Improvements in and relating to Velocipede Saddles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Velocipede Saddles.
I, ALBERT VICTOR SPRATLEY, of John Street, Luton, in the County of
Bedfordshire, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in inflated velocipede saddles, which
consist in making a sheath for the saddle of any approved shape, but preferably
the shapes described in my Patent No. 6193, of 1890, of sanitary absorbent felt
by the same process (either hand or machinery) as that employed in making felt
hats. By these means I produce the whole surface of the sheath including the flaps
(and in the case of the ladies saddle the dress guard or extremity of pommel) in
one piece without a seam. The aforesaid sheath is intended to cover a saddle of
any suitable pattern either by being laced through eyelets to the saddle, or through
tabs on the saddle, or to spring into position on the saddle, or fastened together in
any other suitable manner.
The sheath may be constructed of leather, felt or of any other suitable material
when it is required to be formed with one or more recesses or indentations for the
purpose of covering any particular shaped inflated or uninflated saddle.
The object of my invention is to supply a sheath or cover to velocipede saddles
of any description.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I now proceed to
describe the accompanying drawings thereof, reference being had to letters and
figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1, is an exterior view of the outer cover of the saddle.
Fig. 2, is a plan of the inner tube with two recesses.
Fig. 3, is a section on line C. D.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the back part of the inner tube with one recess. This
figure is broken off for convenience, and is drawn to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 5, is a section on line A. B.
Fig. 6, is a plan of the complete saddle as applied to the hammock type.
Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the felt sheath.
Fig. 8, is a plan of the inflated tube.
Fig. 9, is a plan of an ordinary saddle with an inflated pad at the back.
Fig. 10, is a section of the sheath made in leather with eyelets.
Fig. 11, is a section on line E F with parts of the saddle.
The saddle e is formed of leather or of any other material and will cover the
inflated tube g as described in my Specification No. 6193, of 1890, but having an
inner tube g which may have at the back two recesses c c as in Figs. 2, and 3, for
the purpose of receiving the hip bones of the rider, or may have one recess b as
in Figs. 4, and 5, in the centre thus forming two deeper air cushions at the sides
for the same purpose.
The saddle e can be attached to springs by the same (or any suitable) means as
described in my Specification No. 6193, of 1890, and when fitted to the hammock
type of springs, by being suspended to the latter by suitable fastenings from the
extremities of base of saddle e be a great improvement in this type of saddle, as
from the particular construction of my saddles, they cannot widen out when
Buspended, by the weight of the rider, a fault in other saddles of the hammock
type.
The outer cover e¹ is moulded on a shape or block or stamped in one piece
without a seam and fastened to the base of saddle by a lace sewing or otherwise.

page_text: The top portion of my saddle made without the peculiar forms of centre
described in Specification No. 6193, of 1890, but plain centre and without the
inside or base forms an improved sheath or cover for ordinary saddles; covers for
saddles are of course as old as saddles themselves, and were generally a flat pad,
oval or round in shape, which was pulled to the shape of saddle underneath by
laces or similar means.
In my improved sheath a the material being felt or the like is moulded on a
shape or block or stamped in a die by the felt hat process, to fit exactly over the
whole of the ordinary saddle or the outer cover Fig. 1, of which it is the exact
counterpart, it springs into position and is held there of its own accord. In using
this sheath a on an ordinary inflated cycle saddle, I may first fasten to the uninflated
saddle an inflating tube d or g of any of the forms described before, by lacing it
down by the tabs h shewn, or other suitable means, the tube is then inflated at the
screwed tube and stopper i, and the sheath spring into position over it. In this
case the sheath may be further securely fastened by facing or other suitable
.means.
I may also use a special shaped inflating pad d, as in Fig. 9, covering the back
portion of the uninflated saddle f only, or any other particular portion of it, which
pad may be plain in shape or recessed as before described in Fig. 9. The sheath
in these cases may be felt, leather or any other suitable material as in Fig. 10.
It will be understood that the foregoing is given by way of illustration and that
the shapes materials and parts may be varied in many ways within the scope of my
invention.
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. In inflated velocipede saddles, making the whole of the outer surface without
a join or seam of sanitary absorbent felt moulded on a shape or block or stamped
in a die by the felt hat process.
2. In velocipede saddles, the combination of two recesses in the inflating tube
for the purpose of receiving the hip bones of the rider, substantially as herein
described and according to the accompanying drawings.
3. In inflated velocipede saddles, the combination of one recess in the inflating
tube to form two deeper air cushions at the sides to receive the hip bones of the
rider, substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying
drawings.
4. The sanitary absorbent felt sheath moulded on a shape or block or stamped in
a die by the felt hat process to fit over the whole of the ordinary saddle, to spring
into position and held there of its own accord, substantially as herein described
and according to the accompanying drawings.
5. The sanitary absorbent felt, leather or other suitable material sheath, com-
bined with either of the inflating tubes described or inflating pads, and further
fastened by lacing or other suitable means.
Dated this 7th day of June 1893.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicant.