Improvements in Adjusting Devices and Springs for the Saddles of Velocipedes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjusting Devices and Springs for the Saddles of
Velocipedes.
I, CHARLES FRANKLIN WEBBER, of No. 245, Tremont Street, in the City of
Boston, County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Musician, 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:.
-
Bicycles saddles have usually been made adjustable longitudinally upon a rigid
bar by means of nuts and bolts so arranged as to render it necessary. for the rider
to dismount and use a wrench whenever the change was to be made. My inven-
tion has for its object to overcome this difficulty and provide a device by means of
which a bicycle saddle may be safely and conveniently adjusted on a supporting
spring in a longitudinal direction by the rider while seated upon it, thus avoiding
the necessity of dismounting whenever the saddle requires to be adjusted forwardly
or rearwardly, as for instance in going up or down a hill. To this end my inven-
tion consists in certain novel combinations of parts and details of construction
as hereinafter fully set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:-
-
Figure is a side elevation of a bicycle having my saddle-adjusting-device
and spring applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of my saddle-adjusting-device and spring
and a portion of the top-bar of the bicycle frame to which it is applied.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the saddle being shown in dotted
lines.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the top-bar and the clamping
device by means of which the front portion of the spring which supports the saddle-
adjusting-device, is secured thereto.
Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the saddle-supporting slide.
Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4.
In the said drawings A, represents a bicycle frame of the usual construction, to
the seat post 1 of the rear or seat post tube b of which is secured by means of
a hinge-joint e, a long flat spring B, preferably of slightly convex form in the
direction of its length as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and having hinged to its front
end at d, a supplementary piece or member extending thereunder and hinged
at f to a clamping-strap which embraces the top-bar h of the frame A and is
secured thereto by a bolt provided with a nut. k is a plate of semi-circular form
in cross section which fits snugly over the upper half of the top-bar h, its front
end 12, which is made tapering or wedge-shaped, extending under the clamping-
strap g, as shown in Fig. 5. Over the opposite end 14 of the semi-tubular plate k,
which is also made tapering or wedge-shaped, fits another clamping-strap m, similar
to the strap g and likewise held in place by a bolt n provided with a nut, said clamp
holding the rear end of the plate k closely down upon the top-bar h.
The plate k serves to reinforce and strengthen the top-bar h at the point where

page_text: it sustains the weight of the rider, thus preventing the bending of the bicycle
frame, and any tendency of the strap 9 to be forced rearwardly by downward
pressure upon the spring B will cause it to ride upon the inclined front of the
plate immediately thereunder, whereby it is wedged still more tightly in place,
while any tendency of the said plate to slide rearwardly will cause its inclined
rear end to be wedged more tightly under the rear clamping-strap m; the double.
wedging action thus produced affording great security and preventing any pos-
sibility of the clamping-strap y slipping rearwardly on the top-bar when the
spring B is subjected to excessive tension.
•
Upon the spring B is placed a slide G the rear portion 20 of which is shaped
like a box and has secured to its top by means of a plate 21 and a square bolt 22
and nut 23, the wire supports 24 of the saddle H. Between the sides of the
boxlike portion 20 are mounted on transverse rods 25, anti-friction rolls 26,
which rest upon the upper surface of the spring B as shown in Figs. 4 and 3,
and enable the slide to be easily moved upon the spring in the direction of its
length, as may be desired to vary the position of the saddle and thereby enable
the rider to sit well forward and over the pedals when ascending a hill, or change
his position as far back as desired when descending a hill, either when back-
pedalling or coasting, or to rest his muscles when desired. The slide G is held
in place upon the spring B by means of transverse rods or bolts p extending across
the lower portion of the box 20 beneath and close to the spring, said rods being
held in place by means of nuts g screwed onto their opposite ends.
Formed integral with the rear portion of the slide G is an extension com-
posed of two side pieces or arms 28 which lie upon opposite sides of the spring B
and are connected at their front ends by a top-plate 30, forming a box-like
enlargement similar to, but smaller than that at the rear end of the slide, and
through a boss or hub 31, on said top-plate 30, passes a vertical thumbscrew 32,
by means of which the slide G may be securely clamped to the spring B when
adjusted in position thereon, by forcing said spring down onto a transverse bolt 33
extending beneath said spring through lugs or cars 34 at the front ends of the
side pieces 28, said bolt being secured in place by a nut 35.
The bottom of the clamping screw 32 is preferably upset or slightly enlarged
as shown in Fig. 4, thereby preventing it from being withdrawn from the hub
and accidentally lost.
The end of the slide which carries the clamping screw 32 is located in front of
the saddle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position it can be conveniently
reached and operated by the rider while seated, thereby enabling him to easily
change the position of the saddle upon its supporting spring or bar without dis-
mounting, an advantage which will be greatly appreciated by all riders of bicycles.
It will be seen that the space between the side bars 28 is open at the top and
bottom, so that the flexure of the spring is not interfered with by the slide G.
This is shown clearly in Fig. 4.
By the employment of a long spring B for supporting the saddle, much more
comfort is secured with less liability of "losing the pedals" if an obstruction is
encountered. By changing the position of the saddle upon the spring, the elasticity
of, the seat may be increased or diminished as desired, the rear end of the spring
offering the least elasticity, whereby a well known danger incident to most previous
spring-devices is obviated, viz.: a spring of easy elasticity upon level ground
becoming positively dangerous while coasting.
With my improved saddle-adjusting device, no wrench or other implement is
required to effect a change of position of the saddle upon its support, the adjust-
ment being effected by means of the thumbscrew 32 which when loosened permits
the slide to move freely along the spring to the position desired while the rider is
seated upon the saddle, and the danger resulting from jolting and over taxing the
muscles and nerves and other delicate portions of the body due to incorrect posi-
tions of riders and strain from too long continued exertion without change of
position and action, is thereby reduced to a minimum.

page_text: In order to adjust the height of the spring B so as to raise and lower the seat H
to suit different riders, it is simply necessary to adjust the seat post b¹ up or down as
usual and then adjust the clamp y, k, m, along the top bar h towards or from the
seat-post. Thus to elevate the spring 13, first adjust the seat-post upwardly in
the usual manner, and then move the clamp y, k, m, forwardly along the bar h.
The spring B may be adjusted down close to the top-bar h since there is nothing
between the two save the member e and the bolts pp and 33. The inclination
of the spring may be modified by properly adjusting the said clamp along the bar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A saddle-supporting-spring for bicycles, provided at its rear with a post to
enter the rear or seat post tube, and having pivoted to its forward end a lower
rearwardly extending member, and a clamp on the rear end of said member to
engage the top-frame-bar or tube, substantially as described.
2. A saddle-supporting-spring for bicycles, provided at its rear end with a
pivotally connected seat-post to enter the rear or seat-post tube, and having
pivoted to its forward end a lower rearwardly extending member, and a clamp
pivotally connected to the rear end of said member and adapted to engage the
top-frame-bar or tube, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a longitudinally extending seat-supporting-spring, of
an elongated slide adjustable along the spring and open between its ends to permit
the spring to bow or curve under the weight of the rider, a saddle-clamp on the
rear end of the slide and an adjusting device at its forward end, substantially as
described.
4. A saddle-supporting-slide, comprising a box-like front and rear members open
at their ends for the passage of a spring therethrough and having parallel elongated
side-connecting bars, a seat-clamp on the rear box-like member and a set-screw
extending through the front box-like member, the front box-like member being
far enough in advance of the corresponding rear member to expose the set-screw
beyond the pommel of the saddle and within the reach of the rider, substantially
as described.
5. The combination with the longitudinal spring having means for connecting
its ends to a bicycle frame, of a slide having parallel side-bars at opposite edges
of the spring, front and rear cross-pieces connecting the side-bars above the spring,
a saddle-clamping-plate under the rear cross-bar, a bolt connecting the plate and
cross-bar, upper and lower cross-pieces or bolts below the clamping-plate and
between which the spring extends, a cross-piece or bolt under the spring at the
front end of the slide and a set-screw extending down through the forward upper
cross-piece into engagement with the spring, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a bicycle, of a spring hinged at its rear end to the
upper end of the seat-post, and extending longitudinally above the top-bar toward
the head and provided with a hinged lower extension having a clamp adjustable
along the top-bar, and a saddle-supporting-slide mounted on the spring, provided
at its rear end with a saddle-clamp and at its front end with means for clamping
it to the spring, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of July 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.