Year: 1897

page_text: I, CHARLES VARLEY, of 14, Pann Lane, Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
Leather Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be 88
follows:-
My invention relates to saddles for cycles and the like and has for its object to
so construct them that they may be simply and cheaply produced, and their
weight reduced, and resiliency increased, as compared with the saddles now in
general use.
The invention consists of a resilient base or foundation plate or frame suitably
covered and the whole attached to the machine by an elastic bridge secured to the
said base or frame.
According to my improvements, I make the base plate or frame of a thin
resilient material such as spring steel and shape it, by stamping, or any other
ordinary process of manufacture, to the configuration of the usual saddle and I
cover this plate with leather or a similar material stitched to its margins or
depending parts perforated therefor. In a pneumatic saddle, I interpose between
the said covering and the frame an inflatable bag fitted with a cork plug or valve
and adapted to be distended in the usual manner. I provide holes in the frame
where desired to admit of the circulation of air for ventilating purposes.
To the underside of the base piece I connect a bridge of some resilient material
having a seat for the reception of the L-bar or seat pillar or its equivalent and
when the parts are assembled, I fasten the whole by a clampng piece fitting over
the bridge and bolted thereto.
Saddles arranged and applied as herein described will be found very efficient,
while any material possessing the requisite attributes of strength and resiliency
may be employed for the base and connecting bridge.
I, CHARLES VARLEY, of 14, Pann Lane, Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
Leather Merchant, 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: -
My invention relates to saddles for cycles and the like and has for its object to so
construct them that they may be simply and cheaply produced and their weight
reduced and resiliency increased as compared with the saddles now in general use.
The invention consists of a resilient base or foundation plate or frame suitably
[Price 8d1

page_text: covered and attached to the machine by an elastic bridge secured to the said base
or frame.
According to my improvements I make the base plate or frame of a thin
resilient material which I cover with leather or similar material connected to its
margins or depending parts. In a pneumatic saddle I interpose between the said
covering and the frame an inflatable bag fitted with a cork plug or valve and
adapted to be distended in the usual manner.
To the underside of the base piece I connect a bridge of some resilient material
having a seat for the reception of the L-bar or seat pillar or its equivalent, and
when the parts are assembled I fasten the whole by a clamping piece fitting over
the bridge and bolted thereto.
I will fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section, Figure 2 is a transverse
section thereof on line X-Y and Figure 3 is a similar view to the latter of a
modification.
A is a base plate or frame forming the foundation or seat of the saddle and in
producing it I employ any light and strong resilient material which I shape as
shown to the configuration of the usual saddle, or as required, by stamping or
other ordinary process of manufacture. I prefer to employ thin resilient steel as
I find it the most suitable material for the plate A which I cover with leather or
like material B attached to the margins or depending part a thereof by stitching,
lacing or solution. Holes or openings, such as a¹, are provided where desired in
this plate A to admit of the circulation of air for ventilating purposes.
Figure 3 illustrates a pneumatic saddle and in constructing it I interpose
between the covering B and the frame A a bag C adapted to be inflated and
deflated and to this end I may use a cork or other plug to close and open the
usual short flexible tube or nozzle piece connecting therewith, though other
appropriate devices or valves of the ordinary kind may be fitted. The bag C
can be removed by simply undoing the stitching or lacing or breaking the attach-
ment at the margins a of the plate A thus enabling the cover B to be raised to
effect the desired object and when the bag is replaced or repaired the cover can be
as readily fastened again.
For mounting the saddle on the cycle I use an elastic bridge device, and
according to one form of it, exemplified in Figures 1 and 2, I secure to the
frame A a bridge or strip D of resilient material, such as thin steel, provided
with a slot d in each margin or edge and to this part D another bridge or
piece E, of wood or other suitable material, is connected by bolts e, e, adapted
to permit movement at the slots d, d. Further, this bridge E is joined to the
frame A by pins e¹, e, arranged to work in slots a², a², one in each side of the said
frame, while its lower side is recessed to form a seat or bed for the seat pillar F
and when the saddle is in position thereon it is secured by a clamp G fitting over
the pin or pillar F and fastened to the bridge E by the bolts e, e, also holding the
latter to the bridge D.
The slots a, a, and d, d, permit of the movement or resilient action of the
saddle in use, and are of less width than the bolt or pin heads so that the latter
cannot pass therethrough.
A modified form of this elastic bridge attaching device is shown in Figure 3
wherein there is no wooden or like bridge E as in the preceding form, a resilient
bridge D¹ of steel or similar material only being employed which is rigidly secured
to each side of the plate A by a rivet d², for instance, and formed to receive the
saddle pin F on which it is held by the clamp G bolted to it as at d³, d³; the
attachments at d², and ³, may be flexibly arranged if desired by slotting as
aforesaid.
In practice I find that saddles constructed and arranged as described are very
efficient since any jar or vibration caused by obstructions or inequalities on the
road is not communicated to the rider of the cycle or other vehicle to which the
saddle may be fitted as in some of the ordinary constructions of saddle, but is

page_text: instead, absorbed by the combined resiliency of the base or foundation plate and
bridge attaching device thereby effectually preventing any unpleasant sensations
being felt by the rider.
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 saddle consisting of the combination of a suitably covered resilient base
or foundation plate or frame with an elastic attaching bridge, the whole being
constructed, arranged and adapted for use substantially as set forth.
2. In saddles such as above referred to, the use of a resilient base or foundation
plate or frame shaped and provided for covering and ventilation substantially as
described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. For use in saddles of the kind having a resilient base or foundation plate
such as above referred to, an elastic bridge attaching device connecting with
the foundation plate or frame and constructed and arranged to fit and be secured
upon the saddle pin or equivalent support substantially as described and illus-
trated in the annexed drawings.
4. The general construction and arrangement of parts constituting my im-
provements in cycle saddles as shown and described.
J
1007
For the Applicant,
PRYOR & HARVEY,
Agents, 3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.