Improvements in Pneumatic Saddles and Seats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1897-Accepted, 19th Feb.,
1898
Improvements in Pneumatic Saddles and Seats.
I, OTTO GEORGE HENRY EDWARD KEHRHAHN, of 23, Redcliffe Gardens, South
Kensington, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me by Herbert B. Ewbank, Senior, and Herbert B. Ewbank,
Junior, both of Baltimore City, State of Maryland, United States of America) to
be as follows:-
This invention of improvements in pneumatic saddles relates particularly to a
bicycle saddle comprising a rigid frame and pneumatic cushions or pads removably
affixed to the frame in such manner that when inflated they will be secured against
all displacement. It also relates to the construction of the pneumatic pads or
cushions whereby they are retained in proper shape; that is to say kept flat, no
matter how tightly inflated and are prevented from blowing out into a ball and
causing the leather casing to draw out of the.seat in the frame as would otherwise
happen if over inflated.
The frame of the saddle, which may be of cast aluminium, stamped steel, or
other suitable material, is formed with apertures or "seats" adapted to receive
the pneumatic pads, the said apertures or "seats" being symmetrically placed at
either side of the centre line of the saddle and being provided with inwardly
recurved flanges forming undercut peripheral grooves adapted to receive an out-
wardly projecting flange on the base of the pad. The pad is constructed of an
inflatable inner chamber enclosed in a casing of leather or other flexible material
so formed that the pad will project almost wholly above the surface of the frame,
the casing being for this purpose formed of a top and side portion moulded to
shape and a flat bottom portion united by stitching around the base so as to form
by their outwardly turned edges a projecting flange around the base adapted to
take under the inwardly projecting flange of the seat aperture of the frame by
which it is held securely, the thick leather base being sufficiently rigid to prevent
the cushion or pad coming out of its seat in the frame when inflated.
The inflatable chamber of the pad or cushion is formed of rubber with a canvas
lining and cross stays of canvas connecting the top and bottom surfaces so that
no matter how tightly inflated the pad may be the top surface will be kept flat
by its connection with the bottom, these stays being preferably in the form of
parallel webs dividing the chamber into cells communicating in common with an
inflating valve tube.
The invention although described with reference to a bicycle saddle is also
applicable to chairs and seats generally.
1007

page_text: I, OTTO GEORGE HENRY EDWARD KEHRILAHN, of 23, Redcliffe Gardens, South
Kensington, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me by Herbert B. Ewbank, Senior, and Herbert B. Ewbank,
Junior, both of Baltimore City, State of Maryland, United States of America) and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention of improvements in pneumatic saddles relates particularly to a
bicycle saddle comprising a rigid frame and pneumatic cushions or pads removably
affixed to the frame in such manner that when inflated they will be secured against
all displacement. It also relates to the construction of the pneumatic pads or
cushions whereby they are retained in proper shape, that is to say kept flat, no
matter how tightly inflated and are prevented from blowing out convexly and
causing the leather casing to draw out of the seat in the frame as would otherwise
happen if over inflated.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figure 1 is a half sectional rear elevation of the saddle and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same the frame being partly in section. The same
reference letters denote like parts in both figures.
a
The frame A of the saddle which may be of cast aluminium, stamped steel, or
other suitable material, is adapted to receive pneumatic cushions or pads B of the
shape shewn in the plan view Figure 2 (or of any other convenient shape or form)
symmetrically placed at either side of the centre line of the saddle. For the pur-
pose of securely retaining the pads or cushions B the frame A is formed with
inwardly recurved flanges a enclosing undercut grooves adapted to receive
flange projecting outwardly on all sides from the base of the pad. The pad is
constructed of an inflatable inner chamber C of rubber enclosed in a casing of
leather or equivalent material so formed that the pad will project almost wholly
from its seat in the frame A, the casing being for this purpose formed of a top
and side portion 6 moulded to shape and a flat bottom portion 62 the two being
united by stitching so as to form by their outwardly turned edges the projecting
flange above referred to adapted to take under the inwardly projecting flange a
of the seat frame by which it is held securely, the thick leather base 62 being
sufficiently rigid to prevent the cushion or pad coming out of its seat in the frame
when inflated but possessing sufficient flexibility to permit of the pad being easily
sprung into its seat in the frame so that its flange 6 engages beneath the flange a
where it is securely locked by the stiffness caused by inflation. In the bottom 72
of the casing an aperture 63 is provided of sufficient size to enable the deflated
chamber C to be inserted or withdrawn for repair.
The inflatable chamber C of the pad or cushion is formed of rubber with cross-
stays c connecting the top and bottom surfaces of the pad so that no matter how
tightly inflated the pad may be, the top of the chamber will be kept flat by its con-
nection with the bottom the stays being preferably in the form parallel webs
dividing the chamber into 'tubular cells communicating in common with an inflat-
ing valve tube D. That is to say the ends of the cross stays c are not joined to the
sides of the air chamber so that the tubular cells are all in communication with
each other. Each stay c is of rubber-coated canvas and is preferably formed in
one with the canvas lining c¹ c² of the top and bottom surfaces of the pad so that
each stay is composed of two thicknesses of canvas formed by the sides of adjacent
cells cemented together. These cells or cross stays tend to prevent the shifting
of the air and at all times preserve the firmness and flatness of the pad or cushion.

page_text: The invention although described with reference to a bicycle saddle is also
applicable to chairs and seats generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination in a bicycle saddle or a seat, of a rigid plate frame provided
upon its upper surface with sockets adapted to receive pneumatic pads each sur-
mounted by an inwardly recurved flange, pneumatic pads each enclosed in a casing
of leather or equivalent material provided with a flange outwardly projecting
around its base and adapted to engage in the undercut groove beneath the said
flange so that when the pad is inflated it will be securely retained in the frame
substantially as specified."
2. The combination in a bicycle saddle or a seat, of a rigid plate frame provided
upon its upper surface with sockets adapted to receive pneumatic pads each sur-
mounted by an inwardly recurved flange, pneumatic pads each comprising a casing
of leather or equivalent material provided with a flange outwardly projecting
around its base and adapted to engage in the undercut groove beneath the said
flange, and an air bag enclosed within the casing and having inner stay strips
connecting the top and bottom of the air bag whereby the air bag may be inflated
without liability of disengaging the flange of the casing from the groove of the
seat socket substantially as specified.
3. A pneumatic pad for bicycle saddles and other seats, formed of a rubber air
bag having inner stay strips connecting its top and bottom as described so as to
limit their distension by inflation as specified.
4. A pneumatic pad for bicycle saddles and other seats, formed of a rubber air
bag having inner stay strips connecting its top and bottom as described so as to
limit their distension by inflation, and an enclosing casing of leather or equivalent
material having an external flange around its base adapted to be received in a
socket in a frame and to be engaged in an undercut groove around said socket as
specified.
Dated this 911 Decemb190
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.