Improvements in Bicycle Saddles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycle Saddles.
We, FREDERICK CHRISTOPHER AVERY, Superintendent Bicycle Manufactory, of
Toledo, Lucas County, State of Ohio, and CHARLES LEAVITT JENNESS, Manager,
of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois and both of 361, Broadway, New
York City, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows;
The object of our invention is to improve and perfect that form of bicycle saddle
in which the seat portion and the horn portion are constructed with a view to
adapting each to its independent use. That is to say a seat portion to sustain
all of the weight and a horn portion to sustain no part of the weight whatever
and yet have all the advantages of a bicycle horn so far as keeping the rider
from slipping off forwardly or shifting laterally away from the median line.
The seat support may be made of leather, canvas, metal, wood, or other desired
material and is flanged downwardly at the sides and is provided with a seat
support connection or stretcher by which the saddle is attached to the bicycle
and which may be a spring or rigid connection which is bowed downwardly and
has its front end firmly connected to a middle plate and its rear end to a cantle
plate. This seat support connection is made in the form of two spring bars with
their front ends arranged parallel and connected together and with their rear
ends spread apart with a divergent curve and seated in sockets formed in the
cantle plate which latter is firmly rivetted to the lower side of the rear edge of
the scat support. The middle plate is also rivetted to the lower side of the
front end of the seat support and the stretchers or connections are extended
beneath the same and then turned up and connected adjustably with the plate by
an adjusting screw so that when the seat support is made of flexible material it
may have its tension regulated as desired independently of the cover which is
made of some yielding substance.
The horn is supported on a yielding spring stiff against lateral deflection and
has its rear end formed with a longitudinal slot and adjustably but firmly fastened
to the plate by a screw stem and nut said screw stem passing through the slot
of the horn spring and also between the parallel front ends of the seat supports
or stretchers clamping both the front end of the seat stretcher and the rear end
of the pommel spring tightly together and to the fixed plate. The front end of
the horn spring is seated in a pommel clip or socket formed as a metal casting
or by stamping with a seat for the front end of the spring and ears by which it
is rivetted to the front end of the covering. The spring distends the front end
of the leather covering to form a horn or pommel of the saddle and allows it
to readily yield in downward direction. This portion of the saddle in advance
of the plate, while acting perfectly as a yielding horn or pommel, is not intended
to carry any portion of the rider's weight.

page_text: In a modification of the invention the seat support is rigid and unyielding and
there is no separate cantle plate nor middle plate but a rigid seat support is pro-
vided formed with screw sockets at its front and rear ends on the under side to
receive fastening screws which secure the seat support connection to the seat
support. In this case the seat,support connection is a single rigid downwardly
bowed bar whose ends are not ljustable in their relation to the seat support by
reason of the rigid character of the latter. The seat support has a padding
which is covered by the saddle cover to render the seat portion comfortably
yielding.
The saddle cover not only covers the seat and extends forward continuously
to form the horn, but it is also formed to lay over the sides of the saddle and
as this portion is also soft and yielding it will not chafe or hurt the inside of the
leg while it is in use. The seat portion of the saddle is somewhat narrower than
the seat cover and in this way protects the leg, as the seat cover has only a little
tension given it by the horn spring.
In a further modification the seat has an anchorage plate secured by a bolt to
the saddle support and an arm is provided to limit the downward action of the
pommel, which arm may or may not be a forward extension of the saddle support.
The support is fastened by eyes and bolts or otherwise in the rear to some suitable
part of the rigid portion of the saddle. The pommel is furnished with a flat
spring which is fastened by a bolt to the rear portion of the saddle to give it
sufficient action or to the arm, and with a slotted leaf spring adapted to slide
backward or forward to give the main spring a greater or less tension and make
it more or less yielding. The upward movement of the pommel is limited by a
stop which may consist of a loop or stirrup (and may be a leather buckle) which
passes around the arm and permits of adjusting the pommel according to the
height desired.
It is evident that if this pommel is not limited in its downward motion any
extreme weight of pressure that may accidently force it to its limit may break
or injure the spring or it may injure other parts of the saddle and if this spring
should break under certain conditions may injure the rider. A lady is obliged
to dismount forward and if she does not jump far enough forward an accident of
this kind will happen hence the limiting of the downward motion of the pommel
is an important improvement on this style of saddle. The stop loop or stirrup is
fastened to the pommel of the saddle and passes around the arm and it is evident
that if any force is applied to lift the pommel of the saddle the loop or stirrup
would catch on the arm and prevent the pommel from going upward any farther
than the power of the spring will hold it which is its normal position. The arm
is practically rigid for this purpose. If there were no stop loop the pommel
could be forced upward to that extent that it would injure the saddle and in some
cases it would injure the rider.
