Year: 1896

page_text: I CHARLES FRANKLIN BATT of No. 192 Broadway, New York City, State of New
York, in the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The main object of this Invention is to provide a cycle saddle which can be
adjusted laterally or made wider or narrower as required.
The frame of the saddle is of metal, preferably of heavy steel wire bent into a loop
at the front and extending in, what may be termed, two legs towards the back of
the saddle. These two legs constitute fore and aft supporting parts to be combined
with a seat post clamp. Near the back of the saddle the two legs or fore and aft
supporting parts, extend laterally the width of the saddle and are thence curved
around to again extend inwardly where the ends of the frame terminate. These
ends of the frame are adjustably connected with each other, at, or near the back of
the saddle, in any suitable way, as for instance by overlapping the ends of the wire
and connecting them by a clamp.
The seat post clamp is preferably so constructed and combined with the fore and
aft supporting parts of the saddle frame, as to permit of the lateral adjustment of
the frame when the clamps are loosened. This seat post clamp when tightened will
serve to keep the legs of the frame in the positions to which they are adjusted and
to hold and support the saddle as a whole, so that the conuector before referred to,
is not essential in all cases.
The saddle frame described may be covered in various ways, but it is preferred to
make the seating mainly of leather which can be secured at the front to the metal
frame, and suitably connected at the back to the outwardly extending parts of the
frame. This leather, or other covering, is split, or separated, at a point from the
extreme back of the saddle forwards towards the front end. A stuffing of hair,
felt, or other suitable material, may be provided within the covering. The adjacent
edges of the parts of the seating, divided as described, are preferably connected
together by lacing or by a buckle or the like so as to permit the surface of the
saddle to be kept taut under different adjustments. When a narrow saddle is
required, the back parts of the saddle are adjusted towards each other and held by
the connector, or the seat post clamp, or both. When a wide saddle is required, the
back parts of the saddle are drawn apart and secured in the desired position by the
connector clamp, or seat post clamp, or both.
The frame may be made of such elasticity that when the clamps are opened and
the lacing or buckle freed, the back parts of the saddle will be self adjusting
outwards, or inwards, as may be preferred.
Dated this 28th day of September 1896
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London; W.C., Agents.

page_text: I, CHARLES FRANKLIN BATT, of 192 Broadway, New York City, State of New
York, in the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, 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 main object of this invention is to provide a cycle saddle which can be
adjusted laterally or made wider or narrower as required the construction moreover
being such that the said saddle shall combine with the stability essential to safety,
the flexibility requisite for comfort. It will however be evident that the present
invention as regards these latter features is applicable to the construction of cycle
saddles which are not, intended to be adjusted laterally, for as, when in use, the
saddle and its parts will have a fixed lateral position, the saddle frame may be such
as to have a fixed position only.
"The frame of the saddle is of metal, preferably of heavy steel wire, of square
section, which in case the saddle is to be laterally adjustable, is preferably bent into
a loop at the front and extends in what may be termed two legs towards the back
of the saddle. These two legs constitute fore and aft supporting parts to be
combined with the seat post clamp. Near the back of tho saddle the two legs or
fore and aft supporting parts extend laterally about the width of the saddle and are
there curved around to again extend inwardly, where the parts of the wire frame
are connected with each other at a point forward of the back of the saddle, and
preferably between the back of the saddle and supporting or seat post clamp.
While the frame thus constructed will be sufficiently flexible to distribute and
minimize the jar of the wheel in riding, it will permit the saddle to couform to the
motions of the rider.
If the saddle is to be laterally adjustable, the connection of these parts or ends
at the point described is necessarily adjustable, but this adjustable connection may
be effected in any suitable way, as for instance, by overlapping the ends of the wires
and providing a counector in the form of a clamp. In such case, the seat post
clamp should be so constructed and combined with the fore and aft supporting parts
of the saddle frame as to permit of the lateral adjustment of the frame when the
clamps are loosened.
This seat post clamp when tightened will serve to keep the legs of the frame in
the positions to which they are adjusted, and to hold and support the saddle as a
whole, so that the adjustable connector before referred to, is not essential in all
cases. The saddle frame described whether laterally adjustable or not, may be
covered in various ways, but it is preferred to make the seating mainly of leather
which can be secured at the front and back to the frame. Where the saddle
is laterally adjustable, this leather or other covering is split or separated at a point
at the back of the saddle forwards towards the front end. Where it is not
adjustable, there is preferably a split or opening not extending to the extreme back
of the saddle.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an inverted plan of a laterally adjustable saddle constructed in
accordance with this invention:
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of a saddle shewing the application of the
invention where the saddle is not laterally adjustable
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5, Figure 4.

