Improvements in or relating to Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cycle Saddles.
I, FRIEDRICH VEITH, of 65, Frankfurterstrasse, Offenbach on the Main, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The cycle saddles generally used in which a pear or heart-shaped piece of
leather is stretched in a triangular form from the back part to the front usually
sags in, and thus causes a pressure deleterious to health on the soft parts, whilst
even the more recent so-called hygienic forms of construction in which the pelvis
bones and the concave shaped muscular parts beneath the same, rest on two
separate, also concave shaped, cushions or pads by causing an unpleasant pres-
sure, and also affording a rider no firm hold on the saddle, only fulfil their object
very incompletely.
1
With the increased use which pneumatic tyres have produced in the cycle-line,
the idea of using compressed air as a spring, and at the same time a compensating
medium for cycle saddles has become very prominent.
喜
Many such experiments have in fact actually been made, and pneumatic-
cushion-saddle-covers and pneumatic saddles have been produced commercially,
but none of these experimental attempts have succeeded in obtaining a position
in the market, and still less of maintaining such, as all of them are accompanied
with greater defects than the above mentioned older forms of construction.
Although the use of compressed air plays so important a part in tyres, the use
of the same for cycle saddles has hitherto been dealt with on entirely wrong
principles.
In pneumatic tyres the compressed air acts in a circular tube, the section of
which remains everywhere constant along its entire extent, and thus no deforma-
tion can take place owing to unequal pressure.
The matter is however quite
different in the case of a cycle saddle where the compressed air is intended to act
equally on a pear or heart-shaped surface:
According to physical laws, the pressure in the interior of a closed hollow
chamber, acts equally on the walls towards the outside so that when the section
of the hollow chamber is unequal, and the thickness of the walls of the elastic
materials is equal, bulging takes place. Thus a cycle saddle upholstered with an
india-rubber air cushion would unconditionally assume a bulged or dome shape
towards the middle. This is the point on which all attempts to make an actually.
effective pneumatic saddle have hitherto failed. No effective means have hitherto.
been found to distribute the action of the compressed air equally over the; sadille
surface, in such a way that no such bulging as would cause a deleterious action
results.
In the arrangement of annular cushions for cycle saddles, there is formed in
front where the air tube unites, a larger section, and thus on the inflation of the
air precisely at the place where hygiene prescribes a recess, a bulge is produced.
All the defects of the construction of the pneumatic, saddle at present in use

page_text: rest on the non-recognition of the differences between the use of compressed air
in tyres and in cycle saddles.
"In comparison with a saddle, a tyre has a proportionately larger space for
receiving the compressed air, and also the load pressure acts at the bottom on a
very small surface of at most 2 to 3 square centimetres, so that as the walls of the
tyre are non-expansible by the pressing in of the section on the ground, the
already somewhat strongly compressed air is merely somewhat more compressed.
In a cycle saddle on the other hand, the whole upper surface of the same is
simultaneously weighted, and therefore so long as an expansion of the material
enclosing the air tube is not provided for, it is impossible for a spring or resilient
action to take place.
The correct distribution of the air cushion and a suitable fitting of the saddle
to the shape of the body, might perhaps take place with only a very small inflation
and without any pressure worth mentioning. Such soft pneumatic saddles have
failed however up to the present in their object entirely, as the insufficient tension
allows, on the one hand, a too easy depression or pressing in, and cause a person
to sit on the edges of the saddle plate, and these sharp edges again make their
presence felt, and on the other hand (and this is the main defect) the saddle
constantly wobbles about, and thus affords no secure seat for the rider.
The seat on one or two annular air cushions, the pelvis bones being left without
support, is equally, if not more, deleterious than if the support is placed directly
under the pelvis bones, as the skin and muscular parts under the pelvis bones are
subjected to a frequent stretching and contraction. By this means irritation is
produced, which causes deleterious disturbances in the regular circulation of the
blood of the body.
