Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of Great Colmore
Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention consists of the methods hereinafter described in supporting the
saddles or seats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes.
In supporting the saddles or seats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes
according to the first part of my invention I connect the rear part of the leather of the
seat to the backbone of the bicycle tricycle or other velocipede and the front of the
leather to the head or post of the bicycle tricycle or other velocipede.
Το
I will describe the improvements constituting the first part of my invention in
connection with a bicycle. I support the saddle or seat in the following manner.
the backbone of the bicycle and at or near the rear end of the leather seat I fix by
means of a clip or otherwise a cross bar on the ends of which bar the two coiled
springs by which the rear of the saddle is supported are respectively connected. To
the middle of the said cross bar and brazed thereto or formed in one piece therewith
and at right angles thereto is a strong arm extending along the top of the backbone
its free end making a small angle therewith. The rear end of the seat is supported by
a metallic rod an india rubber pad being interposed between the said rod and the
leather seat. On the underside of the said rod is a bracket having a screwed hole in
which a screw works. The outer end of the said screw terminates in a milled head
by which it is turned. The other or inner end of the screw terminates in a small
sphere or the said end may be made hemi-spherical. The said spherical or hemi-
spherical end of the screw engages in a hemi-spherical cavity in a small block on the
end of the arm hereinbefore referred to. The front end of the seat is connected to
the head of the bicycle by a strong leather strap passed round the said head and joined
to the front end of the seat.
The action of the parts is as follows. The front connection of the seat with the
head of the bicycle has no elasticity the required tension being put upon the leather of
the seat by means of the screw described. By driving home the said screw by turning
its milled head the bracket in which it works is drawn back and with it the rear of the
saddle any required tension being thus put upon the leather seat. By virtue of the
arrangement of parts described any desired tension can be put on the leather seat
while its elasticity in every required direction is preserved that is to say the rear of
the seat can incline to the right or to the left or rise and fall vertically without
inclination according to the position taken by the rider.
I will describe the improvements constituting the second part of my invention in
connection with a tricycle.
I make the lower part of the supporting frame of the saddle of a roll or strong wire
of wrought iron of nearly twice the length of the saddle and doubled at its middle
the bend being made into an eye. The ends of the branches of the doubled wire
constituting the lower part of the saddle frame carry a cross piece or bar to each end
of which a flat ring of iron is attached. The said cross piece and rings may be formed
in one piece by casting. The said rings are of slightly larger diameter than the coiled
springs at the rear of the saddle which springs are connected to the flat rings herein-
before described in the following manner. On the upper side of each ring two eyes
at opposite points are situated. These eyes are of a size suitable to receive a part of
the lowest convolution of the coiled spring and the coiled springs are attached to the
said rings by their ends being passed through the said eyes by a screw like motion.

page_text: The upper end of each coiled spring is fastened to the upper part of the saddle frame
by passing it around a screw pin on which a screw nut engages in the ordinary way.
The attaching of the coiled springs to the rear of the saddle frame by means of the
said screw nuts is effected by introducing the screw nut into a socket key which is
passed through the ring supporting the coiled spring and the screw nut thereby made
to engage on the screw pin. The screw nut is driven home and tightened by turning
the said key. The coiled spring under the front end of the saddle frame is supported
on a disc of somewhat larger diameter than the base of the coiled spring and connected
therewith by means of eyes as hereinbefore described with respect to the rings at the
rear of the lower part of the saddle frame. The said disc is fixed in position by a
screw pin passing through the eye or bend at the front of the lower part of the saddle
frame and through a hole in the middle of the said disc a screw nut being screwed on
the said screw pin. The upper part of the front coiled spring is secured in the
ordinary way.
In order to connect the upper part of the front coiled spring to the upper part of
the saddle frame the screw nut which fixes it is introduced through the interior of the
coil by means of the socket key hereinbefore referred to before the base of the spring
is attached to the disc. After the upper part of the coiled spring has been fixed the
eyes of the disc are passed upon the lowest convolution of the coil and the said disc is
fixed to the eye or bend at the front of the lower part of the saddle frame by means of
the screw pin and nut described.
The upper ends as well as the lower ends of the springs may be connected to the
frame by means of discs with eyes as described In this case the upper end of the
spring is first engaged with the disc on the upper part of the frame and the lower
disc which is capable of rotation is afterwards engaged with the bottom of the spring.
By the use of the rings and discs described the putting together of the parts
supporting the saddle is much facilitated and the yielding of the saddle in a forward or
backward direction is wholly or in part prevented.
Dated this 9th day of July 1880
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of Great Colmore
Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists of the methods hereinafter described of supporting the saddles
or seats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes.
In supporting the saddles or seats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes
according to the first part of my invention I connect the rear part of the leather of
the seat to the backbone of the bicycle, tricycle or other velocipede and the front of
the leather to the head or post of the bicycle tricycle or other velocipede.
