IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS ROBINSON PAXTON, of Pow Street and John Street, Workington in
the county of Cumberland, Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES " to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction and application to bicycles and other
velocipedes of an improved spring for the saddles when such velocipodes are
constructed with what is known as a backbone, the object of the invention being
to provide means whereby the rider is enabled to adjust the tension of the saddle
spring whilst riding and whereby the height of the saddle can be adjusted to suit
different riders; the spring does not require any oil and is easy durable, light, and
cheap.
5
In carrying out my invention I pivot or joint near the head of the backbone a
bracket having a lug or projection on either side; at a suitable distance rearward
along the backbone I fix a vertical bracket to which is pivotted or jointed a bracket
having lugs or projections similar to those on the hereinbefore described jointed
bracket; to each of the lugs or projections on the said brackets I apply a spring of
india rubber or other suitable material covered by a plate. Through the said lugs
or projections, springs and plates I then pass wires forming the saddle springs, one
end of each wire or spring being provided with a head and bearing in the back
bracket; the other end bearing in the front bracket is screw threaded and provided
with a regulating thumb nut. The said wires or springs forming the spring of the
saddle thus occupy a position on either side of the backbone instead of being
placed immediately above it, as is the case with ordinary springs. The vertical
bracket is provided with a number of holes so that the rear end of the spring can
be raised or lowered by shifting the position of the pivot or joint of the bracket.
By this construction the rider is enabled to adjust the tension of the springs
whilst riding by simply turning the regulating thumb nuts at the front ends
thereof, the position of the wires or springs on either side of the backbone enables
a rider to use a bicycle with a larger driving wheel than he could otherwise do as,
the saddle being fixed by means of clips there is nothing intervening between the
back bone and the under side of the saddle. The springs allow the saddle to move
sideways with the motion of the rider's legs, no sudden jerks backwards and
forwards will take place when riding, the saddle will spring up and down in a
vertical direction, the india rubber or other springs prevent vibration as there are
no metal parts in contact, and by raising or lowering the rear end of the spring as
herein before described the height of the saddle can be adjusted to suit the rider.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I THOMAS ROBINSON PAXTON of Pow Street and John Street, Workington in
the County of Cumberland, Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VELOCIPEDES" 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 the construction and application to bicycles and other
velocipedes of an improved spring for the saddles when such velocipedes are
constructed with what is known as a backbone the object of the invention been
to provide means whereby the rider is enabled to adjust the saddle to any required
position whilst riding or otherwise and whereby the height of the saddle can be
adjusted to suit different riders; the spring is easy, durable and light.
In carrying out my invention I pivot or joint near the head of the backbone a
bracket having a lug or projection on either side;-at-a-suitablo_distance rearward
along the backbone I fix a vertical bracket to which is pivotted or jointed a bracket
having lugs or projections on each side; to each of the lugs or projections on the
said brackets I apply a spring of indiarubber or other suitable material covered by
a plato or washer. Through the said lugs or projections, springs and plates I then
pass wires forming the saddle springs; one end of each wire or spring bears in one
of the brackets and is screw threaded and provided with a suitable regulating
screw nut.
The other ends of the wires or springs are attached to plates or clips upon which
the saddle can be adjusted and fixed. The said wires or springs forming the spring
of the saddle thus occupy a position on either side of the backbone instead of
being placed immediately above it as is the case with ordinary springs. The
vertical brackets are provided with a number of holes or other arrangement so that
the rear end of the spring can be raised or lowered by shifting the position of the
pivot or joint of the bracket.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents
a side elevation and figure a plan of part of the backbone of a velocipede with
my improvements applied thereto. Similar letters in both the figures represent
similar parts.
A, is the backbone of the Velocipede of ordinary construction and a is the
bracket pivotted or jointed at 6 near the steering head thereof; c and d, are the
lugs or projections on either si le of the bracket ; e is the Vertical bracket which
is fixed on the backbone at a suitable distance carward from the bracket. ; fis
the bracket which is pivotted or jointed to the bracket e; g and h. are the lugs or
projections on each side of the pivotted bracket f; i, i, are the springs of india
rubber or other suitable material which I apply to the lugs or projections c, d, g,
h; and j, j, represent the plates or washers covering the said springs i; k, k, l, k, are
the wires forming the saddle spring; one end of each of the said wires is passed
through the lugs c, d, g, h, springs and plates or washers j, and having their
bearing therein; Z, 7, are the regulating screw nuts with which the screw threaded
ends m. m of the wires k, kare provided; n n are the plates or clips to which the
inner ends of the wires or springs k. are attached, the said ends of the wires k
being formed with hooks or loops o, o, for this purpose; the wires or springs,
forming the spring of the saddle thus occupy a position on either side of the
backbone instead of being placed immediately above it as is the caso with ordinary
springs; p, p, are holes in the plates n, by means of which the saddle can be

page_text: longitudinally adjusted and fixed in position by the usual screw bolts and nuts;
q, is a rubber cushion for the saddle to rest upon and at the same time to lessen
the vibration; rare the holes in the vertical bracket e by means of which the
rear end of the spring can be raised or lowered by shifting the position of the pivot
or joint 8, of the bracket e; t t are knobs or caps screwed on the rear ends of the
back pair of wires to prevent them catching in the clothes of the rider or
otherwise.
By this construction the rider is enabled to adjust the position of the saddle
whilst riding or otherwise by simply turning the regulating screw nuts at the
ends thereof; the position of the wires or springs & on either side of the backbone A
enables a rider to use a bicycle with a larger driving wheel than he could with
ordinary springs as the saddle being fixed by means of the plates or clips n there is
nothing intervening between the backbone and the under side of the saddle. The
springs allow each side of the saddle to rise and fall alternately with the motion of
the rider's legs in pedalling thereby obviating the friction caused by the use of
ordinary springs, no sudden jerks backwards and forwards will take place when
riding, the saddle will spring up and down in a vertical direction, the india rubber
or other springs i, prevent vibration as there are no metal parts in contact and by
raising or lowering the rear end of the spring as herein before described the height
of the saddle can be adjusted to suit the rider, and the rider is also enabled to
adjust the saddle to any required position suitable either for racing or road work
It will bo
by means of the four screw nuts l, and the two perforated plates n.
obvious that instead of wires k, as herein before described and shewn in the drawing
I can employ curved or spiral or other shaped wires.
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). In a velocipedo the combination with india rubber or other suitable springs
having their bearings upon projections or brackets on the backbone of the machine
of saddle springs as described means being provided for the longitudinal lateral
and vertical adjustinent of the said saddle springs substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
(2). The herein described arrangement of pivotted brackets in combination with
the perforated vertical bracket for allowing of raising or lowering the height of the
saddle substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
(3). Providing the ends of saddle springs of velocipedes constructed as described
with screw threads and nuts for adjusting the tension of the spring and the
position of the saddle substantially as herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.
(4). The improved spring for saddles for velocipedes hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.