IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES FOR VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM WOOLLEY of St Martin's Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES FOR VELOCIPEDES to be as follows:-
"
"
My invention relates to the construction of saddles for bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes; whereby the seat of the said saddle is rendered more yielding
or elastic than saddles of the ordinary construction; and further, an improved
means whereby the slack of the seat is taken up as occasions require; and my said
invention consists in supporting the seat of the saddle on a cruciform frame; that
is to say, a bow or arched frame stretching from the head to the cantel, and also a
lateral cross bar fixed about midway between the middle of the longitudinal bar.
This longitudinal bar is capable of turning at the cantel end, upon a pivot or
trunnion like centre, while the other or head end is capable of turning slightly by
the yielding of the leather to which it is connected. The terminal ends of the
cross bar are supported upon stout coiled springs, which formn yielding pillars
which allow the seat of the saddle to yield laterally on pressure being applied on
one or other of its sides. The hollows of the tops and bottoms of the springs fit
onto broad studs or thick discs situated respectively on the undersides of the
cross bar and the saddle seat. A supplementary stay or stretcher frame follows the
form of the saddle at the cantel end; and to a lip or angle piece of the said frame,
a screw nut or pin is supported, which constitutes the trunnion centre for allowing
the seat to rock or yield laterally on the motion of the rider, and so imparting to
the seat, ease and comfort, which is unattainable by saddles of the ordinary
construction; thus the saddle yields or follows to the motion of the body of the
rider, thereby allowing an easy rocking motion which is an acquisition in riding.
The adjustment is effected by three or four contiguous holes in the line of the
longitudinal bar, and at the head or pummel end thereof, a screw pin or stud is
fixed to the saddle which comes opposite the adjustinent holes; so that by changing
one or other of the holes, different adjustments can be obtained, and any slack of
the seat of the saddle taken up.

page_text: I, WILLIAM WOOLLEY of Saint Martin's Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLES FOR VELOCIPEDES" and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
.following statement:—
ت
. . My invention relates to the construction of saddles for bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes; whereby the seat of the said saddle is rendered more yielding or
elastic than saddles of the ordinary construction; And further an improved means
whereby the slack of the seat is taken up as occasions require; And my said
invention consists in supporting the seat of the saddle on a cruciform frame; that
is to say, a bow or arched frame stretching from the head to the cantel end, and
also a lateral cross bar fixed about midway between the middle of the longitudinal
bar This longitudinal bar is capable of turning at the cantel end, upon a pivot or
trunnion like centre, while the other or head end is capable of turning slightly by
the yielding of the leather to which it is connected. The terminal ends of the
cross bar are supported upon stout coiled springs, which form yielding pillars,
which allow the seat of the saddle to yield laterally on pressure being applied on
one or other of its sides. The hollows of the tops and bottoms of the springs fit
on to broad studs or thick discs situated respectively on the undersides of the cross
bar and the saddle seat. A supplementary stay or stretcher frame follows the
form of the saddle at the cantel end; and to a lip or angle piece of the said frame,
a screw nut or pin is supported, which constitutes the trunnion centre for allowing
the seat to rock or yield laterally, on the motion of the rider, and so imparting to
the seat, ease and comfort which is unattainable by saddles of the ordinary
construction; thus the saddle yields or follows to the motion of the body of the
rider, thereby allowing an easy rocking motion which is an acquisition in riding.
The adjustment is effected by three or four contiguous holes in the line of the
longitudinal bar, and at the head or pummel end thereof, a screw pin or stud is
fixed to the saddle which comes opposite the adjustment holes; so that by changing
one or other of the holes, different adjustinents can be obtained and any slack of
the seat of the saddle taken up.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 is an under-side view of a bicycle or tricycle saddle constructed
according to my invention--Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same
on the dotted lines A B figure 1, and figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on
the dotted lines CD, the saddle being in its normal condition-Figure 4 represents
the same tilted.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is the seat or skin of the saddle, bis the pummel end, and c is the cantel end
of the said saddle-d is a seat suspending frame, preferably of a cruciform
shape, and stretching from the head to the cantel end of the saddle, as seen in the
under-side view figure 1-This frame d d remains stationary or fixed, while the

page_text: saddle seat a is capable of partially turning or tilting aside at the back end c upon
a stud or pin e as a fulcrum centre-The other or forward end of the seat also
slightly turns by the yielding of the leather, although it is rigidly affixed to the
front part of the framing. The joint end of the saddle is provided with a metallic
skirting plate for imparting rigidity thereto.
ggare stout coiled springs, situated between the upper sides of the terminal
ends of the lateral cross bar d' and the underside of the saddle. These springs
form as it were, yielding pillars, which allow the seat of the saddle to yield or
turn laterally, on pressure being applied on either one or other of its sides. These
springs are spiral in form, and are fixed at their lower ends to the cross framing
by rivetting or otherwise, leaving their upper ends free. Thus the saddle seat is
supported at four points, two yielding, one turning and the other practically rigid.
On the motion of a rider the saddle yields laterally, or rocks first on one side,
and then on the other (see cross section figure 4) in following the motion of a rider
in pedalling.
By my improvements saddles are ridden with greater ease and comfort, than is
attainable in saddles with rigid or non-yielding sides.
Although I have described and represented coiled springs, interposed between
the bar and the underside of the saddle seat, yet flat springs, or the terminal
ends of flat springs, may be employed with like effect.
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
First. Pivoting or jointing the back or cantel end of the seats of saddles to the
back of the fixed under supporting frame, while the front end of the saddle is fixed,
substantially as and for the purpose, as described and set forth.
Secondly. Supporting the opposite undersides of the seats of canting or rocking
saddles by means of springs disposed at opposite points; which said springs keep
the saddle in a state of equilibrium or returns the seat thereof to its normal
position on the to and fro movement of a rider, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Thirdly. A cruciform saddle seat supporting frame, consisting of the longi-
tudinal bar d and lateral bar d³, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this eighteenth day of November 1885.