Improvements relating to the Seats of Cycles, and to similar Seats of other Vehicles, with a view to Lessening their Vibration.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
Improvements relating to the Seats of Cycles, and to similar Seats
of other Vehicles, with a view to Lessening their Vibration.
We, EDWARD ALBERT RICKETTS, of 99 Ormonde Terrace, Cannock Road Wolver-
hampton in the County of Stafford, Works Manager, and ARTHUR BERTRAM CHAVASSE,
of Old Bank Chambers, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Iron Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improved means for reducing the vibration of the
seats of cycles and similar seats of other vehicles.
The leading feature in the accomplishment of the above object consists,
preferably, according to this invention, of a seat pillar which is capable of vertical
inovement and is supported by an elastic medium. The sent pillar is fitted to be
capable of sliding vertically within the seat-pillar tube, and the elastic supporting-
medium may consist of a pneumatic cushion around the pillar in position to rest
upon the top of the seat-pillar tube, or of a spring, or rubber buffer, placed in such
position, or of a pneumatic cushion, spring, or rubber buffer, placed immediately
under the pillar upon a support with the seat-pillar tube; or a pneumatic cushion,
spring, or buffer, may be placed around the seat pillar and rest upon the top of the
seat-pillar tube, and a pneumatic cushion, spring, or buffer, may be placed also
within the tube immediately underneath the seat pillar. Guide rods may pass down
from the hinder end of the bar of the seat pillar, and, if desired, from the forward
end also, and pass through suitable guides carried by the framing; and these
rods may be surrounded with pneumatic cushions, springs, or rubber buffers, to
elastically support the seat pillar; and such means of elastically supporting the
seat pillar inay be used either in lieu of, or in combination with, the means above
described. In lieu of the guide rods, plungers may be fixed to the seat-pillar bar
and may be capable of sliding within tubes fixed to the framing, and such plungers
may be elastically supported in the manner above described of supporting the seat
pillar by an elastic medium which is placed around the pillar or beneath it, or
partiy around and partly beneath it.
According to a modification of the invention, the seat may itself be directly
supported by an inflated cushion placed between the underside of the seat and a
plate which is directly supported by the seat pillar. Suitable means for guiding
the seat as it moves vertically are, in such case, provided, and these may consist
of pins which pass through holes in the plate which is supported by the seat
pillar, and such pins may be surrounded with springs to assist in giving elastic
support to the seat, or springs may be used both to assist in giving the elastic
support and in acting as guides.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Seats of Cycles, and to similar Seats
of other Vehicles, with a view to Lessening their Vibration.
We, EDWARD ALBERT RICKETTS, of 99 Ormonde Terrace, Cannock Road, Wolver-
hampton in the County of Stafford, Works Manager, and ARTHUR BERTRAM CHAVASSE,
of Old Bank Chambers, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Iron Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
This invention has for its object improved ineans for reducing the vibration of the
seats of cycles and similar seats of other vehicles.
The leading feature in the accomplishment of the above object consists, preferably,
according to this invention, of a seat pillar which is capable of vertical movement
and is supported by an elastic medium. The seat pillar is fitted to be capable of
sliding vertically within the seat-pillar tube, and the elastic supporting mediuin may
consist of a spring, or other elastic buffer, placed around the pillar in position to
rest upon the top of the seat pillar tube, or of a pneumatic cushion, spring, or buffer,
placed immediately under the pillar upon a support within the seat pillar tube; or
a spring, or other elastic buffer, may be placed around the seat pillar and rest upon
the top of the seat pillar tube and a pneumatic cushion, spring, or buffer be placed
also within the tube immediately under the seat pillar. A guide rod or rods which,
or each of which, is connected at its upper end with the seat pillar may pass down
at the rear of the pillar and pass through a suitable guide or guides carried by the
framing, and a similar rod or rods may pass down also at the forward side of the
pillar; and this rod, or each rod, inay be surrounded with a spring, or other elastic
buffer, to elastically suppport the seat pillar; and such means of elastically supporting
the seat pillar may be used either in lieu of, or in combination with, the means
above described. In lieu of the guide rod or rods, a plunger or plungers may be
fixed to the seat pillar and may be capable of sliding within tubes carried by the
framing, and such plunger or plungers may be elastically supported in the manner
above described of supporting the sent pillar.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood; we will proceed to describe,
by way of example, a practical and preferred application of the same which is
illustrated by the drawings herewith.
Figure 1 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the longitudinal axis of a cycle,
shewing the means of elastically supporting the saddle, the parts only being
illustrated which are necessary to make the invention clear. Figure 2 is a
sectional plan taken on line xx of Figure 1. The tube A may be taken to
represent the upper portion of the seat pillar tube having a diaphragm a
fixed therein, but the tube A is preferably forined as an inner tube or lining which
fits within the outer tube (not shewn), and in such case the tube A is closed in at the
bottom, as shewn, and is formed with a plate b at the top which may rest upon the
top of the outer seat pillar tube. It is preferred, however, to form the outer seat
pillar tube with a clip so that the tube A can be fixed at different heights therein
in the manner in which it is usual to fix a seat pillar within a seat pillar tube. The
seat pillar B is capable of sliding vertically within the tube A, and its lower end is
provided with a cup leather c which fits within the tube A and causes the air
beneath it to be compressed when weight is brought upon the saddle. A disc C,
which is an easy sliding fit within the tube A, is formed with a screwed shank d
which is screwed through the solid lower end of the seat pillar B and is locked
thereto by means of a nute which is screwed up against a washer f which is itself
bedded against the inside of the cup leather c. This nut consequently fixes the cup

page_text: leather in addition to locking the screwed shank. A spiral spring Dis interposed
between the disc C and the bottom a of the tube A. It will thus be seen that the
seat pillar B, and consequently the seat, is elastically supported both by the
compressed air within the tube A which is beneath the cup leather c and by the spiral
spring D. The screwed shank d permits of the height of the saddle being adjusted
in relation to the tube A, and thus the height of the seat may be adjusted if desired
without altering the height of the tube A. To effect an adjustment of the height
of the seat pillar B in relation to the tube A the seat pillar, together with the
screwed shank, is drawn out of the tube A, the nut e is then slackened back and
the screwed shank screwed forwards or backwards accordingly as it is desired to lower
or raise the seat pillar, and the nut is then tightened up again and the seat pillar
replaced with the disc bearing upon the upper end of the spring D. A tubular
guide E is shewn to be connected at its upper end to the sent pillar B, by means of
a clip F which passes around the seat pillar B. The connection between the clip F
and the tubular guide E is conveniently effected by means of a bracket G which is
held between the ears g of the clip, and which is formed with a portion h which
is fixed to the top of the guide E by means of the set-pin i. When the clip Fis
slackened around the pillar B, the pillar B may be slid through the clip when its
height is being adjusted in relation to the tube A, the clip being tightened again
around the pillar B when such adjustment has been effected. The tubular guide E
is capable of sliding vertically within a tuhe H which is fixed to the underside of
the plate b, and the tube H is parallel with the tube A. A spiral spring J is
placed between the bottom of the tube H and the bottom of the tubular guide E.
The tubular guide E thus acts to assist in keeping the seat pillar B properly in
line with the tube A and thereby preventing undue friction between the pillar B
and tube A, and the spring J assists in elastically supporting the seat. A screwed
pink passes from the bottom of the tubular guide E through the bottom of the
tube H, and thus any desired initial pressure may be brought upon the springs J
and D, and upon the air enclosed within the tube A below the cup leather c, by
screwing up or unscrewing the nut which is run upon the portion of the pin k
which projects below the bottom of the tube H. The purpose of providing this
adjustment. of the initial pressure is to be able to avoid an unnecessary depression
of the saddle when the weight of the rider first comes thereupon.
If desired, the spiral spring D may be dispensed with and the elastic cushion of
air be employed as the only elastic support beneath the hottom of the pillar B, or the
cup leather c may be dispensed with and the spiral spring D be used alone as the
elastic support beneath the pillar.
It will readily be seen that a spiral spring or rubber buffer may be placed around
either the seat pillar B or the tubular guide E (or both), between the plate b and a
collar formed around the pillar or guide (or around each of them), and that such inay
be done either in lieu of or in addition to the other means shewn of giving elastic
support to the saddle.
It will be obvions that a second tubular guide may be employed forwards of the
seat pillar, and be elastically supported similarly as the tubular guide E, and that
such forward tubular guide may be used either in combination with or in place of the
tubular guide E; and of course there may be two rear guides side by side, or two
similar front guides, or four guides altogether.
The seat pillar is described (for convenience of description) as capable of "vertical"
movement, but in practice the movement will usually be in a somewhat inclined
direction as shewn in the drawings. The expression "vertical movement," or
equivalent expression, is intended to include the endway movement of the pillar in
relation to the seat pillar tube, whether such movement is truly vertical or in a
direction somewhat inclined to the vertical.
According to a modification of the invention, the seat may itself be directly
supported by an inflated cushion, such as an inflated rubber ball, say about two inches
diameter, placed between the underside of the seat, and a plate which is directly
supported by the seat pillar. Suitable means for guiding the seat as it moves

page_text: vertically are, in such case, provided, and these may consist of pins which pass
through holes in the plate which is supported by the seat pillar; and such pins may
be surrounded with springs to assist in giving elastic support to the seat. The
modification described with reference to the drawings is, however, much preferred to
this arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A vertically-sliding seat pillar supported by an elastic medium, for use with a
seat of a cycle or with a similar seat of other vehicle, substantially as described.
2. A seat pillar for use with the seat of a cycle or similar seat of other vehicle,
capable of vertical movement within the seat pillar tube (either within the ordinary
single tube or within an interior tube fixed inside an outer tube), and supported by
an elastic medium consisting of a spring or other elastic buffer placed around the
pillar, or of a pneumatic cushion, spring, or rubber buffer, beneath the pillar and
within the seat pillar tube, or of a combination of any such, substantially as
described.
3. A seat pillar for use with the seat of a cycle or similar seat of other vehicle,
capable of vertical movement within the seat pillar tube (either within the ordinary
single tube or within an interior tube fixed inside an outer tube), in combination
with a guide rod, or with guide rods, which, or each of which, is connected at its
upper end with the seat pillar and passes through a suitable guide carried by the
framing, and with means by which such combined arrangement is elastically supported
against the downward thrust of the seat, substantially as described.
4. The improved means for use in supporting the seat of a cycle, or a similar
seat of other vehicle, substantially as described with reference to the drawings
herewith.
5. In a device substantially as described with reference to the drawings herewith
for elastically supporting the seat of a cycle, or a similar seat of other vehicle, the
means by which the initial compression of the elastic medium is adjusted,
substantially as described.
6. The combination, of a seat pillar capable of vertical movement within a seat
pillar tube (either within the ordinary single tube or within an interior tube fixed
inside an outer tube) and elastically supported from beneath, with means by which
the height of the pillar may be adjusted in relation to the tube within which it is
capable of sliding, substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
7. The modification of the invention in which the seat of a cycle, or a similar seat
of other vehicle, is supported by an inflated cushion placed between the underside of
the seat and a plate which is directly supported by the seat pillar, the vertical
movement of the seat being guided by pins which pass through holes in the plate
which is supported by the seat pillar, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1897.