Improvements in the Production of Blocked Leather Seats for Cycle and Analogous Saddles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Blocked Leather Seats for Cycle
and Analogous Saddles.
I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of
Granville Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has relation to blocked leather seats for cycle and analogous
saddles, and has for its object, to economize or reduce the cost of manufacture.
Heretofore such seats have been produced by first taking a rough or unshaped
piece of leather, softened by moisture, with the boundary edges of the same
retained or held whilst the blank is compressed between top and bottom shaping
dies, with the marginal parts of the leather drawn around the principal or he-die,
to form the skirting, peak and flaps, and then being clipped or fashioned to the
required shape, after which the square edges are finished by rounding off.
According to my invention, a seat is both blocked and finished at one operation,
by the process hereinafter described.
66
Thus, I cut out a leather blank, of the exact shape to form the saddle body part
with back skirting and side flaps in one piece. This blank is then softened in the
usual way and then placed within a set between a pair of dies or tools, the upper
or male one, which is known as a force," consisting of a plunger-like tool of a
size and shape nearly corresponding to the top of the seat, to be formed, but less
the skirting and side flaps and of a depth greater than that of the sides of the said
seat. The second or bottom and female die is fixed and consists of a tubular or
hollow open-ended tool, of the cross section of the top of the seat of a saddle,
and down the inside of which the blank is drawn by the descending movement
of the plunger or force. Also located and sliding telescopically within the female
die, is a rising and falling pressure plate, whose boundary edges are of the same
shape as the section of the female die and of the same contour as the top of a seat
to be formed, and which said pressure plate is automatically kept up to its work
by weights, springs or other equivalents.
OPERATION.
Assuming that the pressure plate has been lifted to its highest position within
a female die, and that the force or plunger die has been raised, the cut-out blank
of leather is then dropped into the set in order to ensure it taking a proper position
relative to the dies, and the pressure plate is brought up to its work and against
the underside of the blank by weights, springs or the like, actuated either directly
or through the medium of levers or equivalents; now the force or plunger die
is made to descend, and nip the leather blank at the middle part between it and
the pressure plate, when the said plunger die and pressure plate descend together
through the fixed female die and carry with them the leather blank, which by the
pressure exerted between the opposed parts of the dies, is shaped or blocked to
the required contour and the edges are drawn through the female die and over

page_text: the edges of the male tool, thereby giving to the leather blank, the figure of a
finished saddle seat.
On the shaped seat passing through the bottom of the female die, the material
expands slightly and slips off the upper die on the same making its return move.
ment and rests upon the pressure plate from which it is removed by an operative
who then allows the pressure plate to ascend into the open end of the fixed female
die.
It is understood that the pressure plate constitutes a movable bottom to the
die, and that the material located between the sides of the female die and those of
the male tool is displaced and forced into elongated side walls by the drawing
through process.
I wish it also to be understood that I do not confine myself to the production
of any particular shape of saddle so long as drawing through lies are employed
and in cases where thin leather is to be blocked I may employ an additional guide
plate or equivalent, and further, the female die may if necessary be made movable
and the he die and pressure plate or movable bottom of the she die may be fixed
and arranged in such a manner that the said female die may effect the drawing-
through process by forcing of the material over the fixed he die or dies, but in
each case I prefer to nip the said material of the seat between a pair of dies or
their equivalent during the drawing-through or shaping operation.
I also propose that the blocking of the body, or the part in contra-distinction to
the sides, should be effected in such a manner as to somewhat elevate the peak and
leave the parts approaching the pummel horizontal, so that when affixed to the
saddle fraining, the said peak is drawn down to nearly the same plane as the
back, and by blocking the leather in such a manner a good shape is given to
the seat.
The leather seat may be finished off by the usual creasings or other embellish-
ments.
When the pressure plate and force are stationary, and with the leather to be
shaped coming between them then I connect the one to the other by a bolt or
equivalent, made fast to the force or he die, and with a hole in the middle of
the leather and a hote in the pressure plate passing over the stem of the bolt or
equivalent, and the whole affixed together prior to the descent of the she die by
a nut taking upon the end of the bolt, or by a wedge taking into a hole near the
end of the said bolt.
As a still further form I may arrange the stem of the pressure plate within the
she die, and with coiled springs interposed between an enlarged end of the stem
and the she-die upon one side and the pressure plate, and the other side of the
she-die on the other side, hence a double action shaping press or appliance.
If necessary, the blank may be blocked, cupped or fashioned into shape as
herein before described at the same time.
Dated this 25th day of March 1897
Improvements in the Production of Blocked Leather Seats for Cycle
and Analogous Saddles.
I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of
Granville Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare

page_text: 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:
--
This invention has relation to blocked leather seats for cycle and analogous
saddles, and has for its object, to effect economy in or to reduce the cost of
manufacture.
Heretofore such seats have been produced by first taking a rough or unshaped
piece of leather, softening the same by moisture, and then whilst the boundary
edges of the blank are retained or held by suitable means, compressing the blank
between top and bottom shaping dies, the marginal parts of the leather being
thereby drawn around the principal or he-die, to form the skirting, peak and
flaps, and subsequently clipped or fashioned to trim them to the required shape,
after which the square edges are finished by rounding off.
According to my invention, a seat is both blocked and finished at one operation
by the process hereinafter described.
Thus, I cut out a leather blank, of the exact shape to form the saddle body part
with back skirting and side flaps in one piece. This blank is softened in the
usual way and then placed within a set between a pair of shaping dies or tools,
the upper one, which is known as a "force," consisting of a plunger-like tool of a
size and shape nearly corresponding to the top of the seat to be formed, less the
skirting and side flaps and of a depth greater than that of the sides of the said
seat. In conjunction with this upper die, is drawing through or female die con-
sisting of a tubular or hollow open-ended tool, of an inside size corresponding to
the outline shape of the top of the saddle seat and down the inside of which
the blank is drawn by the descending movement of the male die, plunger or force.
Also located and sliding telescopically within the female die, is a rising and
falling pressure plate, or bottom shaping die whose boundary edges are of the same
shape as the inside of the said female die and whilst its surface is of the same
contour as the top of a seat to be formed, and which said pressure plate is auto-
matically kept up to its work by weights, springs or other equivalents.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, partly in elevation and
partly in vertical section, a machine for producing blocked leather seats for cycle
and other saddles in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of Figure 1, upon the dotted line a.
These two views show the parts of the machine in the positions in which they are
placed ready to receive the blank to be shaped, which is placed between the top
die or force and the pressure plate.
Figure 3 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a section of the die parts of the
machine, showing the blank nipped between the top die and pressure plate, and
before being forced through the fixed she die.
Figure 4 is a like section as Figure 3, but showing the said blank in the act
of being forced through the she die.
Figure 5 is a further sectional view of the said dies, after the drawing through
has been completed and the force or he die withdrawn.
Figure represents a section of the blank separately.
Figure is a topside plan of the fixed she die, separately, Figure 8 a side
elevation of the same and Figure 9 a longitudinal vertical section thereof upon
the dotted line r¹, Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a side elevation and Figure 11 an edge view of one of the pair
of stands or brackets upon which the fixed she die is supported.
Figure 12 is a side elevation and Figure 13 a topside plan of the he-die or
force separately.
Figure 14 is a side elevation of the pressure plate, separately, and Figure 15
a topside plan thereof.
Figure 16 represents the sliding rod supporting the pressure plate at its upper
end, with its guide sleeve in section and Figure 17 represents another view of the
said rod separately.

page_text: i
Figure 18 represents an elevation and a plan of the guide sleeve of the pressure
plate rod, and
Figure 19 is an edge view and a plan of the hook attachment plate whereby the
chains of the suspended weights which keep the pressure plate up to its work
are connected to the rod.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
a,
is con-
a is the rising and falling he or top shaping die, plunger or force, 6 the fixed
she-die, and the pressure plate or bottom shaping die. The said die
nected by a screw coupling a', to a sliding die carrier a², which is raised and
lowered by means of a hand operated screw d, swivelly connected at its lower
end ', to the said slide a², and working through a screw-box d², in a cross piece d³,
supported by standards or pillars d, carried by the bed plate 4, which said pillars
also constitute guides for the slide. The fixed she-die b, is elevated and
supported at the sides by stands b', bolted to the bed plate, an open end clearance b²,
thus being provided to admit of the withdrawal or removal of the operated-on
blank after being forced through the dies. The pressure plate or bottom shaping
die c, which is of the same boundary shape as the inside 6, of the all-through she
die, is bolted or otherwise secured to the summit of a vertical sliding stem or
rod c, working through a sleeve 2, let through the bed plate, the said rod being
prevented from rotating so as to preserve the pressure plate in its proper position,
by a key or feather c³, on the inside of the said sleeve taking into a key-way
made along the whole length of the rod. The lower end, of the said rod is
fitted with a plate e, having hook connections 7, with which the ends of chains 8,
passing over pulleys c, suspended from the underside of the supporting framing e,
of the machine, and terminating in balance weights co, the action of which is
to keep the pressure plate up to its work. To prevent the pressure plate being
lifted too far, I provide a stop lever f, pivoted at f¹, to a bracket f, whilst the
handle end is made to engage under and be retained in set positions by upper
and lower stops f³, f, on an opposite bracket f³, whilst the middle part of the
said lever comes over the plate 6, at the foot end of the rod c¹, and so controls its
movement.
OPERATION.
Assuming that the pressure plate, which constitutes a bottom shaping die has
been lifted, through its balance weights, to its highest position, within the mouth
or open top end of the female die, and that the force or top shaping die has
also been raised, into the position represented in Figures 1 and 2, the cut-out
blank of leather g, is then dropped into the set c¹, in the top surface of the
pressure plate in order to ensure it taking a proper position relative to the dies a
and b, after which the force or plunger die is made to descend, by the rotation of
the hand wheel and screw and first nip the leather blank at the middle part
between it and the pressure plate; then the said plunger die and pressure plate
descend together through the fixed female die and carry with them the leather
blank, which, by the pressure exerted between the opposed parts of the lies, is
shaped or blocked to the required contour and as the edge parts are drawn through
the female die and over the sides of the male tool, the figure of a finished saddle
seat is given to the leather blank, at one operation no further trimming or shaping
of the edges being required.
On the shaped seat passing through the bottom of the female die, the material
expands slightly and is slipped off the upper die when the same makes its return
movement by the rotation of the screw in the reverse direction and rests upon
the pressure plate, which is retained in its forced-down position by the stop lever,
which engages over the plate e, being placed under the lower stop f. An
operative then removes the shaped blank and then disengages the stop lever and
allows the pressure plate to be again raised into the open end of the fixed female
die through the medium of the balance weights acting upon the end of the rising
and falling rod.

