Suspension Seating - Page 2

RIVA · 27 January 2007, 09:57

need 100 in the first container to make it viable as you can see its a long way away .

but we will see , wont have any ourselves until the markets big enough no good useing something you cant sell .

Hightower · 27 January 2007, 10:16

Thouhgt you might have a sample one, for trials and to test the market with.

RIVA · 27 January 2007, 10:26

already done it in africa , norway , and u.s. we know it works its just a bit of a gimik today not a buissnes .

in the future it will be viable but not at the moment and we would rather as always spend a £ on something today that will make you ££ tomorrow

Poly · 27 January 2007, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kennett

That looks interesting, so I emailed them for more details....
...Oh, and Polwart was right about the video: "I read the post`s you linked and yes to be honest the day we had a film crew with it was not the roughest so we did what we could to show how they work. We will be shooting a new segment as soon as we can get it done."

Well that is 2 good signs (1) they are honest about the video (2) they have a very quick response to enquiries.

Clive · 27 January 2007, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I meant these ones: http://www.smoothmovesseatmounts.com/

Is that the ones you have in your tractor?

hi i will get some pics of my tractor seat and details of manufacture.
but yes it is the same as the ones on the link except the squishy seat bit.
and believe me yer ass takes more punishment in a tractor than any rib ive ever been in.

and if you wanna try it out i am in verwood nr ringwood you can take my tractor for a spin in a bumpy field not quite ribbing but good fun none the less

jwalker · 27 January 2007, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Beaurain

Hello JW

Just to clarify, the KAB seat you have has 12 V power feed (up through floor?) and integral compressor and 4 point intgral harness?

Is it yours an open rib or is the seat protected from elements by cabin?

Kab seats I have seen may be a base model ie no power required and no integral harness/belt

thanks
Paul

Paul, I have both types. The powered one uses air bladders to mould the seat and it is quite sophisticated in terms of adjustment for the occupant. In particular, it uses 3 bladders for the crucial lumbar support and the shape and position of the lumbar curvature can be adjusted to suit the seated person.

The unpowered one has the more normal rotating handle for lumbar support and the cushion and back sections cannot be reshaped, although spring rate, height, and rock of the seat is still available.

Mine are protected from the elements. They are not the sort of seat to use on an open rib with no cover. But on a boat like Martin's, with covers and a bit of care to look after them, I don't see why not.

With the harness, I lied. It is a 4 point type but the shoulder straps link to a single strap down the rear of the seat so I guess it's really 3 point. It was late when I wrote last night.....

jwalker · 27 January 2007, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clive

Hi the suspension seats shown earlier in this thread are nothing more than tractor seats with a pivot base i can get these seats for about 50 quid!!brand new

The words lorry and fall come to mind......

Hightower · 27 January 2007, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clive

and if you wanna try it out i am in verwood nr ringwood you can take my tractor for a spin in a bumpy field not quite ribbing but good fun none the less

Sound like an invite for a party. Wait till the weather warms up, we'll supply the BBQ and drinks and you supply the tractor for some off road antics

How would the mechanics of the seat mechanism stand up to life at sea?

John Kennett · 27 January 2007, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIVA

need 100 in the first container to make it viable as you can see its a long way away .

Why not post some details and prices here and see if anyone is prepared to pay the shipping to bring a couple over?

John

Matt · 27 January 2007, 16:55

Pedestals are a no-no if you're going to do fast boating in the rough.
Sidewinder (magnum 27 race boat) had em, and the crew ended the first race looking skywards from the back seat!

The loads transmitted through the very small pedestal mount are HUGE.

John Kennett · 27 January 2007, 18:27

That's why I suggested putting them on a low GRP pod.

John

Matt · 27 January 2007, 18:42

I was making an observation on the video.

John Kennett · 27 January 2007, 18:46

I know what you mean, I particularly don't like the way it seems to hang off the back of the pedestal. It looks like it's trying to rip it out of the deck!

John

Matt · 27 January 2007, 18:52

I think TD was involved in a project a little while back. Something to do with the MOD prescribing max G's over a given time period that soldiers can endure, so IIRC they were looking at making the whole cockpit being mounted on suspension.

jwalker · 27 January 2007, 20:32

One comment I would make on the video is the limited amount of travel and the ease with which the seats move. If it's the case that they are adjustable for stiffness and they have been set soft for the purpose of demonstrating their action then when stiffened up that will begin to negate their effectiveness. However, anything is better than nothing.

To give a little indication of the forces, the last time I was out was with a pal. We were travelling home flat out into a head sea with the tabs right down and his comment to me was, "The seats are great but I can feel me internal organs bumping against the inside of my body.".

Hightower · 27 January 2007, 21:09

So how much movement should a seat have? 200mm?

Just an Idea to keep things simple:

Two 2" stainless tubes mounted on the deck protuding to a height of 300mm and sloping towards the stern at an angle of 30 degrees from vertical.

A damper and spring assembly mounted in each tube with a compression of said movement. Removable for setting different damper settings and for maintenance purposes.

Over these tubes with suspention assemblies mounted in go the seat. Basicly a U shape tube that sits over the deck mounted tubes. Inside this U shaped tube are some nylon bushes and a way of locking it in position. Welded onto the U shape tube at an angle of 30 degrees is the seat tubes.

For the tech's out there, would this work? Or would it be too harsh a ride?

Seems like a simple solution and would keep most of the elements out the workings.

Matt · 27 January 2007, 21:13

It looks like the seat in the vid is undamped. I was thinking (in a geeky sorta way) it would be quite funny if the boat started bouncing along at the harmonic frequency of the seat.

Hightower · 27 January 2007, 21:45

I'm gonna go and mount suspension seats in my next RIB.

I'm going down Toys R Us and purchasing two space hoppers, they even come with safety grab handles and can be used as inflatables.

Clive · 27 January 2007, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I'm gonna go and mount suspension seats in my next RIB.

I'm going down Toys R Us and purchasing two space hoppers, they even come with safety grab handles and can be used as inflatables.

hi andy
sorry i didnt get time to mess with my tractor today. had to ride a horse.
its my job. i will try again tomorrow but trust me its the same seat.
it has an adjustable damper and about 8 inches of forward/backward movement wish i had kept the box.
i have found the invoice and it was closer to 60 quid and it didnt fall off any lorrys.
and it stands up very well to the weather (no cab on that tractor) after 5 years use it looks the same as th day i put it on

Matt · 27 January 2007, 22:19

Could the suspension seat be gARF's latest incarnation of the rib flikka?