Improvements in Adjustable Velocipede Saddles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 189z
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDUARD PETRINI, of Upsala, in the County of
Upland, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Doctor of Philosophy.]
Improvements in Adjustable Velocipede Saddles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In velocipedes as heretofore constructed the saddles are sometimes adjusted to
different heights by being supported by a stay, pressed upwards by a spring, and
held in position by a catch, engaging with hooks arranged on the said stay.
My invention has for its object, to arrange these saddles in such a manner, that
during the riding they can of themselves be adjusted from a lower to a higher
position simply by the rider lifting himself from the saddle while standing on the
treadles.
This is effected by supporting the saddle upon two stays, of which the one is
forced upwards by a spiral spring as usual. The other stay is formed as a rack,
the teeth of which are straight at the lower side, but inclined at the upper one in
such a manner, that the catch forced between the teeth, does not prevent the rack
from rising with the saddle (acted upon by the spiral spring and the other bar) but
opposes its depressing movement. The catch by means of rods and a bent lever is
connected with another lever, placed under one arm of the steering bar, in such a
manner that by lifting this lever the catch is turned from the rack thus permitting
the rack and the saddle to be lowered. By releasing the lever before mentioned,
the catch under the action of a spring engages with the rack and prevents its
further depression but does not on account of the inclined form of the upper
side of the teeth prevent the lifting of it with the saddle if such lifting is not
prevented by the weight of the rider himself.
When the lever under the arm of the steering bar is released and the velo cipede
is put into motion, the rider only need lift himself, resting on the treadles, to raise
the saddle into the position required. To obtain a lower position it is only
necessary for the rider to press on the said lever under the steering bar and then
by his own weight press the saddle down to the position desired, in which it is
then held by the catch, engaging with the teeth of the rack after releasing the
lever.
Dated this 10th day of March 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Velocipede Saddles.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
In velocipedes as heretofore constructed the saddles are sometimes adjusted to
different heights by being supported by a bar pressed upwards by a spring, and
kept in different positions by a bolt, which is pushed into notches on the said bar.
According to my invention I arrange the saddles in such a manner that during

page_text: the riding they can be adjusted from a lower position to a higher one more
convenient for the rider without his having to make any other motion but to raise
himself on the treadles.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a velocipede arranged in this manner.
Figure 2 is an enlarged side-view and partial vertical section of the lifting
arrangement.
Figure 3 is a plan partly in section on the line A-B (Figure 1) and
Figure 4 is a front-view of the velocipede.
The saddle a is usually supported by a bar benclosed by a tube, which bar is
pressed upwards by a spiral spring f. The saddle is also supported by another
bar c formed like a toothed or ratchet bar, the cogs of which have a straight lower
side, but are inclined at the upper side, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The upper-
most teeth g however are preferably made with both sides straight. Between the
lower end of the bar c and ring u, encircling it loosely is a spiral spring h, which
has for its object to reduce the shock arising from the violent mounting of the
ratchet bar c. The bolt lies before the upper part of the ratchet bar and is
attached to a bar k, which can be turned and has at its lower extremity a pro-
jecting arm connected by a draw-rod 1, two small bell crank levers m and a link
with a pressure bar o, which terminates in a ring p surrounding the steering bar n.
.Against the upper end of this bar there rests the bent end of a double lever-arm r
arranged below one branch of the handle bar g.
By pressing on the lever arm r it is raised and the bar k is turned and bolt i
drawn aside, so that its connection with the ratchet-bar is released in the usual way,
in consequence whereof the saddle together with the ratchet-bar is raised by the
spring. As soon as the pressure on the arm r ceases, the bolt i catches again
into the ratchet-bar under the influence of a spring surrounding the bar k, thereby
preventing its sinking, but on account of the sloping upper-side of every tooth the
bolt cannot prevent the raising of the bar, unless this stands in its lowermost
position, when the bolt i catches between the teeth g.
Z¹
When it is desired to mount the saddle, the latter may be either in a raised or
in a lowered position. In the former case the outer end of the lever-arm is raised,
so that the bolt i can catch in between the teeth of rack g and thus arrest the
saddle, when the lever-arm r is released again. If on the other hand the saddle is
already arrested in a lower position in the manner just mentioned, this operation is
evidently not required.
After having mounted the saddle from the side the lever-arm is raised and
standing on the ground, the rider raises himself a little in such a manner that when
the lever-arm is again released the saddle and with it the ratchet-bar under the
influence of the spiral spring f is pushed up so far that the bolt i catches one of
the ratchet teeth.
After having thus released the lever-arm r and put the velocipede into motion it
is only necessary for the rider to raise himself either at once, or by successive
steps to the position which he wishes to occupy during the riding. The spiral
spring pushes the saddle upwards and the bolt i catching in between the ratchet
teeth prevents the saddle from falling down to a lower position. If on the other
hand, for instance in riding down a hill the rider wishes to lower the saddle, it is
only necessary to press again on the lever-arm r and then by ones own weight press
down the saddle to the desired position after which the lever-arm is again released,
so that the bolt catches in again and thus firmly arrests the saddle in the new
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
In adjustable velocipede-saddles, the combination of two bars supporting the
saddle one of which is pressed upwards by a spring and the other provided with

page_text: ratchet teeth one part of which teeth are inclined on the upper side but straight
on the lower side, and also of a bolt, which can catch in between the ratchet bar
and thus arrest the saddle.
Dated this 9th day of December 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.