Improvements in Velocipede Saddles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipede Saddles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PETFORD, of back of 176, Guildford Street, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Wheelwright and General Smith, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to those velocipede saddles in which the tension of the
leather seat part automatically increases or diminishes in proportion to the rider's
weight and the said invention consists in an improved construction of the under-frame
which is as follows :-
The said under-frame consists of four two-armed levers jointed together, each of
the levers has by preference one arm longer than the other arm and the short arms of
all the levers are the same length. The short arms of the four levers form sides
of a square or a rhombus the joint pins being situated at the angles, and the longer
arms being continuations of the sides. The levers are arranged so that they will
move in a vertical plane, two of the levers being above the other two. Underneath
the levers is a flat or other spring or two or more springs may be used, to which the
outer end of one of the lower levers is jointed the outer end of the other lower lever
being also connected to the said spring or springs preferably by a link. One of the
upper levers is forked and carries a cross-piece to which the back of the leather seat
part is connected the front of the leather seat part being connected to the free end of
the other upper lever.
The rider's weight presses the levers downwardly which causes their free ends to
move farther apart and to stretch the leather seat part this stretching being increased
or diminished in proportion to the rider's weight.
The forked lever may if preferred be made as two separate levers instead of being
made as a single lever as above described. Instead of both ends of the bottom lovers
being connected to the spring as above described the end of one of the levers may be
jointed to some fixed part of the velocipede.
Dated this 6th day of November 1888
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipede Saddles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PETFORD of back of 176 Guildford Street, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Wheelwright and general smith, 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:-
--
This invention relates to that class of cycle saddles, whose scats are tensioned, by
the weight of the rider; and which said invention, is an improvement upon Letters
Patent granted to Samuel Noddler, and dated 14th day of August year 1888,
Nod. 11701.
My invention consists in supporting the saddle seat, upon a system of compound
levers, arranged fore and aft on the underside of the said seat; and with the outside
terminals of lower levers, connected and carried by rear and front springs, supported
or taken from the base framing rods, or their equivalents.
Thus, the under framing of the saddle seat, is so constructed, that the outer onds of
primary levers straighten out in obedience to pressure exerted, and by which means,
the seat is kept at a constant tension.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents partly in elevation, and partly
in vertical section, a tricycle, or rear driving bicycle, or "safety" saddle, constructed,
arranged and mounted, according to my invention; it will be seen that the seat of
the said saddle, is elevated and supported upon the outer and free ends of rear and
aft levers, or arranged in respect to secondary levers jointed to them, that vertical
pressure exerted upon the seat, tends to open out the arms of the upper levers, and so
stretch the said seat from front to rear.
Figure 2 represents an inverted plan of the same, while figures 3 and 4 show
section elevation and plan of the supplementary levers, separately.
Figure 5 represents my invention applied to a bicycle saddle.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a is a distensible saddle seat mounted and supported on its front, and rear under-
sides, by a back primary lever b, and a front primary lever c.
The inner and extreme
end 12, of the lever, is jointedly connected at 63, to near the inner end c², of the
lever c, whilst the extreme inner and extreme end of the lever c, is jointedly
connected at e³, to near the inner end ², of an under, and front secondary
lever d.
The inner extreme end of the secondary lever d, is jointed connected at d³, to
near the inner end e², of a rear-secondary lever e, whose extreme foro part, or inner
end e², is jointedly connected at e³ to near the inner end 62, of the primary lever bas
aforesaid.
Thus, the extreme ends of the whole of the levers, are jointedly connected to each
other, following the order of their arrangement.
The outer ends of both rear, and front under levers d, and e respectively, are
connected to springs, or spring connections, viz.:-the outer end of lever d, is
supported from the middle of the evolved spring, and the lever e, from a link or
shackle connected with a cross bar h, elevated upon the top of pillar coiled
springs carried by, and upon, the base j, whose fore parts aro fashioned into the fore
springs f
Normally the system of levers, connected as represented, with the supporting
springs, lover the seat, and automatically keep it in a state of tension, also does
perpendicular pressure exerted upon the top of it, by a rider.
The rear primary lever, is forked or branched, to extend the outer connections and
bearings of it, and so also is the fore supplementary levor, in order to make a connection
with its other and rear lever.
OPERATION.
The weight of the rider, through the seat, exerts a vertical pressure upon the
end of the primary levers, and through their inner ends, to the supplementary and
under ones, and by the suspended leverage of them, the resultant is that the ends of
the said primary levers, are straightened out, and seat automatically tensioned.
By mounting saddle seats as described, no sagging is admitted, whatever may be
the weight of the rider.
In figure 5, (bicycle saddle) a is the seat, b and c are primary levers, e is a rear
secondary lever, whilst the fore secondary lever d, has its outward connection made
with the neck of the back-bone k, of a machine, by an extension d'.
The rear supporting spring, is connected to the said back-bone, by a base-strut 1,
and clip m.
I wish it to be understood that with my system of seat framing I do not
confine myself to the means, or springs, for supporting the outer ends of the
lower levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First Supporting, and automatically tensioning, the seats of cycle, and other

page_text: saddles, by a system of fore, and aft levers, or compound levers, arranged and inwardly
crossing, or jointedly connected to each other, substantially as, and for the purpose as
set forth.
Secondly-The combination with self-stretching, or tensioning compound lever
underframes, inwardly jointed, and radially directed, of supporting springs and base,
substantially as set forth in figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.
Thirdly Mounting and supporting the seats of cycle saddles, upon a system of
levers, arms, springs and connections, substantially as described and set forth in
figure 5.
WILLIAM HENRY PETFORD.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.