Improvements in Rocking Mechanism for Chairs, Bicycle Saddles, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rocking Mechanism for Chairs, Bicycle Saddles,
and the like.
We JOSEPH SHILLABER BYRNES (Salesman) of 565 Madison Street and EDMUND PHILO
MARTIN Jr. (New York State Surveyor) of 169 South Oxford Street both of Brooklyn
in the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America 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 the invention is to provide a new and improved rocker of simple
construction which is designed for use on chairs, bicycle saddles and the like, to
insure an easy rocking motion of the person seated on the chair or saddle.
The invention consists principally of a base having a curved top and made in
hinged sections, and a rail curved in an opposite direction to the top of the base and
adapted to ride thereon.
The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of
the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the
claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, arranged as applied to a bicycle
saddle, the seat of the latter being in section ;
Figure 2 is an end view of the same; and
Figure 3 is a transverse.section of the same, on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
The improved rocker is provided with a base A, made in sections A1, A2, A3, of
which the section A2 is connected by a hinge B to the middle or fixed section A',
and the other section A³ is similarly connected by a hinge B₁ to the section A', but
on the opposite side to that on which the section A² is hinged. The sides of the
section A are beveled, and the sides of the sections A2 and A³ adjacent to the sides
of the section A¹ are correspondingly beveled, so as to seat themselves on the
section A¹, whereby the base, when in a normal position as shown in Figure 1,
extends straight on the under side, with the sections A2 and A³ resting on the
section A¹.
On the under side of the fixed section A¹ is formed an apertured lug A', adapted
to receive the bicycle saddle post C, a screw D serving to fasten the lug in place on
the said saddle post C.
The upper surface of the base A is convex, and on said base is adapted to ride the
under surface of a rail E, curved in an opposite direction to the top surface of the
base A, as is plainly shown in the drawings. The forward end of the rail E is
pivotally connected with the pommel F of the saddle, and the rear end-of the said

page_text: rail is similarly connected with the cantle G of the saddle, the pommel and cantle
being connected by the usual seat H, made of leather or other material.
On the rail E directly above the fixed section A¹ of the base is arranged a
transversely-extending pivot I, pivotally connected by links J and J¹ with the outer
ends of the sections A² and A³ respectively, the said links extending through
longitudinal slots in the sections A2 and. A³.
Now it is evident that when the device is applied to a bicycle saddle, for instance,
as indicated in Figure 1, the rail E is free to rock longitudinally on the top surface
of the base A, and in rocking forward, for instance, down the top surface of the front
section A2, the said rail draws the rear section A³ upward by the link J¹, the said
section swinging from the hinge B¹. In a like manner, when the rail E rocks
rearwardly down the top surface of the rear section A³, the front section A2 is caused
to swing upward by the action of the link J. The rail E is always permanently
connected with the base A by the links J and J¹ and the hinged sections A² and A³,
so that the rail is not liable to move off the base, and at the same time the
saddle proper is free to rock forward and backward according to the motion of the
body of the rider, seated on the seat H. The rail is preferably made of spring metal,
so that it readily yields to the weight on the seat H and the jars incident to the
bicycle passing over rough roads, and at the same time the rail and seat H readily
follow the movement of the rider's body, by the rail rocking upon the base A, as
previously explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,―
;
1. The combination of a base composed of three sections, the intermediate one of
which has means by which it may be secured to a support and the end sections
of which are respectively pivoted to opposite sides of the intermediate section, each
end section having a slot running longitudinally through it, a link connected in
each slot, the outer ends of the links being respectively pivoted to the end sections
of the base at the outer ends thereof, and the inner ends of the links being aligned
with each other, and a rail running longitudinally with the base and bearing on
the upper side of the same, the rail and the inner ends of the links being pivotally
joined to each other on a common axis, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a base having three sections, the intermediate one of
which is provided with ineans for securing it to a support, and the end sections
of which have their inner ends respectively pivoted to opposite sides of the
intermediate section, a link pivoted to each outer end of the end sections of the
base, the links respectively extending inwardly and having their inner ends located
over the intermediate section of the base, and a rail bearing on the upper side of
the base, the rail and the inner ends of the links being joined to each other on a
common axis, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a base having a curved upper side and formed of three
sections, the intermediate one of which is adapted to be secured to a support and
the end sections of which are respectively pivoted to opposite sides of the
intermediate section, the inter-engaging faces of the sections being plane so as to
limit the movement of the sections in one direction, a link pivoted to each end
section, and a rail rocking on the base and joined to the inner ends of the links by
a pivot cominon to the links and to the rail, substantially as described.
4. The combination of a base having three sections, the intermediate one of which
has an orificed lug projecting downwardly therefrom whereby the section may be
secured to a stationary support, the end sections being respectively pivoted to
opposite sides of the intermediate section and the inter-engaging faces of the
sections being plane so that the movement of the sections in one direction may be
limited, each end link located in each slot of the end sections, the outer end of each
link being pivoted to the outer end of each end section, the links extending

page_text: inwardly to a point over the intermediate section, and a rail rocking on the base,
the rail and the inner ends of the links having pivotal connection on a common
axis, substantially as described.
1007
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.