Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1889
Specification Accepted, 12th Feb., 1889
1, ARTHUR LOVETT GARFORD, of the City of Elyria in the County of Lorain and
State of Ohio, United States of America, Gentleman 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide a saddle that can be adjusted to riders of
different weights; that will be easy to ride; that when sprung down by jars or jolts
will not recover beyond the initial point and will throw the rider back from the head
of the machine and thereby increase the safety and ease of riding bicycles. I attain
these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my invention showing its application to a broken section
of a bicycle.
Fig. 2 represents a top view of the front end of my flat spring showing slot
in same.
Fig. 3 represents the front end elevation of clamp for coil spring.
Fig. 4 represents end elevation of clamp for flat spring and fulcrum used in
connection therewith. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several
views.
A represents the head of any ordinary bicycle, B a section of the backbone; C, a
flat curved spring of the general form represented in the drawings but this form may
he varied to some extent and perform its functions equally as well. The front end of
this spring is provided with a bifurcated head by means of the slot c' as shown in
Fig. 2 and each branch or arm is provided with an eye or hole c by means of which
and a small bolt it is attached to the neck of the backbone of a bicycle, as shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings.
The rear end is provided with a bolt hole or other suitable means for attaching
same to the back frame of a saddle.
D represents an adjustable clamp and d a fulcrum or support. This clamp D draws
and binds together the backbone B. spring C and fulcrum d and secures the same
rigidly. This fulcrum d forms a support for the spring C near its center and over
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page_text: which it bends as weight is applied to said spring. This clamp and fulcrum cause
more or less tension or stiffness in the spring as it is moved, farther from or nearer
to the front end of said spring. E represents another adjustable clamp which is so
constructed as to be rigidly secured to the front end of the flat spring C and be
capable of movement back and forth from the front end of said flat spring C to adjust
slack in seat. To this clamp E is attached a spring e which may be of the form shown
in the drawings or any other suitable form and so constructed as to have the principal
motion of its upper end back and forth instead of up and down.
To the upper end of this spring is attached the front end of the seat or cover of the
saddle.
F represents the back frame to the saddle of any suitable form to which is attached
the rear end of the flat spring C and the rear end of the cover or seat to the saddle G.
This cover G is of sufficient length to be held taut when attached, as heretofore
explained, at the front end to the spring e and at the rear end to the frame F. Length-
wise through the center of this cover a slit may be cut to give same ventilation and
more pliability.
The operation of my invention is as follows to wit: The saddle is attached to the
backbone of a bicycle or to a tricycle by means of the holes in the head of the spring C
and the clamp D, with the fulcrum d between the flat spring and the backbone or
other part. This fulcrum and clamp are placed a sufficient distance back from the
front end of the spring C to give the rider the desired amount of elasticity but it will
generally be forward of the center. The greater weight of the rider will rest on the
rear end of the cover or seat and consequently bear down on the rear end of this
spring C.
This construction gives any desired elasticity and in riding, when meeting an
obstruction or anything occurs to jar or jolt the rider so as to depress the spring C,
the rear end alone is depressed, and in so doing the entire cover and upper end of the
spring e are drawn backward, and by said operation the rider also carried backward
and his center of gravity at the same time carried backward from the center of the
forward wheel of his machine as well as being brought nearer the surface on which he
is riding. As the spring returns to its normal condition it does not pass by its initial
point but only reaches it and stops.
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. In a saddle for a bicycle or tricycle the combination of the movable fulcrum d
with the spring C supported near its middle by said fulcrum, and its front end attached
to the front end of the perch or backbone and rear end to the frame of back end of
seat, all as above set forth and substantially as described.
2. The spring e rigidly attached to the clamp E, connecting and in combination
with the front ends of the spring C and, seat to the saddle, all as above set forth and
substantially as described.
3. The combination of the flat spring C, fulcrum d, clamp E, coil spring e, frame F
and cover or seat G for the purposes above set forth, and all substantially as
described.
£
.