In a further modification the base of the saddle may be composed of two kinds
of material (or of one kind of material provided the one is rigid and the other is
flexible) the rear part being rigid and the former part flexible, and of side por-
tions which are also soft and yielding. The rigid part is made of metal, wood,
vulcanized fibre, or stiff leather, and the front and side parts are of soft leather
or of other suitable material. These two parts are held together in a suitable
manner for use but preferably by rows of stitching or rivetting. It will be noticed
that the horn or projected portion is composed of the flexible material which will
yield to any ordinary pressure while the rear part is rigid and sustains the weight
of the rider. The side portions also yield to the thighs when the weight is sup-
ported on the rear part as described. The latter part of the invention applies only
to that style of compound bicycle saddle which is built up of several parts and is
constructed with a base and does not apply to the saddle constructed of one piece
only. Only the pommel or horn part may be made flexible or the flexible part
may be extended back with a forked shape on each side of the front end of the rigid

page_text: part. Or there may be a rigid part, a flexible pommel part, and separate crescent-
shaped flexible side pieces.
Dated this 16th day of May 1898.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
Improvements in Bicycle Saddles.
We, FREDERICK CHRISTOPHER AVERY, Superintendent Bicycle Manufactory, of
Toledo, Lucas County, State of Ohio, and CHARLES LEAVITT JENNESS, Manager,
of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois and both at present of 361, Broadway,
New York City, United States of America, 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 :-
-
The object of our invention is to improve and perfect that form of bicycle
saddle in which the seat portion and the horn portion are constructed with a view
to adapting each to its independent use, that is to say a seat portion to sustain all
of the weight and a horn portion to sustain no part of the weight whatever, and
yet have all the advantages of a bicycle horn so far as keeping the rider from
slipping off forwardly or shifting laterally away from the median line.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein
Figure 1 is an inverted plan view and
Figure 2a longitudinal section through the middle of one form of the saddle
and,
Figures and 4 are similar views of a modification thereof.
Figures 1 to 7 are views of two other modifications thereof, and
Figures 1 to 3 are views of different forms of saddle bases to be used in the
building up of the compound saddles.
In Figures 1 and 2, A represents the outside cover of the saddle which is made
of some yielding material preferably leather of the same kind already employed
for this purpose.
B is the seat support which can be made either of leather,
canvas, metal, wood, or other desired material, and is flanged downwardly at the
sides. C is the seat support connection or stretcher by which the saddle is
attached to the bicycle, which may either be a spring or a rigid connection which
is bowed downwardly and has its front end firmly connected to a middle plate E
and its rear end to a cantle plate F.
As shown in Figure 1 the seat support connection C is made in the form of two
spring bars with their front ends arranged parallel and connected together, and
with their rear ends spread apart with a divergent curve and seated in sockets ff
formed in the cantle plate which latter is firmly rivetted to the lower side of the
rear edge of the seat support B.
The middle plate E is also rivetted to the lower side of the front end of the
seat support B and the stretchers or connections C are extended beneath the same
and then turned up as seen in Figure 2, and connected adjustably with the
plate E by an adjusting screw el so that when the seat support B is made of
Hexible material it may have its tension regulated as desired, independently of
the cover A. D is the yielding spring for the horn. This spring is flat and stiff
against lateral deflection and has its rear end formed with a longitudinal slot d
and is adjustably but firmly fastened to the plate E by a screw stem and nut e
said screw stem passing through the slot of horn spring D and also between
the parallel front ends of the supports or stretchers CC while the nut e clamps

page_text: both the front end of the seat stretcher and the rear end of the pommel spring D
tightly together and to the fixed plate E. The front end of the horn spring D
is seated in a pommel clip or socket d formed as a metal casting or by stamping
with a seat for the front end of the spring and ears by which it is rivetted to
the front end of the leather covering A. The spring D distends the front end of
the leather covering A to form a horn or pomniel of the saddle and allows it to
readily yield in downward direction. This portion of the saddle in advance of
the plate E while acting perfectly as a yielding horn or pommel is not intended to
carry any portion of the rider's weight.
In Figures 3 and 4 is shewn a modification of the invention, in which the seat
support B is rigid and unyielding and is made of wood, sheet metal, or similar
material. In this case there is no separate cantle plate I nor middle plate E but
the rigid seat support B is formed with screw sockets at its front and rear ends
on the under side to receive the fastening screws e³, et, which secure the seat
support connection C to the seat support B. In this case the seat support con-
nection C is a single rigid downwardly bowed bar whose ends are not adjustable
in their relation to the seat support B by reason of the rigid character of the
latter. On the seat support B there is a padding E which is covered by the
saddle cover A to render the seat portion comfortably yielding. The horn portion,
its spring 1), and socket d, are however the same as shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
We are aware that it is not new to provide a bicycle saddle with a horn portion
sustained by an independent spring and with said horn portion made separate from
the seat portion and we make no broad claim to this.
It will be noticed that the saddle cover not only covers the seat and extends
forward continuously to form the horn, but it is also formed to lay over the
sides of the saddle, as shewn in Figures 2 and 4, and as this portion is also soft
and yielding it will not chafe or hurt the inside of the leg while it is in use. It
will be seen from the drawing that the seat portion of the saddle is somewhat
narrower than the seat cover and in this way protects the leg, as the seat cover
has only a little tension given it by the horn spring. Again it will be noticed that
one of the saddles shewn has a pad between the seat portion and seat cover, and
the other style shown can have a similar pad applied to it if desired. To accom-
plish this, it is only necessary to unhook the pommel socket or clip from the horn
spring, and fold the seat cover backward, and then insert the pad between it, and
the seat portion. This pad may be of any soft material at the option of the rider.
After the pad becomes hard or matted, it can be taken out and softened, and
returned in the same way. This is an important advantage with this construction
of saddle.
Referring now to Figures 1 to 7. S is the seat which has an anchorage
plate secured by bolt b" to saddle support T“. A is an arm to limit the downward
action of the pommel, which arm may or may not be a forward extension of the
main saddle support T. This support is fastened also in the rear to some suitable
part of the rigid portion of the saddle as by eyes and bolts 62. This arm A"
also prevents the upward movement of the pommel, with the aid of the loop D"
as shown. B is the pommel spring which is fastened by bolt 6" to the rear portion
of the saddle, to give it sufficient action, or it may be fastened on the arm A"
as shown in Figure 7.
C is a slotted leaf spring which can slide backward or forward, by loosening its
retaining bolt 6". This will give the spring Bª a greater or less tension making it
more or less yielding as the case may require.
J
D" is a stop to limit the upward action of the pommel, with the aid of
the arm A". This stop D in Figure 34, Figures 6 and Figure 7 is shown to be
a plain loop or stirrup which can be made of most any kind of material which has
the required strength. In Figure 1 and Figure 2 this stop D is shown to be
a plain leather strap with a buckle. If this buckle is drawn up it will draw the 5
pommel down, and if it is let out, it will allow the spring B to force the pommel

page_text: upward. This adjustment is a great advantage, as it permits the rider to have
high or low pommel at his option.
al
It is evident that if this pommel is not limited in its downward motion, any
extreme weight of pressure that may accidentally force it to its limit, may break
or injure the spring 13" or it may injure other parts of the saddle, and if this
spring should break under certain conditions, it may injure the rider. A lady
is obliged to dismount forward, and if she does not jump far enough forward an
accident of this kind could happen. Hence the limiting of the downward motion
of the pommel is an important improvement on this style of saddle.
The stop loop or stirrup D is fastened to the pommel of the saddle, and passes
around the ari A" as shown, and it is evident that if any force is applied to
lift the pommel of the saddle, the loop or stirrup 1" would catch on the arm A"
and prevent the pommel from going upward any farther than the power of the
spring B would hold it, which is its normal position. The arm A" is practically
rigid for this purpose. If there were no stop loop D, the pommel could be
forced upward to that extent that it would injure the saddle and in some cases
it would injure the rider. It would be very likely to have that effect with a lady
rider, as she is obliged to mount from the front part of the saddle, and if the
pommel is not firmly prevented from going upward it will very often catch in
her skirts in such a way as to involve danger. It can be seen that the stop
loop D will prevent an accident of this kind and is an important improvement.
In Figures 1" to 3", which shew three different forms of base to be used in
building up the compound saddle, the base is composed of two kinds of material Ab
and B (or of one kind of material provided one portion is rigid and the other
is flexible), A representing the rigid or firm portion and Bb the soft or yielding
portion of the base. Cb, Cb, are the side portions which are also soft and yielding.
