Improvements in Sliding Seats for Rowing Boats.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1896-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sliding Seats for Rowing Boats.
ERNEST CUTHBERT ATKINSON St. John's College Oxford Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in sliding seats for rowing boats whether
for racing or otherwise, and has for its object the minimising of the friction, and
doing away with breakages and defective working occurring with forms now
in use.
In sliding seats as heretofore constructed, the seat bas been carried on wheels
taking the vertical weight moving on horizontal surfaces, and guided parallel to
the axis of the boat by guides acting on the side or sides of the wheels, the seat
being prevented from lifting by a wooden guide or block under the seat engaging
In this form of sliding seat,
with corresponding guides fixed to the boat.
the wheels are apt to groove the surface of the plane against which they move,
and this causes a
riding up of the wheels on the edges of the guides, whilst the
guides or blocks taking the upward bearing are liable to break whilst in
operation.
To overcome these objections, in my improved form of sliding seat I provide
surfaces to support the vertical and horizontal thrusts, and arrange rollers wheels
or balls in relation to each of these surfaces, so that the motion over the .guiding
surfaces is one of pure rolling, thus avoiding grooving and grinding whilst the
liability to breakage is removed.
In one form of carrying out this my invention, I proceed as follows:-
At one side of the ordinary runners, I provide a guide (preferably of steel), set
at some convenient angle (e.g. 45°) to the runner.
Each bearing piece carrying the usual wheels is continued beneath the bearing,
and carries another wheel, whose axis is in a vertical plane, and parallel to the
guide.
These wheels, running on the guides support both the vertical and horizontal
thrusts.
DL: 00-1 dove of Anost 1005
Improvements in Sliding Seats for Rowing boats.
1 ERNEST CUTHBERT ATKINSON of St. John's College, Oxford, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performned, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :--
This invention relates to improvements in sliding seats for rowing boats, whether
for racing or otherwise, and has for its object the minimising of the friction, and
doing away with breakages and defective working occurring with forms now

page_text: In sliding seats as heretofore constructed, the seat has been carried on wheels
taking the vertical weight, moving on horizontal surfaces and guided parallel to
the axis of the boat by guides acting on the side or sides of the wheels, the seat
being prevented from lifting by a wooden guide or block under the seat engaging
with corresponding guides fixed to the boat. In this form of sliding seat the
wheels are apt to groove the surface of the plane against which they move, and
this causes a riding up of the wheels on the edges of the guides, whilst the
guides or blocks taking the upward bearing are liable to break whilst in
operation.
To overcome these objections in my improved form of sliding seat, I provide
surfaces to support the vertical and horizontal thrusts, and-arrange rollers wheels
or balls in relation to each of these surfaces, so that the motion over the guiding
surfaces is one of pure rolling, thus avoiding grooving and grinding, whilst the
tendency to break is removed.
In one form of carrying out this my invention, I proceed as follows:-At one side
of the ordinary runners I provide a guide (preferably of steel) set at some
convenient angle (e.g. 45°) to the runner.
Each bearing piece, carrying the usual wheels is continued beneath the bearing
and carries another wheel whose axis is in a vertical plane and parallel to the
guide. These wheels running on the guide support both the vertical and horizontal
thrusts.
In order that my invention may be better understood, I now describe it with
reference to Fig. 1. In Fig. 1 a shews a bracket supporting, and attached to the
underside of, the seat, b is an axle, e a roller travelling on the runner d. So far
the construction does not differ essentially from that usually employed.
My improvement consists in the application of the rollere running against the
guide fin such a way as to prevent the seat moving horizontally or vertically
except parallel to the guide plates d & f.
The angle at which the guide is fixed is not material, and, though I prefer an
angle of 45°, it may be at any angle between the two limiting positions, as in
Figs. 2 and 3, that is, between the horizontal and vertical positions, and the guide
may be either flat angular or curved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination in a rowing seat adapted for travel upon rollers, of a
seat, brackets to carry main rollers, and subsidiary or guide rollers, with such
rollers so arranged as to support the horizontal and vertical thrusts substantially as
described.
2. The arrangement of seat bracket & rollers as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Deted this 15th day of Ma. 1904