided with ratchet shaped teeth 19" that are normally
pressed by a spring 21 into engagement with corresponding teeth 17ª, (or it may be
with a single tooth) formed on the fixed bottom 17 of the tube 17 through which
the rod extends. The rod 19 is also provided at its opposite side with a tooth or
recess 19 adapted to engage with and be held by a tooth 17b on the bottom 17*;
with a spring pin 19° adapted, when the saddle pin is in its uppermost position to
extend through a hole in the said saddle pin and rest upon the top of the tube 17;
with a finger piece 19d, and with a stop pin 19" to limit the upward movement of
the rod.
The
As will be seen the arrangement is such that upon pressing in the finger piece 19ª,
the rod 19 can be turned against the action of the spring 21 to a sufficient extent to
withdraw the teeth 19" from the teeth 17° and the pin 19° from above the tube 17

page_text: and bring the rod against the side of the hole in the bottom 175 provided with the
tooth 175. The saddle can then be depressed in opposition to the action of the
spring 11, to a sufficient extent to bring the recess or tooth 19b into engagement
with the fixed tooth 17b by which the saddle pillar and saddle will be held in the
lowered position convenient for mounting. When the saddle is mounted the saddle
pillar will be further depressed to a sufficient extent to disengage the rod from the
tooth 17b and permit its toothed part 19* to be forced by the spring 21 into engage-
ment with the toothed part 17* of the bottom of the tube 17 which will permit the
saddle pillar and saddle to rise step by step when partly relieved of downward
pressure but will prevent downward movement of the said parts, as in the other
arrangements hereinbefore described. When the saddle pillar reaches its upper-
most position the spring pin 19° will automatically protrude through saddle pillar
and rest on the tube 17, and lock the saddle-pillar in the raised position.
carried by the tube 17 and extending through a longitudinal slot 18" in the saddle-
pillar 18, serves to prevent the latter turning. Other suitable means may how-
ever be provided for this purpose; thus the pillar may be of square or equivalent
section for part of its length and work in a corresponding guide.
A pin 22
Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6 shewing a modified construction in which the
spring controlled rod 19 is pivoted at its lower end within the saddle pillar 18 and
provided with a pin or catch 19 which, after pushing in the finger piece 19d and
depressing the saddle pillar to a sufficient extent can, by further pressing in the said
finger piece be caused to pass through a hole in the saddle pillar and a hole 17° in
the tube 17 and, under the action of the spring 11, hold the saddle pillar 18 and
saddle in the depressed position until the saddle is mounted when it will be auto-
matically disengaged from the tube 17 as in the other arrangements hereinbefore
described.
The rod 19 is provided with a single tooth 19ª arranged to work through a hole
in the saddle pillar and having its underside at right angles to the axis of the said
pillar and its upper side inclined thereto and the tube 17 is provided with a
vertical series of holes 174, the arrangement being such that the tooth 19 will
become engaged with and disengaged from each of the holes 17d in succession as
the saddle pillar intermittently rises but will prevent the said pillar descending.
As will be seen, each of the adjustable saddle supports shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is
complete in itself and can be readily inserted in the ordinary saddle pillar tube 16
of a bicycle to replace the saddle pillar commonly used.
Suitable means may be provided for adjusting the height to which the saddle
can rise to suit different requirements. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the saddle
pillar is, for this purpose, provided with a screw threaded pin 22 that extends
through the bottom of the tube 17 and is provided with an adjustable nut 23 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.
We are aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct a cycle saddle support
with a saddle pillar adapted to be depressed within a tube against the action of a
spring, and to lock the saddle pillar both in its raised and lowered positions by a
spring pin carried by the tube and adapted to be withdrawn from the saddle pillar
by the operation of a handle through the intervention of bell crank levers and rods,
cords or equivalent mechanism, both for allowing the saddle pillar to be depressed
and for afterwards allowing it to rise. Such a construction however differs very
materially from ours wherein the spring catch or holder is mounted on the saddle
pillar and is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the tube in which
the saddle pillar works, and which, after being engaged with the tube to hold the
pillar and seat in the lowered position, becomes automatically released from the
tube when a rider mounts the lowered seat and by his or her weight further
depresses the saddle pillar, and leaves the latter free to rise step by step or all at
once upon relieving it of downward pressure. By this construction the use of
complicated mechanism for enabling the rider to withdraw the spring catch and
release the saddle pillar after mounting the saddle is dispensed with.

page_text: 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 the seat of which is capable of being depressed from its normal
height and relatively to the base of the saddle so as to bring it into a position con-
venient for mounting and can be held in the depressed position until the rider
has mounted it and obtained his or her balance whereupon the seat will be auto-
matically released by the weight of the rider and can be allowed to rise into its
normal position in which it will become automatically locked, substantially as
herein described.
2. A cycle saddle constructed with a depressible seat and with a catch or locking
device so constructed and arranged that it can be moved by hand into a position to
release the saddle seat and permit the same to be depressed into a position
convenient for mounting, which will hold the said seat in the depressed position
until it is mounted, and will then under the action of the weight of the rider
automatically release the seat and allow the same, upon being relieved of down-
ward pressure to move upward and will automatically lock the seat in the raised
position, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of
the drawings annexed.
3. In a cycle saddle support of the kind herein referred to, the combination with
a saddle pillar capable of being depressed against the action of a spring within a
tube fitted in the saddle pillar tube of a cycle of a spring catch or locking device
carried by and located within the saddle pillar and adapted when the latter is in
its raised position to engage with one or both of the said tubes and support the
saddle pillar with saddle in the raised position but which can be disengaged by
hand from the said tube or tubes so as to enable the saddle pillar with saddle to be
depressed against the action of the spring into a lower position convenient for
mounting and in which it will be held by the action of the spring until the saddle
is mounted whereupon the catch will be automatically released by the weight of
the rider and upon relieving the saddle of downward pressure it will automatically
rise and the catch will become automatically engaged with the tube or tubes and
lock the saddle pillar with saddle in the raised position, substantially as herein
described,
4. The improved vertically adjustable cycle saddle supports constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
+1 1000
Dated this 18th day of April 1898.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.