An Improvement in Bioyole Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov, 1398-Accepted. 29th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Bioyole Saddles.
1, FREDERICK MESINGER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at
1316 Avenue A, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer of Bicycle Saddles, 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 :-
The immedinte purpose of this invention is to produce a saddle which shall
embody the desirable qualities of strength, simplicity, adjustability and healthfulness,
as well as insuring ease and comfort to the rider.
In carrying into effect my present improvements I bave utilized, in the saddle
proper, some of the desirable elements of saddles as heretofore used, that is to say,
I proferably make the said saddle of a woven base of rattan, or similar material,.
and mount thereon a cushion of felt and an outer jacket of leather; these elements.
being suitably supported and bound together, as I shall explain hereinafter.
I have now improved the means for adjusting the seat portions of the saddle, to
compensate for wear, or stretching of said portions, and have also provided a novel
arrangement of springs, and connections for the same, by means of which a
yielding support is provided for the saddle proper. These yielding supports are
so connected to the seat that the latter may, under suitable pressure, rock slightly
in every direction to relieve the otherwise rigid effect and thus add to the comfort
of the rider.
In the annexed drawings,
Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a saddle of my new construction, and Figures 2
and 3 are respectively, side and rear-end elevations of the same.
Figure 4 is an underside view of said saddle and Figure 5 is a central, longitudinal,
sectional view of the same.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate certain details of construction hereinafter described
in full.
In these drawings letter a indicates a cantle-bar, preferably of wood, 6 the
pommel support and c-c strips of rattan, leather, or similar material.
The strips care secured to the cantle-bar at their ends and the central portions
of said strips then extend toward the pommel, converging until they meet as shown
in Figure 4. Suid strips are then twisted, or braided together into ropo form (d)
and the doubled portion of said rope is carried forward around a metallic frame 62,
and looped over a book e which I shall describe later.
If preferred a separate rope portion d could be provided having loops at each
end and the strips e would then be carried through the rear end loop of said rope
as in Figure 7.
denotes a saddle bar that is formed of a single piece of wire rod, which is bent
to form a substantially oval portion at the rear part of the saddle and doubled
upon itself to form substantially parallol portions that extend forward to the
pommel where the doubled end is secured in a metallic shoe b of peculiar form,
which shoe is, in fact, the pommel support.
Said shoe is here shown as formed of sheet metal that is bent upward to form
two tubular seats 6 into which the front doubled portion of the saddle bar fis
forced, and clamped as is best seen in Figure 5. The extreme doubled end of said
bar abuts the inner face of an upwardly curved part 62 of said shoe and the rope
portion d, already described, passes around the outer face of said curved part 62.

page_text: The sides of said shoe are bent upward, as at 62, to form guards that prevent
the side-wise displacement of the rope portion d. The rear end of said shoe is
bent downward as at 64, and is drilled to receive a screw g on which is a nut y'
that is formed with a hook e around which is looped the front end of the rope
portion d, as already briefly stated. By properly adjusting the screw g the tension
of the roped and the connected strips may be quickly varied to suit the wishes
of the rider.
The reference letter h denotes a shield of bow form made of leather, or other
suitable material, that is fitted within the pommel end of the felt and leather
jacket, said plate being secured to said jacket by rivets or by lacing, as here
shown.
The sides of said shield are thus secured to the pommel and its lower portion h2
covers the adjusting nut g' and the body of screw 9 (sen Figure 4 and 5). When
it is desired to reach the adjusting parts it may be readily accomplished by unlacing
and removing the said shield.
In order to provide a supplemental support for the interwoven strips which form
the base of the seat I sometimes attach to the cantle-bar a, at several points, strips
of webbing & which extend along the under or upper side of said base and are
then carried forward and twisted into the rope portion d.
These strips of webbing may he of any desired width. When drawn taut they
provide a substantial reinforcement and protection for the woven base, yet are in a
measure flexible.
