Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
I JAMES ALFRED LampLugh of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of
Gt. Colmore Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has for its object so to support the saddles or seats of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes that they shall possess an elasticity superior to that
of the saddles or scats of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes as at present
constructed.
I will describe my invention in connection with a bicycle of the kind called
a safety bicycle.
I support the leather of the scat or saddle upon a foundation consisting of
a strong wire or rod bent at its middle into a loop to which the front of the saddle
is connected by a tension hook taking into the said loop. The doubled wire
extends under the leather at a short distance below it its ends turning outwards and
being fixed to the curved plate rivetted to the rear of the saddle. The front of the
foundation has a vertical quadrant rack or series of teeth with any one of which
an adjusting swivelling link may be hooked. The said swivelling link has a hook
the shank of which may be screwed to a greater or less extent into the swivelling
link and thus virtually lengthening or shortening the said link. The said
screw hook engages with a vertical spring connected to the steering post or head of
the velocipede by an attachment which permits of its vertical adjustment. The said
spring consists of a steel wire bent at its middle into a loop the branches of the said
wire being coiled into two vertical parallel coils their ends taking into an adjustable
clip fixed on the steering post. The upper end or loop of the spring is bent into a
horizontal plane and the screw hook of the swivelling link hooks into the said
loop of the spring. In consequence of the curvilinear figure of the said loop the
motion of the steering post or head does not affect the tension of the saddle and its
appliances nor is the steering interfered with by the tension on the saddle. Upon
the parallel arms of the wire foundation of the saddle eye bolts slide the said
eye bolts carrying a cross pin or shaft terminating in flanges. On the horizontal
top of the L pin of the velocipede is a sliding socket which carries the spring to
which the rear of the saddle is connected. This spring consists of a doubled wire
in which are formed parallel coils near the doubled part of the wire. These coils
terminate in horizontal arms which are bent into the form of hooks in which hooks
the pin or shaft passing through the eye bolts described engages.
By means of the quadrant rack at the front of the saddle to which the swivelling
link is hooked the normal height of the front of the saddle can be adjusted.
By the arrangement described all the connections are capable of swivelling and
there is hence no rigidity in or strain upon any of the parts which change their
position with riders of different weights. The rear of the saddle swivels on the
cross pin or shaft described; the front of the saddle swivels on the hook of the
swivelling link and the screw hook of the swivelling link swivels on the top of
the spring connected to the steering post.
•
The metallic foundation of the saddle may be dispensed with in which case the
rear of the leather seat is connected to the rear spring described and the front of
the seat is hooked to the swivelling link described.
In place of the swivelling link described one or more coiled springs may be
substituted.

page_text: The several parts by which the saddle is connected to the velocipede being
engaged together by hooks as described the saddle may be removed from and
replaced on the velocipede with great facility.
In order to give greater mobility to the seat the underpart of the front of the
saddle may be provided with a swivelling snug in which snug the tension hook
connecting the front of the saddle with the foundation engages.
Dated this 1st day of August 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Supporting the Saddles or Seats of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
1 JAMES ALFRED LAMPLUGH of the firm of Lamplugh and Brown of
Gt. Colmore Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 has for its object so to support the saddles or seats of bicycles
tricycles and other velocipedes that they shall possess an elasticity superior to that
of the saddles or seats of bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes as at present
constructed.
I will describe my invention in connection with a bicycle of the kind called a
safety bicycle.
I support the leather of the seat or saddle upon a foundation consisting of a
strong wire or rod bent at its middle into a loop to which the front of the saddle is
connected by a tension hook taking into the said loop.
The doubled wire extends
under the leather at a short distance below it, its ends turning outwards and being
fixed to the curved plate rivetted to the rear of the saddle. The front of the
foundation has a perforated disc or vertical quadrant rack or series of holes or teeth
with any one of which an adjusting swivelling link may be hooked. The said
swivelling link has a hook the shank of which may be screwed to a greater or less
extent into the swivelling link and thus virtually lengthening or shortening the
said link.
The said screw hook engages with a vertical spring connected to the steering
post or head of the velocipede by an attachment which permits of its vertical
adjustment. The said spring consists of a steel wire bent at its middle into a loop
the branches of the said wire being coiled into two vertical parallel coils, their ends
taking into an adjustable clip fixed on the steering post. The upper end or loop of
the spring is bent into a horizontal plane and the screw hook of the swivelling link
hooks into the said loop of the spring. In consequence of the curvilinear figure of
the said loop the motion of the steering post or head does not materially affect the
tension of the saddle and its appliances nor is the steering materially interfered with
by the tension on the saddle. Upon the parallel arms of the wire foundation of the
saddle, eye bolts slide the said eye bolts carrying a cross plate or shaft terminating
in flanges. On the horizontal top of the L pin of the velocipede is a sliding socket
which carries the spring to which the rear of the saddle is connected. This spring
consists of a doubled wire in which are formed parallel coils near the doubled part
of the wire. These coils terminate in horizontal or nearly horizontal arms which
are bent into the form of eyes in which eyes pins or pivots on the cross plate or
shaft described engage.
