Improvements in Saddles and Seats for Cycles and other Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISION AL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Saddles and Seats for Cycles and other Purposes.
We, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, Managing Director of J. B. Brooks and Com-
pany, Limited, of Criterion Works, Great Charles Street, in the City of
Birmingham, and JOHN HOLT, of Criterion Works aforesaid, Works Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to saddles and seats for cycles and other purposes, and
has for its object, to provide a means for mechanically sustaining or upholding
those parts of a saddle or seat whereon the greater part of the riders weight
has to be carried and which are most liable to sag or sink when in use.
This object we propose to attain by the employment of an articulated free
ended or yielding-ended springs located underneath the seat and consisting of
series of springs levering arms acting in such a manner as to mechanically
sustain, support or uphold the required parts of the seat and further, in the
case of a cycle saddle, to permit of each separate spring thereof having inde-
pendent rising and falling action relative to one another during the time that
a rider is pedalling. Thus, in a cycle saddle constructed according to our
improvements, the weight of a rider seated thereon is partially supported or
borne by the articulated springs underneath and partially by the stretched
seat leather.
In carrying out one form of our invention as applied to a cycle saddle, we
propose to attach to the back plate or other fixed support at the rear of the seat,
series of spring arms converging from the said rear inwardly towards the
middle part, with their back ends made fast to the back plate and their front
and free ends bearing directly against the underside of the seat of the saddle,
or connected to a piece of leather or pad having a bearing against the said
underside of the seat. The spring arms may be graduated in length, or both
in length and strength so as to exercise the greatest sustaining or uplifting
pressure against those parts of the seat which require the most support.
The spring levering arms may be arranged in two separated sets, one under-
neath either side of the seat, which sides are thus capable of a relatively
independent flexure or up and down movement when the rider is pedalling,
whilst the several free-ended arms or springs may have loop coils formed
within them, preferably at or near their back or attachment ends. Or the free-
ended supporting arms may be in the form of spring tongues cut out of sheet
steel with their inner ends, which act against the underside of the seat, being
either free, or connected directly or indirectly to the said seat. The said ends
may terminate in discs, buttons or enlarged bearing parts, whilst their shanks
may be bowed or curved.
The application of our invention to seats for various purposes differs in no
essential respect from its application to cycle saddles as herein described.
Dated this 17th day of Mar 1899

page_text: Improvements in Saddles and Seats for Cycles and other Purposes.
We, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, Managing Director of J. B. Brooks and Com-
pany, Limited, of Criterion Works, Great Charles Street, in the City of
Birmingham, and JoHN HOLT, of Criterion. Works aforesaid, Works Manager,
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:-
This invention relates to saddles and seats for cycles and has for its object,
to provide a means for mechanically sustaining or upholding those parts of a
saddle or seat whereon the greater part of the riders weight comes, and which
are most liable to sag or sink when in use.
This object we propose to attain by the employment of a system of free-
ended or yielding springs or levering arms located underneath the seat and
acting in such a manner as to mechanically sustain, support or uphold the
same at the required parts, whilst permitting (in the case of a cycle saddle) of
the several springs having independent rising and falling action relative to
one another during the time that a rider is pedalling. Further, in a saddle
constructed according to our improvements, the weight of the rider seated
thereon is partially supported or borne by the system of springs underneath
aud partially by the seat leather.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an underside plan of the
seat of a cycle saddle provided with one form of our improvements.
Figure is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, taken upon the dotted
line, whilst Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section of Figure 1 upon the
dotted lines a².
Figure 4 is another transverse section of the said, seat, similar to that shown
by Figure 3, but taken through a point nearer the peak of the saddle, viz., upon
the dotted line 3.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
In carrying out this form of our invention as applied to a cycle saddle, we
secure to the underside of the seat a, preferably through the medium of the
back plate or rear support b, a system of spring arms c, arranged in suitable
series, with their rearward ends made fast by means of the aforesaid back plate
whilst their forward ends c', are free and bear directly against the underside
of the seat leather which may or may not be suitably padded or upholstered.
The springs are in the form of steel tongues, preferably arranged in two
separate series, ³, on either side of the saddle, each distinct series being
formed integrally from a cut-out blank of sheet metal, although it is to be
understood that we do not in any way confine ourselves to this method of
making, as the tongues may be made separately and affixed in any way as
desired. The springs of the innermost series c², may be flat as shown, to lie
throughout their length against or close up to the seat leather, whereas the
springs of the series, are longer and may either be of a bowed or cambered
figure, with their free ends bearing against and upholding portions of the
seat forward of the parts sustained by the shorter series, as represented, or
they also may be flat throughout the whole or the greater part of their length.
The several springs or yielding tongues of each series are graduated in length
and strength, and are so arranged that they exercise the greatest sustaining
pressure against the middle or innermost parts of the seat where the most
support is required.

page_text: By arranging the spring levering arms in separated series as shown coming
respectively under the opposite sides of the seat; the said sides are rendered
capable of making an independent up and down movement when the rider is
pedalling.
Instead of the sustaining springs being in the form of flat or bowed steel
tongues as described, they may be in the form of wire arms of graduated strengths,
arranged in converging or other series, with their rear ends secured to or by
the saddle back plate, whilst their inner ends are free and bear against the
parts of the seat which it is desired to uphold. These arms may have loop
coils formed within them, preferably at or near the back or attachment ends,
whilst the springs, whether made in the form of steel tongues or from wire,
may, instead of being free at their outer ends be secured directly or indirectly
to the parts of the seat which it is desired to uphold. Further the inward
ends of the springs may terminate in discs, buttons, coils or other enlarge-
ments to provide a more extended bearing against the underside of the seat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
First In cycle saddles, resiliently sustaining or upholding the seạt through
the medium of independently-acting tongue-springs or levering spring arms,
with their free parts being presented to, or bearing against the area to be
set forth in the
supported, substantially as herein described, and also as
accompanying drawings.
Secondly--In cycle saddles, resiliently sustaining or upholding the seat by
5 yielding and independently acting tongue-springs, or levering spring arms,
arranged or distributed in series, one above the other, underneath the seat,
with the tips or parts of the longer series bearing against portions of the seat
forward of the parts supported by the shorter series, substantiaily as herein
described, and also as set forth in the accompanying drawings.
Babad this 116 197
rebruary
1000
1300
Balad
thre Inth 4AV 411 Lentitary low.
JOHN BOULTBEE BRUUAD,
JOHN HOLT.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.