Year: 1898

page_text: I, WALTER BRAMPTON, of Formosa, Great Malvern, in the County of Worcester,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in saddles for cycles and other
similar purposes which enables me to simplify and lighten the construction and
at the same time to give a fairly flexible saddle which though intended princi-
pally for racing will be fairly easy for riding on ordinary roads.
My improvements have reference to the under frame which is generally formed
from one piece or length of steel or other suitable wire and preferably of rectan-
gular or oblong section so as to form under or at the centre suitable rails for
carrying a boss to hold the saddle bar such for instance as shewn in my previous
Patents, Nos. 16,899 A.D. 1895, No. 28938 A.D, 1896 and No. 2221 A.D. 1897. At
the centre of the length of the wire an eye is formed by bending the wire rod round
into the required shape and the two ends are carried backwards and each of them
turned outwards and bent round to approximately the outline of the seat required
in such a manner that these outward bends take the place of the usual cantle
or back plate. The ends of the rod are continued round towards the front end
but generally not beyond the centre of the length of the saddle and usually not
so far as the centre so that the saddle is left flexible at its hollowed portion.
The ends of the wire rod are when gradual flexibility is desired tapered down
with a long incline like a wedge and the final ends curled somewhat to make a
finish. The particular mode before explained refers to that kind of saddle which
is more or less flexibly divided longitudinally or not having a rigid cantle or
back plate. I may however carry the wire entirely around the back portion
carrying the ends to the front or pommel end to form the eye the centre portion
forming the rails and in some cases the ends of the wire may be returned to the
back ends to form the rails for the boss which grips the L bar. I generally
secure to the rails a foundation thickness of strong leather or its equivalent as a
base for the seat portion and to distribute the pressure upon the spring or frame.
I fix the wire spring frame to the leather or other base by wire staples which
clip the section the ends of the staples being clinched at the other side of the
leather or other base.
These saddles may be upholstered with horse hair or other comfortable stuffing
and finished with two distinctly elevated parts for the seat with an air space
between the elevated portions.
To add further elasticity to the seat I fix upon the underside of the leather or
other base a buffer of india rubber or equivalent material with the upper portion
curved somewhat like the flat wire frame and upon which the L iron clip rests
and the clip may be hollowed when necessary to take a larger bearing upon the
buffer. This buffer may be made with an enlarged base to fix by rivets or other
means to the leather or other medium under the seat and recesses may be formed
to receive the base of the buffer. Also at or near the ends of the wire frame I

page_text: fix the buffer which are secured to the frame which is turned away from the base
and into an eye shape or flattened to form a base for these supplemental buffers.
These latter buffers also bear against the leather or other base and add to the
flexibility of the seat at the front of the thighs.
These rubber
Under the nuts or end of the clip gland we place rubber washers which keep
the eye for which rod open and they also prevent vibration.
washers are applicable to saddles generally.
I, WALTER BRAMPTON, of Formosa, Great Malvern, in the County of Worcester,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 has for its object improvements in saddles for cycles and other
similar purposes which enables me to simplify and lighten the construction, and
at the same time to give a fairly flexible saddle which though intended princi-
pally for racing will be fairly easy for riding on ordinary roads.
My improvements have reference to the under frame which is generally formed
from one piece or length of steel or other suitable wire and preferably of rectan-
gular or oblong section so as to form under or at the centre suitable rails for
carrying a boss to hold the saddle bar. At the centre of the length of the wire
an eye is formed by bending the wire rod round into the required shape and the
two ends are carried backwards and each of them turned outwards and bent round
to approximately the outline of the seat required, in such a manner that these
outward bends take the place of the usual cantle or back plate. The ends of the
rod are continued round towards the front end but generally not beyond the
centre of the length of the saddle and usually not so far as the centre so that the
saddle is left flexible at its hollowed portion. The ends of the wire rod are when
gradual flexibility is desired tapered down with a long incline like a wedge and
the final ends curled round somewhat to make a finish. The particular mode before
explained refers to that kind of saddle which is more or less flexibly divided longi-
tudinally or not having a rigid cantle or back plete. I may however carry the
wire entirely around the back portion carrying the ends to the front or pommel
end to form the eye the centre portion forming the rails and in some cases the
ends of the wire may be returned to the back end to form the rails for the boss
which grips the L bar. I generally secure to the rails a foundation and thick-
ness of strong leather or its equivalent as a base for the seat portion and to dis-
tribute the pressure upon the spring or frame.
I fix the wire spring frame to the leather or other base by wire staples which
clip the section the ends of the staples being clinched at the other side of the
leather or other base.
These saddles may be upholstered with horse hair or other comfortable stuffing
and finished with two distinctly elevated parts for the seat with an air space
between the elevated portions.

