Improvements in Mounting the Seats or Saddles of Velocipedes.
Year: 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mounting the Seats or Saddles of Velocipedes.
I CHARLES THOMAS AUSTEN, of 28 Warwick Street, Deptford, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to mount the seat or saddle of a velocipede in such a
manner that it will give laterally or transversely as well as radially and vertically,
and thus adapt itself to a certain extent to the movements of the rider's body, and
thereby do away with any chafing, strain, or inconvenience, in moving the body out
of the line in which the machine is travelling.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I proceed as follows:-I take a small
circular plate having a connection on the underside of it whereby it can be attached
to a machine, and on the upper side of it I form a vertical cylinder in which fits
another cylinder free to slide vertically therein. The top of the sliding cylinder is
made dome-shaped and carries a plate having a cup-shaped recess on its underside.
This plate is overhung on the front side, and is provided with two slots to receive the
attaching studs of the saddle for a purpose that will presently be made clear. Inside
the dome-topped cylinder is a semi-circular cap which is rivetted or otherwise fixed to
the saddle plate, thus forming an universal joint between the dome-topped cylinder
and the plate to receive the saddle, the hole in the top of the dome-topped cylinder.
being sufficiently large to permit of the connecting stud or pin between the semi-
circular cap and the saddle plate having a free movement in every direction. From
the semi-circular cap depends an arın which is bent to form a stud to engage with
slots in the dome-topped cylinder and the supporting cylinder to control the radial
and vertical movement of the dome-topped cylinder and the cylinder plate with respect
to the fixed cylinder. Encircling the cylinders and bearing between the support plate
and the saddle plate is a stout coil or volute spring so constructed as to tilt the sadd]

page_text: plate upwards at its front end. As the support plate is overhung and slotted to receive
the saddle, the effective leverage of the plate on the supporting spring may be varied
by adjusting the position of the saddle on the plate, the saddle being so adjusted that
when the weight of the rider is on it, it is in an horizontal or approximately horizontal
position. If desired the saddle plate may form part of the foundation plate of the
saddle.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will more particularly
describe it making reference to the accompanying drawing throughout the several
views of which similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
Figure 1. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my device. Figure 2. is an end
view thereof. Figure 3. is a plan showing the saddle plate, and Figure 4. is an end
elevation of the supporting cylinder showing its adaptation for attaching to the back-
bone of a Velocipede.
Referring to these Figures A. designates the circular plate having on its underside
any suitable connection for attaching it to the frame of a velocipede, and having on
the top side a vertical cylinder A¹. B. designates the dome-topped cylinder fitting in
the cylinder A and free to slide vertically therein. C. designates the plate to receive
the saddle having a cupped or dished recess on its underside to coincide and engage
with the domed top of the cylinder B. c. c. designate the slots in the plate C. to
receive the attaching studs of the saddle. D. designates the semi-circular cap attached
to the plate C. by the stud attachment d. E. designates the coil spring supported by
and between the plates A. and C. designates the arm attached to, or forming part
of, the semi-circular cap D. and engaging with slots a' and b. in the cylinders A and B.
respectively to control the radial and vertical movement of the one with respect to the
other. Instead of this latter arrangement a stud in one cylinder may be made to
engage with a slot in the other, or any other equivalent device may be used to
permit of the one cylinder moving vertically with respect to the other within certain
defined limits.
As a modification of the herein-before described arrangement I sometimes form the
universal joint between the saddle plate and the sliding cylinder by means of a pair of
hinge joints whose axes are at right angles to one another, or I may use but one such
hinge or joint.
When it is desired to dispense with the vertical movement but still retain the laterial
or transverse and radial movement, for racing machines or otherwise, I provide screws
or their equivalent for locking the cylinders A' to the cylinder B, or these cylinders
may be formed in one piece.
It will be seen that this device will allow the saddle to play vertically and act as a
spring, and also to move laterally or radially with respect to the attachment, thus
allowing the rider to turn or twist his body on the machine with more comfort than
on a saddle mounted in the ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Mounting the saddles of Velocipedes in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as herein before set forth.
2. In a device for carrying the saddles of Velocipedes, the combination with the
vertical cylinder A', of the cylinder B. or its equivalent, the piate C. affixed thereto
-by-a transverse or equivalent joint, and the spring E. all arranged and operating as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a device for carrying the saddles of Velocipedes, consisting essentially of a
cylinder or its equivalent sliding within a fixed cylinder or its equivalent and carrying
a plate to receive the saddle-attached thereto by an universal joint or its equivalent,
the construction and arrangement of the coil spring whereby the plate carrying the
saddle is normally tilted to lie at an angle with the horizontal plane, as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
4. Mounting the saddle of a velocipede on a single coil or volute spring, and ensuring

page_text: its vertical action by means of guiding cylinders or their equivalents mounted within
said spring, as hereinbefore set forth.
5. A device for mounting the saddles on velocipedes consisting essentially of the
cyclinders A', the dome-topped cylinder B, the plate C, the cup D. fixed thereto,
5 the spring E. and the arm d or its equivalent, all combined arranged and operating
as set forth.
887.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.L.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
is 5th day of October 1887.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.