IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE SEATS OR SADDLES OF VELOCIPEDES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES USED EITHER ON LAND OR WATER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Forder, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Velocipede Instructor, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE SEATS OR SADDLES OF VELOCIPEDES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES
USED EITHER ON LAND OR WATER."
Sealed the 14th April 1870, and dated the 19th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Forder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th October 1869.
I, ALFRED FORDER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford
Velocipede Instructor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEATS OR SADDLES OP VELOCIPEDES
AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES USED EITHER ON LAND OR WATER," to be as
follows:
My Invention consists, firstly, in making an aperture of any con-
venient size or shape in or near the centre of the seat or saddle, the
object of such aperture being to allow of air coming in contact with that
part of the person which rests upon the seat or saddle, and which from
its constant pressure and friction on a surface from which the access of
air is excluded becomes heated and not infrequently blistered.
Di Q71

page_text: And my Invention consists, secondly, in placing spiral springs or
their equivalent between the upper and lower part of the seat or saddle,
which upper and lower parts are necessarily two separate pieces.
Each
of the spiral springs above mentioned is retained in its place by means of
one of a number of pins fixed in the top or upper part of the seat or
saddle, but working freely through holes in the lower part, to the bottoms
of which pins or to some of them are attached nuts or their equivalent,
in order that by any means the upper part of the seat or saddle may
not become detached from its place. The pins just referred to pass
through the spiral springs above named, and thus prevent their lateral
motion.
By the first part of my Invention the unpleasantness occasioned by
the heat arising from the friction of the body upon the seat or saddle is
considerably reduced, and by the second part of my Invention the
elasticity of the seat or saddle is greatly increased, comfort in travelling
being thereby promoted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Forder in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
FORDER, of Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Velocipede Instructor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Forder, Her special licence that I,
the said Alfred Forder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Forder, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEATS OR SADDLES
OF VELOCIPEDES AND MANUMOTIVE CARRIAGES USED EITHER ON LAND OR WATER,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Forder, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Forder, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
(that is to say)—
My Invention has for its object an improved method of constructing
the seats or saddles of velocipedes and manumotive carriages used either
on land or water, and is of such a nature as to render the said seats or
saddles more elastic and otherwise to afford greater ease to the users
thereof.
The Invention consists, firstly, in making an aperture of any con-
venient size or shape in or near the centre of a seat or saddle used for
any purpose above stated, the object of making such aperture being to
allow of a more ready flow of air upon the surface of the said seat or
saddle, causing it to be less heated from the friction of the body than it
would otherwise be.
And the Invention consists, secondly, in placing spiral springs or any
equivalents of suitable elasticity between the under side of the said seat
or saddle and the top side of a frame which carries the said seat or
saddle. The said springs are retained in their places laterally by means
of pins which are fixed in the under part of the said seat or saddle, and
which pass, through the said springs (that is, one pin through each of the
said springs), and also through the said frame which supports the said
seat or saddle. The said pins work freely through the said frame when
the springs are compressed, but are held from accidentally working up
out of the holes in the said frame by nuts or heads firmly fixed on to
their lower extremities by rivetting the pin ends over the nuts, or by any
suitable means.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I now proceed
more particularly to describe the manner of performing the same, with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a section, and Figure 2 a plan of a seat or saddle as I
apply it to an ordinary two-wheeled velocipede.
A is the seat or saddle, provided with an aperture O when required for
the purpose before explained, and supported from the frame B by the
spiral springs C. The pins, which are shewn passing through the spiral
springs C, are fixed in the underside of the seat or saddle, and work
freely through holes in the frame B. They are secured from working up
out of the frame B by nuts, which are prevented from being shaken off
by having the points or ends of the pins rivetted over. The frame B is
secured to the piece D which forms part of the frame of the velocipede
by a cross bar and thumbscrews E, as in the ordinary method for
securing the seats or saddles of this description of velocipedes.
This arrangement with certain modifications of configuration to suit
the varying conditions supplied by different constructions of carriages I
use for velocipedes and manumotive carriages generally, whether those
carriages are used on land or water.
Having now described my Invention and in what manner the same
may be performed, I declare that I claim, the construction and application
of seats or saddles as above described for the purpose of facilitating the
using of velocipedes and manumotive carriages used either on land or
water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Forder, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
ALFRED FORDER. (L.S.)