page_text: To add further elasticity to the seat I fix upon the underside of the leather or
other base a buffer of india rubber or equivalent material with the upper portion
curved somewhat like the flat wire frame and upon which the iron clip rests
and the clip may be hollowed when necessary to take a large bearing upon the
buffer. This buffer may be made with an enlarged base to fix by rivets or other
means to the leather or other medium under the seat and recesses may be formed
to receive the base of the buffer. Also at or near the ends of the wire frame I
fix buffers which are secured to the frame which is turned away from the base
and into an eye shape or flattened to form a base for these supplemental buffers.
These latter buffers also bear against the leather or other base and add to the
flexibility of the seat at the front of the thighs.
Under the nuts or ends of the clip gland place rubber washer which keep the
eye for the rod open and they also prevent vibration. These rubber washers
are applicable to saddles generally.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto two double sized sheets of drawings
upon which I have shewn examples of my improvements as applied to cycle
saddles.
Figure 1 is a plan view of a cycle saddle complete according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan view with the outer cover removed.
In carrying my invention into practice as applied to that kind of saddle which
is more or less flexibly divided longitudinally or not having a rigid cantle or
back plate I form the under frame A from one piece or length of steel or other
suitable wire and preferably of rectangular or oblong section so as to form under
or at the centre suitable rails for carrying the boss or clip B by which the saddle
is attached or fixed to the L pin or T piece of a cycle. The frame A is formed
by bending the wire at the centre of its length so as to form the eye a¹ and the
two ends a and a³ are carried backwards and bent round outwards to approximately
the outline of the seat required so as to take the place of the usual cantle or back
plate. These ends a2 and 3 are continued round towards the front end but
generally not beyond the centre of the length of the seat and usually not so far
as the centre so as to leave the saddle flexible at its hollow portion. The ends a²
and a may when gradual flexibility is required taper down with a long incline
like a wedge and coil round at the final end to make a finish. I may however in
some cases carry the wire entirely around the back portion or cantle of the saddle
bringing the ends a² and a³ to the front or pommel end to form the eye a the
centre portions forming the rails for carrying the boss or clip B or the ends of
the wire may be returned to the back or cantle of the saddle to form the rails for
carrying the boss or clip B.
Secured to this frame A is the base D which is preferably formed of strong
leather or its equivalent. This base is fixed to the spring frame at the front
end by the rivet a5 or its equivalent which passes through the eye a¹ and at the
rear end by the wire staples d¹ which clip the section the ends of the staples
being clinched at the other side of the leather or other base as shewn at Figure 4.
These saddles may be upholstered with layers of felting horse hair or other
comfortable stuffing or a combination of felting and horse hair may be used where
the two distinctly elevated parts E and E¹ are formed so as to give more flexi-
bility or softness to the seat, the air space e³ being left between the elevated
portions as clearly shewn at Figures 1 and 4 the whole is then covered with the
leather or other cover H which is held in position at the rear of the saddle by the
straps connected to the pins or studs 2 on the underside of the saddle and at
the front by the strap h³ as shewn at Figure 3.
To add further flexibility or elasticity to the seat I fix the underside of the
leather or other base D the buffer F made of india rubber or other equivalent

page_text: material with the portion f¹ curved somewhat like that part of the frame A upon
which the clip or boss B fits. This boss or clip B may be hollowed if desired at
the part which comes against the buffer so as to take a larger bearing upon the
buffer and the buffer may be formed with the enlarged base f2 for the rivets f³
to pass through for fixing it to the base D or other medium under the seat... A
recess may be formed in the base D or other medium to receive the base f²
of the buffer. Or the buffer F may be attached to the upper portion of the
clip B and bear against the base D or other medium. In the method as shewn on
the drawings the ends a³ and a³ are bent downwards and coiled round so as to
finish with an eye to receive the shank 1 of the buffers J which buffers bear
against the base D or other medium also adding to the flexibility of the seat at
the front of the thighs. Or the ends a² and a³ of the frame may be flattened
to receive the buffers J or these buffers may be attached to the base D or other
medium and bear against the ends a² and a³.
I also place the washers K which are made of india rubber or other equivalent
material on the pins 61 between the two portions of the clip B which keep this
clip open and prevent vibration. These washers K are applicable to the clips of
saddles generally.
In some cases I may use the buffer or pad F without the buffers or pads J or
the latter without the former.
'
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:
CLAIMS.
First The improvements in saddles for cycles and other similar purposes in
which a wire frame A. is bent at its centre to form the eye a¹ and is then brought
backwards to form the rails for the boss B which rails continue backwards and
then return round the outside of the saddle and are fastened by staples or other
means to the foundation D substantially as herein set forth.
Second-In saddles which are the subject of the preceding claim formed the
eyes a and a5 or their equivalents to receive the india rubber or other elastic
buffers or pads J and either with or without the centre buffer F substantially as
herein set forth and shewn upon the drawings at Figures 2 & 3.
Third-In saddles which are the subject of the first preceding claim the use
of the centre buffer either with or without the side buffers J substantially as
herein set forth.
:
Fourth In saddles which are the subject of the preceding claims the use of
the elastic washers K as herein set forth and shewn.
Fifth The improved saddles substantially as herein set forth and illustrated
on the accompanying drawings by Figures 1 to 4.
Dated this 29th day of October 1898.
WALTER BRAMPTON,
By George Barker,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.