Improvements in Saddle Supports for Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Saddle Supports for Bicycles and the like.
I, FRANCISQUE NICOLAS, of 97, Rue Saint-Lazare, Paris, in the Republic of
France, 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 a device applicable to the saddles of safety bicycles and
to cycles of all kinds for the purpose of obtaining the following results:
(a) To cause the weight of the rider to be thrown upon the front wheel of the
machine in mounting hills by bringing the saddle as near to the handle bar as
possible, for the purpose of reducing the adhesion of the rear wheel.
(b) To cause the weight of the rider to be thrown mainly upon the rear wheel
in descending inclines, by removing the saddle as far as possible from the handle
bar, so as to cause a kind of braking action of this wheel upon the ground.
(c) To distribute the weight of the rider between the wheels when on a level
by causing the saddle to assume an intermediate position. A further object being
that in all cases the rider should have a good seat, that is to say, rest upon the
saddle as horizontally as possible.
I fulfil these conditions by means of a device enabling the cyclist, without dis-
mounting, to cause the saddle to assume a horizontal position in a speedy and
convenient manner by effecting a suitable displacement of the said saddle so as
to compensate for the inclination of the road in either direction.
In order that my invention may be readily and clearly understood, I have
represented several methods of carrying it into practice in the acompanying
drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view explanatory of the principle of the invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of my improved saddle support taken upon
the line A B of Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the same on the line CD of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of the device taken upon
the line E F of Figure 5.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the same on the line G H of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a further modification taken on the line IJ,
of Figure 9.
Figure 8 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 9 is a cross section thereof on the line K L of Figure 7.
Figure 10 shows a vertical section of a modified form of slide block on the
line M N of Figure 11.
Figure 11 is an end elevation of the same.
Taking by way of example a safety bicycle frame A MP D G (Figure 1), I
drop a vertical line from the point A which meets M P at a point C which I take
for the centre of a curved slide upon which the saddle clip or holder is capable
of displacement. With the point C as centre I describe an arc of a circle m pd

page_text: of which the segment p m is the arc of displacement utilised whilst mounting
inclines, the segment p d the arc of displacement utilised during descents and
the point p. the position to be given to the sliding saddle block upon the level.
If a diagram of the successive positions of the arc m p d is drawn (connected
with the frame by the saddle pin A B) corresponding to the various inclinations
of the road, and if the horizontal tangent to the arc mpd is drawn in each position,
the point of contact of this tangent indicates the position that the saddle block
should occupy upon the slide rod in order that the saddle may be horizontal.
a
In the device represented in Figures 2 and 3 the curved slide rod is a bent tube 1
of rectangular cross-section (Figure 3) fixed upon an inclined tube 2 which fits
into the diagonal tube PA of the frame. The curved slide 1 is traversed by
screw threaded shaft 3 maintained by adjusting nuts 4, 4¹ resting against bearings
containing balls 5, 51, working in ball-races or cups 6, 6. The shaft 3 terminates
in two square portions 7, 7' upon which a small handle 8 is adapted to fit.
The screw shaft 3 traverses a nut 9 (Figure 3) provided with two screw threaded
pins 10, 10' formed with shoulders and engaging in two guide slots such as 11
(Figure 2) formed in the slide rod 1. Upon the pins 10, 10 are passed two cap
rings or washers 12, 12 retained by a nut 13 and a thumb screw 14. The rings 12
enter recesses 15 of the sliding saddle holder 16 upon which the saddle 17 is fixed,
by means of a hexagonal bolt 18 and suitable lock nuts, for example,
In the modification shewn in Figures 4 and 5, the nut 9 is guided in a single
slot 11 formed along the slide rod 1. The nut 9 terminates in a disc 10 capable
of adjustment in a cylindrical sliding block or holder 16 fitting upon the slide rod 1
by means of two lateral cheeks.
In order to displace the saddle upon the slide rod, the handle 8 is fitted upon
one of the squares 7, 71 and the screw shaft is caused to rotate in the proper direc-
tion for causing the saddle, either to approach or recede from the handle bar. The
rotation of this shaft communicates to the nut 9 a progressive or retrograde
rectilinear motion of translation which is transformed into a circular movement
of the saddle 17. Upon ceasing to rotate the handle 8 the saddle may be allowed
to rest at any desired point of the slide. The line represents the position of
the saddle upon the level, whilst the positions y y and z z correspond to the
positions upon ascents and descents of the steepest kind respectively.
The constructional modifications represented in Figures 7 to 11 (the construction
and operation of which are substantially the same is in the devices above described)
enables the fixity of the saddle upon any point of the curved slide to be ensured.
For thus purpose I. fix upon the internal face of the slide 16 small wedges 12, 12
assembled by means of screws 13, 13 and of which the feet or flanges 14, 14
engage beneath the edges of the curved slide 1 preventing the sliding block 16
from turning over and thus rendering the maintenance of the block upon the
slide absolutely independent of the screw shaft 3.
'
The flanges of the slide wedges 12 may be replaced by slides 14, 14 (Figures 10
and 11) thereby enabling the sliding block to be constructed in one piece instead
of in five. I likewise provide the nut 9 with a spherical head 10 which acts in
the manner of a ball and socket joint for producing the circular displacement of
the sliding block and is tightened upon the nut g by means of a key inserted in a
cavity 19 (Figure 7). Finally I provide the handle with two hooks 81, 81, to one
or other of which may be suspended an endless rubber ring' or band movable upon
the upper tube of the frame and serving to prevent the screw shaft 3 from rotating
owing to vibration. This hooked handle enables the slide block 16 to be fixed in
any position corresponding to the vertical positions of the handle 8. A. lubricating
aperture 20 (Figure 7) enables lubrication of the bearings of the shaft 3 to be
effected.
. J
In the special case of lady's bicycles, the method of operating the screw shaft 3
from the front would not be practicable. This actuation would be effected, in
such a case, either from behind on dismounting from the machine, or by means of
a flexible shaft coming from behind and attached upon the left hand side of the

page_text: handle bar, by means of a collar, in which case the hooked lever would be quite
close to the left-hand handle and at the end of the flexible shaft, or finally by
means of bevel gearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. A sliding saddle block or support capable of displacement along a curved
slide rod, and capable of displacement at any moment whilst the machine is in use,
without dismounting, by means of a mechanism (screw shaft and nut) enabling
the supporting surface of the saddle to be turned in a direction parallel to the
horizontal tangent drawn to the axis of curvature of the slide rod, for the purpose
of compensating for the declivity of the road.
2. The special forms of construction of the apparatus characterised in Claim 1,
such as described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, Figures 4, 5 and 6 and to
Figures 7 and 11 respectively of the accompanying drawing.
DJ: 1 of Do
11000
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.