IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS BICYCLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Frederick Hunt, of Banbury, in the County of
Oxford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT ARE COMMONLY
KNOWN AS BICYCLES."
Sealed the 22nd June 1877, and dated the 6th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Frederick Hunt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1877.
THOMAS FREDERICK HUNT, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS BICYCLES."
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement to be applied to what are com-
monly known as bicycles, for facilitating the shifting the position of the saddle either
forward or backward along the spring by the rider whilst mounted, and for fixing
and holding the same in position when so adjusted.
According to my Invention I secure the saddle of a bicycle by nuts and screws,
or otherwise, to a lever, in lieu of mounting it upon the spring direct, the said lever
when in its normal position lying flat or nearly so longitudinally along the surface
of the spring, and being capable of pivotting in a vertical plane upon a pivot or
fulcrum pin passing through an eccentric or cam-shaped boss, formed at one end of
such lever (by preference the front or forward end), and through the upturned sides
of a metal clip, which passes transversely beneath and up each side of the spring.
The eccentric or cam-shaped boss of the said lever is so arranged that when the free
end of the lever is held down upon the spring by the weight of the rider, the spring
will be firmly gripped between the boss and the metal clip, thereby maintaining the
lever and saddle attached thereto in position. On the other hand, by elevating
slightly the rear or free end of the lever, which the rider can easily accomplish after
raising his body clear of the saddle, the eccentric or cam-shaped boss will be turned
sufficiently to release or loosen the grip of the clip, and permit of the said clip and
lever being slid either forward or backward to any desired extent along the spring,
carrying the saddle with them. The clip is again tightened and secured in its place
by bringing the weight of the rider down upon the saddle, so as to depress the
lever or restore it to its normal position, the entire adjustment and fixing being
readily accomplished without dismounting.
If desired a piece of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding material
may be interposed between the clip and the under surface of the spring, with a view

page_text: to ensuring a firm grip at any part of the spring should the thickness of the latter
be found to vary slightly.
In order to guide the lever back again to its proper position over the spring, two
lateral downward projections or girding pieces are formed on or secured to the
opposite sides of the lever at or near the cars for the saddle studs, or at any other
convenient part of the said lever,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Frederick Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1877.
THOMAS FREDERICK HUNT, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Engineer.
“IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS BICYCLES."
My said Invention relates to improvements in adjustable seats or saddles for
bicycles, and consists in so connecting the seat or saddle with the spring of the
bicycle or other convenient part thereof, that the weight of the rider, by acting upon
the saddle, shall cause it to be firmly secured or held in its desired position, but
when the weight is removed the saddle is free to be adjusted forward or backward
by the rider without dismounting, and will be firmly secured or held in its adjusted
position directly the weight of the rider is brought into action again.
In carrying out my Invention I attach the saddle to a lever, which is intermediate
between the saddle and the bicycle spring, or in lieu of attaching the saddle to such
lever I may make the saddle in one therewith. On one end of this lever, by
preference the front end, I form an eccentric or a cam-shaped boss, which is engaged
with a loose sliding clip on the bicycle spring or other convenient part in such a
manner that when by the weight of the rider the rear end of the lever or saddle is
depressed, the said eccentric or cam-shaped boss, acting in conjunction with the
sliding clip, will nip or grip firmly the bicycle spring between the clip and the
periphery of the eccentic or cam, thus maintaining the saddle securely fixed for the
time being. On the rider removing his weight from the saddle, the grip or nip of
the eccentric or cam and clip will be relaxed, leaving the saddle free to be adjusted
forward or backward by the mounted rider. Guiding lugs are provided on each side
of the said lever or saddle frame, in order to keep it in position over the spring,
whether elevated or depressed.
. And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation (half the full size) of so
much of a bicyle as suffices to illustrate my improvements.
Figure 2 is a detail transverse section of the bicycle spring, with the sliding clip
and eccentric in connection therewith.
Figure 3 is a plan of the lever and a portion of the spring detached, and
Figures 4 and 5 are views showing the application of a cam-shaped boss in lieu of
an eccentric.
A is the backbone of the bicycle; B, the bicycle spring, which may be of any well-
known construction or arrangement. C is a clip capable of sliding freely along the
spring, and having two lugs projecting above each side of the spring, between which
lugs there is mounted and retained by a pin the eccentric boss a of the lever D,
which is shown depressed or in the act of gripping. This lever (see Figure 3) may
either have the saddle bolted or screwed thereto at the lugs b, b, or it may form part
of the saddle frame itself.
If found desirable, a packing of india-rubber, leather, or other yielding material
may be interposed between the under side of the spring B and the bottom of the
sliding clip, in order to allow for any variation in the thickness of the spring.

page_text: Directly the rider removes his weight from the saddle by rising on the treadles,
handles, or otherwise, the eccentric and clip cease to grip the spring, and the lever
or saddle is then left free to be shifted forward or backward, as the case may be, by
the rider himself. E, E, are guiding lugs, one on each side of the gripping lever D
or attached to the gripping saddle itself, for the purpose of preventing any lateral
displacement thereof and keeping the saddle central over the spring B.
(Figures 4 and 5) shows a cam-shaped boss in lieu of an eccentric on the end of the
lever D.
αι
Although I have shown certain arrangements by which my Invention may be
carried out, I do not confine or restrict myself to these precise arrangements, as it is
obvious that the saddle may be made to grip the spring and release itself by the
descent & ascent of the rear end thereof, or of the lever to which it is attached in
various ways; for example, the grip may be applied to the opposite sides or edges of
the spring B (when constructed for that purpose) by having cheeks on the sides of
the lever, operating by a wedge or an incline action, so as to nip the spring laterally
in lieu of gripping such spring from above and below, the chief object being to fix
and release the saddle by the action of applying and removing the weight of the
rider to and from the same, as herein specified.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the mauner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that I am aware that it has been proposed to apply
adjustable seats to bicycles, such seats being capable merely of being shifted back-
ward or forward by the rider, and exerting no gripping or holding action upon the
supporting bar or spring through the action of the weight of the rider, so as to fix
or hold the seat or saddle firmly in its desired position, and therefore I do not claim
generally the use of bicycle seats or saddles capable of adjustment by the rider
whilst mounted, but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The construction and arrangement of the seats or saddles of bicycles in
such a manner that when applied the weight of the rider shall cause them to grip
or hold fast to the spring or other convenient part of the bicycle, whilst the removal
of such weight releases or slackens the said grip and leaves the saddle free for
adjustment, either forward or backward, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Secondly. The application and use to and in bicycles of a seat or saddle fixed to
or formed in one with a lever which by the mere weight of the rider grips the spring
or other convenient part of the bicycle, either vertically or laterally, and thereby
holds the seat or saddle securely in its place whilst releasing its hold upon the said
spring or support when the weight of the rider is removed, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before described.
Thirdly. The combination of the lever D, or its equivalent the eccentric a, or the
cam-shaped boss a¹ and the adjustable or sliding clip C with the spring or other
convenient part of a bicycle, when arranged to operate together, substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Fourthly. The guiding lugs E, E, or their equivalent on the gripping lever D, or
on the saddle itself, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Frederick Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
THOMAS FREDERICK HUNT. (LS.)