This invention has for its object, an improved pneumatic resilient cycle saddle
which has an entirely new action as against other pneumatic saddles, and meets
in every way all modern requirements.
The improved pneumatic saddle consists first of a pear or heart-shaped upwardly
curved bottom plate, the edges of which are flanged over, and a similarly shaped
leather cover, the ends of which form pads, with wire or other suitable insertion,
and fit into the flanged edges of the bottom plate. A fabric specially made for
this object is attached by its upper ends to said leather cover at an equal distance
from the edge, whilst the lower ends of the said cover are connected by a wire
which is also of a pear or heart-shape, and which simply rests on the bottom
plate.
In this manner a sort of tube is formed on the edge of the saddle cover which
tube is capable of receiving an air tube, and of affording sufficient resistance to
the pressure produced therein. The peculiar characteristics of this construction of
saddle in contrast to all the constructions hitherto known consist in the expansion
being only limited to one side and that to the outside, whilst on the other hand
towards the inner side, the expansion is unlimited, so that in the case of heavy.
jolts the wire is compressed towards the centre and afterwards again expands, so
that a natural spring or resiliency is created.
A further and very important. spring action is obtained by the arrangement of
said wire which is placed as close as possible to the outer fastening of the leather
cover, in combination with the bottom plate, which latter is considerably recessed
towards the centre, whereby the saddle, when under greater pressure and when the
entire surface is weighted, easily presses inwards and produces a very peculiar
spring action.
By means of this spring action which is obtained in two ways, it is possible to
inflate the saddle so fully that sufficient outwardly directed pressure may be
afforded to stretch the central part of the leather in such a way that it affords a
sufficiently firm support beneath the pelvis bones and thus allows of an absolutely
equal pressure on the entire seat surface.
The presure on the saddle does not take effect along a narrow part in the central-
axis, and as at this point. the compressed air tends, by the compression of the

page_text: weighted parts, to form a bulge. This is prevented by giving the air tube at the
place where it meets, a notch or groove. and carrying the wire so far forward, that
it can be screwed firmly to the bottom plate simultaneously with an air valve.
The round fabric which is composed of longitudinal and transverse threads, is
carried up to the meeting point where the total section of the joint is not greater
than the section of the single tube, so that by this arrangement, not only is the
formation of the hitherto unavoidable bulge prevented, but the recess necessary
for protecting the soft parts of the body is created, as the expansion of the air
tube in common with the wire which is prolonged to the front, has for a con
sequence a stretching and drawing inward of the fabric.
By a chamber being created between the bottom plate and the saddle cover ·
variations of volume are caused in the said chamber by the constant joltings whilst
running; these are rendered useful by a suitable valve, for instance, a flap valve
being provided in said bottom plate which valve during the running of the bicycle
alternately opens and closes, so that air is drawn in and during the compression.
when said flap valve is closed, expelled by means of suitable holes or slits in the
saddle cover. The expelled air penetrates through the clothing of the rider,
carrying away the perspiration of the body and reaching the skin which is thus
constantly kept cool, and thereby preventing irritation and chafing.
Dated this 21st day of June 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Cycle Saddles.
I, FRIEDRICH VEITHI, of 65, Frankfurterstrasse, Offenbach on the Main, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The cycle saddles generally used in which a pear or heart-shaped piece of
leather is stretched in a triangular form from the back part to the front usually
sags in, and thus causes a pressure deleterious to health on the soft parts, whilst
even the more recent so-called hygienic forms of construction in which the pelvis
bones and the concave shaped muscular parts beneath the same, rest on two.
separate, also concave shaped, cushions or pads by causing an unpleasant pres-
sure, and also affording a rider no firm hold on the saddle, only fulfil their object
very incompletely.
With the increased use which pneumatic tyres have produced in the cycle line,
the idea of using compressed air as a spring, and at the same time a compensating
medium for cycle saddles has become very prominent.
