Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
A communication from JAMES HENKI DAVEN
Rochester, County of Monroe, State of New York, United States of
America, Inventor.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in cycle saddles hereinafter described and
claimed, and the object of the invention is to provide a strong and light saddle in
which the saddle leather is held taut, while the weight of the rider is supported
by springs connected to the saddle and acting independently of the means by which
the leather is held taut, adjustable as to tilt and tension of the saddle and also
among other things to obviate difficulties attendant upon the use of the ordinary
pommel hook and cantle clamp.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side view of one of the saddles showing the saddle leather in dotted
lines;
Fig. 2 is a like side view with a slightly varied construction;
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the pommel plate of the saddle;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the stud by which the saddle frame is attached to
the pommel plate and
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the saddles without the saddle leather or
cantle-bar.
In the drawings A is the saddle leather shown in dotted lines. Close to the
front or pommel end and to the under side of the saddle leather A is fastened the
metallic pommel plate B, formed of a body part b and two lugs or projections 1 61
extending from the rear corners of said body part backward and downward & shaped
to conform to the contour of the underside of the saddle leather. On the central
longitudinal line of the body part b, is a series of two or more perforations,
preferably of the form shown in the drawings, which is a circular perforation ³,
having at the front side a semi-circular notch of smaller radius than the main
perforation 6. It is unnecessary that the last perforation at the rear end of the
body of the pommel plate should be more than a notch ³, as is hereinafter shown.
Perforations & are arranged in proper positions in the pommel plate, through
which rivets pass to fasten the pummel plate to the saddle leather; the perfora-
tions through the lugs or projections should be near the ends thereof, as
shown.
To the pommel end of the saddle supporting frame or saddle springs G, H or H',
there is fastened a stud C, having its lower end c, screw-threaded, a middle
portion e' of larger diameter than the threaded portion and preferably polygonal
in form in order to be held by a wrench or spanner, an upper stem preferably
cylindrical and smaller in diameter than the portion c', and an expanded head c
preferably cylindrical and larger in diameter than the stem c². A nut c¹ fits upon
the screw-threaded portion c. The saddle supporting frame or saddle springs being
perforated through their front ends fit upon the screw-threaded portion c, and the
nut clamps the saddle supporting frame or saddle springs firmly against the
middle expanded portion c¹ of the stud. A washer may of course be used as

page_text: convenient. The larger perforation 6' in the pommel plate B. is of such size as to
permit the expanded head of the stud C to pass through the same, and
the upper stem c² of the stud is of such size as to fit in each of the semi-circular
notches ³.
The cantle bar or stretcher E is suitably fastened to the cantle end of the saddle
leather A and to this cantle bar are fastened the rear ends of the saddle supporting
frame or saddle springs, preferably by sliding or adjustable connections, so that
when the saddle supporting frame or saddle springs are connected to the pommel
end of the saddle, the sliding connections at the cantle bar permit the saddle
leather to be stretched and fastened at the cantle end.
If now the parts heretofore described are fastened together with the stud C in
the foremost of the perforations in the pommel plate B and the saddle leather A
should stretch, thus allowing it to sag downward, the stud C is removed from this
perforation and is inserted in the next rearward perforation of the pommel plate B,
whereupon by stretching the saddle leather and then moving and fastening the
adjustable connections of the cantle bar E with the saddle supporting frame or the
saddle springs, the whole of the stretch of the leather may be taken up in any
saddle where the range of movement of the cantle clamp upon the saddle support
or the saddle spring is not sufficient to permit the whole stretch of the leather to
be taken up. It is obvious that the stud C provided with the stem c³ and the
expanded head may form an integral part of the saddle supporting frame.
The devices hereinbefore described are applicable to many of the modern types
of cycle saddles and form a much stronger and better pommel connection between
the saddle supporting frame or saddle springs and saddle leather than the pommel
hook which is in ordinary use, but these devices are of especial advantage in all
saddles in which the saddle leather is kept at uniform tension and in which
the saddle leather is not so suspended as to produce a "hammock" saddle. The
lugs or projections 6' 6' of the pommel plate B extend downwardly and rear-
wardly under the two sides of the saddle leather near the pommel end and far
enough to make a draft of the saddle leather from near the lower edge thereof
backward and upward to the cantle bar E and by this means the leather is kept in
position, at the points where it has been customary to use long leather flaps or a
lacing or other device for keeping the lower edges of the saddle leather near the
pommel from curling or flapping.
