Improvements in connection with Bicycles for Facilitating the Mounting and, Dismounting of same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct.. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar.. 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
PROVISION
SPECIFICA TION
Improvements in connection with Bicycles for Facilitating the
Mounting and, Dismounting of same.
We BRET INCE of Beaufort House, Ham in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
and JOHN OSCAR INCE, of 13 Frognal, Hampstead, N.W., Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to bicycles constructed with a dropped-frame, such as those
now usually ridden by women, or to any other bicycle constructed to be mounted
from the front of the saddle.
The saddle-pin of the bicycle, or the clip or other fastening-piece which may
connect the saddle to the saddle-pin, is jointed by means of a pivot or other joint
turning on its centre forwards and back but not laterally, so as to permit of the
saddle being inclined point downwards while the bicycle is being mounted or
dismounted. The saddle, saddle-clip if any, and the, part of the saddle-pin above
the pivot or other joint (or if the said pivot or other joint be in the saddle-clip, the
saddle and the part of the saddle-clip above the pivot or other joint) is arranged so
as to rest both when placed with the saddle point downwards and when placed with
the saddle in the usual position for riding.
The jointing arrangement herein before described for mounting and dismounting
may be used either without or with either or both of the following contrivances:
A suitable locking arrangement is attached to or otherwise directly or indirectly
connected with the pivot or other joint so as automatically to lock such joint on
the saddle incliuing back to the usual position for riding.
A suitable spring is attached to or otherwise connected with the saddle, saddle-
clip, or saddle-pin so as, on the release of the locking arrangement, if any, and on
the weight of the rider being removed from the saddle, to incline the saddle point
downwards.
Dated this 19th der of October 1896
BRET INCE.
JOHN OSCAR INCE.
Improvements in connection with Bicycles for Facilitating the
Mounting and Dismounting of same.
We, BRET INCE, of Beaufort House, Ham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
and JOHN OSCAR INCE, of 13 Frognal, Hampstead, N.W., Gentleman, 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:-
Our invention relates to bicycles constructed with a dropped-frame, such as those
now usually ridden by women, or to any other cycle constructed to be mounted

page_text: from the front of the saddle, and has for its object to facilitate mounting and
dismounting.
In our invention the saddle-pin of the bicycle, or the clip or other fastening piece
which may connect the saddle to the saddle-pin is provided with a pivot or other
joint, as hereinafter described, turning on its centre forwards and back, but not
laterally, so as to permit of the saddle being inclined or tilted point downwards while
the bicycle is being mounted or dismounted, either automatically by the release of
a spring-catch, or by a slight downward pressure of the hand on the fore end (peak)
of the saddle or upward pressure on the rear end of same, the saddle and pivot
being arranged so as to rest both when placed with the saddle peak downwards and
when the saddle is in the usual position for riding.
We carry out our invention in either of the following ways:-
We dispense with the horizontal bar on which the saddle is usually clipped or
supported and provide instead at the top of the vertical pin or pillar which
ordinarily fits into the framework of the machine a socket or support in which
freely works a spindle or pivot having projections at each side for supporting the
saddle and one or more radial projections or pins acting as a stop to the movement
of said spindle or pivot in both backward and forward directions beyond the
required positions for retaining the saddle in the normal position for riding and
in the tilted or depressed position for mounting and dismounting, a suitable spring-
catch or locking device being provided for automatically engaging and holding
same in the normal position, if desired, the saddle automatically tilting on the
release of said catch, or being tilted by hand as before described. Suitable neaus
are provided for adjusting and maintaining the saddle in position on the pivot.
In lieu of providing a pivot at the top of the vertical pin or pillar which fits into
the framework of the machine, as above described, we form the clip or collar which
now usually holds the saddle on the horizontal bar ordinarily provided at the top
and forming part of the vertical saddle-pin or pillar, with a socket or support in
which works a spindle or pivot, similar to that above described with reference to
the first form of our invention, with projections at each side for supporting the
saddle, a stop or stops for limiting the movement of the pivot and saddle in either
direction, and a catch as above described being also provided.
In the third form of our invention we provide a freely working hinge or pivot
joint in the vertical portion (pillar) of an ordinary saddle support below the
horizontal bar to which the saddle is usually clipped or attached, said pivot or
hinge being so situated and arranged that the vertical portion of the saddle pin or
pillar above it and the horizontal bar carrying the saddle, and consequently the
saddle itself, can be depressed or tilted in a forward direction to a certain
predetermined extent, being prevented from moving beyond the desired point
by the forward lower portion of the upper oscillating or pivoted part of the
vertical pin or pillar bearing against the upper portion of the lower part of said
vertical pin or pillar which latter is carried by the framework of the machine in
the usual way, the corresponding rear ends of said parts forming stops for
preventing the upper pivoted portion of said pillar and the saddle which it
supports from moving beyond the normal position for riding a catch or locking
device as above described being provided for retaining same in this position, if
desired.
In order that our invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect we will now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which,―
Figures 1 and 2 are side and rear-end views partly in section respectively of a
saddle and saddle-pin or pillar comprising the first form of our invention,
illustrating one method of supporting the saddle thereon.
Figures 3 and 4 (Sheet 2) are side and rear-end views respectively of the
combined saddle clip and pivot comprising the second form of our invention,
Figure 4 being a vertical section on line A-B, Fig. 3, of the clip and pivot.
Figures 5 and 6 are similar views of the alternative arrangement, comprising the

