Improvements in or connected with Saddles for Velocipedes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1996
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Saddles for Velocipedes.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Mary Foote Henderson of Washington,
D.C. in the United States of America) 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 for velocipedes and has for its object to remove
the causes of fatigue and physical injury generally experienced as the result of the
use of cycle saddles of ordinary form and construction. The causes, in a general
way, are due to the saddles being shaped on unanatomical and unhygienic principles,
to the hardness of the material of which they are made, and to the unyielding and
inflexible character of the parts which come into frictional contact with the body
of the rider.
The problem which is sought to be solved is to remedy the defects without
involving the necessity of the absolute change of the structure of the saddle and
the adoption of an entirely new one, which in view of the numbers now in actual
use would entail a very large expense and loss and to this end an attachment has
been devised adaptable to saddles of ordinary form and construction.
The saddle attachment may also be used as a complete saddle by providing it
with a suitable addition for fastening it to the saddle support.
This invention consists firstly of a framework or skeleton, of wire, wood or of
other suitable material, made in the form of two approximately elliptical loops
connected by a contracted and depressed bridge. The larger of the two loops
forms the frame for the seat and the smaller or front loop constitutes a guard.
The seat and guard loops with the bridge between form curved cavities to
accommodate and conform to the contour of the legs of the rider, providing
greater security and a better seat. This bridge may be formed of the same
material as the loops or it may be made of other material, the object being to
provide a support for the front and back cushions, and one more rigid for the
bridge. If the cushion covering at the bridge part is of sufficient rigidity, the
supporting frame underneath might be dispensed with, though it is preferably
employed.
To provide a further support to the cushions, the loops may be covered with any
suitable material such as canvas, rattan, wood, metal or the like, the loops con-
stituting the frame being continuous or not, according to the material of which
the cover is composed.
The front and back cushions and the bridge cushion are preferably formed in
one piece.
The invention also includes means for preventing the body of the rider, when
mounting or when riding, from coming into contact with the hard edges of the
saddle frame. These means consist first, of a rubber bead or binding which may
extend entirely around the edge of the frame, or be confined to the parts thereof
with which the rider is most likely to come into contact; secondly, of recesses or
pockets formed beneath the front edge of the seat, in which recesses or pockets
elastic pads or cushions are secured. These recesses may extend partly or entirely
around the saddle frame. The frame or contour of the recesses may be formed by

page_text: additional wires, and the back thereof by lacings of wire or cord, or by cloth, or
by solid material, or otherwise.
The edge cushions or pads may be attached to the canvas or other covering of
the saddle frame, and this construction is particularly applicable when the frame
is made of wood.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures..
Figure 1 is an underside view of the frame work of a saddle or saddle attachment
with a caned seat constructed according to this invention;
Figure 2 shews in plan view the cushion fitting for the top side of the frame
work shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the rubber binding drawn to a larger scale a
section of which is shewn attached to the wire edge at in Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents the improved device used as an attachment to a saddle of
ordinary construction.
Figure 5 shews in perspective the framework having a perforated wooden or
metal seat and with pockets or recesses at the sides to hold padding or extra
cushions.
Figure 6 is a cross section of a rubber binding on a larger scale a section of
which is attached to a wooden or metal cover over the framework, as shown at
Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a modification of Figure 1 and consists of a framework of wood
without a bridge but with a canvas cover and having a cushion attached to
its edge.
Figure 8 is a side view of the saddle frame with a clamp attachment for fastening
it directly to the bicycle frame.
The essential features of the framework of a saddle made according to this
invention are the loops A B; which are of approximately elliptical form, their
major axes being transverse to the saddle. As shewn in Figures 1 and 5 these
loops are made of wire of sufficient rigidity, bent into the form shewn in the
drawings. The rear loop A, which forms the contour or edge of the seat, 'is
connected with the front loop B, which forms the contour or edge of the guard,
by a bridge C, made by bending the wire inward and downward between the two
loops. Thus the two loops stand in approximately the same horizontal plane, with
a clear space between them but connected, by a bridge the sides of which curve both
upwardly and outwardly from the lowest point towards the loops. The curvature
of the sides of the bridge, merging into the contours of the elliptical guard and
seat, corresponds with and is adapted to the shape of the riders legs, as will be
clearly seen by reference to the drawings.
As a further support for the cushions, which cover the frame, and which may
be made of any suitable material, such as sponge rubber, sporges, compressed air,
but preferably of best quality of horse hair, the loops A B are provided with
surfaces of wire work perforated wood or metal, canvas or other suitable material
as a b shewn in Figures 1, 5 and 7..
It is very desirable that the curved cavities provided for the legs of the
rider should be so made as to prevent injurious contact with unyielding surfaces.
For this purpose around the edges of the wire frame, or if plate coverings of rigid
material are used, around the edges of. such plates, is placed a rubber bead .
This may conveniently be made of rubber tubing having a thick wall, and split
longitudinally so as to embrace the edge of the plate as shewn in Figure 5 or the
wire frame as shewn in Figure 1. Or recesses or pockets may be provided beneath
the front edge of the seat a, to receive padding or a cushion d, one of which is
shown in Figure 5. As there indicated the outline of the recess or pocket is
formed by the upper edge of the seat a, the curved portion A' of the main wire
and a supplemental wire è. The wires A¹e are bent downward and inward in

page_text: curved lines, the recess or pocket being extended as far as may be deemed desirable.
The bottom of the recess is shewn as being formed by a lacing f of cord or wire,
but it may, as already stated be made in many different ways.
In Figure 7 the loops A B, forming the contours of the seat and guard respectively
are shewn as being made of wood and the surface a to which the pad d is attached,
of canvass or like material.
Figure 2 represents the saddle attachment or cushion having the same general
outline as the framework. At the front end of the under side it has a flap or
pockets (Figure 4) to receive the loop B, and at the rear it has straps, by which
to connect the cushion at that end to the frame of the saddle, but any other
suitable means for attachment may be used.
The saddle may be provided with a bar k and a clamp k¹ as shown in Figures 4
and 8 whereby it can be fastened to the saddle bar E or any other suitable device
may be employed to attach the saddle or the saddle attachment to the bicycle
post or support.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A frame for a cycle saddle or attachment comprising two approximately
elliptical loops, one forming the contour of the seat and the other the contour of
the guard, and a contracted and depressed connection or bridge between the two
loops, substantially as described.
2. A framework for a cycle saddle shaped to form a rear loop to support the
seat, a front loop of approximately elliptical outline, and a connection or bridge,
whose sides curve downward and inward from the rear loop, and upward and
outward toward the front loop, thereby forming on each side a cavity corresponding
to the contour of the leg, substantially as described.
3. A cycle saddle frame comprising a seat at the back and a guard in front,
with a space between them, in combination with a cushion covering the seat and
guard, and forming between the two cavities conforming to the contour of the
rider's legs, substantially as described.
4. A cycle seat provided on its edge with a bead or rib of rubber, substantially
as described.
5. A cycle seat having a seat and guard with a depression or space between,.
adapted to the contour of the rider's legs, and provided with lateral or edge
cushions to prevent contact of the legs with surfaces or edges, substantially as
described.
6. A cycle saddle comprising a framework shaped to form the contours of the
seat and guard respectively, with an intermediate depression, and provided with
recesses or pockets beneath the edge of the seat, for receiving pads or cushions.
substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of July 1896
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.