From the cantle bar E depends a clamp D in which the saddle spring or saddle
supporting frame may be suitably fastened. Where two or more such bars are
used I prefer to separate the same by means of a perforated plate d¹³ which fits
around the depending clamp. The clamp D is perforated so that the two
supporting bars or springs may pass through the same, one above and oue below
the perforated plate d, and these parts may be fastened securely together by
means of a set-screw d³.
It is desirable that the saddle springs or saddle supporting frame in a bioycle
should be made of tempered steel, in order that they shall, after a shock or strain,
return quickly to their original form and produce an elastic seat and shall not set
in a bent position as would be the case in iron or untempered steel. Such tempered
springs are extremely liable to snap or break in a clamp such as has been described,
because when a shock occurs the springs are bent sharply at the points where the
same rest against the outer edges of the perforations through the clamp D or
against the plate d', and also because the pressure of the set-screw creates such a
strain in the metal at the point of contact and pressure against the tempered spring
that the latter is apt to break with a comparatively light shock. In order to
obviate this difficulty, I supply a bent plate of untempered metal, F (Fig. 2),
either of steel or iron, which rests upon the upper and lower sides of the saddle
springs or saddle supporting bars in such a way that the set-screw presses
against this untempered plate F, and the pressure produced by tightening the
screw d³ presses the springs upward also against this untempered metal plate. If

page_text: the springs or bars G K are now bent the plate F will have to bend also and will
reduce the chances of fracture of the tempered steel by preventing a sharp bend
thereof. The plate F if much bent may easily be returned to its proper form. In
Fig. 1, the tension bar G is continuous to form the plate F, and while it is pre-
ferably tempered in front of the line 2-2, the temper is drawn from it to the rear
of that line, and thus the same or a similar effect is produced as with the use of the
separate plate F of Fig. 2.
This saddle is composed of a tension bar G which is fastened to the stud C and
passes, either straight or with a slight curvature back to the cantle clamp D.
Underneath the tension bar are two flat springs, one of which H is also fastened
to the stud C and extends from this point of attachment backward to the clip I.
This spring may curve forward from the stud and then backward to the clip as
shown at H in Fig. 1, or may extend backward to the clip from the stud without
the forward curvature as shown at H' in Fig. 2. In either case the curvature of
the spring is different from that of the tension bar if the latter is curved.
From the cantle clamp D a spring K extends forward to the clip I and curves
downward and away from the tension bar G. The forward spring H or H' is
fastened in the clip under the spring K and extends backward from the clip a
suitable distance. The spring K extends through the clip resting upon the
spring H or H' and in front of the clip a suitable distance. In the saddles of this
type which have been tested the overlapping portions of the springs extend forward
and backward of the clip, respectively, from two to four inches. A keeper k is
fastened around the rear end of the spring H or H¹ and around the spring K so as
to keep these springs together at that point. The two overlapping springs H
or Hand K together form a half elliptical spring whose curvature is away from
the bar G. The ends of the springs in the form shown in Fig. 2 are not curved,
but are so formed that the pressure upon the saddle leather causes a longitudinal
thrust at the attachments with the stud C and clamp D by reason of their
curvature away from the bar G. The tension bar G, however, prevents any
change of tension of the saddle leather by the straightening of the springs as it is
fastened to the saddle leather by the stud C and clamp D. In the combination of
these parts the bar G is a tension member and the springs H or H' and Kare
thrust members and together form a truss support for the saddle leather. The
thrust members H or H and K of this combination being curved, and of spring
metal, permit a slight yielding or spring action in the thrust members of this truss
support in order that the rider may not have too rigid a seat.