The rigid part Ab is made of metal, wood, vulcanized fibre, or stiff leather, and
the parts B and C are soft leather or other suitable material. These two parts
are held together in a suitable manner for the use, but preferably by rows of
stitching or rivetting. It will be noticed that the horn or projected portion Bb,
is composed of the flexible material, which will yield to any ordinary pressure,
while the part Ab is rigid and sustains the weight of the rider. The side por-
tions CC also yield to the thighs when the weight is supported on the part Ab
as described. When the base becomes a part of a built-up saddle, it is a great
advantage to have the parts Ab and C Cb yielding to pressure, so as to prevent
injury to that part of the rider that comes in contact with it. It also requires
the rider to sit more firmly on the rigid, or seat portion. This invention applies
only to that style of compound bicycle saddle which is built up of several parts
and is constructed with a base, and does not apply to the saddle constructed of
one piece only.
In Figure 1 only the pommel or horn part is made flexible. In Figure 2
the flexible part is extended back at Cb C with a forked shape on each side of
the front end of the rigid part. In Figure 3" there is a rigid part Ab, a flexible
pommel part 3b, and separate crescent shaped flexible side pieces CC.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A bicycle saddle. comprising a cover extending continuously with divergent
edges from the front end of the pommel to the cantle, a separate rear seat portion,
a rigid middle plate at the front part of the latter, and a separate pommel spring
adjustably attached to and extending from said middle plate to the front end of
the pommel substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A bicycle saddle comprising a cover extending continuously from the front
end of the pommel to the cantle, a subjacent rear seat portion having a rigid plate
at its front end, a pommel spring extending from this rigid plate to the front end of

page_text: the pommel, and a seat support connection secured at its rear end to the cantle
and at its front end to the rigid plate on the front of the rear seat portion, a screw
nut or bolt for securing both the pommel spring and seat support connection,
and an adjusting screw for putting a tension on the rear seat portion substantially
as shown and described.
3. The combination with a suspension saddle, of a foundation seat, an extensible
stretcher to produce a tension in said seat, and a seat cover extended over said
foundation seat and held anteriorly in sliding connection therewith whereby
said foundation seat may be stretched without stretching the seat leather as shown
and described.
4. A yielding-horn saddle comprising a rear seat portion, a support for
the
seat portion connected thereto at its front and back ends,
rear
a covering for the rear seat portion extended forward and provided
with a pommel clip or socket, and a supporting spring having its front end
seated in said clip, and its rear end perforated and provided with a clamp-
screw connecting both the rear end of the pommel spring and the front end of
the seat support connection to the front portion of the seat support substantially
as shown and described.
5. A yielding-horn saddle comprising a rear seat portion having downwardly
flanged sides, a covering extending over the same and beyond its front end and
provided with a pommel clip or socket, a seat support connection connected at
its two ends to the seat portion within its downwardly flanged sides, and a horn
spring having its front end seated in the pommel clip or socket, and its rear end
attached to the seat portion between its downwardly flanged sides and secured
by the same screw nut that fastens the seat portion connection substantially as
and for the purpose described.
6. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel part, a pommel spring, and
means for limiting the range of the pommel movement in both upward and
downward direction substantially as shown and described.
7. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel part, a spring for forcing the
pommel upward, a loop or stirrup attached to the pommel, and an arm rigidly
attached to a part of the saddle and extending forward and within the loop
substantially as shown and described.
8. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel part, a leaf spring composed of
two or more parts, the front end of which hears against the under end of the
pommel, and the rear end being clamped to the saddle, and one section of said
leaf spring being slotted and longitudinally adjustable to vary the tension of
the spring substantially as shown and described.
9. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel, a saddle support rigidly attached
to the under side of the saddle and extended beyond its front connection in the
form of an arm, a spring located between the arm and the pommel, and a retaining
loop or stirrup attached to the pommel and enclosing said arm substantially as
shown and described.
10. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel, a spring supporting said pommel,
and means for limiting the upward movement of said pommel substantially. as
shown and described.
11. A bicycle saddle having a flexible pommel, a spring supporting said pommel,
and means for limiting the downward movement of said pommel to avoid breaking
strain on the spring substantially as shown and described.
12. A bicycle saddle base for a compound or built-up saddle, said base being made
in two parts permanently fastened together, namely a rear rigid seat portion, and
a flexible horn or pommel portion substantially as shown and described.
13. A bicycle saddle base for a compound or built-up saddle, said base. being
composed of a rear rigid seat portion, and a flexible horn or pommel portion
extending back with a forked divergence along cach edge of the rigid portion
substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 14. A bicycle saddle base consisting of a rigid rear part Ab, a flexible pommel
part Bb, and independent flexible side pieces CC, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated this 17th day of February 1899.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.