I will describe the improvements constituting the first part of my invention in
connection with a bicycle. I support the saddle or seat in the following manner.
To the backbone of the bicycle and at or near the rear end of the leather seat I fix by
means of a clip or otherwise a cross bar on the ends of which bar the two coiled springs
by which the rear of the saddle is supported are respectively connected. To the
middle of the said cross bar and brazed thereto or formed in one piece therewith and
at right angles thereto is a strong arm extending along the top of the backbone its
free end making a small angle therewith. The rear end of the seat is supported by a
metallic rod, an india-rubber pad being previously interposed between the said rod
and the leather seat. On the underside of the said rod is a bracket having a screwed
hole in which a screw works. The outer end of the said screw terminates in a milled

page_text: head by which it is turned. The other or inner end of the screw terminates in a small
sphere or the said end may be made hemispherical. The said spherical or hemi-
spherical end of the screw engages in a hemispherical cavity in a small block on the
end of the arm hereinbefore referred to. The front end of the seat is connected to
the head of the bicycle by a strong leather strap passed round the said head and joined
to the front end of the seat.
The action of the parts is as follows. The front connection of the seat with the
head of the bicyle has no elasticity the required tension being put upon the leather of
the seat by means of the screw described. By driving home the said screw by turning
its milled head the bracket in which it works is drawn back and with it the rear of
the saddle; any required tension being thus put upon the leather seat. By virtue of
the arrangement of parts described any desired tension cau be put on the leather seat
while its elasticity in every required direction is preserved; that is to say, the rear of
the seat can incline to the right or to the left or rise and fall vertically without
inclination according to the position taken by the rider.
I will describe the improvements constituting the second part of my invention, in
connection with a tricycle.
I make the lower part of the supporting frame of the saddle of a rod or strong wire
of wrought iron of nearly twice the length of the saddle and doubled at its middle,
the bend being made into an eye. The ends of the branches of the doubled wire
constituting the lower part of the saddle frame carry a cross piece or bar to each end
of which a flat ring of iron is attached. The said cross piece and rings may be
formed in one piece by casting. Tho said rings are of slightly larger diameter than
the coiled springs at the rear of the saddle which springs are connected to the flat
rings herein before described in the following manner. On the upper side of each
ring, two eyes at opposite points are situated. These eyes are of a size suitable to
receive a part of the lowest convolution of the coiled spring and the coiled springs are
attached to the said rings by their ends being passed through the said eyes by a screw
like motion. The upper end of each coiled spring is fastened to the upper part of the
saddle frame by passing it around a screw pin on which a screw nut engages in the
ordinary way. The attaching of the coiled springs to the rear of the saddle frame by
means of the said screw nuts is effected by introducing the screw nut into a socket
key which is passed through the ring supporting the coiled spring and the screw nut
thereby made to engage on the screw pin. The screw nut is driven home and
tightened by turning the said key. The coiled spring under the front end of the
saddle frame is supported on a disc of somewhat larger diameter than the base of the
coiled spring and connected therewith by means of eyes as hereinbefore described with
respect to the rings at the rear of the lower part of the saddle frame. The said disc is
fixed in position by a screw pin passing through the eye or bend at the front of the
lower part of the saddle frame and through a hole in the middle of the said disc, a
screw nut being screwed on the said screw pin. The upper part of the front coiled
spring is secured in the ordinary way.
In order to connect the upper part of the front coiled spring to the upper part of
the saddle frame the screw nut which fixes it is introduced through the interior of the
coil by means of the socket key herein before referred to before the base of the spring
is attached to the disc. After the upper part of the coiled spring has been fixed, the
eyes of the disc are passed upon the lowest convolution of the coil and the said disc is
fixed to the eye or bend at the front of the lower part of the saddle frame by means of
the screw pin and nut described.
The upper ends as well as the lower ends of the springs may be connected to the
frame by means of discs with eyes as described. In this case the upper end of the
spring is first engaged with the disc on the upper part of the frame and the lower
disc which is capable of rotation is afterwards engaged with the bottom of the
spring.
By the use of the rings and discs described the putting together of the parts
supporting the saddle is much facilitated and the yielding of the saddle in a forward
or backward direction is wholly or in part prevented.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section and Figure 2 in cross section a saddle
for a bicycle containing my improvements; Figures 3 and 4 represent sections taken
at right angles to one another and Figure 5 is a plan of one of the ring ends of the
cross bar at the rear of the saddle frame drawn to a large scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
a is the leather seat of the saddle the front end of which is connected to the forked
bar or lever on the end 2 of the backbone by the rivetted arm d, a knuckle on
which passes between the branches of the said bar or lever band is fixed at the
required place by a pin e passing through one pair of the holes in the forked bar b
and the knuckle. The india rubber disc 62 on the unjointed end of the forked bar b
bears upon the backbone and against the underside of the arm d. The rear end of
the leather seat a is rivetted to the hanging bracket g and the tension of the leather
seat is adjusted in the manner hereinafter described.
