Improvements in and connected with Saddles for Cycles and like Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
PROVIDIUNAL SE MULTICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Saddles for Cycles and like
Vehicles.
We, JOHN HANCOCK, of 4^ Carrington Street, in the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, Lace Dresser and Dyer, and JAMES GEORGE WILLIS, of.
Heanor Road, Ilkeston, in the County of Derby, L.R.C.P., do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in saddles for cycles and like vehicles,
the main object being to provide a saddle, suitable for ladies as well as for
gentlemen, which will accommodate itself to any movement of the rider. A
further object is to provide improved means for fixing cycle or like saddles in
position on saddle stalks, or stems, of various diameters.
For the purposes of our invention, the frame and the springs cf the saddle are
formed of two lengths of wire bent to the required shape, each wire forming one
half of the saddle frame, and also the spring which serves for that half. The
halves of the frame are connected by the leather, or other material, forming the
seat, and the shape of the frame is such that the saddle has the appearance of
an ordinary saddle, but without any pronounced peak, the peak being only very
short and split or bifurcated.
The seat material is divided either partially or entirely, and provided with lacing,
the lacing holes serving for ventilation; although openings for the same purpose
may be provided in other parts of the seat. The springs are so shaped that the
front portion (which may be covered with any suitable material) extends through
or a little below the bifurcation of the peak and projects between the legs of the
rider, so that the latter can control the movement of the machine and maintain a
firm seat when riding up or down hill, or turning round.
The ends of the bent wires forming the frame and springs, are secured in a
suitable clamp, and lie parallel. The said ends are advantageously of square or
flattened section to afford a better grip, and are so curved that, by shifting them in
the clamp, the pitch of the saddle can be altered as desired.
The means for fixing the saddle in position on saddle stalks or stems of various
diameters, comprises two clips or arms which are curved outwardly or away from
each other at their middle, and at their upper ends are bent or folded over so as to
lie in grooves or sockets in the under portion of the clamp which holds the ends of
the wires. The arrangement is such that the clips can move as if pivotted, so that
they can be separated, or brought together, according to the diameter of the stalk
or stem to which the saddle is to be fitted.
At their lower or free ends, the clips or arms are provided with a screw and wing
nut, or other means, by which they can be tightened up and caused to clip and hold
on to the saddle stalk. The clips may be prevented from moving laterally in their
sockets by means of end dises or washers connected by a short rod or rivet. They
may, however, be hinged to the clamp in any other convenient manner, to that
above described, and the grooves or sackets receiving their upper ends may be

page_text: formed in adjustable blocks or dogs, so that the distance between them can be
varied.
Dated this 19th day of June 1896.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 54 Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Saddles for Cycles and like
Vehicles.
We, JOHN HANCOCK, of 44, Carrington Street, in the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, Lace Dresser and Dyer, and JAMES GEORGE WILLIS, of
Heanor Road, Ilkeston, in the County of Derby, L.R.C.P. 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, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements in saddles for cycles and like vehicles,
the main object being to provide a saddle suitable for ladies, as well as for
gentlemen, which will accommodate itself to any movement of the rider. A further
object is to provide improved means for fixing cycle or like saddles in position on
saddle stalks, or stems, of various diameters.
For the purposes of our invention, the frame and the springs of the saddle are
formed of two lengths of wire bent to the required shape, each wire forming one
balf of the saddle, and also the spring which serves for that half. The halves of the
frame are connected by the leather, or other material, forming the seat, and the
shape of the frame is such that the saddle has the appearance of an ordinary saddle
but without any pronounced peak, the peak being only very short and split or
bifurcated.
The springs are so shaped that the front portion projects between the legs of the
rider, so that the latter cau control the movement of the machine, and maintain a
firm seat when riding up, or down, hill, or turning round.
The ends of the bent wires forming the frame and springs are secured in a
suitable clamp, and lie parallel. The said ends are advantageously of square, or
flattened, section to afford a better grip, and are so curved that by shifting them in
the clamp, the pitch of the saddle can be altered, as desired.
The seat material is divided either entirely, or partially, and provided with
lacing.
The means for fixing the saddle in position on saddle stalks, or stems, of various
diameters, comprises two clips or arms which are curved outwardly, or away from
each other, at their middle, and, at their upper ends, are bent or folded over so as
to lie in grooves or sockets in the lower portion of the clamp which holds the ends
of the wires. The clips are pivoted so that they can be separated, or brought
together, according to the diameter of the stalk or stem to which the saddle is to
be fitted.
At their lower free ends, the clips or arms are provided with a screw and wing-
nut, or other means, by which they can be tightened up and caused to clip and hold
on to the saddle stalk. They may, however, be hinged to the clamp in any other
convenient manner.

