Improvements in Springs and in Combined Springs and Saddles for Velocipedes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 30th Dec., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Springs and in Combined Springs and Saddles for
Velocipedes.
We, GEORGE SALTER of the firm of George Salter and Company of West
Bromwich in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, and JOHN WALKER of
Water Street, West Bromwich, aforesaid, Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in velocipede saddle springs, and to
combined suspension springs and saddles; and which said invention has reference
particularly to that class of saddles, known as hammock saddles, or seats suspended
and stretched between two opposite and elevated points; by which improvements, the
seats of saddles are rendered highly elastic or yielding.
In carrying out our invention, wo proceed as follows, and we will first describe our
invention in connection with a bicycle saddle.
The saddle which is a frameless one, is suspended or elevated at its back end, by
two voluto springs, of the shape and like that of an. ordinary clock spring secured at
their inner ends, to and around the ends of a square spindle, and with the inside faces
of the said springs, removed to some distance from each other, but disposed in the
same plane and parallel; and between the springs aforesaid, and around the middle
part of the said spindle carrying the springs, the turned back free end of a scroll or
bent spring (or its equivalent connection) is secured and attached; while the lower end
of this bent or scroll spring is made into a foot or rest part, which is secured,
connected, or made to slide upon the back-bone of a machine. Or the said rest part
may be jointed to any ordinary connection carried by the said back-bone.
The outer and upper ends of these volute springs are hooked, or turned outwardly,
and it is by means of these hooked ends, that the springs connection with the underside
of the back of the saddle is made.
The underside of the back of the saddle is provided with the usual skirting framing,
with lugs or hanging brackets, having eyes or holes, through which the hooked outer
ends of the volute springs aforesaid, take and engage and it is by these hooked
ends, that the saddle is elevated and suspended at back.

page_text: The front end of the saddle is supported and suspended from the free or tail end of
a forked or divided volute spring, whose inner ends embrace and are secured to, and
pass around a square pin, carried by and passing transversely through the neck or
head of a machine, or through a bracket carried by either of them; but to this we do
not confine ourselves, as other connections may be employed.
By our invention as aforesaid, the seat of a saddle is suspended or elevated at both
back and front, upon the outer free ends of volute springs, arranged so that on
pressure being applied to the saddle seat, the coils or the convolutions thereof are
brought into movement or action, by the pulling or changing of position of their free
outer ends, while their inner ends remain fixed or immovable, by their connections
with the square pins or spindles carried by the supporting spring, bracket or other
connection at back, and the machine head or other connection at front.
To remove the saddle seat, or the skin thus stretched, it is only necessary to relax,
by unwinding the springs tension, when the terminal ends can be unhooked, and the
saddle seat released.
Varying tension or power may be imparted to the springs aforesaid, by winding up
the same.
The central axis or square centre pin, upon which the inner ends of the
coils are wound and connected, is provided with a lug or standing out short arm,
against the underside of which, a screw pin (or its equivalent) passing through a
screw hole in the body of the spring, bracket or other connection, presses. This pin
has a head upon its underside, by which it is rotated.
On the tension of the springs requiring to be varied, it is only necessary to screw
in or out, or raise or lower the pin, when the axis carrying the lug can be turned or
rotated within bearings, carried by the support or bracket. Thus, the winding up as
it were,
is produced by the end of the screw forcibly impressing itself upon the lug,
while the relaxation is effected by the lug following the screw, when withdrawn.
Although we have described that tension is created by a screw pin working within
a screw hole, yet other mechanical equivalents may be substituted therefor.
In applying our improvements to tricycle saddles, the return ended spring, which
supports the back of the saddle, is continued under the seat from back to front, and in
the form of an inverted bow, thus making as it were, an under frame, secured at back
and front.
The middle part of this under-framing or bow strip of metal, is secured to a machine
by clips or the like, in the ordinary way.
GEORGE SALTER.
JOHN WALKER.
By Houry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, and JOHN WALKER of Water Street west.
Bromwich, aforesaid, Foreman, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in velocipode saddles, and particularly to
that class of saddles suspended and stretched between two opposite and elevated points,
and known as suspension saddles.
In carrying out our invention, we will first describe it in connection with a bicycle
saddle.
The saddle, which is a frameless one, is elevated and suspended at its back end,
upon two volute springs, or a double volute spring, of a like shape to that of an
ordinary clock spring.
The inner ends of the said springs, are made into square eyes or bushed centres,
which take upon like squares, at the ends of a carrying spindle.
The inside faces of these springs, come within a short distance of each other, but
are disposed parallel, and lie in the same plane.
The middle parts of the axis, work within bearings or loop holes, formed at the end
of a bracket connection, which is secured by an adjustable clip, to the back-bone or
framing of a machine.
The middle part of the spring connection axis, carries an arm or lug, against
which, the end of a screw impresses itself, on being rotated. This screw, worms
itself through a screw hole in the framing.
The outer, or upper parts of the volute or scroll like springs, are turned into hooked
ends, which are made to engage with, and hook upon depending bracket eyes or
loops, carried from the back underside of the saddle seat.
The front end of the saddle, may be supported and suspended from the free end, or
from the tail end of a folded or other looped bracket, whose inner end may pass
around a square pin, which passes transversely through the neck of the head of a
machine, or through a bracket thereby carried.
Or both the rear and front ends of the seat of a saddle, may be mounted upon
volute or scroll like springs, whose inner ends are made to surround, and remain
fixedly to the square ends of a carrying spindle.
On pressure being applied to the seat of a saddle, the coils or convolutions as

page_text: aforesaid, are brought into movement or action, by the changing of the position of
the outer ends, while the change of position of the inner ends, by the rotation of the
spindle, increases the tension of the springs, and brings the coils in closer proximity,
and at the same time stretches the saddle seat.
The disconnection of the seat from the supporting means herein described, is
accomplished, by slightly relaxing the tension of the springs, when the hooked ended
connections can be removed from the springs, and the seat released.
Instead of the arm or lug on the spindle axis being operated by a screw, it may
worked by other suitable mechanical devices.
be
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings,
the manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure
represents partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section, a bicycle
saddle, constructed according to our invention; and which said saddle is shown in
connection with the backbone of a machine. Figure 2 represents in back elevation
(partly in section) the said saddle. Figure 3 is a top side view of the front part of
the saddle, showing its connection with the spindle of the neck of a machine.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the clip, which secures the suspending back bracket,
or back framing to a machine. Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the back
suspension springs, showing the square bush at its middle, which takes upon one of
the square ends of the supporting and tension spindle. Figure 7 represents an end
elevation of the said spring, with two of the outer coils in section, in order to exhibit
the concaved figure of the outer one.
Figure 8 represents in plan, the square ended spindle and arm, by which the
spindle is rotated, in order to wind up, or change the tension of the spring.
Figure 9 represents partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section, a bicycle, or
a rear driving tricycle saddle, made according to our invention. Figure 10 is an
inverted plan of figure 9.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
a is a suspended saddle seat, supported at its back end a², upon two volute or clock
springs b, secured at their inner ends, (which are formed into square connection
bushes 6) to the squares, or square ends of the winding up or turning spindle c,
(see the back elevation figure 2) so that on the rotation of the said spindle within the
bearings of the carrier bracket d, (seen in dotted lines figure 1, and back elevation
figure 2) winds up, or adjusts the spring, so as to thus increase or decrease collectively,
the power or tension of the said springs.
The winding up, or adjustment, is effected through the intervention of an arm e",
made in one piece, or carried by the spindle c; (see figures 1 and 8) and which said
arm is operated, or the axis turned, by means of a screw e, passing and worming
through a hole d³, in the bracket d, and with the said screw's end e², abuting or
pressing upon the underside of the arm; so that on the rotation of the screw, by a
fly or other turn e³, the axis c of the springs, is rotated, and the coils of the said
springs, are made to distend themselves, or to be drawn closer to each other, according
to whether increased or decreased tension has been imparted to them.
The outer ends of the said springs, are connected by hooked ends 63, to hanging
bracket loops g, secured to, and depending from the back under skirting of the seat of
a saddle.
The back supporting bracket d, is secured to the backbone of a machine, by an
adjustable and hinged clip f, clamped in position by a thumb turn, whose shoulder
parts f, are Vd upon their undersides, and come upon spring and yielding swells or
ribs, formed upon, and made in one piece with the upper flange of one of the
flanged parts or halves, of the segmental and hinged clip. The yielding swell
parts have cross notches fo, wherein the V shoulders of the turn snaps into: Thus
by the turning of the thumb turn, the upper flange is allowed to slightly give, on the
clip being clamped in position.
The front a³ of the saddle seat, is supported, secured, and carried by a connection

page_text: bracket h on its underside; and which said bracket, has a hook h², at its front end,
which is made to engage with the back top end, of an elevated supporting bracket i,
whose front end, is made loop-wise, and through which, a connecting pin 12 of the
neck , of a machine, passes, while the back lower end of the said bracket, rests
upon the top of the backbone.
The hooked end
is connected and disconnected, by prysing forward the seat by
a lever passed through the holes n.
On the seat of a saddle requiring to be adjusted or stretched, the screw e, by its
turn e, is rotated from left to right, when the arm is raised, by the advancing
motion made by the screw, and the axis c consequently rotated, which in its turn,
winds up, or brings the coils of the springs, closer together, so as to thereby increase
the tension of the said springs, and incidentally stretch the seat of the saddle.
The turning of the screw in the reverse direction, relaxes the springs tension, and
thus slackens the seat more or less, as may be required.
The bicycle, or rear driving tricycle saddle, figures 9 and 10, is provided with an
under frame d, which is secured at its rear end, to the middles of the supporting
springs b, disposed thereunder, while the front end is connected to a hanging bracket ?,
with its lower end coiled inwardly, and made to surround a square spindle, like that
at the rear end. This bracket part i, is connected to the underside of the front of the
seat of a saddle, by a hooked connection h, h2.
By attaching the rear and front ends, of the seats of saddles, by hooked connections,
the said scats, admit of being readily detached when required."
It will be seen from the elevation figure 1, and the section figure 7, that the part b*,
of the outer coil of the volute or scroll spring b, is convexed or curved inwardly, so as
thereby to increase the strength at that part, and prevent breakage, which commonly
occurs, in springs made from flat or strip steel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The combination with the seat of a saddle, of a volute or scroll spring, or
springs, whose inner evolved end or ends, are made into square eyes or holes, which
fit and take upon like square ends, of a central, or connecting spindle, and with the
outer end or ends, which are hooked, connected to the underside of the seat of a
saddle, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. The combination with the back underside of the seat of a saddle, of a.
hooked connection end, and hanging bracket g, with an eye or a hole therethrough,
substantially as set forth."
Thirdly Connecting, and providing the inner evolved ends, of volute or scroll
springs, of the kind herein set forth, to and with spindles, having square or angular
ends or parts, for the purpose of fixedly connecting the said inner end, substantially
as described and set forth.
Fourthly. The combination with a volute, or an evolved spring, of winding up, or
adjusting mechanism, consisting of a spindle c, arm or lug c³, screw e (or its equiva-
lent) which takes into or through a screw box, screw hole or the like, carried by, or
made through a bracket or framing, substantially as described and set forth.
Fifthly. The combination with a spindle c, of an arm or lug c³, for the purpose
substantially as described and set forth.
Sixthly. Making the part 6, of an outer coil, of a volute or scroll spring, concaved
or bowed, substantially as set forth.
Seventhly. The coinbination with a bicycle saddle, as herein described, of a front
means of connection and mounting, as set forth in figure 1.
Eighthly. The combination with an evolved spring b, and its axis c, c², of bracket
bearings ², as set forth.
Ninthly. Mounting and connecting the front ends of velocipede saddles, by means
5 herein described and set forth in figures 9 and 10.

page_text: Tenthly Providing the upper flange, or both of the connecting flanges f³, of
segmental jointed clips, with spring or yielding swells 3, with or without cross
notches, as and for the purpose as set forth.
Lastly. The combination with a segmental and jointed clip, of a turn ", as set
forth.
DL:
L 1
1037