page_text: The frame of the saddle is preferably made of a single piece of tempered spring
wire preferably, of square cross section, and bent upon itself, and with its ends
connected together in such a manner that while the frame will be sufficiently
flexible to distribute and minimize the jar of the wheels in riding, it will permit the
saddle to conform to the motions of the rider. Where the saddle is to be laterally
adjustable, the connection of the parts of the frame together is sucli that the back-
part of the saddle may be adjusted laterally, or made wider, or narrower, as the
requirements of the rider may demand.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 which shew the laterally adjustable construction of
saddle, it will be seen that the frame is in the form of a loop al at the front, or
pommel, end of the saddle, aud is there adjustably connected to a metal pieco D,
to which the front end of the saddle is to be rivetted. This adjustable connection
of the frame with the piece. D may consist of the bolt E threaded into, and
adjustable in, the piece D, the upturned loop al of the frame embracing the bolt and
bearing against the head thereof.
From the front end of the saddle, the spring frame.extends in two continuous parts
or legs aa to the back of the saddle, these legs constituting continuous fore and
aft supporting parts to be combined with a seat post clamp, as hereinafter described.
At the back of the saddle these fore and aft spring parts are curved. forwardly and
laterally. As shown in Figure 1, the parts at a extend outwardly at a³ as, about
the width of the saddle, and then are curved forwardly, and inwardly, again in
return bends with their ends a meeting at a point forward of the back of the saddle
and preferably between the back of the saddle and the supporting, or seat-post,
clamp.
The ends of the spring frame are connected with each other at this point in
suitable way. If the saddle is to be laterally adjustable, this connection may be
effected by making the ends of the wire overlap, as shewn in Figure 1, and by
providing there a connector B in the form of a clamp. This clamp may consist
simply of a loop b with a threaded bolt & passing through one side to bear against
the two wire ends. If the saddle is not to be laterally adjustable, the ends of the
spring frame may of course be fixedly connected together in any suitable way as, by
brazing or rivetting, but for the non-adjustable saddle, this fixed connection may
for convenience of construction be effected by making the wire at this point
continuous, bending the wire into shape with the terminal ends at the front, or
poinmel, part of the saddle, as will be readily understood on reference to Figures 4
and 5. In this case the manner of connecting the front end of the frame to the
saddle may be modified as shewn in the said Figures 4 and 5. In the construction
there shown the ends of the wire rest in-and bear against the forward upturned ends
of an adjustable slide E1, against the rear end of which bears an adjusting screw E
threaded into a post d on tho flat plate D, rivetted to the underside of the pommel
of the saddle. The extended end of this post passes through a longitudinal slot e
in tho slide E, and is threaded for the reception of a nut and washer to hold the
said slide up to the plate D without interfering, however, with its longitudinal
adjustment.
The cycle saddle frame described may be covered in any desired way. For
instance the seating may consist in the main of leather rivetted at the front to the
Inetal piece D, or D1, aud connected at the back to the outwardly
extending parts a³ ³ of the spring frame, as shewn in the drawings. As
the most desirable way of connecting the back of the covering to the outwardly
extending parts of the spring frame, rivotting,shoes R are provided to embrace the
said outwardly extending parts a³, and rivets r are passed through ears r¹ of the
said rivetting shoes and across the inner faces of the said parts as into the edge of
the leather, which is turned down over the back of the rivetting shoes as shewn in
the drawing.
Where the saddle is not laterally adjustable, the split or opening does not extend
to the extreme back, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5; but where the saddle is to be
laterally adjustable, as shown in Figure 1, the covering is split, or separated, from

page_text: a point in the extreme back of the saddle forwards towards the front end. The
seat part of the saddle may simply be of hard stretched leather, or it may contain
upholstery of hair, felt, or other suitable material. In either case it is preferable to
provide a lining of porous rubber for the pommel, or forward end, of the saddle.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the two parts of the cantle, or
back end, of the saddle are connected, supported, and braced, by the connected
ends of the spring frame at a point between the back of the saddle and seat post, so
that a certain flexibility is given to each side of the saddle by this underneath
spring connection and the jar of the wheel in riding communicated through this
spring connection, is thereby divided, distributed and minimized.
A seat post clamp for permitting of lateral adjustment of the fore and aft springs
is shewn in Figures 2 and 3. It comprises a T-shaped piece K having in its
vertical part a slot for the passage of the seat post arm, while a slotted
cross-piece K' combines with the cross-arms of the T-piece to form elongated slots
through which the fore and aft supporting springs a2 a2 of the saddle frame may
pass and be clamped in any position to which they may be adjusted. The seat post
clamp used in the arrangement Figures 4 and 5 may be similar to the foregoing but
of course allowance for lateral adjustment is not needed. In either case however
any suitable seat post clamp can be used in place of that shewn.
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:-
1. A cycle saddle frame having parts extending outwardly at the back of the
saddle, and curved forwardly and inwardly and connected together at a point
forward of the back of the saddle, as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. A cycle saddle frame consisting of two continuous fore and aft springs united
at the front and with the ends at the back curved outwardly, forwardly and then
inwardly, and adjustably connected with each other, as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
3. A cycle saddle frame consisting of two continuous fore and aft springs united
at the front and extending outwardly at the back and then inwardly, and with the
ends adjustably connected with each other, in combination with a clamp permitting
lateral adjustment of said springs, substantially as herein before described.
4. A cycle saddle frame having spring supporting parts extending outwardly at
the back of the saddle and curved forwardly and inwardly in return bends with the
ends adjustably connected together at a point forward of the back of the saddle,
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. A cycle saddle frame having fore and aft supporting parts, in combination with
a seat post clamp having horizontal clamping faces for the said supporting parts
forming elongated slots through which said supporting parts pass, and in which
they can be adjusted laterally, substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. A. cycle saddle frame having supporting spring wires extending fore and aft
adjustably connected at the back of the saddle in combination with a clamp having
horizontally elongated clamping faces between which the said wires may be clamped
in their various positions.
Dated th: 90th Jan of Tune 1807
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.