To the backbone of the bicycle and near the rear end of the leather seat is fixed
by the clip 3 the cross bar i on the rings m m at the ends of the said bar the two
coiled springs k by which the rear of the saddle is supported are respectively
connected as hereinafter described.
On the middle of the cross bar is an inclined arm which extends forward on
the backbone, the forward end of the inclined arm being provided with a hemispherical
cavity or seat in which the front end of the adjusting screw 1, 12 works or seats itself,
the screw being thus made incapable of an advancing motion. The front end of the
adjusting screw is incapable of rising and falling but the rear end of the said screw is
capable of being depressed to a greater or less extent according to the weight of the
rider.
The rear end of the screw 1, 12 works in the screw box at g² in the hanging bracket g
rivetted to the rear end of the leather seat. The front connection of the leather seat
with the head of the backbone has no elasticity the required tension being put on the
leather of the seat by means of the screw 11. By turning the screw by its milled
head in the direction to drive it home the screw box g² of the bracket g is made to
retire on the said scrow and the said bracket is thereby drawn back and with it the
rear of the leather seat a any required tension can thus be put on the leather seat. By
virtue of the arrangement of parts described and represented any desired tension can
be put on the leather seat while its elasticity in every direction is preserved; that is
to say, the rear of the seat can incline to the right or left and fall vertically without
inclination according to the position taken by the rider.
The coiled springs k, kare fastened in their places at the rear of the seat in the
following manner.
The rings m, m at the ends of the cross bar i are slightly larger than the coiled
springs and are cupped for receiving the last convolution of the coil. On the upper
side of each ring m two eyes n, n at opposite points are situated. These eyes are of a
size suitable to receive a part of the lowest convolution of the coiled springs k, k and
the said coiled springs are attached by their ends being passed through the said
eyes n n by a screw like motion as best seen in the enlarged views Figures 3, 4 and 5.
The upper eye end 2 of each coiled spring is fastened to the crossing arms of the
hanging bracket g and metal frame at the rear of the leather seat a by passing it
around a rivetted screw pin pon which a screw nut p² engages in the ordinary
way, the end of the spring being gripped between the arm and nut. The attaching of
the tops of the coiled springs to the rear of the saddle is effected by introducing the
screw nut into a socket key which is passed through the ring m supporting the coiled
spring and up the interior of the coiled spring and the screw nut thereby made to
engage on the screw pin p.
The screw nut p² is driven home and tightened by turning the said key.
The improvements described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 may be
applied to saddles for tricy cles and other velocipedes.
Figure 6 represents in longitudinal section Figure 7 in cross section and Figure 8

page_text: in plan of underside a tricycle saddle constructed according to my invention, the
leather seat of the said saddle being supported at its front end by a coiled spring and
at its rear end by two coiled springs:-Figure 9 represents drawn to a larger scale
the arrangement of parts for connecting the front coiled spring to the upper and
lower parts of the saddle frame: q is the upper part of the supporting frame carrying
at its front the tension arrangement for the leather seat a: r2 is the lower part of
the supporting frame the said lower part consisting of a rod or strong wire of wrought
iron doubled at its middle the bend being made into an eye ³.
m
The ends of the branches », r of the doubled wire carry the cross piece ², at each
end of which is a cupped ring m provided with eyes n, n. On these cupped rings m,
the bottoms of the rear coiled springs k, k are supported and fastened in the
manner hereinbefore described with respect to the saddle Figures 1 and 2 the upper
ends of the said coiled springs kk being connected to the upper saddle frame also in
the manner hereinbefore described. The parts for supporting and connecting the
rear coiled springs of the saddle Figures 6, 7 and 8 are marked with the same letters
of reference as corresponding parts of the saddle Figures 1 and 2.
The coiled springs under the front end of the saddle frame is supported on the
cupped disc t rigidly connected to the eye end of the lower saddle frame 1, 1, 2by
the screw pin passed through the said eyes and taking into the screwed middle
part of the said disc t (see Figure 9).
The lower supporting disc t is furnished with eyes 2, 2 with which the bottom
convolution of the coil of the springs is engaged in the manner herein before described
with respect to the rear supporting eyed rings m m. The upper part of the front
coiled springs is secured to the upper saddle frame 9 by a disc u, u² of the same
construction as the lower disc t, t2 the said upper disc u u² being fastened to the upper
saddle frame by the screw pin at q².
9.
The three coiled springs k, k and s are fastened in their places in the following
manner.
