Improvements in Air Seats, Oushions, and Saddles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Seats, Oushions, and Saddles.
LEOLINE ARTHUR EDWARDS, 4 Mexfield Road Putney Surrey Mechanical
Engineer THEODORE STRONG HASLUCK 27 Tenby Street Birmingham Warwick-
shire Brass Founder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in air seats cushions or saddles applicable
to cycles and other purposes and has for its objects the maintainence of an uniform
distribution of air over the seat or cushion when in use and in the event of fracture
or puncture occurring at any one part of the seat or cushion that leakage &• escape
of the air shall be confined to that part of the seat or cushion alone and that it
shall not be rendered temporary useless by such fracture occurring that repairs
may be readily and expeditiously effected and that there shall be more perfect
ventilation and that the seat cushion or saddle shall remain cooler under the sitter
than do the air cushions and saddles hitherto used.
In carrying out our invention we construct a saddle or cushion in which the air
is contained in a number of separate and independent compartments pockets or
receptacles which may be of any convenient shape but preferably in the form of
hollow elastic spheres said air receptacles being located and retained within the
outer cover or case of the seat cushion or saddle and arranged in position to suit
the purpose for which such particular seat cushion or saddle is intended.
In considering a cycle saddle in accordance with this invention we arrange a
suitable number of elastic spheres containing air between the upper and under
surfaces of the saddle case the sides & ends of case being perforated or left open
so as to admit of a free current of air passing within and through the saddle case
and around the spheres such. a saddle remains cool and the air cannot be expelled
from one part and forced into another by the weight of the sitter moreover in the
event of fracture or puncture of any one sphere a collapse of the whole seat or
saddle does not occur and a new sphere can be easily and expeditiously substituted
by the rider himself.
Dated this Fifteenth day of December 1894.

page_text: balls or chambers are sometimes placed upon a suitable support forming the under-
side of the seat. They are kept in position by the sides, ends and cover, and
sometimes by additional strips, pockets, or ligatures of suitable material secured to
the flexible envelope, or to the support, or to the cover, or to both the support
and the cover. If tubular chambers or globular balls are used, the support
forming the underside or base of the seat or saddle may be a corrugated or indented
metal plate. It is preferable that the balls or chambers should not touch one
another or be in contact with the cover or base of the seat at all parts of their
surface; the objects being :-First, to allow circulation of air between the balls or
chambers to ventilate the seat, and scondly, to prevent the parts of a seat cover in
contact with a person sitting thereon, from being forced very closely against such
person with an equal air pressure at all points and thus pressing unduly upon the
fleshy parts. A further advantage of using separate air chambers is that if one is
punctured the whole seat does not necessarily collapse as in the ordinary cushion or
pneumatic saddle.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
In all the figs. similar parts are similarly lettered.
Figs. J. and 2 are isometrical views of cushions made wholly of a cover B of
flexible material, and stuffed with pneumatic balls or chambers C., which may either
be sewn up in the cover or be removable through a purse mouth as at D Fig. 1.
E. E. are ventilation holes. The cushion shown in Fig. 2 is especially intended
for use on board ship and would be available as a life belt.
Figs. 3 and 4 are isometrical views of our improved seat adapted for chairs
couches, footstools coaches beds and the like. It consists of a base board or
plate A which may be corrugated or indented, and to which is fixed the flexible
cover B. One end of this cover may be made to open and to be kept closed by
straps or their equivalent; or there may be one or more openings and doors in the
base A as shown in Fig. 44. Elastic pneumatic balls or chambers C. are placed
in the space between A. and B. E. E. are holes in the base, sides and cover to
permit air to circulate. F. F. Fig. 4 are strips between the elastic balls to form
pockets, part of cover being removed to show them more plainly.
Ships' bunk mattresses constructed as in any of the before described ways may
be fitted with straps so that they may be secured to the body and limbs and thus
become very effective life saving apparatus at sea.
Instead of the base plate or board A, the support may consist of a stretching
frame A Fig. 5 upon which a sheet of canvas or other suitable flexible material,
or strips of webbing, or laths of metal or wood may be stretched and secured to
support the elastic balls or chambers.
Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively the plan and section of a cycle saddle with flexible
cover B. and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively the plan and section of a cycle saddle
with rigid cover B¹. Different sizes of covers B₁ are made with their exterior
upper surfaces varying in form to suit various riders, so that a rider may
select that shaped saddle cover which he finds the most comfortable. In these
Figures 6. 7. 8 & 9. A is the saddle base, C the elastic balls, D the opening to
insert the balls when the base is as in Fig. 7. E ventilation holes, F strips or
ligatures to confine the balls C when the base is as in Fig. 7. G, Figs. 6 and 8 is
a depression or opening in cover B for the purpose of preventing upward pressure
on the rider at that part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A pneumatic cushion or mattress constructed substantially as described and
consisting of an outer envelope of flexible material filled or partly filled with
separate elastic hollow balls or chambers, containing air, and which is adaptable

page_text: 2. The adaptation of the contrivance claimed in Claim 1 to seats for chairs,
couches, coaches, or saddles; the seats being made with a support plate or board
carrying separate elastic hollow balls or chambers containing air which are covered
by a suitable flexible cover secured to the support plate or board.
3. A pneumatic seat for chairs, couches, footstools, coaches saddles and the like
made with a support plate or board and separate elastic hollow balls or chambers
as claimed in Claim 2, but in combination with a rigid cover the upper surface of
which is shaped to adapt it to the comfort of the user of the seat.
4. A frame with canvas, webbing, or laths of metal or wood stretched thereon.
in combination with a cover and separate elastic hollow balls or chambers as
claimed in Claims 2 and 3 arranged to form a pneumatic seat or saddle.
5. With the contrivances claimed in Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 strips or pockets or
ligatures of suitable material secured to the cover or envelope, or to the support,
or to both the cover and the support, for the purpose of preventing contact of the
separate elastic hollow balls or chambers with one another, and of controlling the-
pressure exercised by one ball or chamber upon its neighbours.
6. Corrugated, indented, or raised plates for the supports or rigid covers claimed
in Claims 2, 3, 4, & 5.
1005
THOS. WILKINS,
Agent for the Applicants..