AN IMPROVED SADDLE FOR BICYCLES OR SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED SADDLE FOR BICYCLES OR SIMILAR VEHICLES." A communi-
cation from abroad by Franklin G. Burley, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd February 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London. "AN IMPROVED SADDLE FOR BICYCLES OR
SIMILAR VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by Franklin G. Burley, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Saddles for bicycles as made heretofore and in common use consist mainly either
of a seat entirely metallic, or of a sheet metal frame covered with a leather pad.
The iron saddle is objectionable for the reason that it is hard and unyielding. The
stuffed saddles afford no ventilation, and in riding long distances the part of the
body in contact becomes highly heated.
The object of this Invention is to furnish a flexible saddle for bicycles or like
vehicles, easily adjustable fitting itself to the form of the rider, and securing free
ventilation.
This improved saddle consists of a metal frame adapted to be secured in any
suitable manner to the bicycle or like vehicle and having at one end a number of
slots and at the other end one or more slots, with a series of strong straps of
leather or the like passing through the slots and forming an open work seat.
The body of the frame is made preferably of wrought iron or steel, turned up at
the front and rear.
To secure lightness of the frame, I prefer to make it with arms instead of solid.
At the rear end of the frame is rigidly secured, by rivets or other suitable means, &
cross-piece with a number of slots, and at the forward end there is a slot. The

page_text: seat or body of the saddle consists of a series of straps of leather or like material
passing alternately through the slots in the rear and forward ends of the frame.
In order to draw it taut when the strap becomes stretched and loose, it may be in
two parts with a buckle at the connecting ends or there may be a series of inde-
pendent straps, one for each slot in the cross-piece, each one furnished with a buckle.
It will be obvious that, instead of a single slot at the front end of the saddle two
or more slots may be used.
Instead of adjusting by means of a buckle or the like, the straps may be united
at the forward end and attached to a movable piece, which is connected to the
forward end of the frame by set screws, by turning which the seat may be slacked 1
or made taut as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED SADDLE FOR BICYCLES OR
SIMILAR VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by Franklin G. Burley, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Saddles for bicycles as heretofore constructed and in common use, consist cither
of a seat entirely metallic, or of a sheet metal frame covered with a leather pad.
The iron saddle is objectionable, for the reason that it is hard and unyielding.
The stuffed saddles afford no ventilation and in riding long distances, the part of
the body in contact becomes highly heated.
The object of this Invention is to furnish a flexible saddle for bicycles or like
vehicles, easily adjustable, fitting itself to the form of the rider, and securing free
ventilation.
This improved saddle consists of a metal frame adapted to be secured in any
suitable manner to a bicycle or like vehicle, having at one end a number of slots,
and at the other ond one or more slots, with a series of strong straps of leather
or other suitable material passing through the same, and forming an open work
seat.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a plan of a saddle embodying this Invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same and,
Figure 3 is an underside view.
Figure 4 is a rear view.
Figure 5 shows a modification and,
Figure 6 is a detail view of the same.
The framo A, which is preferably made of wrought iron or steel, is turned up at
the front and rear as in Figure 2.
To secure lightness of the frame, I prefer to make it with arms b, instead of
solid. At the rear end of the frame, and rigidly secured to it by rivets or other
suitable means is a cross-piece B with a number of slots d and at the front end
there is a slot d'. The seat or body of the saddle consists of a strap or a series
of straps C, of leather or other suitable material passing alternately through the
slots in the rear and front ends of the frame. In order to tighten the seat when
the strap becomes stretched and loose, its two ends may be united with a buckle,
or there may be a series of independent straps, corresponding with the number of
slots in the cross-piece B each of which is furnished with a buckle. It will be
obvious that instead of a single slot at the front end of the saddle two or more
slots may be used.
Instead of adjusting by means of a buckle or the like, the straps may be united
at the front end and attached to an adjustable loop as shown in Figures 5 and 6,
which loop is connected to the front end of the frame A, by the thumb nut
and screw g, by turning which the seat may be slackened or tightened as
desired.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
The improved saddle for bicycles or similar vehicles, consisting of the frame A,

page_text: turned up at the front and rear and having a cross-piece B at the rear, slots d
through the said cross-piece and a slot or slots d' at the front and the adjustable
strap C passed through the said slots, all substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Second day of August in the year of our Lord One 5
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
14 TARM