page_text: It is understood that the pressure plate constitutes a movable bottom to the
die, and that the material located between the sides of the female die and those of
the male die may be incidentally displaced and forced into elongated side walls by
the drawing through process.
I wish it also to be understood that I do not confine myself to the production of
any particular shape of saddle so long as drawing through dies are employed and
that the female die may if necessary be made movable and the he-die and pressure
plate or movable bottom of the she die fixed and arranged in such a manner
that the said female die may effect the drawing-through process by forcing of
the material over the fixed he die or dies, but in each case I prefer to nip the
said material to form the seat between a pair of dies or their equivalent during the
drawing-through or shaping operation.
I also propose that the blocking of the body, or the part in contra-distinction
to the sides, should be effected in such a manner as to somewhat elevate the peak
and leave the parts approaching the cantle end or back horizontal, so that when
affixed to the saddle framing, the said peak is drawn down to nearly the same
plane as the back, and by blocking the leather in such a manner a good shape is
given to the seat.
The leather seat may be finished off by the usual creasings or other embellish-
ments.
When the blocking is effected by means of a movable she-die working over
stationary he-die and pressure plate between which the blank is held or nipped,
I propose to connect the said stationary die or force to the pressure plate by a
holt or pin made fast to the force and passing through a hole in the middle of
the blank and a hole in the pressure plate and with the extending end being
wormed to receive a nut, by the screwing up of which the whole of the said parts
are secured together prior to the descent of the she die.
Figure 20 represents a plan of a modified form of force or he die, which is
split, or made in two longitudinal halves or sections a³, 10, connected together at
the fore end by a hinge joint all, or otherwise, whilst the back parts are yield-
ingly connected by a bolt a, located through the end parts a¹³, of the cross
gap a, and being encircled by a spring a15, whose ends abut against the opposed
faces of the said parts a¹³, and tend to open out the sections, the adjustable
ends a, of the bolt forming stops for limiting such opening. On this force
being brought into operation, its sections are gradually closed together as the
drawing through proceeds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First-Producing or blocking saddle tops by a combined shaping and drawing-
through process, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly: Producing or blocking saddle tops by a combined shaping and
drawing-through process through the medium of shaping dies or a shaping die
and a pressure plate between which the leather blank is nipped and shaped, and
a drawing-through or she die, through which the said shaping dies and blank are
forced, substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly: In a machine for producing or blocking saddle tops by a combined
shaping and drawing-through process, the employment of a top shaping force or
die and a bottom shaping die or pressure plate in combination with a drawing
through or she die, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 19.
Fourthly A machine for producing or blocking saddle tops by a combined
shaping and drawing through process, consisting of a top shaping die or force
lowered and raised by a screw, a bottom shaping die or pressure plate automatically
kept up to its work through the medium of weights, springs or equivalents and
provided with means for retaining it in a lowered position, and a suitably
mounted and fixed she or drawing through die, through which the shaping dies.

page_text: "
with a leather blank nipped between them are forced, substantially as described
and set forth in Figures 1 to 19.
Fifthly: In machinery for producing or blocking saddle tops, the general
construction arrangement and combination of the several parts operating in the
manner substantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 19.
Sixthly The improvements in the process of blocking or shaping saddle
tops and in the machinery or appliances to be employed in connection with such
process, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 24th day of December 1897.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.