saddle shown in Fig. 1, the front spring H is curved forward and then backward
to the clip I, in order that more spring action may be produced at the pommel end
of the saddle. The springs H or H' and K, overlapping, as shown, produce a stiff
rearward action of the saddle, inasmuch as the spring K is always re-inforced by
the spring H or H¹ under it. If the rear end of the saddle tilts downward, the
forward spring H or H' is re-inforced and stiffened by that portion of the spring K
which lies upon it and is in front of the clip I. If the pommel end of the saddle is
depressed the spring H or H' is the only spring affected. Hence the saddle is
for forward action and stiff for rearward action. The springs H or H' and K
being suitably curved where they pass through the clip I, permit the saddle to be
tilted according to the wishes of the rider.
easy
In the form of
The clip I is of any suitable form and serves to fasten the springs H or H¹
and K to the ordinary saddle supporting bar J of a bicycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to be by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather, a metallic pommel
plate fastened to the pommel end of the saddle leather and provided with a series
of perforations arranged longitudinally therein, a saddle frame attached to the

page_text: cantle end of the leather and 'having a stud or pin adapted to fit in any of the
said perforations, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather, a pommel plate
fastened to the pommel end of said leather and having a series of longitudinally
arranged perforations therein, each of which perforations has a notch in the forward
side thereof, a saddle frame attached to the cantle end of said leather and a stud
or spring connected to said frame and having a stem fitting said notch and an
.expanded head of suitable size to pass through the main part of said perforation,
substantially as described.
3. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather A, a pommel plate such
as B fastened to the saddle leather and provided with one or more longitudinally
arranged perforations, each having a notch in the forward side thereol, a
saddle frame adjustably attached to the cantle end of said leather and a stud such
as C fastened to the saddle frame and having a screw-threaded portion e passing
through the pommel end of said saddle frame, an expanded middle portion c', a
stem smaller than the expanded portion and an expanded head c³ and a nut c
fastening said saddle frame against said middle portion, substantially as shown and
described.
4. In a cycle saddle, a plate such as B fastened to the saddle leather A and
having downwardly and rearwardly inclining lugs b¹ the ends of which extend
near to the lower edges of the saddle leather, a cantle bar attached to the cantle
end of said saddle leather and a bar or bars attached to said plate and to said
cantle bar whereby a draft is made in said saddle leather from the ends of said lugs
backward and upward to the cantle end of the saddle leather, substantially as
described.
5. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather A, a saddle supporting
frame composed of the tension bar G, and the springs K and H or H', said frame
being connected to the pommel end of said leather and being formed of tempered
steel bars passing through a cantle clamp attached to said leather and to said frame,
and a plate or plates of lower temper than said bars fastened within said clamp on
one or both sides of the bars of said frame, substantially as described.
6. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather A, a tension bar G
attached to the saddle leather at the pommel and cantle ends thereof, a spring K
attached to and extending forward from the cantle to a clip I, a spring H or H'
extending from the pommel backward to and through said clip I, the springs
curving away from the tension bar G and being fastened together in said clip I,
with the spring K resting upon the other spring and overlapping the same,
substantially as shown and described.
7. In a cycle saddle, the combination of a saddle leather A, a flat spring tension
bar G attached to the saddle leather at the cantle and having a stud C at the
pommel end, a pommel plate B fastened to said saddle leather and having a row of
longitudinal perforations therein adapted to engage with the stud, flat springs K
and H or H disposed under the tension bar, one fastened to a cantle connection D
and extending forward therefrom and the other fastened to the said stud C and
extending backward therefrom to lie under the said first spring and a clamp for
fastening the said two springs together and to a cycle substantially as shown and
described.
8. In a cycle saddle the combination of a saddle leather a tension bar G connected
to the pommel and cantle ends of the saddle leather separate thrust members K
and H longitudinally disposed under the said bar G and connected to the ends
thereof or of the leather at suitable angles with the bar and a clip I for fastening
the thrust members in line with each other together and to a cycle substantially as
shown and described.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete cycle
saddle substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings

page_text: 10. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete cycle
saddle substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.