CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEATS OF TRICYCLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALAGOUS PURPOSES.”
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Turner, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
James Alfred Lamplugh, and George Frederick Brown, both of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE SEATS OF TRICYCLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALAGOUS PURPOSES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Turner, James
Alfred Lamplugh, and George Frederick Brown at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents on the 20th January 1881.
JOSIAH TURNER, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, JAMES ALFRED
LAMPLUGH, and GEORGE FREDERICK BROWN, both of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEATS OF TRICYCLES, ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
This Invention consists principally of two parts, the seat proper, on which the
rider sits, and an adjustable support or rest for the back of the rider, the whole
being carried by two springs, one over the fore and aft centre line of the tricycle
(or other similar vehicle) and the other at right angles to that line. The principal
feature of this seat is the freedom and ease imparted to the thighs and body of the
rider by means herein afterwards described.
Proceeding now to a more particular description of this said seat and its attach-
ments, there is a spring made of flat steel that is rectangular in cross section, and
the width of which exceeds its thickness several times, running over and in the
same direction as the fore and aft centre line of the vehicle, to the framing of
which it is secured by suitable means. At the front end of this is attached another.
spring, afterwards called the cross-spring, made of flat steel, and placed at right
angles to the spring before mentioned. This cross-spring which carries the fore
part of the seat framing is made of flat steel, the shape of this cross spring looking
at it from the front is horizontal in the middle, then bowed downwards on each
side in the shape of a segment of a circle less than a semi-circle; these depressions
come each under one leg of the rider, then horizontal again at each end, where it is
attached to the edges of the seat frame plate afterwards described, or in some cases
the said spring may be bowed for the same purpose. This cross-spring is attached

page_text: .
to the principal spring by means of a washer plate and two screws and wing nuts,
so that upon slacking the nuts its position may be easily altered, and then the
nuts screwed up again in a well known manner. The back rest, which will be
presently described, is secured to the principal spring by a similar arrangement of
screws, washer plate, and wing nuts.
The framing of the seat consists of a plate of sheet metal having a back piece,
two side horns, and a centre horn of nearly equal length, thus forming in plan view
somewhat the shape of a Roman capital letter E with the horns projecting forward.
This plate is moulded to a suitable curvature, each of the hollows or recesses
between the horns comes under the rider's legs. This frame plate is rigidly
attached by the three horns nearly at their front ends to the cross spring previously
described. To this frame plate the covering or seat proper is strained, thus forming
a flexible or yielding seat. That part of the seat which comes in contact with the
rider's thighs is lined, and at the front edge it is returned on itself, that is, folded
in underneath and sewed so as to stiffen the front edge, which, coming between the
horns of the frame plate is suspended by them, thus giving ease and flexibility to
that part of the seat on which the thighs of the rider press.
The back rest consists of a metallic frame plate covered with leather or other
suitable material, between which plate there may be a suitable stuffing. The frame
plate is hinged to a cross-piece carrying the screws for adjustment previously
described. Attached to the frame plate is a tail piece, nearly at right angles to it,
and projecting out over the principal spring towards the back of the vehicle,
hinged to this tail piece, and projecting downwards through a rectangular opening
in the principal spring is a short ratchet rack having a suitable number of teeth
which engage on the back edge of the opening in said spring. At the lower end
of this rack is a handle, by which it can be moved, and at the upper end, beyond
the hinge, is an extension, which is attached to the tail piece before mentioned by
a spiral spring, which, when the ratchet rack is in any position with regard to the
principal spring, will keep it so. When the back rest is to be raised or lowered
the handle on the ratchet is moved forward, and the necessary adjustment made,
the spring will then keep it in its new position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Josiah Turner, James Alfred Lamplugh, and George Frederick
Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th July 1881.
JOSIAH TURNER, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, JAMES ALFRED
LAMPLUGH, and GEORGE FREDERICK BROWN, both of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEATS OF TRICYCLES, ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
This Invention consists principally of two parts, the seat proper on which the
rider sits, and an adjustable support or rest for the back of the rider, the whole being
carried by two springs, one over the fore and aft centre line of the tricycle (or
other similar vehicle), and the other at right angles to that line. The principal
feature of this seat is the freedom and ease imparted to the thighs and body of the
rider by means herein afterwards described.
Proceeding now to a more particular description of this said seat and its attach-
ments, there is a spring made of flat steel that is rectangular in cross section, and
the width of which exceeds its thickness, several times running over, and in the
same direction of the fore and aft centre line of the vehicle, to the framing of
which it is secured by suitable means. At the front end of this is attached
another spring afterwards called the cross-spring made of flat steel and placed at
right angles to the spring before mentioned. This cross-spring which carries the
fore part of the seat framing is made of flat steel; the shape of this cross-spring
looking at it from the front is horizontal in the middle, then bowed downwards
on each side in the shape of a segment of a circle less than a semicircle; these
depressions come each under one leg of the rider, then horizontal again at each end
where it is attached to the edges of the seat frame plate afterwards described, or
in some cases the said spring may be bowed for the same purpose. This cross-
spring is attached to the principal spring by means of a washer plate and two
screws and wing nuts, so that upon slacking the nuts its position may be easily
The back
altered, and then the nuts screwed up again in a well known manner.
rest which will be presently described is secured to the principal spring by &
.similar arrangement of screws, washer plate, and wing nuts.
The framing of the seat consists of a plate of sheet metal having a back piece,
two side horns, and a centre horn of nearly equal length, thus forming in plan
view somewhat the shape of a Roman capital letter E with the horns projecting
forward. This plate is moulded to a suitable curvature; each. of the hollows or
recesses between the horns comes under the rider's legs. This frame plate is
rigidly attached by the three horns nearly at their front ends to the cross spring
previously described. To this frame plate the covering or seat proper is strained,
thus forming a flexible or yielding seat. That part of the seat which comes in
contact with the rider's thighs is lined, and at the front edge it is returned on
itself, that is, folded in underneath and sewed so as to stiffen the front edge,
which coming between the horns of the frame plate is suspended by them, thus
giving ease and flexibility to that part of the seat on which the thighs of the rider
press,
The back rest consists of a metallic frame plate covered with leather or other
suitable material, between which plate there may be a suitable stuffing. The
frame plate is hinged to a cross-piece carrying the screws for adjustment previously
described. Attached to the frame plate is a tail piece nearly at right angles to it
and projecting out over the principal spring towards the back of the vehicle;
hinged to this tail piece and projecting downwards through a rectangular opening
in the principal spring is a short ratchet rack, having a suitable number of teeth

page_text: which engage on the back edge of the opening in said spring. At the lower end
of this rack is a handle by which it can be moved, and at the upper end beyond
the hinge is an extension which is attached to the tail piece before mentioned by
a spiral spring, which when the ratchet rack is in any position with regard to the
principal spring will keep it so. When the back rest is to be raised or lowered
the handle on the ratchet is moved forward and the necessary adjustment made;
the spring will then keep it in its new position.
And in order that this our said Invention may be fully understood, we will now
proceed to describe in detail how the same may be carried out in practical effect,
and for that purpose we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, marked with Figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation, the same letters of reference being used to denote like or
corresponding parts throughout the various views of the Drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of seat without back rest.
Fig. 2, inverted plan view of seat without back rest.
Fig. 3, a view half section of seat without back rest.
Fig. 4, a side view elevation of seat with back rest and attachments.
Fig. 5, a back view elevation of seat with back rest and attachments.
Fig. 6, a front view elevation, slightly raised, of seat without back rest.
Fig. 7, plan view of frame-plate detached.
Fig. 8, view of cross piece detached.
A is the seat upon which the rider sits; B is the frame plate with horns B¹.
B is also provided with pins and screwed nuts B2 for receiving the cross piece
or spring C and the washer plates D for adjustment to E, being a part of the
vehicle.
F is the back rest; F1, the frame plate; F in its entirety working upon an hinge
or pins with cross piece at G provided with pins and screwed nuts G₁ for receiving
the washer plate H for adjustment to E. I is a tail piece; J, the ratchet rack
hinged or jointed at J¹ and engaging in the back of the rectangular opening K
in E at L; M is a handle connected to J; N, an extension piece; 0, a spiral
spring.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3,.6, we illustrate one part of our Invention, viz. :-The seat
without back, so that a back of the ordinary or any kind can be arranged thereto
to suit our requirement.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that the seat and its component
parts are adjusted to E by releasing or freeing the nuts B2 and washer plates D
sufficiently so to allow its arrangement upon E and then secured. The mode
of adjusting the back rest and its component parts to E is identical.
Having given a general description of our Invention and the manner in which
the same may be practically carried into effect, nevertheless we wish to observe
that the mode that may be pursued according to the skill, taste, or appliances of
the artisan engaged in their production, the same may be varied according to
their individual caprice without affecting the character of our Invention, as, for
instance, variation may be pursued with the external form or device of the frame
plate and seat (by preference we make the said plate from sheet metal for its
lightness, and increasing its strength by forming fluting or corrugating its surface
[as illustrated by the sectional views at Fig. 7] with tools specially provided), but
this frame plate may be produced by casting, moulding, or forming of an open
work configuration.
What we claim as new and original and desire to be secured to us by the herein
before in part recited Letters Patent for "Certain Improvements in the Seats of
Tricycles, also Applicable to other Analogous Purposes " is,-
1. The construction, combination, and arrangement of the metal plate (or its
equivalent) with parts hereinbefore described whereby the seat is suspended, thus
forming where the thighs and seat of the rider press parts that are yielding and
flexible, or any modification thereof.
2. The general construction, combination, and arrangement of parts of the

page_text: adjustable back rest together forming our improvements, substantially as herein
before described and shewn on the accompanying Drawings or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, we the said James Alfred Lamplugh and George Frederick
Brown on behalf of ourselves and the said Josiah Turner, have hereunto set
our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
THOMAS KENDRICK.
JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH.
(L.S.)
GEORGE FREDERICK BROWN. (L.S.)