Many such experiments have in fact actually been made, and pneumatic-
cushion-saddle-covers and pneumatic saddles have been produced commercially,
but none of these experimental attempts have succeeded in obtaining a position
in the market, and still less of maintaining such, as all of them are accompanied
with greater defects than the above mentioned older forms of construction.
Although the use of compressed air plays so important a part in tyres, the use
of the same for cycle saddles has hitherto been dealt with on entirely wrong
principles.
In pneumatic tyres the compressed air acts in a circular tube, the section of
which remains everywhere constant along its entire extent, and thus no deforma-
tion can take place owing to unequal pressure.
The matter is however quite

page_text: different in the case of a cycle saddle where the compressed air is intended to act
equally on a pear or heart-shaped surface.
According to physical laws, the pressure in the interior of a closed hollow
chamber, acts equally on the walls towards the outside so that when the section
of the hollow chamber is unequal, and the thickness of the walls of the elastic
materials is equal, bulging takes place. Thus a cycle saddle upholstered with an
india-rubber air cushion would unconditionally assume a bulged or dome shape
towards the middle. This is the point on which all attempts to make an actually
effective pneumatic saddle have hitherto failed. No effective means have hitherto
been found to distribute the action of the compressed air equally over the saddle
surface, in such a way that no such bulging as would cause a deleterious action
results."
In the arrangement of annular cushions for cycle saddles, there is formed in
front where the air tube unites, a larger section, and thus on the inflation of the
air precisely at the place where hygiene prescribes a recess, a bulge is produced as
shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines.
All the defects of the construction of the pneumatic saddle at present in use
rest on the non-recognition of the differences between the use of compressed air
in tyres and in cycle saddles.
In comparison with a saddle, a tyre has a proportionately larger space for
receiving the compressed air, and also the load pressure acts at the bottom on a
very small surface of at most 2 to 3 square centimetres, so that as the walls of the
tyre are non-expansible by the pressing in of the section on the ground, the
already somewhat strongly compressed air is merely somewhat more compressed.
In a cycle saddle on the other hand, the whole upper surface of the same is
simultaneously weighted, and therefore so long as an expansion of the material
enclosing the air tube is not provided for, it is impossible for a spring or resilient
action to take place.
The correct distribution of the air cushion and a suitable fitting of the saddle
to the shape of the body, might perhaps take place with only a very small inflation
and without any pressure worth mentioning. Such soft pneumatic saddles have
failed however up to the present in their object entirely, as the insufficient tension
allows, on the one hand, a too easy depression or pressing in, and cause a person
to sit on the edges of the saddle plate, and those sharp edges again make their
presence felt, and on the other hand (and this is the main defect) the saddle
constantly wobbles about, and thus affords no secure seat for the rider.
The seat on one or two annular air cushions, the pelvis bones being left without
support, is equally, if not more, deleterious than if the support is placed directly
under the pelvis bones, as the skin and muscular parts under the pelvis bones are
subjected to a frequent stretching and contraction. By this means irritation is
produced, which causes deleterious disturbances in the regular circulation of the
blood of the body.,
This invention has for its object; an improved pneumatic resilient cycle saddle
which has an entirely new action as against other pneumatic saddles, and meets
in every way all modern requirements.
It is shown in the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 being a side view partially in section;
Fig. 2 a plan view;
Figs. 3 and 4 transverse sections.
The improved pneumatic saddle consists first of a pear or heart-shaped upwardly
curved bottom plate a, the edges 6 of which are flanged over, and a similarly
shaped leather cover c, the ends of which form pads d, with wire or other suitable
insertion, and fit into the flanged edges 6 of the bottom plate a. A fabric e
specially made for this object is attached by its upper ends to said leather cover c
at an equal distance from the edge, whilst the lower ends of the same are connected.
by a wire which is also of a pear or heart-shape, and which simply rests on the
bottom plate a.

page_text: "
-
of the central part of the leather and of preventing any formation of folds, -sub-
stantially as described.
.
3..In a cycle saddle such as described, carrying the wire f beyond the point, A
up to the point B with the object of firmly drawing downwards the fabric (e)
through the notch or groove of the air tube and to produce a contraction of the
saddle at this point, substantially as described.
4. In a cycle saddle such as described, the arrangement of a valve (i) on the
bottom plate (a) whereby the air is drawn in bellows-fashion during the riding
and driven out through.openings (k) in the cover (c) with the object of exerting a
cooling action on the skin, and preventing chafing of the same and the, like, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 2fith dove of Walrus 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: In this manner a sort of tube is formed on the edge of the saddle cover c which
tube is capable of receiving an air tube g, and of affording sufficient resistance to
the pressure produced therein. The peculiar characteristics of this construction
of saddle in contrast to all the constructions hitherto known consist in the
expansion being only limited to one side and that to the outside, whilst on the
other hand towards the inner side, the expansion is unlimited, so that in the case
of heavy jolts the wire f is compressed towards the centre and afterwards again
expands, so that a natural spring or resiliency is created,
A further and very important spring action is obtained by the arrangement of
said wire f which is placed as close as possible to the outer fastening of the leather
cover c, in combination with the bottom plate a, which latter is considerably
recessed towards the centre, whereby the saddle, when under greater pressure and
when the entire surface e is weighted, easily presses inwards as shown in Fig. 1 and
produces a very peculiar spring action.
By means of this spring action which is obtained in two ways, it is possible to
inflate the saddle so fully that sufficient outwardly directed pressure may be
afforded to stretch the central part of the leather in such a way that it affords a
sufficiently firm support beneath the pelvis bones and thus allows of an absolutely
equal pressure on the entire seat surface.
The pressure on the saddle does not take effect along a narrow part in the central
axis, as at this point the compressed air tends, by the compression of the weighted
parts, to form a bulge as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This is prevented by
giving the air tube g at the place where it meets from A-B a notch or groove
and carrying the wire f so far forward, that it can be screwed firmly to the bottom
plate a simultaneously with an air valve h.
The round fabric e which is composed of longitudinal and transverse threads, is
carried up to the meeting point B where the total section of the joint is not
greater than the section of the single tube, so that by this arrangement, not only is
the formation of the hitherto unavoidable bulge prevented, but the recess necessary
for protecting the soft parts of the body is created, as the expansion of the air
tube in common with the wire f which is prolonged to the front, has for a
consequence a stretching and drawing inward of the fabric e.
By a chamber being created between the bottom plate a and the saddle cover e
variations of volume are caused in the said chamber by the constant joltings whilst
running; these are rendered useful by a suitable valve, for instance, a flap valve i
being provided in said bottom plate a, which valve during the running of the
bicycle alternately opens and closes, so that air is drawn in, and during the com-
pression, when said Hap valve is closed, expelled by means of suitable holes or
slits in the saddle cover. The expelled air penetrates through the clothing of
the rider, carrying away the perspiration of the body and reaching the skin which
is thus constantly kept cool, and thereby preventing irritation and chafing.
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;-
1. A pneumatic cycle saddle characterised by the saddle cover (c) being held at
its outer edge in a bent over flange (b) of the bottom plate (a), and forming, in
conjunction with a semi-circular fabric (e) attached thereto which is provided
beneath with a wire insertion (7) resting loosely on the bottom plate (a), a kind of
tube for receiving the compressed air tube (g) with the object of allowing the
0 compressed air tube which is to be inflated an almost unlimited expansion, and
thus to produce both a stretching of the cycle cover and also a compression of the
wire insertion (f) on the bottom plate (a) towards the centre of the saddle in such
a way that they exert a spring action when the saddle is inflated, substantially as
herein before set forth.
5
2. In a cycle saddle such as described, making the fabric c semi-circular and
loose in the centre with the object of obtaining an even stretching or expansion