By means of the quadrant rack at the front of the saddle to which the swivelling
link is hooked the normal height of the front of the saddle can be adjusted.
By the arrangement described all the connections are capable of swivelling and

page_text: there is hence no rigidity in or strain upon any of the parts which change their
position with riders of different weights. The rear of the saddle swivels on the
cross pin or shaft described; the front of the saddle swivels on the hook of the
swivelling link and the screw hook of the swivelling link swivels on the top of
the spring connected to the steering post.
The metallic foundation of the saddle may be dispensed with in which case the
rear of the leather seat is connected to the rear spring described and the front of
the seat is hooked to the swivelling link described.
The saddle being connected to the steering post of the velocipede by hooks as
described the saddle may be removed from and replaced on the velocipede with
great facility.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure represents in side elevation a portion of the frame of a safety bicycle
together with a saddle or seat the said saddle or seat being constructed and con-
nected to or supported upon the frame of the safety bicycle according to my
invention:
Figure 2 represents in side elevation the saddle or seat and adjuncts for
connecting the same to a safety bicycle and Figure 3 is a plan of the same the
leather portion of the saddle or seat in Figure 3 being represented in dotted
lines.
Figure 4 represents separate views of the eye bolts and other parts by which the
saddle or scat is connected to the rear supporting spring; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are
drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents in elevation and plan of underside, drawn to a larger scale a
modified arrangement for connecting the quadrant rack or adjustment disc with the
front of the saddle and Figure 6 represents the rear supporting spring separately:
Figures 7 and 8 represent a modified arrangement for supporting the front
spring of the saddle.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
I will first describe the arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 6.
a is the leather of the saddle or seat supported upon the strong wire founda-.
tion b, the said foundation being bent at its middle into a loop c.
The front
part of the saddle a is connected to the foundation 2 by means of the screwed
tension hook d taking into or being engaged with the said loupe (see Figure 2).
The doubled wire of the wire foundation extends under the leather a of the
saddle at a short distance below it its ends turning outwards and being fixed to
the curved plate e rivetted to the rear of the saddle (see Figure 3). The
front of the foundation, 12 has connected to it rigidly the rack or circular
disc having arranged around part of its circumference a series of equi-distant
holes with any one of which holes the adjusting swivelling link g may be hooked.
Instead of connecting the circular disc f to the front of the wire foundation b, b² of
the saddle it may be connected directly to the tension hook d as represented in
Figure 5.
The said swivelling link g has at each end a screw hook h, one of the said
hooks being screwed with a right hand screw thread and the other being screwed
with a left hand screw thread which screws take into correspondingly screwed
holes in the ends of the link g. By turning the link y in one or other direction the
screw hooks h² hooked respectively to the circular disc and the front spring i
can be advanced out of or drawn in the said link so as virtually to lengthen or
shorten the connection between the disc f and the spring i.
The front spring i is attached to the socket of the steering post or head by
means of a clip fixed on the said socket k which permits of its vertical adjust-
ment. The said front spring i consists of a steel wire or rod bent at its middle into
a loop the branches of the said wire being coiled at into two vertical parallel

page_text: coils, their straight ends taking into the adjustable clip hereinbefore described.
The upper end or loop 2 of the spring i is bent into a nearly horizontal plane and
the screw hook h² of the swivelling link g hooks into the said loop 2 of the said
spring i.
The bicycle represented is of the kind known as a socket steering safety bicycle
and the adjustable clip k² is connected to the socket of the steering post. In this
case the clip does not move with the steering rod but when the adjustable clip k²
is connected to the steering rod instead of to the socket, or when the bicycle is a
centre steering bicycle, the clip turns with the steering rod. The curvature of
the said loop permits of the motion of the steering rod without material obstruc-
tion or resistance and the motion of the steering post or head of the safety bicycle
does not materially affect the tension of the saddle and its appliances. Upon the
parallel arms, of the wire foundation b, 2 of the saddle eye bolts 1, 1 slide the
said eye bolts carrying a cross bar or shaft m the ends of which are made into
pivots for the eyes of the supporting rear spring to swivel upon (see Figure 4). On
the horizontal top of the L pin of the safety bicycle is a sliding socket n which
carries the spring o to which the rear of the saddle a is connected. This spring o,
shown separately in Figure 6, consists of a doubled wire in which are formed
parallel coils o. These coils o² terminate in nearly horizontal arms o³ which are
bent into the form of eyes which eyes are engaged with pivots at the ends of the
cross bar or shaft m. After the eyes have been placed on the pivots the ends of
the latter are rivetted upon collars or washers p, p for retaining the eyes in their
places, the said eyes swivelling on the pivots of the shaft or cross bar m when
pressure is put on the saddle.
