Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
ION.
Improvements in Cycle Saddles.
We, ANDREW PILLATT, of 2 Notintone Place, Sneinton, Mechanical Engineer,
and JOHN THORPE PERRY, of Friar Yard, Friar Lane, Gentleman, both in the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in cycle saddles, and is designed to provide
a saddle, suitable for either ladies' or gentlemen's use, which shall be free from the
anatomical objections which apply to the ordinary or peaked form of saddle.
According to our invention, we form the saddle as a hollow cushion, of rubber,
whose upper part is of convex form and is sufficiently thick to give a resilient
support to the rider, and to obviate its being pressed down upon the under part.
This cushion is of approximately circular form, but has, at its front part, in the
position where the peak is usually situated, a curved or segmental recess or inden-
tation, in order to give the rider freedom from pressure at this part. On each side
of this recess or indentation, the saddle is so shaped as to give to its front a wave-
like appearance.
A vent or air inlet, is provided, say on the underside of the saddle, to allow the
air to freely enter and leave it, and to permit of its resuming its normal shape on
the rider dismounting.
The saddle rests in or upon a suitable support or frame secured to the saddle stalk,
and is provided, on its under side, with studs or projections which enter corresponding
recesses in the frame, and so prevent accidental shifting or displacement.
D
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 54, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.
We, ANDREW PILLATT, of 2 Notintone Place, Sneinton, Mechanical Engineer,
and JOHN THORPE PERRY, of Friar Yard, Friar Lane, Gentleman, both in the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham 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 i
is to say:
This invention relates to cycle saddles, and is designed to provide a saddle,
suitable either for ladies' or gentlemen's use, and which shall be free from the
anatomical objections which apply to the ordinary peaked form of saddle.
According to the invention, we form the saddle as a hollow cushion of rubber,
preferably vulcanized rubber, or other like resilient material, whose upper or seat
[D

page_text: portion is of a more or less arched or convex form, and is made sufficiently thick to
afford a resilient support to the rider, without rendering it liable to be pressed
down upon its base or under part.
At its front, this saddle has, in one of its forms, a curved or segmental recess or
indentation, in order to avoid perineal pressure, and, on each side of this recess or
indentation the saddle is so shaped as to give to its front a wavy or curvilinear
appearance.
A vent or air inlet is provided, say in the base of the saddle, to allow the air to
freely enter and leave it, and to allow the saddle to resume its normal shape on
pressure being relieved or removed, as for instance, by the rider dismounting.
The saddle rests in, or upon, a suitable support or frame, and is provided, at its
base, with studs or projections adapted to enter corresponding holes or recesses in
said support, so as to prevent accidental shifting or displacement.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood, we will describe the
same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan,
Fig. 2 a transverse section, and
Fig. 3 a side view of a cycle saddle constructed in accordance with the invention.
The saddle consists of the upper or seat portion a, and of the base or under
portion a', the two being united together, in any suitable manner, so as to form
between them a space or chamber a to receive and contain air. The seat portion
of this saddle gradually increases in thickness from the base upwards, and is
sufficiently strong, at its upper part, to support the weight of the rider without
subsiding and touching the base.
b is the segmental recess or indentation, and c, c, are the rounded portions on each
side of this recess which complete the wavy or curvilinear form of the front part
of the saddle.
d is the vent, or air inlet, by which free ingress and egress of the air is permitted,
Baid vent being advantageously protected or strengthened by a metallic eyelet d'.
The support or frame, designated by the letter e, on which the saddle rests, is
constructed of metal, or other suitable material, and is provided with an eye or
tubular portion e' adapted to be secured to the saddle stalk or stem in any convenient
manner.
ff, are the studs or projections on the saddle base by means of which said saddle
is conveniently held in position on the support or frame, and these studs may be cast
or moulded in one with the base of the saddle. Holes or recesses are provided in
the support to receive the studs fand prevent shifting of the saddle.
The upper or seat portion a may have a more or less arched or convex surface.
The crown of the arch may be more or less flattened as shewn in Fig. 2, if the
substance of the saddle be made sufficiently thick or assisting to permit of its having
this shape. But it must, in any case, he made convex enough to prevent the crown
of the seat from coming into contact, when in use, with the base a', or closing the
vent d. The exact contour of this curve will therefore depend upon the weight
intended to be borne and the resiliency of the material from which the saddle is
constructed.
It will thus be apparent from this construction of saddle, that as its upper part is
of such a thickness and strength as to resist being pressed into contact with the
base a and so closing the air vent, and as there is no valve, nor any compressed air
inside the saddle, the action is essentially different from that of the pneumatic class
of saddles, in that the rider is supported by the natural resiliency of the material of
the saddle, in conjunction with the free air which is always present inside the
saddle.
In addition to this, the air in the saddle helps to minimise sudden shock
to the cyclist, for as it can only pass gradually through the air vent it always forms
an air cushion.
Since the date of lodging our Provisional Specification, we have found that we
can apply our invention to a peaked saddle as shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and
in which the peak a* is made hollow, the same as the body of the saddle, and

page_text: The
communicates with it. In order to preserve with this form of saddle the essential
features of our invention, we construct the peak as shewn in Figs. 5 and 8.
material at this point is of reduced substance so that the peak portion of the
saddle becomes comparatively flexible. In this way we secure freedom from any
danger of undue pressure by this part of the saddle upon the rider while, at the
same time, the convenience of the peak is preserved. This is by some riders
considered to be important for the purposes of steering, and otherwise.
By our improved construction of saddle a further advantage is that the seat is
kept cool by the continual displacement of the air warmed by the rider and the
renewal thereof of cool fresh air in its stead. Furthermore, the usual saddle springs
are dispensed with, the saddle itself acting as a spring, and being attached directly
to a fixed support.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed, we declare that we claim :
1. A cycle saddle of rubber, or like resilient material, having an upper or seat
portion and a base, between which an air space or chamber is formed, the base
being provided with a vent or air inlet, and the upper or seat portion being of such
a thickness as to always support the weight of the rider without subsiding and
closing the vent or air inlet, and to resume its normal shape on pressure being
removed, substantially as described.
2. A cycle saddle, having the characteristics above claimed, formed with a wavy
or curvilinear front, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A cycle saddle having a wavy or curvilinear front constituting a segmental
recess, a base, a somewhat circular rear portion forming a resilient seat or crown,
and an air space or chamber throughout the saddle, and provided with a vent or air
inlet, said resilient seat being constructed in itself to support the rider above the
base independently of the air cushion created by the air in the space or chamber,
substantially as described.
4. The modification of our invention shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, substantially
as hereinbefore described in connection therewith.
5. Our improvements in cycle saddles, substantially as herein before described and
shewn in the annexed drawings.
tea this 17th day
May 1897.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 5ª Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.