Improvements in Oycle Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oycle Saddles.
1, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS of Great Charles Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the naturo of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to cycle saddles, and has for one of its objects, a soft and
efficiently supported seat, not liable to tuck; for another object; the supporting of
the back body part; for a third object, a new construction of framing, and for a
fourth object, to effect the locking of the tension pin.
T'he first part of my invention consists in supporting the back body part of the
top and primary seat upon a supplementary and set-down and independently
tensioned layer of leather or other suitable material, and with rubber or other
suitable substance interposed between the underneath layer and the top seat, thus
forming intervening supports for the latter.
Thus, a two sided metallic underframing is taken, having a tension device at the
front to which the fore part of the primary seat is attached, whilst the rear part of
the said seat is made fast to a back plate to which the rear end parts of the framing
are connected.
Set down from the underside of the body of the seat, and connected at back to
the underside surface of the skirting plate, is a layer or stratum of stout leather
isolated from the said top seat at points where hardness would be injurious.by
intervening spaces and having the middle of its fore part fitted with a hanging and
jointed bracket or link having passing or threaded through the inside screwed
nozzle end of it, one end of a screwed tensioning pin or rod connected at its other
end to the bracket carried at the front of the framing and constituting an
independent tension for the said underneath layer.
If necessary the primary and top seat may be left untensioned and supported
only through the medium of the inner stratum or under seating.
By constructing the seats of saddles as described, the primary top is supported
from undue deflection, and at the same time, the softuess of the seat is preserved
and the pressure of a rider is kept off the peak or fore part of the seat.
The underside layer may have gaps or clearances upon its outer edge to miss
the springs and members of the framing.
The interposed rubbers which may be in the form of posts, are either carried by
sheets of material, or have shouldered ends which fit into holes or recesses in the
lower stratum and are thereby kept in their assigned positions.
By the second part of my improvements, the lines of support or stretch are directed
obliquely to a point within the middle of the seat and from thence are carried to
the front thereby preventing the weight of the rider tightening and consequently
hardening the peak of the saddle.
Thus, in one form of my improvements, I take an ordinary saddle seat and cut
the two opposite sides of the same (where the thighs of a rider come) into fillets
or tongues, which are directed inwards to a common point located under the seat of
the saddle, thus representing the apex of the converging lines of support.
The ends of these tongues, which come together or overlap, are connected

page_text: :
together and then carried to the front through the medium of a bar, rod, strap
or equivalent attached to the saddle, and tensioned, either by an independent
arrangement or by the ordinary means all set down below or coming clear of
the seat.
By this means of connection, or support, that part of the saddle upon which the
bulk of the weight of the rider.comes is provided with an auxiliary support,
independent of the walls or sides.
According to a modification of this second part of my invention, I cut or pierce
the two opposite sides of the middle into flaps or tongues, set down and directed
inwards and connected together by a cross tic, brace or link or links, whose middle
part is connected to a bracket or tension disposed at the front of the seat by means
of a rod, strap or equivalent, by which means the pressure of the rider is kept off
the peak of the saddle.
In employing auxiliary supports for the purpose set forth, the upper part of the
front of the seat may be left entirely open at parts or clearances may be formed in
the seat where ever it may be found desirable.
According to another form of this said part of my invention, I may make the saddle
seat of a figure such as is comprehended, by, the lines of force as described in the
previous arrangement, that is, the saddle is made of a shape almost as equilateral
triangle, with the back part cambered to form the base, whilst the sides terminate
in an apex to which a supplementary fore part. is .attached, the said apex being
carried forward and braced through a bar, strap or equivalent to a tensioning device
or a bracket.
As a further modification, each of the tongue-like fillets. are crossed over, from
one side of the saddle and attached to the opposite sides respectively.
In carrying out one form of the third, part of my improvements, the. framing is
of the trussed type, that is, the same is made up of two double sides, terminating
at front in a bracket, and with the top, rod.or wire of each side rising and diverging
slightly outwards at the back and terminating in the skirting plate. The front
ends of these, said top. rods also slightly rise and terminate. in.. the bracket
aforesaid. The under rods of the sides are separated from .and preferably follow
the contour of the front and middle parts of the top rods, whilst their back ends are
braced together by a horizontal cross rod or bar, whose ends are continued. laterally,
first horizontally and then upwards; to uear, the ends of the skirting plate.
Thus, the under cross rod, which is, alike in figure to an inverted arch spanning
the end parts of the skirting plate, passes below and comes under the top rods of
the sides and forms a tie to the ends..of, the lower rods and, a cross stay. for, the
whole of the frame, leaving the top rods, independent of, and, as. it were, slung
above the under rods.
The said cross rod may have one or, more-loop coils formed integral with it and
coming between the points of its connection with the under rods and its connection
with the skirting plate.
As a modified form of framing the component wires of each of the trussed sides
may come together at their ends, forming the sides as it wero into long. loops.
...Such a framing.constitutes a base support, between the fore end of which and the
front underside of the seat framing rods of the saddle,, which come under the seat
and are attached to the skirting plate,: resilient, supporting springs are interposed.
The spring which. I prefer to employ consists of a combined levering.arm and
coiled springs, that is to say, the spring consists of two arms, directed under the
seat and terminating inwardly in a loop.coil, whilst the other and forward ends
terminate in part pillar coiled springs whose axes are directed at right. angles-to
that of the loop.coil.
"
The back ends of the bracket support, carry a cross rod having spring.coils,
formed integral therewith and, with its ends connected to the skirting plate.
The cross rod may be cross split, or made in two lengths with the opposed ends
respectively right and left hand screwed and taking into a like, wormed screw box,

page_text: which when rotated will draw together or separate the said ends and thus effect
cross tensioning, of the seat.
In carrying out the fourth part of my improvements, I take an ordinary hanging
bracket having a wormed eye wherethrough a screwed tension pin, passing through
a plain hole in the nose bracket, takes, with the head of the said pin taking a bearing
upon the outer side of the said nose bracket, the entrance to the hole on the outer
side of which is she-gapped or V-ed, whilst the opposed face of the bead of the
pin has a he or V-shaped projection which snaps into the said gap in the bracket.
On rotating the tension pin for tightening, or slackening the seat, which, being
tuut, acts as a spring, the he projection of the pin is caused to fly into the she
recess in the bracket; hence the locking of the said pin in its adjusted position.
Dated this 11th day of November 1895.
I, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS of Great Charlos Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, 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 has relation to cycle saddles, and has for one of its objects, a soft-
and efficiently supported seat, and for another object, a new construction of framing
with cognate parts.
According to one part of my invention, the primary top of the saddle is pierced
or partially left opeu at its middle part, inwards of the peak, and with fillet
extensions of the walls of the said piercings or pierced part being so supported
that the lines of stretch are directed obliquely and to a common point within the
middle of the seat, and from theuce are set down and carried under the seat of the
saddle to the extreme front, through the medium of a tension, rod, strap or equivalent,
whereby the direct weight of a rider is kept off the peak, and softness of the fore
part of the seat is duly preserved.
According to another part of my invention, the underframing, which is of the
trussed type, is made up of four wires forming two double sides, with the members
termiuating at front in a bracket and at rear in the back plate, with the wires rising
and preferably spreading outwardly, and with the members rear of the boss vertically
tied together by brackets or connections, and horizontally by a laterally-directed wire
member or rod rigidly connected to the sides and terminating at and being fixedly
secured to near the ends of the back plate.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in longitudinal vertical
section, a cycle saddle, with improvements made according to my invention.
Figuro 2 represents a topside plan of the same, showing clearly the part left
open at the junction of the peak with the body, and how the said middle part
of the scat is supported by directing the lines of force to a point inwards of
the peak.
Figure 3 represents an underside plan of the said saddle with the members of the
opposite sides 'broken away at the middle part.
Figure 4 represents front and side elevations of the bracket plate' showing
gaps whereiu projections under the head of the screw pin" Figure 5, snap for
locking.

page_text: a is the seat of the saddle, with the middle part a³, of the body, at its junction
with the peak a, and opposite the sides a, where the thighs of a rider come,
formed with an opening, clearance or piercing b, terminating at 6' in the peak,
and at in the body of the saddle, with the inner ends c, of a pair of fillets
or straps c, converging inwards, and having their free ends fixedly connected
to a bracket plate d, through a plain hole in which a tension screw pin or
equivalent e, connected to the front of the saddle a', through a rod or the like f,
раввея.
