Certain Improvements in and connected with Cyclists' Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Certain Improvements in and connected with Cyclists' Saddles.
1, JUAN EMILIO NOIRIT, of Darwall Street, Walsall, in the County of Stafford,.
Merchant and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention has reference to those velocipede and other cycle saddles which
have a central longitudinal slit or channel extending the whole. or part of the
length of the seat or cover the edges of the said slit or channel being either turned
down inwardly or not; and the first part of this Invention consists in the employ-
ment of a metal spring or springs which is or are inserted longitudinally between
the two sides of the slit or channel in the seat or cover and are easily detachable
at the option of the rider, the purpose of the spring or springs being to preserve
the opening of the slit or channel when the weight of the rider is on the saddle.
The second part of this Invention consists in the employment, in the said slit or
channel, of an indiarubber ball or cushion of a suitable shape made either with
or without a central longitudinal groove at the top. This ball or cushion is
placed at any part of the slit or channel between the sides of the seat or cover
so that it will offer a resilient resistance to the closing of the slit or channel.
Or for the same purpose the indiarubber ball or cushion may be filled with air
on the pneumatic principle or with any other resilient or springy material. The
said ball or cushion can be so placed in the slit or channel that the top will stand
above the edge of the seat or cover so as to form an elastic cushion to the pressure
on the perineum.
I am well aware that prior to my Invention velocipede saddles have been made
with longitudinal openings and I therefore do not claim this feature.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Cyclists' Saddles.
I, JUAN EMILIO NOIRIT, of Darwall Street, Walsall, in the County of Stafford,
Merchant and Manufacturer, 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:-
This Invention has reference to those velocipede and other cycle saddles which
have a central longitudinal slit or channel extending the whole or part of the
length of the seat or cover the edges of the said slit or channel being either turned
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page_text: down inwardly or not; and the first part of this Invention consists in the employ-
ment of a metal spring or springs which is or are inserted longitudinally between
the two sides of the slit or channel in the seat or cover and are easily detachable
at the option of the rider, the purpose of the spring or springs being to preserve
the opening of the slit or channel when the weight of the rider is on the saddle.
This part of my Invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings by
Figs. 1 to 7 both inclusive of which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2
is a plan of a cycle saddle with springs applied in the longitudinal slot or channel
in accordance with this Invention;
Fig. 3 shews the spring separately;
Fig. 4 illustrates another way of constructing the end of the spring to engage
with the saddle;
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a cycle saddle with another form of spring
applied thereto in accordance with this Invention;
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same on line X X of Fig. 5; and
Fig. 7 is a plan of the spring part separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in
Figures 1 to 7.
In the arrangement of my Invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3 both inclusive
the metal spring is formed of two thin spring metal bars A1 A2 which are each bent
into somewhat of a bow shape and placed back to back and secured together at
their central part as by the clip B. The ends a¹ a¹ of the spring A¹ and the
ends a a² of the spring A2 are secured to the sides C1 C2 of the central longitudinal
slit or channel by snapping into holes c¹ therein. As the limbs A¹ A tend to spring
outwardly they keep apart the two sides C1 C2 of the slit or channel of the saddle which
is very necessary to prevent pressure on the perineum of the rider. The spring A¹
A may be secured in the slit or opening in other ways than that shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 as for instance the ends of the spring may be enlarged and pierced with
holes a as shewn in Fig. 4 to engage on to studs fixed to project from the
sides CC of the slit or channel of the saddle.
In the arrangement of my Invention shewn by Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the longitudinal
spring is made of a piece of wire which is bent into a loop d' at the front end to
take over the cross pin E of the saddle and is then bent downwardly so as to form
the two limbs D¹ 2 which are sprung apart slightly and have their ends d² d
formed as eyes to take on to studs ffixed to the sides of the saddle the two limbs being
secured together by the clips G. The two thicknesses of wire forming the loop di
of the spring are separated to admit the front adjusting hook H between them the
wire spring passing under this hook H at d and thus being secured in place.
The forms of springs illustrated by my drawing are what I find to answer well
in practice for keeping open the longitudinal slit or channel C3 but it will be
evident that without departing from the nature of my Invention other longi-
tudinal springs may be substituted for those which I have described and attached
to the sides of the slit or channel or opening in various ways without departing
from the nature of this part of my Invention. The springs shewn can readily
be removed by first squeezing their limbs together to detach their ends from the
sides of the groove or channel.
The second part of this Invention consists in the employment, in the said slit
or channel, of an indiarubber ball or cushion of a suitable shape made either
with or without a central longitudinal groove at the top. This ball or cushion
is placed at any part of the slit or channel between the sides of the seat or cover
so that it will offer a resilient resistance to the closing of the slit or channel.
Or for the same purpose the indiarubber ball or cushion may be filled with air
on the pneumatic principle or with any other resilient or springy material. The
said ball or cushion can be so. placed in the slit or channel that the top will
stand above the edge of the seat or cover so as to form an elastic cushion to the
pressure on the perineum.

page_text: This second part of my Invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings
by Figs. 8 to 19 both inclusive of which. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section,
Fig. is an inverted plan and
Fig. 10 is a cross section of a cycle saddle with an indiarubber ball or cushion
applied thereto in accordance with the second part of my Invention;
Figs. 11 and 12 indicate how other forms of the said indiarubber balls or cushions
can be applied to the cycle saddles;
Fig. 13 is a cross section through a cycle saddle with an indiarubber ball or
cushion applied thereto in accordance with the second part of my Invention;
Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 15 is a plan of a bicycle saddle with
my Invention applied in the longitudinal channel of the same;
Fig. 16 is a section of the end portion of a saddle shewn by Fig. 14 on a larger
scale;
Fig. 17 is a cross section of the same on line X X of Fig. 15;
Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are cross sections of cycle saddles shewing the various
ways of applying the indiarubber ball or cushion to the central longitudinal slit
or channel of the same in accordance with this Invention.
In the arrangement of my Invention shewn by Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the indiarubber
ball or cushion I is placed and fixed underneath the saddle between the sides C³ C+
of the same and against the upper surfaces of the saddle so as to offer a resilient
resistance to the closing of the slit or channel and prevent pressure on the
perineum. Any convenient means may be employed for fixing the indiarubber
ball or cushion I in place, such as by cementing the ball or cushion to the leather
part of the saddle or by enclosing the indiarubber ball or cushion in a canvas or
other bag which is sewn or otherwise secured to the leather covering. The under
edges of the sides of the slit or opening of the saddle are scived off under-
neath towards the front making them thinner than the other portion of the leather
and therefore very soft and comfortable to the rider.
In Fig. 11 the indiarubber ball or cushion I is shewn of an elongated shape fixed
in between the turned down sides C C of the slit or opening of the saddle as
represented by Fig. 12. The dotted lines in Fig. 11 shew how the indiarubber
ball or cushion may be of various sizes and either stand up above the slit or
opening or below the same according to the taste of the rider.
When it is desired for the indiarubber ball or cushion I to have a
groove or
channel along the top so as the better to prevent pressure on the perineum,
this is effected by making the said indiarubber ball or cushion in two parts as
represented by Fig. 13 and marked respectively II. These are secured together
centrally up to within a certain distance from their top part thus forming a central
web and allowing the two parts of the cushion to spring apart and form the
central groove or channel as aforesaid.
In the arrangement of my Invention shewn by Figs. 14, 15, 16, and 17, the
central longitudinal channel C extends along only part of the length of the saddle
that is from near the peak to near the cantle and the channel C3 is formed in the
process of blocking the saddle. The indiarubber cushion I is of an elongated
shape to fit in the channel and there secured by solutioning or by other convenient
means as by the leather covering piece J the edge j¹ of which is sewn to the saddle
top round the edge of the channel.
In order to form a groove along the top of the covering strip J (see Fig. 17)
and prevent pressure on the perineum the covering strip is tied down to the
bottom of the channel C3 as by the cords K and in this case the air cushion has
to be divided as shewn as by using two air cushions II in the channel C³ with
the tying cords K between them.
In the arrangement of my Invention shewn by Fig. 18 the air cushion I is
énclosed in a separate leather or like covering L the edges of which are sewn
together at and this is sewn to the sides C C3 of the longitudinal slit or channel
of the saddle at 1° 13.

page_text: Fig. 19 shews a slightly modified form of the arrangement last described, the
bottom of the longitudinal channel C³ being sewn to the sides C Cat 1213 and on
the leather of the saddle itself being continued in one piece over the channel C³
and air cushion I to form a covering for the same. The leather part of the saddle
over the air cushion I is scived down thin underneath to make it soft and
comfortable to the rider.
The underframe shewn on my drawings forms no part of my present invention.
I am well aware that prior to my Invention velocipede saddles have been made
with longitudinal openings and I therefore do not claim this feature.
The accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider to be the most practical
methods of carrying out my Invention but it will be evident that my Invention is
not limited to the precise details shewn.
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. A velocipede saddle having a central longitudinal slit or channel extending
along the whole or part of the seat or cover and one or more longitudinal springs
arranged in said slot or channel to keep the same open substantially as herein-
before set forth.
2. In a velocipede saddle, the combination, with the underframe and the leather
seat or cover made with a central longitudinal slit or channel extending along the
whole or apart thereof, of the longitudinal spring A¹ A² constructed and
applied in the said slit or channel in the manner substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. In a velocipede saddle, the combination, with the underframe and the leather
seat or cover made with a central longitudinal slit or channel extending along the
whole or a part thereof, of the longitudinal spring D₁ D2 constructed and
applied in the said slit or channel in the manner and substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
4. A velocipede saddle having a central longitudinal slit or channel extending
along the whole or part of the seat or cover and an indiarubber ball or cushion
arranged in said slit or channel to offer a resilient resistance to the closing of the
said slit or channel substantially as set forth.
5. In a velocipede saddle, the combination, with the underframe and the leather
or like seat or cover made with a central longitudinal slit or channel extending
along the whole or a part thereof, of the indiarubber ball or cushion I or balls
or cushions II applied in said slit or channel in any of the several ways substan-
tially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by Figs. 8
to 19 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of August 1897
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.