An Improvement in the Form and Attachment of Cycle and other Seats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept.,
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Form and Attachment of Cycle and other
Seats.
WALTER WYKESMITH St. Margaret's, Wimborne, Dorset Surgeon do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a seat or saddle to be used for cycles and general purposes.
I construct my seat in the shape of the bone known as the merrythought of a
duck; the bony part representing the outside rim or frame, which may be made
of wood, metal, or other suitable material, with one or more ribs or springs pro-
jecting inward, from the sides or back, with the object of maintaining the seat
and preventing sagging.
The seat may be covered with, or composed of leather, (in strips or otherwise)
catgut, cord, woven wire or other material.
I support the frame either from back-centre of frame, or sides of same, with or
or more springs or other attachments.
בד
An Improvement in the Form and Attachment of Cycle and other
Seats.
I, WALTER WYKESMITH of St. Margarets, Wimborne, in the County of Dorset,
England, Surgeon, 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 an improved form of seat or saddle for velocipedes
applicable also for other purposes, and it consists essentially of a frame made out of
metallic wire or other suitable material, and of a cover or seat proper carried by
the said frame, the object being to obtain a saddle having no projecting pommel
or peak, and yet affording sufficient support to the rider to enable the machine to
be controlled by the body without the use of the hands.
It is well known that the function of a pommel or peak of a cycle saddle is to
enable the rider to obtain such a grip on and control over the machine as will
enable the balance to be maintained without the use of and independent of the
steering handle bar. In use there are many objections-chiefly from a medical
Price 1

page_text: point of view to the use of peaks or pommels on saddles, and many seats or saddles
have been devised without such peaks or pommels, but they have been more or less
unsatisfactory in use as their construction has not provided any equivalent for
affording the rider the necessary grip on and control over the machine.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my invention:--
Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the underframe only
Figure 2 is a view in plan with one part of the seat or cover removed, and
Figure 3 is a view in side elevation, the cover or seat being shown in dotted
lines.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
It will be seen from the drawing that the shape of the supporting frame of the
saddle approximates to that of the merrythought of a bird. The frame A is
preferably made out of a single piece of wire bent in the shape shown so as to form
a double hollow frame with an open front. The centre part of the length of wire
forms the centre of the back part of the upper member marked a on the drawing.
Taking this point as a starting point each half of the frame is constructed in a
similar manner, therefore I will describe one side only. The piece of wire starting
from the point a is bent to form a curved frame slanting slightly upwards, as shown
in the drawing, to the point b which is the highest point of the frame, from whence
it slopes and curves downwards to the point e making a distinct hollow at b¹.
From the point c it suddenly curves back to form the lower part of the underframe
and following approximately the lines of the part bc but still sloping downwards
it commences to curve at the point d from whence it follows the line of the
part ab as far as e where it is bent into one or more coils and then extends for-
ward in the horizontal plane forming the part f which is adapted to be attached to
the seat pillar by means of a clip such as B. Although I prefer to make the under-
frame with the lower part c-e thereof at a sufficient distance from the upper
part ac in order to increase the elasticity of the underframe it may be made with
the two parts in close or approximately close contact in which case the elasticity
of the underframe would be solely derived from the parts e-f. The cover or
seat G which may be of leather or other suitable material is suspended from the
upper part a b c only of the underframe so that the space between the two parts
is available for cushioning. The rider when seated obtains a purchase from the
side parts bb of the frame, which give a support equally in all respects to that
obtained from the usual pommel or peak. By curving the part of the frame
between the points b and c the frame is suitably shaped to allow free movement
of the riders legs.
If desired the ends of the wire at the parts e may be twisted or otherwise
secured together to give them mutual support, and although the frame is herein-
before described as made out of a single length or wire or its equivalent it may be
made out of two or more pieces if found more convenient in practice.
The cover or seat is preferably made in two parts adapted to be laced together
as shown by Figure 2 but this is not obligatory and each part is preferably formed
with a small flap such as g at that part lying opposite to the dip or hollow b¹ in the
underframe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
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•
(1) The improvement in seats for cycles and other purposes as herein specified
and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2) A seat for cycles and other purposes consisting essentially of a hollow shaped
underframe constructed as herein set forth and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, and of a cover adapted to be supported by the upper part of the said
underframe, as set forth.
(3) In a peakless saddle consisting of an open metallic underframe and a cover
or seat carried thereby, forming the underframe with high sides at b, with hollows

page_text: or dips at b', and with a space between the points c c, as and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 29th day of July 1897.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent_for_the Applicant.- -