Improvement in Bicycle and other Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
Improvement in Bicycle and other Saddles.
İ, HENRY ANDREW CHRISTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at
523 Monadnock Building, Chicago, in the County of Cook, and State of
Illinois, U.S.A., 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 relates to saddles, but more particularly to saddles employed in
connection with bicycles and like vehicles.
Heretofore it has been proposed to provide saddles with a solid or other suitable
top or body having one or more pads or cushions arranged thereon, so as to secure
a comfortable seat for the rider; but, in such instances, it has been found that the
pads were liable to get out of shape and become hard, owing to the fact that the
material, with which said pads were stuffed or packed, would be pressed or forced
to the side or sides thereof by the weight of the rider, in which position it would
remain, for the reason that it was often difficult and inconvenient to force the
material back, so that the pads might be restored to their proper positious.
Moreover, these pads.had no means for ventilating the same, resulting thereby in
the seat becoming very warm and uncomfortable, particularly when riding for any
length of time.
H
The primary object of my invention is to overcome these objectionable features
by providing a saddle on which one or more pads or cushions may be.arranged, so
that a yielding resilient seat may be secured, which will not get out of shape and
become hard while in use, at the same time providing. pads which will readily
permit the air to pass through the same, so as to secure a cool and confortable seat
for the rider.
A further object of the invention is to provide a. pad or cushion of resilient
material, such as rubber and the like, of such form as to permit of its being readily
depressed, and which will quickly resume and retain its proper position when
relieved of pressure.
Another object is to provide a saddle which will form a comfortable seat for the
rider, and which by reason of its conformation according to correct anatomical
principles and its rigidity insuring maintenance of its shape will prevent pressure
upon easily injured portions of the body.
The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
which form a part of this Specification, and then particularly pointed out, in the
claims at the end of the description.
Figure 1 of the drawings represents a perspective view of one form of the saddle
top with pads or cushions applied thereto.
and
Figure 2 is a plan view.
Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the resilient body-portion of the pads";
Figure 5 is a plan view of the pad-body.
The saddle top may be of any suitable material and secured to the frame of the
bicycle, or other vehicle in any preferred manner, and may be cast or otherwise
formed, or pressed from sheet metal. This top may have its sides A A slightly
coucaved and inclined downward from the central portion thereof, and said sides
are preferably wider than the ordinary saddle, so as to support the fleshy portions

page_text: of the buttocks and pelvic portions of the body more perfectly. than does the old
construction. A neck or horn portion B extends forward a short distance from the
seat portion, so as to enable the rider to maintain himself upon the saddle against
lateral movement, but does not-extend far enough forward to project between the
legs of the rider, so as to cause injury; said horn and sent portion being provided
with a centrally arranged recess or depression b.
To provide a comfortable seat for the rider which will not pack or become
hard, and at the same time provide means for ventilating the same, I preferably
arrange, at each side of the seat portion, recessed or sunken portions 66' having
the lower surface thereof provided with apertures or perforations 63 to permit air to
enter said recesses, and adapted to receive and hold pads or cushions C C fitted
therein. These pads or cushions have their marginal walls c of the body-portion C
conforming to the contour of the recessed or sunken portions b' b¹, of the saddle
top, and are cemented or otherwise secured or held in said recessed portions; said
body-portions being preferably made of rubber, though any other suitable resilient
material or combination of materials may be employed if desired. At care apertures
passing centrally through the body-portions CC, so that air may pass there
through; and at care recesses arranged around said apertures and adjacent to the
marginal walls c; both recesses and apertures serving to lighten said body-portions
and to permit the same to. readily.yield to pressure exerted thereon. The body-
portions may be provided with a leather or other suitable covering which may
be cemented or otherwise secured thereto, and is preferably provided with apertures
or perforations e adapted to register with the apertures c² in said body-portions, so
that the air which enters the apertures 6 of the saddle top, may readily pass
through the pads or cushions, in order to keep the seat cool.
I thus provide, by this construction, a seat which will not become hard or packed,
which will readily yield to the weight of the rider and form a cool and comfortable
seat therefor, and which will quickly return to its normal position when
depressed.
It is obvious that the pads or cushions may be of any suitable material and form,
and that the recesses or apertures may be arranged in any preferred manner; and
that simply recesses, or apertures, or a combination of the two may be employed
as shown. Instead of the apertures and recesses being square, they may be of any
suitable formation; and, instead of having simply the upper surface provided with
a covering, the said covering may entirely enclose the body-portion and have
apertures or perforations in the lower surface-thereof when found desirable.
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 :-
1st. A saddle for bicycles and other vehicles, having a solid top provided upon its
upper surface with perforated recessed or sunken portions at each side of the seat
portion, in combination with pads or cushions of resilient material adapted to fit
said recesses and having apertures passing therethrough so as to permit the pad to
be readily depressed and to permit air to circulate through said pads, substantially
as described.
2nd. In a bicycle saddle, the combination with a saddle top provided upon its
upper surface with a depressed or sunken portion, of a pad or cushion of resilient
material adapted to fit the depressed or sunken portion of said saddle top, whereby
the pad may readily-return to its normal position after being depressed, substan-
tially as described.
3rd. A bicycle or other saddle, comprising a solid top provided upon its upper
surface with perforated recessed or sunken portions at each side of the seat portion,
rubber pads or cushions having recesses and apertures therethrough adapted to fit
into saíd recessed or sunken portions, and perforated coverings for said pads,
whereby a yielding and ventilated seat may be provided for the rider, substantially
as described.

page_text: 4th. A bicycle saddle having a solid top provided upon its upper surface with
perforated recessed or sunken portions at each side of the seat portion adapted to
receive and hold apertured resilient pads, and a horn shortened.up or truncated so
that it will not project between the legs of the rider so as to cause injury, and
provided with a depression upon its upper surface centrally of said horn portion,
substantially as described.
5th. A pad or cushion for bicycle and like saddles having the body-portion
thereof of a resilient material provided with apertures therethrough so as to permit
said pad to be readily depressed and to permit the air to enter said apertures,
substantially as described.
6th. A pad or cushion for bicycle and like saddles, having its body-portion of
rubber provided with recesses and with apertures therethrough so as to permit said
pad to be readily depressed and to permit the air to pass through said apertures,
substantially as described.
7th. A pad or cushion for bicycle and like saddles, having its body-portion of
resilient material provided with recesses and apertures therethrough, and having
a perforated covering for said body-portion, so as to permit said pad to be readily
depressed and to permit the air to pass through said apertures, substantially as
described.
Dated this 2nd day of December AD 1895
HENRY ANDREW CHRISTY.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.