By relaxing the eye bolts l, the position of the rear of the saddle with respect
to the spring o may be adjusted.
It will be seen by reference to the drawing that the wire foundation of the saddle
is so constructed and arranged with respect to the rear supporting spring o that on
the descent of the saddle the horizontal parallel bars 62, 62 of the said wire founda-
tion enter the space between the parallel coils o² o² of the said rear supporting
spring and move freely therein.
The normal height of the front of the saddle or seat a can be adjusted by
engaging the screw hook of the swivelling link y with one or other of the holes
of the circular disc f hereinbefore described.
In order to reduce the amount of friction between the hook h of the swivelling
link and the circular disc f, the disc may be made of a metallic foundation
covered with strong leather or other non-metallic material such as vulcanite or
papier mâché.
A disc f made of a metallic foundation covered with leather is
represented in Figure 5.
By the arrangement described and represented all the connections are capable
of swivelling and there is hence no rigidity in or strain upon any of the parts
which change their position with riders of different weights the saddle in its rising
and falling motion moving in a plane parallel or nearly parallel to the plane occupied
by it in its normal position (see the dotted line position Figure 2).
Where it is not desirable to put strain on the steering post of the velocipede by
the elastic support of the saddle, an independent support for the front spring of the
clastic support may be adopted as illustrated in elevation in Figure 7 and in plan
in Figure 8. In this modification the socket n on the pin supporting the back
spring ooo is prolonged at front by attaching to it the bar and the front end
of the said bar has a socket in which the straight ends of the front spring i
are fixed by driving them into tightly fitting holes in the said socket or brazing
them in the said socket. The tension mechanism and the front spring are thus
supported by the front extension 2 of the L pin socket n and there is consequently
no strain upon the steering post. By withdrawing the socket n from the L pin
the saddle and all the parts of its clastic support are together removed from the
velocipede. The parts of the modified arrangement Figures 7 and 8, which I have

page_text: not described are constructed in the manner hereinbefore described with respect to
the arrangement Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and corresponding parts are marked with the
same letters of reference.
I do not limit myself to the use of springs of the kinds represented for con-
necting the front and rear of the saddle with the steering post or socket on the
steering post and with the pin of the bicycle as other kinds of springs may be
employed with like effect such for example as springs in which the convolutions are
all of the same diameter.
The metallic foundation b, 62, c of the saddle may be dispensed with in which
case the rear of the leather seat is connected to the rear spring and the front of the
seat is hooked to the swivelling link. In this case the arms o of the rear spring
are lengthened.
The application of my invention to the supporting of saddles or scats of tricycles
and other velocipedes differs in no essential respect from its application to the
supporting of the saddles or seats of safety bicycles as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in supporting the saddles or seats of bicycles tricycles
and other velocipedes ":-
First-Connecting the front of the foundation of the saddle or seat, or the front
of the saddle or seat, with the steering post or a socket through which the steering
post passes or with a support independent of the steering post or socket of the
steering post, by means of a compound rod capable of being virtually lengthened
or shortened by a swivelling link or its equivalent, one end of the said compound
rod being hooked to a spring preferably of the kind described and represented
carried by the steering post or socket or independent support and the other end
being hooked in one of a series of holes made in a disc or rack carried by and
rigidly fixed to the front of the foundation of the saddle or the saddle itself,
by which arrangement of parts the front and rear springs are rigidly connected
together, the several parts being constructed and arranged substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly Connecting the foundation of the saddle or seat or the saddle or seat
with the pin on the frame of the bicycle or velocipede by means of a spring
made preferably of a strong wire or rod bent at its middle parallel coils being
formed in the doubled parts of the said spring, the bent or middle part of the said
spring being connected to the sliding socket on the L pin of the bicycle or
velocipede and the ends of the said spring being formed into eyes which eyes swivel
upon a shaft or pivots connected to the parallel arms of the wire foundation, or
swivel directly upon pins or connections at the rear of the saddle, as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly The general arrangement or combination of the parts claimed in
Claims and 2 for giving elastic support to the saddle or seat between the L pin
on the frame of the safety bicycle or velocipede and the steering post of the said
safety bicycle or velocipede or the independent support carried by the pin the
springs at the pin and at the steering post or independent support moving in the
same direction when pressure is put on the saddle or seat substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 22nd day of April 1891.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.