page_text: And in order that our invention may be readily understond, we will describe the
same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
11
Fig. 1 is an underside view, in plan, shewing the frame of the saddle.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one half (the half a') of the frame; and,
Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a side elevation, of the complete saddle.
Fig. 5 shews a modified arrangement of the saddle springs:
Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one form of combined clamp and clip for fixing the
saddle in position on stalks or stems of various diameters.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew in end view, and plan, respectively, a modified form of clamp
and clip.
a, a', are the halves of the saddle frame which are arranged side by side, as
shewn, and together constitute the saddle frame. They are each composed of a
length of wire bent to the required shape and forming, at the same time, the
springs a, a, (or a, a,) for its respective half. At the front ends, the wires a, a¹,
forming the bifurcated peak, are curved slightly outward, as at a, a', and project
between the legs of the rider, so that the latter can control the movement of the
machine and maintain a firm seat when riding up, or down, hill, or turning round.
These front ends may, however, have a more pronounced curve, as shewn by lotte!
lines in Fig. 1. The free ends of the springs a, a, a, as, are preferably curved
upwardly in order to allow the pitch of the saddle to he alterol to suit the riler,
and this can be effected by shifting them, to a greater, or less, extent, through
either of the clamps hereinafter described. The said free ends of all these springs
are advantageously flattened, as seen more clearly in Fig. 6, so as to ensure their
being securely gripped in the clamp and thus prevent lateral movement of the
saddle. We prefer, however, in practice, only to flatten the free ends of the
springs a, a, and to leave the springs a², a', round, as shewn in Fig. 7, in order
that these latter may slide freely in the clamp and cause the saddle to yield and
accommodate itself to the various movements of the rider. All the springs a, a, a, a,
as will be seen, are arranged to lie in the same plane, or practically the same plane,
in the clamp, and they may be coiled at their rear ends as shewn in Fig. 5.
Each half of the saddle frame is covered with leather b, or other suitable :
material, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, and these halves are united by a lacing c, a
somewhat wide longitudinal opening being left between them. The halves of the
cover are each secured to the frame at the front and rear thereof, while the middle
is stretched tight by the lacing c so as to form a yielding seat independently of the
frame of the saddle. A saddle thus formed' is not liable to injure the perineum
and muscles of that region of the body, since the bifurcated peak projects between
the legs of the rider, and does not rise upward in front to any appreciable extent.
The seat covering may, however, be so formed as to extend over or across the
bifurcated peak.
The forms of clamp we find it advantageous to employ for securing the saddle
to stalks or steins of various diameters, are shewn in Figs. 6 and -7. That shewn
in Fig. 6 is formed in two portions d, d, between which the flattened ends of the
springs a, a, a, a, pass, and are gripped by means of two screws e and nuts f, or
their equivalent. The lower portion d' of this clamp has suspended from it, on
rivet pins 9', two clips g, g, of suitable shape, which are provided with a screw and
nut g by means of which they can be brought together, after the saddle stalk or
stem has been introduced between them, to tightly grip such stem.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, and which is the preferred
arrangement, one clip g is employed and is pivoted at g', the lower portion d' of the
clamp here taking the place of the other clip and being recessed accordingly.
Grooves, of a form corresponding to the cross sections of the springs they are to
receive, are cut in the upper and lower portions of the clamp. Que screw e, and
But, arranged centrally, connect the upper and lower portions of the clamp, and
any lateral movement, or shifting, of the upper portion d' is prevented by dowels or
pins h. The tightening is effected by the screw and butterfly nut
A screw j, with nut and washer, may be provided in addition to the clamps, just

page_text: mentioned, and lacing e, as an additional means of securing the halves of the saddle
together, by uniting the wires a, a' at, or about, the middle of the saddle. We may,
however, employ an adjustable perforated block, as shewn at Fig. 9, through which
these wires would be passed.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the particular
shape of saddle illustrated in the drawings, as it is obvious that the saddle may he
made flatter, broader, or higher at the back without departing from the nature of
our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same may be perfortned, we declare that we claim,
1. A saddle for cycles, and like vehicles, having its frame formed of two
lengths of wire bent to the required shape, each length of wire forming one
half of the saddle frame and also the spring serving for that half, substantially as
described.
2. A saddle for cycles, and like vehicles, made in similar and independent halves
arranged side by side, each half being formed of a length of wire which also
constitutes the spring for such half, and said springs having their free extremities
curved to allow of the pitch of the saddle being altered, substantially as
described.
3. In a saddle for cycles, and like vehicles, the outwardly curved bifurcated
peak, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In a saddle for cycles, and like vehicles, having the characteristics herein-
before claimed, a seat covering either entirely, or partially, split or divided
longitudinally and united together by a lacing which also serves to hold the halves
of the frame together, substantially as described.
5. The combination, with a cycle, or like, saddle having a frame formed of
similar and independent halves integral with their springs, of a clamp to receive
and retain the free ends of such springs, said clamp being provided with a pivoted
clip, or clips, adapted to fit saddle stalks or stems of various diameters, substantially
as described.
6. The combined clamp and clip, substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 6 of the drawings.
7. The modified construction of combined clamp and clip, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.
8. A saddle for cycles, and like vehicles, comprising a wire frame formed of two
similar and independent halves arranged side by side and having a short bifurcated
peak curved outwardly, springs formed by continuations of said halves; a clamp
(for retaining the free ends of said springs) provided with a clip, or clips, for
securing the saddle to its stalk or stem, and a seat covering either entirely, or
partially, split or divided longitudinally and united by a lacing which also holds
the halves of the saddle frame together, substantially as described.
9. Our improvements in saddles for cycles, and like vehicles, whereby perineal
pressure is avoided, and the saddle is free to accommodate itself to the movements
of the rider, substantially as herein before described and shewn in the annexed
.drawings.