The rear portion of the wire saddle-bar is here shown as attached to the
cahtle-bar by metallic straps m and also by forming angular bends in the
extreme ends of said bar which angular portions are crowded firmly into the wooden
cantleplate.
Clamped to the opposite ends of the oval portion of the saddle bar are
springs n-n, here shown as spiral springs, that extend downward beneath that part
of the complete saddle that sustains the greatest weight when in use, and the lower
ends of said springs are tied together, and held in proper relation to each other, by
a wire o that is bent back upon itself a short distance at o' and then forward and
upward, as at o 2, to a point about midway the length of the saddle bar/where
said wire is bent to form eyes o3 that are secured to said saddle bar by links p.
This manner of connecting the wire and saddle bar permits the former to play
freely in the links whenever one or both of the springs n are compressed or
expanded:
The clip by means of which the complete saddle is secured to the saddle-post of
a bicycle, is mounted upon the wires o2, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 2.
When the saddle is in use the point where the eyes o 3 are linked to the saddle-
bars forms a fulcrum on which the saddlo may rock, but the .soveral elements,
which together make up the saddle support (ie. saddle bar, springs ", wire
frame -- 2 and links p) are sufficiently stiff to support said saddle in its upright,
narinal position under ordinary conditions. When however unusual strain is
brought to bear upon any part of said saddle, either by an excess of weight or by
jolting of the machine on uneven ground, the said supports may yield slightly,
relieving the otherwise rigid effect and thus adding to the comfort of the rider.
It will be obvious that the springs n and frame o-03 could be used with any
form of saddle in which a saddle-bar is provided but I prefer the complete
arrangement of parts here shown as it provides a saddle which is believed to
embody every desirable quality.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the samu is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) In combination with a bicycle saddle formed of strips of flexible material,
and supports for the same, strips of non-elastic webbing or like material,
substantially as specified.

page_text: (2.) In. combination, in a bicycle saddle, a seat of leather or similar flexible.
material, strips of webbing or like non-elastic material, a cantle-plate to which said
seat and strips are secured at one end, the other end or ends of said strips being
twisted together, as set forth, and adjusting devices connected with said twisted.
portion, substantially as specified.
(3.) In combination in and with a bicycle saddle having a bar extending from
the purnmel to the rear portion of said saddle, springs located beneath the rear-
portion of said saddle and connections between the lower ends of said springs and
the saddle bar consisting of wires o 2 that are linked to said bar, substantially as
specified.
(4.) In a saddle bar of the class herein referred to, in combination with the-
saddle bar, springs secured near the rear portion of the saddle, at each side of the
longitudinal centre of the saddle, and means for connecting the said springs with
the saddle bar at a point substantially midway the length of the latter, as aud for
the purpose specified.
(5.) In combination with the cantle-plate and pommel of a bicycle saddle of the
class referred to, a saddle-bar extending from the pommel to the cantle plate and
secured to the latter by straps or clips m, springs secured to said saddle bar at.
each side of the lougitudinal centro of the saddle, means for connecting the said
springs with each other and also with the saddle bar at a point about midway the
length of said bar, substantially as specified.
(6.) In combination with the saddle bar and jacket of a bicycle saddle, adjustable.
connections for the same, consisting of a plate h bent to conform to the shape of
the pommel and secured to the said jacket as set forth, a shoe b secured to the
enddle bar and formed with an angular portion b4 that is drilled to receive an
adjusting screw and also with an angular portion 62 against which the ends of the
Baddle bar abut, a screw within said drilled portiou, and a nut with hook e mounted
on said screw, all substantially as specified.
(7.) In combination with the saddle bar and jacket of a bicycle saddle, a shoe .
secured to the saddle bar aud formed with the upturned portion & 2 and also with
an ngular portion 64 as set forth, a shield h 2 secured to the pommel of the saddlo-
and adapted to cover said shoe b; all being substantially as specified.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.