Year: 1886

page_text: I, GEORGE BARKER Fellow of the. Institute of Patent Agents Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent 77 Colmore Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick do hereby declare the nature of the said invention as communicated
to me by John Payne of San Francisco California America to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in bicycle saddles which gives
more ease and comfort to the rider and greater freedom of motion and ensures a
more perfect adjustment of the saddle to varying weights and conditions.
It consists of a flexible suspension saddle the front end of which is connected
with a lever or levers, turning upon a journal pin fixed to the neck of the machine,.
and the rear end connected to the upper end of similar levers, fulcrumed upon a
standard which is fixed to the backbone of the machine.
The lower ends of the front and rear levers are united by longitudinal working
springs having both a vertical and a longitudinal adjustment by which the action
of the saddle and the degree of tension may be regulated. The levers by which
the saddle is suspended are formed in pairs and extend down upon each side of the
neck of the back bone and have a fulcrum pin passing through them and through
the neck so that they may turn about this pin. The forward end of the saddle
leather is connected with the upper ends of these levers by a pin which passes
through their upper ends and through the bight formed by folding the front end
of the saddle leather over this pin or it may be attached in any other suitable or
convenient way.
The lower end of these levers extend downwards a short
distance below the pin and are curved backward slightly. One end of a standard
of a shape is clamped to the back bone or spine of the bicycle a sufficient
distance from the forward levers to support two S shaped levers which have their
central portions turning upon a fulcrum pin which passes through the upper part
of the A shaped standards.
The rear end of the saddle is secured to a spreader or plate in the usual manner
and thus has an arm or plate with lugs extending backward or downward so that
the pin passing through the upper ends of the S shaped levers will pass through
these lugs thus holding the rear end of the saddle and on each side of the lower

page_text: ends of these levers are formed open eyes or lugs through which adjusting screws
pass. To the ends of the forward levers are attached two tension springs with
stout coils and of sufficient length for the rear ends to carry nuts in which screws
enter and by turning these screws the lower ends of the front and rear levers are
drawn nearer together or separated as may be desired and therefore the tension
upon the flexible suspended saddle which extends between the upper ends of these
levers may be increased or decreased at will by means of the levers having fulcrum
pins at their centres and the saddle suspends between their upper ends while the
tension springs unite their lower ends. It will be seen that any forward or
backward vibration or movement of the machine in passing over rough or uneven
ground is relieved by the swinging of these levers upon their pins. The peculiar
shape and relation of the front and rear levers is such that when the saddle swings
forward the lower arms of the forward levers approach a position more nearly in
line with the connecting springs while the rear levers are carried backward so as to
produce more tension upon the spring of the saddle. If the saddle swings
back wards the levers move about their fulcrum pins, so that the lower ends of the
rear levers approach more nearly in a line with the springs while the lower ends of
the front levers are carried forward so as to increase tension. The front and rear
levers have holes made in their lower ends for lugs or other devices so that the
connection of the spring with the levers may be adjusted near to or further from
the fulcrum pins thus increasing or diminishing the tension and also altering the
effect of the forward or backward movement of the levers around their fulcrum
pins by increasing or decreasing the amount of tension caused by the movement,
this action depending upon the relative distance of the adjustment of the two ends
of the spring to the front and rear lever.
+
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for Applicant,.
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.