Situated between the fillets or straps c, a tongue g, may come, although if
necessary the space enclosed between the said straps may be left open.
By so piercing and supporting the fore part of the body of the seat, the direct
weight of the ridor is transferred to the fore part of the saddle framing through
the medium of the supporting rods or tension, instead of, as in ordinary saddle seats,
through the medium of the leather at the peak part, whereby softness in the front
of the peak is preserved, whilst the opposite sides of the saddle where the thighs of
a rider come, are left free.
Instead of the ends of the fillets being connected to a bracket, they may if desired
be secured to a strap taken under the seat of the saddle and affixed to the front
bracket.
By rotating the tension screw pin, the desired stretch of the middle of the seat
can be attained, leaving the leather or material of the seat at the peak end
upstretched and free, hence hardness is prevented.
In the underframing, hare a pair of trussed sides, each made up of wire
members h¹, ³, with their fore ends in common connected to, or fitted within, a
bracket, wherethrough the tension pin engaging with a hanger, made fast to
the underside of the peak of a saddle, passes. A nut, takes upon the tension pin
and by its rotation the necessary stretch is put upon the back of the saddle seat,
when the after ends h', h, of the said sides are connected to the back end as of the
saddle by a back plate a³.
Now the individual members of each side at the end of the underframing, rearwards
of the boss, which also vertically and horizontally clamps together the whole
of the members constituting the frame, are tied by brackets or junctions:j, whilst
a stretcher or crossing rod or bar k, whose middle part passes through the lugs or
junctions, is secured at its ends ¹, to the ends. a of back plate a³, thereby
supporting the same and preventing it from giving inwardly when great pressure
is put upon the seat.
The sides of the framing, as well as being tied together by the boss, are also
braced together by a supplementary rod which crosses diametrically, as it were, the
back end of the saddle, hence greater rigidity.
Figure 6 represents a vertical section of a cycle saddle provided with my said
transversely tied together underframing applied to a seat with the back fore end
part, supported differently to that referred to in the preceding arrangement.
Figure 7 represents an underside plan of Figure 6.
Figure 8 represents a back clevation of Figures 6 and 7.
a is the seat, hare the sides, composed of members 1, 3, secured at front to a
bracket provided with a tension pin, and at rear to the back or skirting plate,
and with the supplementary bracing rod k, connected at its ends to the buck
plate, and its middle part to a lug, or junction j, hence the tying and bracing
together vertically and transversely of the assembled members at the rear part of
the frame.
Figure 9 represents a modified form of underframing in which the back ends of
the lower rods or wires h' terminate in the lugs or junctions j, instead of being
continued to the back plate as in the before referred to framings.
In the means of locking the tension as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, d is a bracket,
having upon the two opposite sides of the plain hole or bush d', recesses d³, into
which projections d³, on the inner side of the head d', of the adjusting screw d³,
suap by the pull of the seat.

page_text: 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. In cycle saddles, upholding and keeping in strong tension only, the back.
end or body part of seats where the principal weight of the rider comes, by a
supplementary suspensory attachment directed from the front and connected to or
about the middle part of the said seat, whereby the flaps and part located between
the said middle or intermediate suspensory connection and fore end are left practically
unrestrained, substantially for the purpose as set forth.
Secondly. In cycle saddles, having triple-suspensioned seats as referred to in
the preceding claim, piercing the middlo part and making a connection between a
fillet or fillets, or a strap or straps formed therefrom, and the fore part of saddle,
by a rod, tension-screw, strap or equivalent, as described and set forth in
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Thirdly. In the underframings of cycle saddles in which the fore and back ends.
of the members are connected respectively to the back and front undersides of the
seat, supporting the ends of the back plate by means of a laterally-directed stretcher,
stay-wire or rod, passing through lugs carried by or resting upon the saddle framing,
with its ends made fast to the said backplate, substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth.
Fourthly. In cycle saddle tensions, the combination with the seat of the saddle
and its end connections, of the herein described locking means for preventing the
screw pin from being accidentally disturbed after adjustment, substantially as
described and set forth.
Laren
ZHEN DAY
A HOTI:1
x396
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant..