Year: 1888

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERTSON of 72 Bell Street, Dundee N.B. Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
By this invention I aim at increasing the stability of the machines and in the case
of bicycles to render it easy for the rider to steer without the use of his hands-an
advantage that will be appreciated by riders of safety bicycles.
There are various ways of carrying out my invention but I will describe one of
them which will serve to explain the principle of the invention; 1 will describe it as
applied to a safety bicycle.
The pin pillar or equivalent support for the saddle instead of being a fixture a is
now the custom I so arrange that it can swing in a vertical plane at right angles
to the axis of the machine and by any suitable means such for example as a rod
carrying upon its forward end a vertical toothed segment gearing with a similar
horizontal toothed segment fixed upon or connected with the steering head or fork of
the steering wheel I transmit the motion imparted to the saddle support to the steering
wheel. The rosult is that if the rider turn the saddle support to one side the wheel
automatically turns to that side too and by thus throwing the machine over towards
the other side helps to balance it. To turn a corner it is only necessary to throw the
weight and saddle to the required side and the machine will turn of its own accord
and without the rider having to use his hands at all.
The operation and application of this invention to tricycles and ordinary bicycles is
similar the needful modification of the parts necessary to adopt them to the special
requirements of each case being made.
It will be readily understood that other mechanism may be used in place of the
toothed segments, say for instance a fork as the one element and a pin to engage
with the fork as the other element, and that these segments or equivalents may if

page_text: necessary be placed immediately under the saddle instead of at the end of the rod.
Also the motion may when desired be taken direct from the saddle instead of from
the pillar.
:
A modification would be to allow the saddle to move in a horizontal instead of a
vertical plane this could be done by so supporting and connecting it with the steering
wheel that instead of rocking as above described it would maintain a horizontal
position and move like the tiller of a boat either bodily or the back portion only the
peak working either actually or theoretically about a vertical pivot.
Dated this 31st day of March 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Steering of Bicycles and other
Velocipedes.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON of 72 Bell Street Dundee, North Britain, 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:
By this invention I aim at increasing the stability of the machines and in the case
of bicycles to render it easy for the rider to steer without the use of his hands-an
advantage that will be specially appreciated by riders of rear-driving safety bicyclos
and tricycles.
There are various ways of carrying out my invention and in the accompanying
drawing as an example I have in side elevation shown one of them as applied to a
rear-driving bicycle and which I will now proceed to describe, it being here explained
that the drawing illustrates only such parts of the bicycle as are necessary to render
the following description clear.
A is the rear or driving wheel, B the front or steering wheel, (the steering fork,
D the steering head connected to the upper part of the fork C, E the cross frame.
F the L-pin pillar or seat support and E¹ the clamping screw for securing the pillar F
in any desired position in the cross frame E all of these parts being of ordinary
construction and individually constituting no part of my invention.
G is a sleeve which may be adjusted to any desired position on the seat pillar F
and may be secured in any position by the clamping screw G. His a boss of a lever I
capable of oscillating on the sleeve G as a fulcrum and on which the said boss is
prevented from moving longitudinally by means of collars as shown in the drawing
or other equivalent means. J is the saddle of ordinary construction secured to the
upper end of the lever I the lower end of which besides being forked or slotted to
receive the crank pin K³ of the crank K is also formed in two parts i and as
shown so that the said two parts may be telescopically or otherwise longitudinally
adjusted in relation to each other to provide for the ordinary vertical adjustment
of the saddle J. When so adjusted the parts may be secured together by the
clamping screw I. L is a shaft which is also formed in two parts L, , which
may be adjusted longitudinally in relation to each other either telescopically as provided
for in the apparatus shown in the drawing or in other convenient manner this
adjustment providing for the corresponding adjustment of the saddle J noarer to
or farther from the handle bar M the clamping screw L' serving to lock together
the parts in any desired position. The shaft L is supported in bearings N
secured to the cross frame E and the part of the shaft is provided with collars
or their equivalent for preventing it from moving longitudinally in the bearing N
which supports it. The part may be moved longitudinally in the bearing N
which supports it to admit of the length of the shaft L being altered when the
saddle J is moved nearer to or farther from the handle bar M. The before-mentioned

page_text: crank K is secured on one end of the shaft L on the opposite end of which is
secured the crank arm O which engages with the slot or bifurcation of the lever arm P
secured to the steering head D.
The parts at which the before described cranks and levers work into each other
are constructed sufficiently free to prevent jamming, if desired however universal
joints may with advantage be employed for coupling the parts together.
Although I have hereinbefore described and in the accompanying drawings have
illustrated one manner of applying my improvements to a velocipede I wish it
understood that besides this there are inany other ways and as another example I
may mention one in which the L-pin pillar or equivalent saddle support instead
of being a fixture as is now the custom and as shown in the accompanying
drawings is so arranged that it can swing in a vertical plane and by a rod
carrying upon its forward end a vertical toothed segment gearing with a similar
horizontal segment fixed upon or connected with the stoering fork that it will
transmit the motion which by the rider is imparted through the saddle to the saddle
support to the steering wheel.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that if the rider throws his weight
so as to tilt the saddle to say the right side, the steering wheel B through the connections
between it and the said saddle will turn to the right too and vice versa. To turn a
corner it is only necessary that the rider shall throw his weight towards the side to
which he desires to steer when the saddle will sway to the required side and the
machine will turn without the rider having to use his hands at all for steering
purposes.
The operation and application of my invention to tricycles and bicycles of other
construction than that shown in the drawing whether front or rear stooring or driving
is similar to that already described the needful modification of the parts necessary to
adapt them to the special requirements of each case being made.
If desired a suitable stop or stops may be provided to confine the movements of the
saddle to certain limits of safety.
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 steering of a bicycle or other velocipede by the rocking swaying or oscillating
of the saddle in a vertical plane substantially as herein described.
2. In a bicycle or other velocipede the combination with a saddle mounted so as to
be capable of rocking or oscillating in a vertical plane of means such as described
for transmitting the motion derived from such oscillation to the steering wheel
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
3. In a bicycle or other velocipede the combination with the saddle of a levor such
as I cranks K and O shaft Land lever arm P connected to the steering fork operating
substantially as and for the purpose horein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of January 1889.