In order to connect the upper part of the front coiled springs to the upper part of
the saddle frame, the top convolution of the spring s is passed through the eyes u², u²
on the top disc u by a screw like motion. The lower saddle frame r,, is next
placed at right angles to the saddle as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8 so as to
bring one of the eyes t² of its disc t in front of the end of the lowest convolution of
the coil. By giving the said lower saddle frame 1, 1, 2 a motion through somewhat
more than a semi-circle in the direction of the arrow Figure 8 so as to bring it
under the middle of the saddle, the eyes t² 2, on the disc t of the saddle frame are
threaded or passed on to the lowest convolution of the coil of the said front spring
and the said spring thereby fastened in its place. The lowest convolutions of the
rear springs kk are next engaged with or passed through the eyes of the cupped
rings m, m at the rear of the lower saddle frame and the upper ends of the said
springs are fastened to the upper saddle frame by screwing the nuts upon the screw
pins p, p by means of the socket key introduced through the said cupped rings m, m
and the interior of the rear springs k, k as before described.
The eyed discs may be used either at the top or bottom of the front spring or the
front spring may be fastened at top by a screw pin and not in the manner described
with reference to the tops of the rear coiled springs before the bottom disc t, t² is
fastened to the bottom of the said front spring.
I do not limit myself to any particular construction of the saddle frame to which
the eyed rings and dises of the back and front springs are connected as the said
saddle frame may be constructed in a variety of ways; for example, it may be
connected in the manner shown in the saddle represented in section in Figure 10 and
plan of underside in Figure 11. That is, the upper frame may consist of two
inclined rods q, q passing from the front to the back of the saddle and the eyed
ring m supporting the front spring s may be connected to the lower frame r, by
clips m³ on the said ring being closed around the rods of the said lower frame.
By the use of the rings and discs described and represented the putting together

page_text: of the parts for supporting the saddle is much facilitated and the yielding of the
saddle in a forward or backward direction is wholly or in part prevented.
Instead of connecting the front end of the leather seat of the bicycle saddle repre-
sented in Figures 1 and 2 to the front of the backbone by the connection represented
in Figure 1 the said front end of the leather seat may be connected to the head of the
bicycle by a strong leather strap passed around the said head and fastened to the front
end of the leather seat. This part of my invention is illustrated in side elevation in
Figure 12 and plan in Figure 13 where the front of the leather seat is marked a² the
bicycle head a³ and the leather strap passing around the said bicycle head is
marked at. By this means the connection of the front of the leather seat with the
head of the bicycle has no elasticity, the required tension being put upon the leather of
the seat by the mechanism represented in Figures 1 and 2.
In Figures 10 and 11 I have represented the leather strap at the front of the saddle
applied to the head or steering post of a safety bicycle. In the said Figures 10 and 11,
the leather strap is marked a its front end is furnished with a running loop which
is passed over and drawn upon the bicycle head or steering post and the rear
end of the leather strap is secured by a buckle at y to the fixed strap y² secured to
the underside of the front of the saddle by the screw nut which secures the top of the
front spring s in its place. The said strap a acts as a stay and steadies and supports
the springs of the saddle when a back thrust is given to the saddle by the rider.
The front connection a' of the saddle Figures 12 and 13 and the front connection a
Figures 10 and 11 do not interfere with the steering of the velocipede.
Instead of using a flexible connecting strap or stay at the front of the saddle a rigid
or inflexible stay may be used but I prefer to employ a flexible stay or connection
as described and represented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner of performing the same I declare that I claim as my invention of
Improvements in supporting the saddles or seats of bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes -
$6
First: The arrangement of the parts hereinbefore described and represented in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings for putting any required tension on
the leather seat of the saddle; that is to say, the rotating screw 1 incapable of an
advancing motion but capable of rising and falling at its rear end in combination
with the hanging bracket y, the arm hemi-spherical seat ³ and screw box g² con-
nected to the rear of the said leather seat.
Secondly: The combination of eyed rings carried by the frame of the saddle with
coiled springs to which eyed rings the lowest convolutions of the said springs are
fastened by a screw like motion substantially as described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings the upper ends of the springs being fastened to the saddle
frame by screw pins and nuts, the screw nuts being turned by a socket key passed
through the eyed rings and the interior of the coiled springs as hereinbefore
described.
Thirdly: The combination with the frames of saddles having front and rear coiled
supporting springs of eyed dises by which the top and bottom (or top or bottom) of
the front coiled spring are fastened to the saddle frames substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings
Lastly: Connecting the front of the saddle either by its leather seat or metallic
foundation to the head or steering post of the bicycle tricycle or velocipede by means
of a leather strap or flexible connection or by means of an inflexible connection for
the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 10,
11, 12, and 13 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated the 29th day of March 1890.
JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH.