SADDLES APPLICABLE FOR BICYCLES OR OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, THOMAS JEFFERSON KIRKPATRICK, of Springfield; in the County of Clark and
State of Ohio, one of the United States of America, Editor, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for SADDLES APPLICABLE FOR BICYCLES OR OTHER
VEHICLES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The nature of the invention is the employment of independent springs for sup-
porting the flexile seat at the front and rear directly from the perch or
back-bone.
And further, the invention employs an arrangement of the front spring
whereby the tension thereof is applied to the seat forward of the head of the
machine.
And further, the invention employs a forward spring, secured by a bolt to
the neck of the machine, and constructed with two wings which are connected
together at the back to rest upon the perch or back-bone of the machine, and
which extend forward on each side of the head to connect with the flexile seat.
And further, the invention employs a rear spring, secured to the perch by a clip
having a housing in which the end of the spring may be adjusted.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a saddle attached to the perch or back-
bone of a bicycle; Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the same shown partly in
section; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front spring; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the
front spring modified in form; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the clip for securing
the rear spring.
In constructing the Saddle there is first provided a seat (A), cut to the proper
shape from leather or other suitable material of the required flexibility. This
seat (A) is secured at the rear to the cross-bar (a) of the,rear spring (B), said spring
consisting preferably of a flat piece of steel, curved downward and inward, so
that its lower end comes under the seat (A). The spring (B) is secured to the
perch or back-bone (C) of the vehicle by means of a clip (D), said clip being pro-
vided at the top with a housing (b) through which the end of the spring (B) is
adapted to slide. The housing (b) is provided with a set-screw (6¹), by means of
which the spring (B) may be held in any desired position of adjustment in the said
housing.
The front end of the seat (A) is secured to the front spring (E), which, when
wood

page_text: flat steel, which extend forward on either side of the head (F). The front end of
the seat is connected to the wings (c c¹) by a link (d), the ends of which are riveted
or otherwise secured to the upper ends of the wings. The front end of the seat (A)
is looped around the link (d) and may be provided with a strap adapted to be
engaged by a buckle secured to the under side of the seat; or it may be looped
around the link and riveted fast. I prefer to connect the wings (c c') together at
the rear by means of a metallic piece (e), which straddles the back-bone or perch,
and which is provided with lugs or ears (e¹ e³) which extend up on each side of the
neck and are secured thereto by the bolt (e), this bolt (es) being the one usually
employed on bicycles of the ordinary type to secure the ordinary longitudinal
saddle spring.
In Fig. 4 a modified form of the front spring is shown, in which small coils
of wire, enclosed in pockets (f) on each side of the metallic piece, are used to
secure the proper elasticity, a connection being made between the coils and the
seat (A) by side levers (f' f¹) and connecting rods (f³). The levers (f¹) are
pivoted to suitable extensions on the pockets (f), and the rods (f³) are connected
at their respective ends to the levers and the coils. The rods are preferably
extended through the coils and connected to the rear end thereof, so that the
weight applied to the seat will compress the coils.
A saddle as above described is capable of a long vertical vibration without
anything to interfere with the legs of the rider, and it thereby takes up all the
jars experienced in riding over rough places. The location of the springs at the
front and rear permits the flexile seat to adjust itself to the person of the rider
whether sitting forward or back on the seat. By the arrangement of the front
spring as described, the tension thereof is applied to the seat forward of the head,
which permits the seat to come close up to the head and at the same time receive
the full elasticity of the spring. The front spring, being adapted at its lower end
to straddle the back-bone, as described, may be secured by the single bolt usually
employed on bicycles of the ordinary type.
By employing the housing on the clip for the rear spring, as described, ineans are
furnished whereby the tension of the seat may be adjusted by changing the position
of said spring in the housing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The employment of independent springs for supporting the flexile seat at the
front and rear, directly from the perch or back-bone.
2. The arrangement of the front spring substantially in the manner herein
before described, whereby the tension thereof is applied to the seat forward of the
head.
3. The arrangement and combination of the front spring, constructed with wings
extending each side of the head and joined together at the rear so as to straddle
the back-bone, and secured by a bolt to the neck of the machine.
4. The arrangement of the rear spring, secured to the perch by a clip provided
with a housing in which the rear end of the spring may be adjusted.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day
of Tanna AD 100-