Improvements in Velocipede and other Saddles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896
Complete Specification Loft 23rd Feb
1897-Accented. 15th May. 1897
Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896
Complete Specification Left 23rd Feb.
1897-Accented. 15th May. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Velocipede and other Saddles.
I, JOHN PRICE REES, of 32 Great Chapel Street, Westminster, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in saddles for bicycles and other
velocipedes and in military and other saddles, and is chiefly designed to increase
the comfort of the rider by providing a flexible and elastic seat that will absorb
vibrations and prevent their being imparted to the body of the rider, and by
affording more efficient ventilation than is obtained with the ordinary saddles.
According to my said invention, instead of making the part of the saddle which
supports the rider's body, of a piece of leather rigidly secured at both its front and
rear ends or edges to a fixed pommel and cantle as heretofore, I either make it of
a series of spiral springs the front and rear ends of which are secured respectively
to a specially constructed pommel and cantle, or I make it of a piece of leather
which is attached either at its front or at its rear end or edge or at both its front and
rear ends or edges through spiral springs to the said pommel and cantle respectively.
In this manner I provide for greatly diminishing the vibration imparted to the
rider and also for more efficiently ventilating the said saddle.
In constructing a saddle according to my said invention for a cycle or velocipede,
1 make the same with an arc-shaped piece or plate at the rear, and with a smaller
plate at the front end which is capable of being moved or adjusted relatively to
the rear or arc-shaped piece or plate by means of a bolt and nut or in any other
suitable manner; and I connect a series of spiral springs of suitable strength at
one end to the said rear or arc-shaped piece or plate and at the other end to the
adjustable front plate. I sometimes make the said rear or arc-shaped piece and
the front-plate with a series of holes into which are inserted suitable hooks or
other suitable fastenings at the ends of the spiral springs. In some cases I find it
advantageous to make the said springs taper from the rear to the front, so that
they may be arranged closely together at the front end without necessitating
any undue increase in the size of the pommel of the saddle. The said rear or
arc-shaped plate and front plate are attached by means of suitable arms or rods
to the usual clamp or socket adapted to be secured to the seat-pillar or L-pin of
the cycle.
If desired I wholly or partially cover the spring saddle above mentioned with
leather or other suitable material.
In other cases, where it is desired to provide a leather seat, I secure a suitably-
shaped piece of leather at its front end to the pommel of the saddle, and attach the
said piece of leather at its rear end to an arc-shaped piece or plate by means of a
row of short spiral springs, preferably provided with hooks engaging in eyeletted
holes in the leather at their front ends and in suitable holes in the ar -shaped piece.
at their rear ends.
The device which I prefer to employ for adjusting the position of the pommel or
front plate relatively to the cantle or rear plate of the saddle, consists of a stationary
nut in which turns a screw-threaded bolt having a shoulder and extending through
a sleeve or collar on the underside of the pommel or front plate of the saddle

page_text: which sleeve or collar bears against the said shoulder. The said bolt is, moreover,
provided with a square, hexagonal or other suitably-shaped end so that it may be
readily turned to increase or reduce the tension on the spiral springs.
My improvements can also be applied to military and other saddles for use on
horses or other animals.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings. London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
provemen
I, JOHN PRICE REES, of 32 Great Chapel Street, Westminster, in the County
of London, Engineer, 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 :--
My invention relates to improvements in saddles for bicycles and other velocipedes
and in military and other saddles, and is chiefly designed to increase the comfort
of the rider by providing a flexible and elastic seat that will absorb vibrations and
prevent their being imparted to the body of the rider, and by affording more
efficient ventilation than is obtained with the ordinary saddles.
According to my said invention, instead of making the part of the saddle which
supports the rider's body of a piece of leather rigidly secured at both its front and
rear ends or edges to a fixed pommel and cantle as heretofore, I either make it of
a series of spiral springs the front and rear ends of which are secured respectively
to a specially-constructed pommel and cantle, or I make it of a piece of leather
which is connected either at its front or at its rear end or edge, or at both its front
and rear ends or edges, through spiral springs to the said pommel and cantle
respectively. In this manner I provide for greatly diminishing the vibration
imparted to the rider and also for more efficiently ventilating the said saddle.
In constructing a saddle according to my said invention for a cycle or velocipede,
I make the same with an arc-shaped piece or plate at the rear, and with a smaller
plate at the front end which is capable of being moved or adjusted relatively to the
rear or arc-shaped piece or plate by means of a bolt and nut or in any other
suitable manner; and I connect a series of spiral springs of suitable strength at
one end to the said rear or arc-shaped piece or plate and at the other end to the
adjustable front plate. I sometimes make the said rear or arc-shaped piece and the
front-plate with a series of holes into which are inserted suitable hooks or other
suitable fastenings at the ends of the spiral springs. In some cases I find it
advantageous to make the said springs taper from the rear to the front, so that
they may be arranged closely together at the front end without necessitating any
undue increase in the size of the pommel of the saddle. The said rear or arc-
shaped plate and front plate are attached by means of suitable arms or rods to the
usual clamp or socket adapted to be secured to the seat-pillar or L-pin of the
cycle.
If desired I wholly or partially cover the spring saddle above mentioned with
leather or other suitable material.
In other cases, where it is desired to provide a leather seat, I secure a suitably-
shaped piece of leather at its front end to the pommel of the saddle, and attach the
said piece of leather at its rear end to an arc-shaped piece or plate by means of a
row of short spiral springs, preferably provided with hooks engaging in eyeletted

page_text: The device which I prefer to employ for adjusting the position of the pommel
or front plate relatively to the cantle or rear plate of the saddle, consists of a
stationary nut in which turns a screw-threaded bolt having a shoulder or collar
which bears against the inner surface of the pommel or front plate of the saddle.
The said bolt is, moreover, provided with a square, hexagonal or other suitably-
shaped end so that it may be readily turned to increase or reduce the tension
on the spiral springs.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be.
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a sectional elevation of a lady's bicycle-saddle constructed according
to my said invention.
Figure 3 is a view of the front or pommel plate of the said saddle.
Figure 4 is a plan of a gentleman's bicycle-saddle constructed according to my
said invention.
Figures 5 to 8 are similar views respectively, illustrating another modification
of my said invention.
Figure 9 is a plan, of a racing bicycle-saddle.
Figure 10 is a plan, and
Figure 11 a side elevation, showing my improvements applied to a saddle for
use on a horse or like animal.
Referring to Figures 1 to 9, a is the front plate or pommel-plate and 6 the arc-
shaped piece or cantle; c, c are spiral springs securely attached at their ends,
respectively, to the said pommel-plate a and cantle b. d is a curved bar or frame
comprising two arms which are firmly secured in the arc-shaped piece b and
which are clamped in a suitable clamping device e attached to the seat-pillar or
saddle-post f. At the junction of the two arms of the curved bar or frame d is
provided a screw-nut g, into which is screwed an adjusting screw h having a
collar h' that bears against the inner side of the front plate a, and a square end h³
extending through a hole in the said plate and adapted to receive a key for turning
the said screw. A pinj is fixed in the front plate a and extends between the arms
of the curved bar or frame d to prevent turning of the same with the screw h.
In the saddles shown in Figures 1 to 4, the spiral springs c extend from the
front or pommel plate a to the arc-shaped piece or cantle b. In the saddles shown
in Figures 5 to 9, some of the springs c extend only for a part of the distance
from the arc-shaped piece or cantle b and are connected to the front or pommel
plate a by wires or rods c'. I am thus enabled to reduce the width of the saddle
at the pommel end thereof, and to reduce its weight. I sometimes pass some of
the said wires or rods c¹ through a ring m, Figure 9, to still further reduce the
width of the saddle at the pommel end.
By turning the screw h in one or the other direction, the tension of the springs c
can be very readily regulated as required or altered to suit riders of different
weight.
I prefer, in all cases, to leave a space between the two springs in the centre of
the saddle, sufficient to prevent injurious perineal pressure.
If desired the saddle is wholly or partially covered with leather or other
suitable material.
In applying my improvements to a military or like saddle, I form tapped holes
in the front plate or piece a or provide the same with nuts to receive two adjusting
.screws h, which are passed through holes in the saddle-bow k, and the collars h' of
which bear against the said saddle-bow. The arc-shaped piece or cantle 6 is secured
to or forms a part of the saddle-tree. I provide a strap about midway between
the pommel and cantle, whereby the springs c may be given a greater or lesser
degree of initial depression. The said springs may be wholly or partially covered
with leather as may be desired. I sometimes leave an opening through the saddle

page_text: beneath the space between the two central springs c, for ventilation, and to prevent
soreness of the horse's back.
It is obvious that the construction of my improved saddle can be somewhat
further modified without departing from the nature of my said invention.
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. A saddle comprising front and rear pieces or plates connected by springs
and provided with suitable means for adjusting them relatively to each other,
substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before described.
Second. The combination of the front and rear pieces or plates connected by
the springs, a curved bar or frame secured at one end to the rear or cantle plate
and having one or more tapped holes or nuts at its other end, and one or more
adjusting screws fitting into the said tapped holes or nuts and extending through a
hole or holes in the front plate or pommel, substantially as, and for the purposes,
herein before described.
Third. A military or other saddle provided with longitudinal springs and suitable
means for regulating their tension, and with a strap or the like for giving an
initial depression to the said springs, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The improved saddle constructed substantially as described with
reference to either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying
drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated the 23rd day of February 1897.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.