Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
I, LEONARD HOKANS, of 49 Mittelstrasse, Berlin Germany, Inventor do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention consists of a novel device for spring supporting cycle
saddles, according to which the saddle is supported on a rod mounted to slide and
spring supported in one of the downwardly extending branches of the cycle frame.
The advantages of the present arrangement are manifold, in the first place all the
saddle springs are protected from the influences of the atmosphere, being situated
within the tubular framing of the machine, then again the saddle is more elastic and
the jolting of the machine consequently not transmitted to the sensitive parts of
the body of the rider, the saddle supporting springs may be made stronger and
will not break so easily as heretofore.
Another feature of the invention consists of the manner of attaching the saddle
to the upper end of the supporting rod and again another feature in the particular
shape of the saddle, which is made broader than hitherto, at the rear and turned
downwardly instead of upwardly at the front part, thus saddles of the present
kind may be employed for ladies saddles as well as for ordinary cycles.
And in order to render the present Specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views :-
Fig. 1 being a vertical section through the part of the machine supporting
the saddle rod,
Fig. 2 an end elevation of Figure 1,
Fig. 3 a plan of the saddle frame indicating the form of the saddle in dotted
lines and
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 cross sections through the saddle rod and its guide sleeve
showing modified forms of the section of the said rod.
A is the upper part of the frame of a bicycle, advantageously the limb which
leads from the saddle supporting part of the frame to the bearings of the treadle
crank and B is a bushing detachably secured in the upper end of said limb and
having a square (Fig. 4) partially circular (Fig. 5) or triangular (Fig. 6) boring
in which the spring supported rod C of the saddle may slide. The boring of the
bushing may be of any other form provided it prevents the rotation of the rod C
therein. The lower end of the rod C is screw threaded and carries a nut D
adjustable thereon against which the said rod is supported on a stout spiral
spring F resting with its lower end on a stop E in the tube A. Above the nut D
and supporting against the lower shoulder of the bush B is a second lighter
counter spring G which rests with its lower end on the upper surface of the nut D,
said spring serving to prevent jumping of the rod or bar C. To the upper end
of the rod C is attached the saddle carrying bar a.
This bar is tubular and provided with a longitudinal slot 6 throughout its length.
g is the saddle frame having a central bar c to which are fixed guide blocks e e
adapted to rest exteriorly on the tube with their arms el e¹ and to be guided in
the said slot 6 by means of the part projecting into the tube a and gripping under
the sides of the slot 6 by means of flanges ff (Fig. 2).
The tube a is supported in a clamp k formed at the top of the rod C said clamp
being tightened up by the clamp screw l. This arrangement enables the position

page_text: of the tube a in the clamp k and also of the saddle on the tube a to be fixed by
simply turning the clamp screw 1. Said screw tightening up the tube a and
simultaneously tightening the sides of the slot b against the throats of the flanges f
of the blocks e.
From the above description it will be clear that the rod C will be spring
supported in the tube A and the saddle adjustable on the same by means of the
clamp screw 1.
Suitable means must be employed for lubricating the rod C in the bush B whilst
the spring F is advantageously coupled to the nut D in any suitable manner so as
to enable the whole mechanism to be taken out at once as soon as the bush hus
been loosened. The bush B may be fixed in the tube A in any well known
convenient manner but is advantageously made detachable. The rod A instead of
forming a part of the cycle frame as stated may, of course, be of itself a complete
tube in which the whole mechanism is arranged, said tube being then inserted in
and retained in position in the tubular part of the frame as will be evident to any
one skilled in the art.
The construction of the saddle which forms an important part of the present
invention is carried out in the following manner :-
-A kite shaped frame g is formed
having the central connecting stay con which the guide lugs e e are secured and
this frame is covered with any suitable material as indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 3. The rear of the saddle is broader than hitherto, whilst the point at the
front is shorter and not turned upwardly as hitherto but downwardly as shown at h
in Figure 1, so as to avoid contact with the corresponding parts of the body of the
rider when the machine jolts. The rear part of the saddle is bent slightly
upwards whilst the outer ribs gg of the frame are kept advantageously a little
lower than the central stay c. They should however lie very slightly under this
said stay.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In cycles, a saddle supporting rod adapted to slide in a bush arranged at the
upper part of the tubular limb of the cycle frame and having a nut at its lower
end, a supporting spring below said nut and a counter spring above same and
means for attaching the saddle to the rod substantially as described.
2. The combination of a saddle supporting rod extending into the tubular limb
of a cycle frame, a nut adjustable at the lower end of said rod, a supporting spring
for said rod within the tube and a counter spring and means for supporting the
saddle ou said rod substantially as described.
3. The combination of a saddle supporting rod C having nut D a supporting
spring F, a counter spring G, a bush in which said rod is guided a clamp k at the
upper end of said rod and bar a adjustable in said clamp and means for attaching
the saddle to said rod substantially as described.
4. The combination of the sliding spring supported saddle rod C having clamp k
and tubular rod a supported therein, a slot throughout the length of the tube a guide
lugs e e as specified to fit and slide in said slot and support the saddle substantially
as described.
5. The combination of the sliding spring supported saddle rod C, having clamp k
and tube a therein, a saddle having frame gg with central stay c said latter stay
having the supporting lugs e e as specified and the point of the said saddle being
bent downwards instead of upwards substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 14th day of December 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents..