Improvements in Bicycles.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles.
I, ALFRED MAYHEW, of 80, Windmill Street, Gravesend, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bicycles and has for its objects to balance or counteract
side slip of wheels, and to reduce strain in the frame, and generally to attain easy
manipulation of the machine and to render the machine safer than hitherto.
To these ends according to my invention I mount the saddle or its supporting
pillar in such manner as to admit of its free vibration or revolution completely
around its connection to the frame. I may mount the saddle upon a pillar or a
support in connection with a pillar, the foot of which is hinged to or centred upon
the frame of the machine at or about its centre of gravity (i.e., at or about the
line in which the centre of gravity is when the machine departs from vertical
position, as when side slip occurs, which line will lie approximately between the
centre of the rear wheel and the centre of the steering head) and so that the
pillar is capable of revolution about its centremng; and the point of connection
may be made adjustable as to distance from the centre of gravity of the machine;
or 1 may mount the saddle frame or an arm coupled thereto upon the usual pin
of the seat pillar, in which case I employ a connecting device containing ball
bearings for facilitating the complete or partial revolution of the saddle around
the head, and I may centre the saddle or part in connection therewith upon
the head in such manner that it will return to normal position (with seat upright)
by its own gravity. In order to maintain the saddle temporarily in vertical or
upright position during mounting, if desired I employ an automatic spring clutch
device or equivalent adapted to engage when no weight is on the saddle, but
to be at once disengaged and leave the saddle free to revolve when the weight is
applied to it.
By this invention the weight of the rider is efficiently utilised to maintain and
recover the proper upright position of the machine in all circumstances, and even
should a machine fall upon its side the weight of the rider and the revolution of
the saddle will keep the rider vertically above the fallen machine.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1894.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.
Improvements in Dity cies.
I, ALFRED MAYHEW, of 8", Windmill Street, Gravesend, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, 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 :-.
My invention relates to bicycles and has for its object to balance or counteract
side slip of wheels, and to reduce strains in the frame, and generally to attain easy
manipulation of the machine and to render it safer than hitherto.

page_text: I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in which
similar letters refer to similar parts.
In carrying out my invention I mount the saddle or its supporting pillar upon
the frame of the machine in such manner as to admit of its free vibration or
revolution completely or to any desired extent around its connection to the said
frame. I have illustrated an exaggerated form of this construction in Fig. 1, in
which I have shown my invention applied to a bicycle of old fashioned type,
for the sake of more clearly demonstrating the principle. S is the saddle, Pits
pillar support, the foot of which is hinged to or centred upon the bar F of the
frame at p.
The position of this centreing in this case would be determined at or about the
centre of gravity of the machine (i.e., in or about the line 1-2 in which the centre
of gravity is when the machine departs from vertical position, and which line lies
approximately between the centre of the rear wheel and the centre of the steering
head); this method however of performing my invention I do not prefer, and a
better form is illustrated in the elevation, Fig. 2, and end view of same, Fig. 3,
wherein I mount the saddle frame or a short arm, such as s, coupled thereto upon
the usual pin L at the upper end of the seat pillar P, in which case I employ
for the mounting a connecting device such as C containing ball bearings or other
antifriction contrivance arranged in any usual or convenient manner for facilitating
the complete or partial revolution of the saddle S around the head, and in
connection with such an arrangement I may apply a pendent weight such as dotted
at W, Figs. 2 and 3; or equivalently I may apply a coiled spring, such as shown
at W, for the purpose of automatically returning the saddle to normal position
after its departure therefrom. Or as illustrated in Fig. 4, I may similarly mount
the saddle S upon the sliding bar L of a rearwardly projecting "radial motion
arrangement of bracket such as is shown (and which is fully set forth in my
Patent No. 22716, of November 23rd, 1894,) and in such manner as to be free to
vibrate, oscillate, or rotate thereupon.
"
In order to maintain the saddle temporarily in normal and convenient position
during mounting if desired, I employ an automatic spring clutch device adapted
to engage when no weight is on the saddle, but to be at once and automatically
disengaged and leave the saddle free to revolve on rod laterally when the weight
has been applied to it. Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. D is the
clutch or stop, and da corresponding recess in the fixed part G. In the illustra-
tion, Fig. 4, the weight is supposed to be applied and the clutch disengaged. The
seat and its support when no weight is on are normally held up by the forward
spring M at an angle such as is indicated by the broken line 2-3, Fig. 4, then
the clutch D d is engaged and holds the saddle in normal and practically horizontal
position.
I have above described one simple way of effecting this object, but do not limit
myself to same since any convenient and well known mechanical contrivance can
be substituted to perform the function.
Now the effect of using a rolling or oscillating saddle on cycles is most important
in regard to preventing side slip which is a prolific cause of serious accidents. I
have illustrated diagramatically and on an exaggerated scale in Figs. 6 and 7 the
positions of the parts when side slip occurs. Fig. 6 represents a seat pillar hinged
to the frame bar F as referred to in Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 shows it hinged to the
head, or equivalently as in Figs. 2 and 4.
If xx be the vertical and normal position of the wheel, and assuming side slip
on side long ground y-y to have carried the wheel to the inclined position a¹-³,
it will be seen that the weight W (of the rider) is not carried over with the frame
and wheel to a position at an acute angle with the ground y-y, (as would be the
case with a saddle as commonly mounted), but it (the weight W) still maintains a
position perpendicular to the ground level y-y, and. hence the weight tends to
restore the wheel to vertical position and maintain it therein, and even if the
momentum of slip be so great as to bring over the machine on its side, the rider

page_text: nevertheless falls vertically to the ground and above the machine and hence
less danger of injury to him. A further advantage is that the seat follows more
or less every motion of the rider, and hence riding is less tiring and does not cause
saddle soreness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a bicycle, mounting the saddle or its support in such manner as to be
capable of free vibration, oscillation, or revolution about its mounting or connection
to the frame, as and for the purposes set forth.
2. Mounting the saddle or an arm coupled thereto upon the head or equivalent
upper end of the seat pillar with a ball bearing or other antifriction connection in
such manner as to render the saddle capable of free vibratory or rolling movements,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The arrangement of oscillating mounting of saddles of bicycles, substantially
as described and with or without an automatic return spring or equivalent such as
is above referred to
Dated this 10th day of July 1895.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.