Improvements in or relating to Supplementary Seats for Cycles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Supplementary Seats for Cycles.
Alfred Julius BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers a communication to me from
abroad by James Henry Sager of No. 53 Olean Street in the City of Rochester
in the County of Monroe and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer. I do 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 the improvements in supplementary seats for bicycles
hereinafter described and claimed, and the objects of my invention are to provide
a convenient, comfortable and adjustable seat of the class described.
The said invention is illustrated by the accompanying sheet of explanatory
drawings whereon letters of reference are marked corresponding with those in the
following description thereof, that is to say:
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a part of a bicycle showing my device attached
thereto;
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the frame work of my device;
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of iny device showing in full and in dotted lines
different positions which may be given to the seat ;
A. represents the saddle post of the bicycle, to the horizontal portion of which
my device is preferably attached as by a clamp B having a central perforation
fitting upon said saddle post and fixed thereto by means of a binding screw b. By
the use of a suitable clamp of other form my device may, however, be attached
to any other suitable part of the main frame of the bicycle. The clamp B has
two parallel side perforations in which are adjustably fixed as by set screws a a,
two parallel bars C C of spring metal constituting the spring support for the seat.
These bars I prefer to join together by making the two of one bar by bending
the same from points on either side of the central part e, then bending the two
ends in parallel curves e c¹ of suitable length and shape, preferably, however, in
regular curves, and leaving the remainder of the two ends straight and still
parallel. The clamp B is fixed at any point upon these straight portions by the
set screws a a. On the curved portions is adjustably fixed a clamp D having
perforations therethrough for the bars C C, and also perforations for the rods E E
hereinafter described. Set screws d d serve to fasten the clamp D at any suitable
point on the bars C or on the rods E. The seat has a back cross piece F and a
front cross piece G to which the seat proper H is attached. In Fig. 2 this seat
proper is indicated by dotted lines. I prefer to make it of flexible material such
as cloth. The back and front pieces F G are connected by two rods EE which
pass through perforations in the clamp D. These rods are rigidly fastened to the
back piece by a suitable device such as the plate, Fig. 2, screwed to the.
back of said back piece and from which they extend parallel downward and out-
ward, then in suitable parallel curves around the back of the seat proper and
forward underneath the same to the front piece G, to which they are rigidly
fastened by a suitable clamp such as the plate screwed to the bottom of said
front piece. These two rods E E may be conveniently made of one rod by bending
the same at the middle point e Fig. 2, and so that the two parts shall be a proper
distance apart, and then further bending the two on the proper parallel curves.
The rods É E constitute the seat support.
It is evident that a single flat bar may be used instead of the pair of bars CC
or a pair of bars E E, in which case suitable slots are made in the clamps B

page_text: and D. The flat har or a pair of bars are preferably used to resist twisting
strains. 1 consider a pair of bars to be the most efficient in use.
Rods K K may also join the back and front pieces F G to give additional
strength, and they may be so formed as to serve as arms for the seat or chair.
This supplementary seat is particularly adapted to the safety bicycle and is
preferably attached to the saddle post of the same and so as to be situated between
the saddle L and the handle bars M. I attach to the front piece G a foot rest N
preferably of the form shown in Fig. 1.
This supplementary seat is adjustable to and from the support A by reason of
the straight parts of the bars C C, being moveable in the perforations in the
clamp B and being horizontal or nearly so it is adjustable for height by reason of
the clamp D being moveable upward and downward on the bars C C or on the
rods E E, and the pitch of the seat proper is changeable as shown in Fig. 3, by
reason of the clamp being moveable on the curved parts of the bars C C or
rods E E. My device is thus adjustable to bicycles of different patterns and
sizes so that the relative positions of the seat with reference to the saddle and to
the handle bars, may be properly adjusted. The bars C C, being of spring metal
and having the long straight parts and the upwardly curved parts form sustaining
springs for the seat which make it easy in use. The strain on the curved parts of
the bars CC tends to straighten them and to bring their elasticity into action,
and this form of sustaining spring is found to be particularly efficient in promoting
the case of the rider. The elasticity of the bars C C may be adjusted to the
weight to be borne in the seat, according as they are set to be long or short from
the points where they are fastened in the clamp B.
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. The combination with a bicycle, of a spring support consisting of a bar or
bars, partly straight and partly bent in a regular curve, means of adjustably
clamping said straight part horizontally or nearly so, to the frame of the bicycle,
a seat and means of adjustably fastening the same to said curved part, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination, with a bicycle, of a spring support consisting of a pair of
parallel bars having straight portions and portions bent in a regular curve, means
of adjustably fastening said straight parts horizontally, or nearly so, to the frame
of the bicycle, a seat and means of adjustably fastening the same to said curved
portions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The seat herein described, consisting of a back cross piece and a front cross
piece, a seat connecting the same, a seat support connected to said back and front
pieces and passing underneath and back of said seat, and suitable means of
attaching the same to a bicycle, substantially as set forth.
4. The seat herein described, consisting of a back cross piece and a front cross
piece, a seat connecting the same, a seat support consisting of a pair of parallel
rods connected to said back and front pieces and passing underneath and back
of said seat and suitable means of attaching the same to a bicycle, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a supplementary seat for bicycles, the combination of a back cross piece,
a front cross piece, a seat connecting the same, rods connecting said back and
front pieces outside of said seat, a spring support attached to the main frame of a
bicycle and to said rods, substantially as set forth.
6. In a supplementary seat for bicycles, the combination of a back cross piece,
a front cross piece, a seat connecting the same, parallel curved rods connecting
said back and front pieces and passing underneath and back of said seat, a spring
support attached to the main frame of the bicycle and to said rods, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 7. In a supplementary seat for bicycles, the combination of a back cross piece,
afront cross piece a seat connecting the same, a pair of parallel curved rods
connecting said back and front pieces and passing underneath and back of said
seat, and a spring support consisting of a pair of parallel bars in part straight
and in part bent in a regular curve, means of attaching said straight part to the
main frame of the bicycle and means of attaching said curved part adjustably
to said rods and moveably with reference to the same, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.