Improvements in or connected with Velocipede Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Velocipede Saddles.
I, WARREN BELL BUCKLEY, of the City of Glens Falls, in the County of
Warren, in the State of New York, in the United States of America, Gentleman,
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 reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the figures
and letters marked thereon like parts being indicated by similar letters of reference
that is to say :-
The invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction
and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.
Figure 1 is a plan view of a saddle frame constructed according to the present
invention and especially designed for the use of females.
Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a saddle frame especially designed for the use of
males.
Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof.
Figure is a sectional view on the line - of Figure 1.
The frame shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, is made of a single length of
spring wire of suitable diameter, the ends of the wire forming the attaching
shanks A, A.
The shanks are bent at their ends so as to form inwardly projecting offsets or
loops A' and the shanks are to be secured to the bicycle frame in the usual well
known manner by a clip, (not shown) and the offsets A¹ which come under the
clip effectually prevent the shanks from turning in either direction.
The rear coils A2 form the main springs of the saddle and the small coils A³
coiled in a reverse direction relatively to the rear coils form auxiliary springs and
tend to keep the seat in a horizontal position.
In the example given at Figures 1 and 2 that portion of the wire, which
connects the small coils passes rearwardly from the small coils approximately to
the forward edges of the large coils and forms the side supports A it then passes
in approximately straight lines to the longitudinal middle part of the frame and
forms the rear support A'; it then passes forward beyond the line of the small
coils and forms the loop or middle support A°.
The normal position of all these supports is such that they occupy approximately
the same horizontal plane.
Fitted upon these supports in any suitable manner is the seat B (shown by the
dotted lines in Figure 1) which is made of flexible material and the seat material
is shaped to conform to the general outline of the side and back supports and the
edges B' bear upon the side supports A4 and the rear edge B' upon the rear
supports A.
The front edge B³ of the seat has its middle part shaped to project forward
at B to cover the middle support A®.
The pommel saddle commonly used in connection with bicycles, affords no
outside support for the limbs of the rider, and in some instances has caused serious
and permanent injury to female riders.
My improved saddle for females affords a support for the opposite sides of each
limb and prevents the unnatural and excessive outward and disjointing strain upon
the limbs of the rider occasioned by the pommel form of saddle.

page_text: The seat material B of my improved saddle, being flexible, yields sufficiently to
form a slight depression between each side support A* and the middle support A
thereby giving more prominence to the side supports.
The forward portion of the middle support A is shown curved slightly down-
ward at A².
When the flexible seat B is secured upon the wire supports A* A' A°, the
forward portion of the middle part is free to slide transversely of and upon the
middle support A' at the forward end of the latter, so that depressions in the seat
between the middle support A* and the side supports A will vary when in use, the
depression of either limb of the rider causing an increased depression in the seat
on the side of the depressed limb, and a corresponding elevation in the seat on the
opposite side, on which side the limb of the rider is elevated, whereby the seat is
made to adjust itself in large degree to the position of the rider's limbs.
When desired the loop A which forms the middle support may be dispensed
with, the forward edge of the seat B in that case being stiffened or reinforced by
a cross-bar B extending from one side support to the other, as shown in Figure 5,
and indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.
In the example given at Figures 3 and 4 of a saddle for male riders the side
supports A of the saddle are so shaped that they diverge from the coils A³ to
the rear seat support A5 and generally lie in a lower plane than the rear seat
support A to which their rear ends rise by a short curve or incline whilst the
loop A projects further forward than in the previous example and terminates in
an upturned pominel A' this modification in construction being necessary in order
to permit the rider to sit astride the saddle but nevertheless the device is in keeping
with the spirit of my invention.
It will be understood that the saddle may be covered with a seat in a similar
manner to that described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.
Although the invention is more or less described in connection with bicycles
it will be evident that it is equally applicable to some other forms of velocipedes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A velocipede saddle frame composed of an integral spring wire, and
comprising a pair of attaching shanks, a pair of relatively large spring coils, one
coil on the rear end of each shank and in vertical plane therewith, a pair of
relatively small spring coils connected with the large coils respectively by more or
less forwardly diverging or parallel portions of the wire, a seat support projecting
rearwardly from and connecting the small coils, and a middle support projecting
from the rear part of the seat support forwardly to a position in line with and
midway between the small coils, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a velocipede saddle, the combination with a spring wire frame having a
middle and separate side supports, of a flexible seat secured to the respective side
supports and moveable transversely of and on the middle support substantially as
herein shown and described.
3. In a velocipede saddle, the combination with a spring frame having seat
supports, said seat supports being free to yield to an independent downward
movement, and a flexible seat secured to the respective seat supports, substantially
as herein shown and described.
Dated this 20th day of March 1895
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.