page_text: I, GEORGE BARKER Fellow of the Institute of. Patent Agents, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent of 77 Colmore Row, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick do hereby declare the nature of the said invention as communicated to
me by John Payne of San Francisco California America to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention has for its object improvements in Bicycle Saddles which gives
more ease and comfort to the rider and greater freedom of motion and ensures a
more perfect adjustment of the saddle to varying weights and conditions.
It consists of a flexible suspension saddle the front end of which is connected
with a lever or levers, turning upon a journal pin fixed to the neck of the machine,
and the rear end connected to the upper end of similar levers, fulcrumned upon a
standard which is fixed to the backbone of the machine.
The lower ends of the front and rear levers are united by longitudinally working
springs having both a vertical and a longitudinal adjustment by which the action
of the saddle and the degree of tension may be regulated. The levers by which
the saddle is suspended are formed in pairs and extend down upon each side of
the neck of the back bone and have a fulcrum pin passing through them and
through the neck so that they may turn about this pin.
The forward end of the saddle leather is connected with the upper ends of these
levers by a pin which passes through their upper ends and through the bight
formed by folding the front end of the saddle leather over this pin or it may be
attached in any other suitable or convenient way. The lower end of these levers
extend downward a short distance below the pin and are curved backward slightly
or one end of a standard of a A shape may be clamped to the back bone or spine
of the bicycle at sufficient distance from the forward levers to support two
8 shaped levers which have their central portions turning upon a fulcrum pin
which passes through the upper part of the A shaped standards. The rear end of
the saddle is secured to a spreader or plate in the usual manner and this has an
arm or plate with lugs extending backwards or downwards so that the pins passing
through the upper ends of the S shaped levers will pass through these lugs thus
bolding the rear end of the saddle and on each side of the lower ends of these
levers are formed open eyes or lugs through which adjusting screws pass. To the
ends of the forward levers are attached two tension springs with stout coils and of
sufficient length for the rear end to carry nuts in which screws enter and by turning
these screws the lower ends of the front and rear levers are drawn nearer together
or separated as may be desired and therefore the tension upon the flexible
suspended saddle which extends between the upper ends of these levers may be
increased or decreased at will by means of the levers having fulcrum pins at their
centres and the saddle suspended between their upper ends while the tension springs
unite their lower ends. It will be seen that any forward or backward vibration
or movement of the machine in passing over rough or uneven ground is releived by
the swinging of these levers upon their pins. The peculiar shape and relation of
the front and rear levers is such that when the saddle swings forward the lower
arms of the forward levers approach a position more nearly in line with the
connecting springs while the rear levers are carried backward so as to produce

page_text: more tension upon the springs of the saddle. If the saddle swings backwards the
levers move about their fulcrum pins so that the lower ends of the rear levers
approach more nearly in a line with the springs while the lower ends of the front
levers are carried forward so as to increase the tension. The front and rear levers
have holes made in their lower ends for lugs or other devices so that the connection
of the spring with the levers may be adjusted near to or further from the fulcrum
pins thus increasing or diminishing the tenison and also altering the effect of the
forward or backward movement of the levers around their fulcrum pins by
increasing or decreasing the amount of tension caused by the movement this action
depending upon the relative distance of the adjustment of the two ends of the
spring to the front and rear lever.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which I have
shewn three views of one application of my saddle from which other slight
modifications may be carried out.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piece of a backbone and with the saddle in or
about is normal position when no weight is upon it.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same..
Figure 3 is a plan with the covering or leather seat removed.
It will be seen in the views shown that the saddle A is supported at the front
end by two levers B and C one of which is pivotted at H to each side of the
neck D of the machine while the back end is supported by two similar levers E
and F which are pivoted or fulcrumed at K to a spring M which is clamped or
otherwise secured to the backbone P or other convenient part by the clip or
clamp N or by its equivalent but V or other brackets may take the plan this
arrangement if desired. The elastic. tension is obtained by the two adjustable
screw steel spring rods R and S which may be attached to any suitable holes b¹
and b at the front and e¹ or ea at the back each being tightened by its respective
screw nut r¹ or ' or other equivalents. It will thus be seen that elasticity and
adjustability are secured in a most efficient manner and at the same time the
saddle is capable of the hereinbefore mentioned backward and forward swinging
action upon the fulcrum pins K aud H which is always somewhat restrained by
the friction upon the said pins caused by the spring tension rods and weight upon
the saddle. The rods R and S may be made in some, measure to answer the
purpose without the coiled spring part thereof by depending more or less upon the
elacticity of M or its equivalent but I preper the spring rods as well. It will be
readily seen that although the drawings only shew the saddle as attached to a
machine having a backbone that there are no practical difficulties in the way of
adapting it to any other kind of bicycle, tricycle or other velocipede so long as the
principle herein elucidated are carried out..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed what I claim is
The improvements in flexible adjustable spring saddles hung upon fulcrumned
levers and adjusted by rods so as to have not only a vertical but also a horizontal
action substantially as herein set forth.
Deted this 27th day of November 1886