page_text: third form of our invention, in which the vertical member (pillar) of an ordinary
saddle support is divided, the upper and lower portions being connected by a freely
working pivot or other joint.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a form of catch or locking device for holding the
saddle and pivot in the normal position for riding.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings:-
a (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8) is the vertical pin or pillar referred to in the first
form of our invention, & the socket on the head of said pillar, e the spindle or pivot
working in socket b; d, d' are the extensions of the spindle or pivot c at each side
which support the saddle, said extensions fitting between the wires or rods e e¹
forming part of the spring or frame of the saddle. It is obvious that saddles
having different forms of frame may be suitably supported on the pivot c. ffare
flanged washers which clip the wires e, e', g, g' are nuts which when screwed or
tightened up bear on the washers f, f' and firmly hold the saddle in the desired
position on the extensions d d of the pivot which extensions are provided with
screw threads. h is a slot in socket b in which works the radial projection or pinj
forming a stop to the movement of the saddle and pivot beyond the desired point
in either direction as described.
k (Figs. 3 and 4) is a form of clip for holding the saddle on an ordinary saddle
support as now generally in use said clip being formed with a socket or support in
which works a pivot or spindle c, similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
1 (Figs. 5 and 6) is a pivot or pin connecting the upper and lower portions m. m²
of the vertical pin or pillar of any ordinary saddle support which is divided for the
insertion of said pivot as before mentioned, the top of the lower portion m' being
forked or recessed to receive the lower end or neck m² of the upper portion m which
oscillates or tilts freely to and fro on said pin which latter is passed through as
shown in Figure 6. The forward lower portion of the upper part m bears against
the upper portion m³ of lower part m' of the pillar to prevent further movement or
tilting in the forward direction, the corresponding rear portions similarly acting as
a stop to prevent the saddle moving backward beyond the correct position for
riding. The form of joint for connecting the two portions m, m² of the pillar may
be varied.
In Figures 7 and 8, which illustrate one form of catch or locking device for
holding the saddle in the normal position, n is a projection or lug on socket b to
which is fulerumed at n' a lever or catch o bearing at its end o¹ on a spring p
carried by pin pl.
The action of our invention is as follows:-
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, when it is desired to mount the machine, before
doing so it is only necessary to slightly raise the rear end of the saddle or depress
the peak when (the saddle being supported by and turning freely with pivot c) said
peak will drop to the desired position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1; or if
desired the saddle can be so centred or mounted on the pivot e that on disengaging
the lever or catch o (Figs. 7 and 8), by depressing its end o¹, the peak of the
saddle will drop automatically either by gravity or under the action of spring p.
When the weight of the rider comes on the saddle it returns to its normal
horizontal position. On the movement of the rider to dismount it is obvious that
the saddle peak will be again depressed or drop to the position shown in dotted
lines.
The action of the spring catch illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is as follows:-
Assuming the saddle peak to be depressed or tilted in the forward direction for the
purpose of mounting, when the weight of the rider comes upon the saddle to return
it to the normal horizontal position for riding the pin or projection on the
supporting pivot of the saddle moves backward through the slot / in socket b and
bears against the upper end o² of lever o moving said end outwards against the
action of spring pl which, when the pinj has moved opposite a slot or hole in the
upper portion of the lever or catch o, said upper portion moves towards the socket b,

page_text: pin' entering the hole or slot j being held in this position until the end o' of the
lever o is operated to release it when the saddle may be tilted as herein before
described. A similar kind of catch may be applied to the form of saddle support
shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination of vertical pin or pillar a with pivot c as a support for the
saddles of bicycles and the like, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described, for the purpose specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination of a saddle clip with a pivot, forming a support for the
saddles of bicycles and the like, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described, for the purpose specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a support for the saddles of bicycles and the like, the combination of
parts m m with connecting pivot or pin 1, arranged and operating substantially
as herein described, for the purpose specified, and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with a tilting support for the saddles of bicycles and the
like as herein set forth, of a catch or locking device for retaining the saddle in
the normal position for riding the release of said catch enabling the saddle to be
tilted, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1897
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant.