New or Improved Means of Supporting or Attaching the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 18th. day of Novr 1897.
New or Improved Means of Supporting or Attaching the Saddles or
Seats of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK CARLETON ESMOND, present residing at 17, Montagu Place, Russell
Square, W., in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means of supporting or attaching saddles and seats to
vehicles by which certain advantages are obtained.
In order that the nature of my invention may be more readily grasped I shall
proceed to describe by way of a type or illustration one contemplated form there-
of as applied in the case of a bicycle saddle. This contemplated form I have
illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings of which Figure 1 is a side
elevation, Figure 2 a rear elevation, and Figure 3 an underneath plan. In the
said figures similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.
Referring now to the figures, A is the upright and B the bar of the crutch for
supporting the saddle, the said crutch being of the usual well-known form. Upon
the said crutch bar are the two blocks or sleeves C¹. From these blocks project
laterally the upper suspension pins D D to which are articulated the upper
extremities of the hanging links E, E, E¹, E, whose lower extremities are articu-
lated to the lower suspension pins F, F. To the said pins are attached (either
articulated or rigidly fixed) the lower extremities of the standing links G, G, G', G¹.
To the upper ends of the standing links, the saddle H is attached in any con-
venient manner, in the actual case illustrated by the saddle wires J, J¹, passing
through the small eye bolts K, K, K¹, K¹.
It will be seen that by means of my invention the saddle although above the
crutch has the advantages as though it were suspended below the crutch.
In another contemplated form of my invention, instead of having the hanging
links of rigid material, I may form them of spiral or blade springs or the like.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
Tor
bne ApplicanՆ,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.

page_text: New or Improved Means of Supporting or Attaching the Saddles or
Seats of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK CARLETON ESMOND, of 488 Fourth Street, Brooklyn, United States
of America, Electrical 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 is designed to obtain a free fore and aft movement of the saddle
or seat relative to the frame of a safety bicycle or other vehicle in which the
saddle or seat is attached to a similar part to that which supports it in a safety
bicycle, and at the same time to so attach the saddle or seat that the point of
application of the weight of the rider or person seated shall be so to speak sus-
pended below the point of attachment of the saddle or seat or frame thereof to the
bicycle or other vehicle.
My invention embraces the following essential parts, that is to say, two (at
least) hanging links arranged one in front of the other and two (at least)
standing links arranged one in front and one behind, the said hanging and stand-
ing links being articulated together, below the point of attachment to the crutch
bar or L-pin of the vehicle, in pairs; that is to say, one hanging link and one
standing link being so articulated together in front, and one hanging link and one
standing link being so articulated behind.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the application of the inven-
tion to a bicycle saddle:-
Figure I is a side elevation of one of the simplest forms of this invention.
Figure II is a rear elevation of the after part of the same.
Figure III is a front elevation of the fore part of the same.
Figure IV is an elevation of a hanging link with the split collar from which
it is suspended and
Figure V is a similar elevation of a front standing link as seen from behind.
Figure VI is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention.
Figure VII is a front elevation of the fore part of the said form and
Figure VIII is a rear elevation of the after part of the said modified form.
Figure IX is a side elevation of yet another form of my invention.
Figure X is a rear elevation thereof, and
Figure XI is an underneath plan thereof.
Figure XII is a diagram illustrative of the action.
The parts hereinbefore mentioned as essential parts are illustrated (in conjunc-
tion with other parts), as to one form of my invention, in figures I to V, which
figures show the application of my invention to a bicycle saddle. In the said
figures A is the upright and B the bar of the crutch for supporting the saddle,
the said crutch being of the usual well-known form. Upon the said crutch-bar B
are the two split collars C, C¹ from which depend the hanging links E, E', the said
hanging links being loosely articulated to the flats of the split collars by means
of the pins D, D¹. G, G¹ are the standing links the lower ends of which bifurcate
at the points g, g into two arms which are loosely articulated by means of the
pins F, F1 to the hanging links E, E as shown. To the upper ends of the said
standing links is fixed the leather (or saddle proper) H shown in dotted lines.
The said leather may be attached to the standing links in any convenient known
manner. In the actual case illustrated it will be seen that the upper ends of the

page_text: standing links are bent into distended loops T, T¹ to the upper parts of which
the leather may be rivetted.
The form of my invention illustrated in figures I to V is one of the simplest;
but for rough or hard work a stronger form of the invention is preferable. Such
a stronger form is represented in figures VI, VII and VIII. This form differs
mainly in the fact that instead of having only two hanging links, the one behind
is replaced by a pair, so that it has three hanging links, one in front and two
behind; and instead of having only two standing links, one in front and one
behind, it has four standing links, two before and two behind. In this modified
form the parts are lettered as before and it will be seen that the front standing
links G, G in this case consist of a single strip of steel bent as shown in figure VII,
the bent part or loop 93 arching over the front end of the crutch-bar as shown.
The lower extremities of the said standing links are loosely articulated to the
lower end of the hanging link E by means of the pin in similar to F. m³, m¹ are
the two washers separating the standing links from the hanging link.
form the rear hanging links E, E, are shown as loosely articulated to the tubular
crutch-bar B by means of a rivet-headed pin n. From this point the said hanging
links pass downwards and outwards as shown more clearly in figure VIII. At
their lower ends they are articulated to the lower extremities of the standing
links G, G by pins o, o similar to pin m with washers o', o' intervening. These
standing links G, G¹ are in the case illustrated formed of a single strip of steel
the middle part of which is arched at the portion ? from which it extends out-
wards forwards and slightly downwards to the bends g thence forwards and down-
wards to the bend r and thence downwards and backwards to the extremities at o, o.
In the case illustrated the saddle H is rivetted to the upper part of the loop g³
in front and to the arch p behind.
In this
It is sometimes convenient in order to strengthen the support to connect the
front and rear standing links by a metal strap or tie as shown in dotted lines
at S (figure VI) and in some cases also the front and rear hanging links may be
similarly connected.
This
In figures IX, X and XI I illustrate yet another form of my invention.
form differs from those previously described mainly in the fact that I employ
four hanging links and four standing links and attach them to the crutch-bar in
a somewhat different manner. Instead of suspending the hanging links from
split collars attached to the crutch-bar (or L-pin which might be here substitu-
ted for the crutch), I suspend the said hanging links from two blocks or sleeves
C, C. From these blocks project laterally the upper suspension pins D, D¹
to which are articulated the upper extremities of the hanging links E, E, EL, E¹
whose lower extremities are articulated to the lower suspension pins F, F. To
the said pins F, I" are articulated the lower extremities of the standing
links G, G, G¹, G. To the upper ends of the standing links the saddle H is
attached in any convenient manner. In the actual case illustrated the saddle
is attached to the standing links by the saddle wires J, J' passing through the
small eye bolts K, K, K', K¹.
Figure XII diagrammatically illustrates in a somewhat exaggerated manner
the changes of movement of the invention in action. The full lines show the
parts in their normal position, the fore part of the saddle being towards the right.
The dotted lines show the parts in two other positions, that indicated by a being
after movement to a nearly extreme distance forward and that indicated by b
after movement to a similar distance backward. It will be seen that every movement
either forward or backward raises the saddle bodily upwards, and that gravity
always tends to bring it back to its normal position again. It will also be seen
that the saddle remains horizontal, instead of rocking, as it rises and falls.
It will be obvious that the number of links employed may be varied. Thus,
as is shown in figures I to V, only one hanging and one standing link in front

page_text: and one hanging and one standing link behind may be employed. Or three
hanging and four standing links as is shown in figures VI to VIII, or four hang-
ing and four standing links as shown in figures IX to XI, may be employed. Or
we might modify the forms shown in figures VI to VIII by putting two hanging
links in front and having only one hanging link behind.
It will be seen that except in figure VI, where the standing links are connected
together by a strap or tie, the links are shown as separate. I desire it to be
understood however that not only may the standing links be connected together
by separate straps or ties but that they may be integral with one another. Thus
in practice I find it convenient in some cases to make the standing links of a
single stamping. In certain cases I use two stampings, one to constitute the
standing links of one side of the saddle, and the other to constitute the standing
links of the other side of the saddle. In other cases I use a single stamping suit-
ably bent and arched to constitute the standing links of both sides of the saddle.
It is to be understood that the form and length of the hanging links and of
the standing links may be varied to a large extent and within wide limits.
It will be seen that the hanging links and standing links are articulated to one
another at points below the level of the crutch-bar or L-pin of the frame of the
bicycle to which the saddle and supporting parts are attached. By this means
the saddle, though itself situated above the crutchi has advantages as though
suspended below the same. This is an essential feature of the invention as by
it the centre of gravity, or more correctly speaking, the point of application of
the weight of the rider to the bicycle is brought low and greater safety is obained.
It will also be seen that by means of this invention an automatic adjustment
of the position of the saddle fore and aft relative to the bicycle is obtained so that
the rider whilst his weight is as it were suspended below the crutch-bar as in a
kind of hanging cradle is always placed in the most advantageous and convenient
position, the saddle moving forwards or backwards and adapting itself to the fore
and aft changes of position of the body. It will at the same time be noted that
the invention does not admit of any lateral movement of the saddle relatively to
the bicycle.
Although the invention is illustrated in connection with a safety bicycle saddle it
is to be understood that it is applicable to other vehicles (as for example racing
vehicles and ploughs and other agricultural machines) provided that the saddle
is to be attached to a part similar to the crutch-bar or L-pin of such a bicycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood
that I am aware that it has been previously proposed to support or attach the
saddles, of bicycles and other vehicles, in such a manner as to permit of a fore and
aft movement of the saddle controlled by springs or by the weight of the rider,
and I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In the support of a saddle or seat for bicycles and other vehicles the employ-
ment of hanging and of standing links articulated together below the point of
attachment to the crutch-bar or L-pin or corresponding part of the frame of the
vehicle substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a crutch-bar or L-pin hanging links articulated thereto
standing links articulated to the said hanging links below the level of the crutch-
bar or L-pin and a saddle or seat attached to the said standing links in any
convenient manner substantially as set forth.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to figures I, II, III, IV and V.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to figures VI, VII and VIII.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to figures IX, X and XI.

page_text: 6. In the constructions claimed in the above claims, the employment of a single
stamping or bent piece to constitute two or more links substantially as set forth.
Dated this 1st day of May 1897.
Tor
the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.